Matt Monro Forum

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas holiday. Regarding the different Jack Jones Christmas albums: My copy of the Laserlight Christmas album is definitely a licensed version of the 1969 RCA A Jack Jones Christmas - same songs, same order. In the U.S., we've had three versions of Kapp's Jack...

I'm sorry if my posts offended anyone, because I emphasized that they were not meant as condemnation of Jack Jones, the entertainer of today. I openly admit that I LOVE talking about music, and I love the history of music. I also admit my bias in being in awe of the era in which Jack Jones came up, ...

A few comments about Jack and his popularity: Over the weekend, I was reading a wonderful biography called "Goodbye," about Gordon Jenkins, one of my all-time favorite music figures, and a genius in arranging, composing and conducting. In 1977, he was frustrated that he wasn't very busy, as there we...

A great summary once again, Marian. Sounds like this was a very special tour for you.
Did Jack say what he'd be doing for eighteen months? That's a long time! Maybe he's just going to relax and work on some of his tape remastering (I assume he has a studio at home).

Your detailed reports are terrific, Marian. Thanks for all the time you spend on them. Sounds like Eleanora is putting the style back in JJ's image - something he hasn't been so noted for since his 60's tuxedo days. Mariana: as it happened, Jack was divorcing his first wife, Lee, when he recorded Wh...

Thanks so much for your approval, Mark! :D I was seriously worried about offending people here. JJ's story is rather complicated, with the 70's being such a rough decade for pop singers like himself - shutting them out of radio and concert halls - and ultimately leading to Jack's reinvention of hims...

Jack Jones did indeed lose much credibility with his Love Boat Theme recording. I hated the song too, but at the same time, I felt that the American media was rather cruel in how they assessed JJ's worth over one song. After all, there was so much tackiness to be found in 70's entertainment, in gene...

Sounds like you have a great collection of photos and information to treasure, Marian. I don't hear of any celebrity fan clubs anymore. I guess it's a sign of the times - people have cut back on all those non-essential fees, as well as the travel costs, those clubs used to entail. Most American summ...

Marian: The Jack Jones Forum seems to be there for enthusiastic concert posts, so there'd be no point in my disturbing that. Besides, it's not my intention to spoil everyone's fun exchange, or to deny that Jack is a great entertainer. I just happened to notice some points in the UK reviews that were...

These reviews contain some interesting perspectives from across the Atlantic. I hope that this doesn't seem too negative, but I just wanted to point out that Jack Jones is perceived quite differently within the U.S. Jack is NOT regarded as "American aristocracy" - not even close. Frank Sinatra and T...

So Marian, are you the person referenced in the article who'd seen Jack 195 times before the current tour? If not, then you must personally know the people being written of. I know that you've mentioned being part of the group who visited Jack in California. (Excuse the ignorant questions, coming fr...

I think that Jack's singing voice in the 60's was an AMAZING instrument. It had tremendous power, and an effortless, "gliding" quality. His voice could climb up and down the scales rapidly, shift easily from baritone to tenor, and then wind down lines in a gorgeous vibrato. And he already had the gr...

Just another thought about the Shall We Dance LP: Why is it that every writer who interviews Jack claims that Lollipops and Roses was the first single and album he ever recorded with Kapp? There are a few such interviews appearing right now on his site, and Jack never says anything to the contrary. ...

The original cover is definitely a "cute" curiosity piece in music history. I've tried to imagine the 1959 mindset behind it, and the intentions of the Capitol marketing department, but . . no clue. It even predated the Flintstones cartoon by one year. You might also assume that Capitol was trying t...

In Sweeney Todd, Alan Rickman played an evil judge who sentences barber Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Once Todd is out of jail, he one day finds the judge in his own barber chair, so his revenge on the judge will obviously be long and gruesome. Johnny Depp admitted...