Matt Monro Forum

News Flash!

Matt Monro has now sold over one million compact discs. This is a great achievement!

I believe the best seller is The Very Best Of Matt Monro. It has been issued twice and it was in every HMV and Virgin I visited. I forgot to ask Steve (from EMI Gold) or Michele how many copies it has sold. Probably The Ultimate Matt Monro is in second place.

Congratulations to the Monro family. Thank you for issuing so many interesting CDs through the years.

Actually Paul, The very best of was the first MM cd i bought (the first edition), but as you say, 1 million sales is very impressive. I think the first 'Heartbreakers' cd was a big seller also

The Very Best Of Matt Monro was also my very first Matt Monro CD purchase, Thomas. I was considering buying it again (in its new packaging and keeping it in the car for emergencies when I must hear Matt Monro) at HMV this past week where it was on sale for only 4 pounds. But then I thought I might wait until a future trip in 2008 when HMV usually has their "clear-out" sales where it may go down to 2.99. And I pray that the exchange rate will be more favourable for Americans sometime soon.

The Very Best cd was also my first Matt CD.
Just looked at my I-Pod (for confirmation), my most listened to cd is 'Hollywood & Broadway'.

Gray

The first record we bought was a 45 RPM "Softly As I Leave You" with "Is There Anything I Can Do " (from the show, Not To Worry on the flip side.

Wow, Lena & Harry, do you still have the '45' of Softly?
I have one '45' record of Matt's - From Russia With Love, bought back in the 80's.

Gray

Yes we stlll have the record Gray and another with "I've Got Love" and "One Day" on the reverse.
Our first CDs were The Three Cd set..." Moment To Moment."

My first Matt cd was "Heartbreakers", which was very popular at the time.

I think "Heartbreakers" was our first Matt album. Not so sure about CD but "Matt Sings Don Black" was a pretty early one. Maybe,"Yesterdays," the Reader's Digest box set.
I have two 78s of Matt, Everybody Falls in Love with Someone"/"Out of Sight Out of Mind" and "The Bean Song"/"My House is Your House."
Marian

My first cd was "A Time For Love".

Hi All

Wow Lena & Harry, can I be really nosey and ask if you bought those 45's when the songs were first issued?

Hi Marian, same question to you please regarding the '78, when and where did you buy that from?

I'm sure I've asked this before, sorry if I have because I've forgotten your answers, but were do you (Lena & Harry & Marian) store your 45's now?
Are they out on display for easy access, or are they squirrelled away?
Marian, 78's are quite thick and heavy aren't they?
They must take up some room!

Here's one last question please, sorry for being sooooo dull, but can anyone remember if 78's were ever issued with 'picture' sleeves?
My parents had some 78's, but they only ever seem to have the heavy paper sleeves.
Gosh, that is such a silly question, can't believe I've posted it, but would you believe I am interested! You can tell I don't get out much!!!

Whilst I'm at it, when did 33's get faized in I wonder?
Does anyone have a really old 33, from the late 1950's I'm presuming!?

Gray

We did buy those 45 rpms when they were first issued Gray.
We off loaded quite an amount of 78S. but we did have One or Two of Matt's 78s, i think one was The Garden Of Eden, but we probably taped them on to cassettes during which time , with the older type of recorders, everything and everyone had to remain silent while this was going on. and now and again the Beeb reminded us all that it was illegal to copy tapes. A fat lot of notice anyone took of that . and gradually they gave up and realised that it was falling on deaf ears and there wasn't a lot they could do about it.
We still have quite a few 45s sitting on Two bottom shelves, the rest of the shelves occupied by videos which hopefully most of them in time will be transferred to DVD.

Hi Gray,
I only have around a dozen 78s, most of which I bought new back in the fifties. They all have paper sleeves like brown paper bags, but some have names and design on the covers like Decca, and I think Parlophone. They are kept in a small suitcase. I can still play them on an old "Fidelity" record player from that era.
I must admit to having bought the Matt 78s much more recently, from ebay. I just though they would be nice to have in my ever growing collection.
I have many albums from that time, I think you are right about the 33 1/3s coming out first in the mid fifties, and I also have quite a few 45s and EPs. I like the little mini LP covers on the EPs.
Some of the 45s have cardbord sleeves, which often have the shop's name on them.
I have an old Pioneer stereo system still, and they are mostly stored in the record compartment of that, the rest in a cupboard.
I still enjoy listening to the old vinyl, and love the great covers that come with them. Some have gatefold sleeves too.

Marian

Hi Lena, Harry & Marian

Thanks for replying, very interesting about the 78's, and Marian, you still have a record player from that era...wow.
Have you ever had to purchase new stylus' for the old record player?
I seem to remember that 78's take a different type of stylus to 45's & 33's, is that correct? I aren't sure.

Can anyone remember what the fourth speed of record was..?
Somewhere amongst the cobwebs in the back of my mind I recall a 4th position for the speed of an old turntable we used to have...was it 16rpm?
Gosh, can't remember, but does anyone have any 16's - if that is what they were!
(Maybe I'm just dreaming!)

One more silly question, similar to the one regarding the sleeves on a 78 record, does anyone know if 78's were ever released in stereo??? I'm thinking toward the end of their era, maybe in the 60's..?

Yes, Marian, gatefold LP's were wonderful, weren't they? You felt like you'd made a purchase with one of those!

Anyway, today at work I shall think of Matt's voice on a 78 record, how wonderfully nostalgic.

Thanks for replying.

Gray

Hi Gray,
I seemed to be forever replacing styluses in the old days, I suppose I played my records all the time then, but recently, luckily, I haven't needed to, even on the Pioneer, I think they might be difficult to get these days!
Yes, you had to turn the needle over to use the stylus for the 78 records.
I can't recall any other speed, but I'm not sure.
I'm pretty sure no 78s were made in stereo, and I don't think 45s were either, not the singles anyway, I'm not too sure about the Extended Plays. Richard would know.
Marian.