Matt Monro Forum

This is my first post to the forum and I hope that some of Matt's more die hard fans could shed some light on something for me!

In many biographies I've read that Matt recorded tracks under a pseudoynm for the budget TOP POP CLUB INTERNATIONAL series. Do we know what tracks they were and what record(s) they appeared on?

I found one called 'David Jacobs Presents Top Pop Club International' on society records with artists like Jean Campbell. To add further mystery to this, last week I found a CD by Cyril Stapelton featuring "Rare" tracks by Jean Campbell and Matt Monro!

I was quite excited and eagerly bought this CD to hear the two tracks. To my dismay they were clearly not Matt Monro and sounded more like Maurice Chevalier. A bit miffed I rang the record label in concern Rex Recordings and they just said that "it's your opinion that these are not Matt Monro recordings".

Surely there must be a trade / description law that would prohibit a product being sold on Matt's name that didn't even feature Matt!

However back to my original question - did Matt really record tracks for the TOP POP CLUB... series or is it just a myth!
Thanx
Brian

There has been a discussion on this forum previously about the Cyril Stapleton recording, and if it was Matt or not--but Michele Monro has stated on the Forum that it is NOT Matt.

I think there may be somebody more knowledgable than me, to help you with your other query,so I will just say welcome to this forum-hope you enjoy your time on here.

Welcome Brian, I hope you enjoy the site and join in with our regular chats.

I only have one Top Pop Club International with features Matt singing, Twixt Twelve and Twenty and Heart of a Man and I know the latter was recorded with the Malcolm Lockyer Orchestra and the others with Dennis Wilson and his Orchestra.

The album also featured June Marlow, Dickie Bishop and the Talons, Keith Bird and the Birdies and a piano solo by Dennis Wilson.

I am not sure whether any others exist but if so would love to track them down.

I hope that helps

The Top Pop Club albums are a bit of a mystery.

The National Sound Archive have no record of them existing or their record label - and they normally know most things that have been released.

I have seen one other Top Pop Club album - but this does not feature Matt.

I have posted questions on on a number of "Record Collectors" site but to no avail.

If anybody does know anything about these do let us know!

Richard

There is a Top Pop Club International album on sale on ebay at the moment Richard. Unfortunately, Matt not included on this one, but it is number 14, so there must be others about.
Marian

Yes Matt''s is number 16. I wonder what happened to the other 14!

They appear to be one of those covers albums where cheap versions are made of popular hits to sell at budget prices!

I do think, however, that it's unlikely that Matt appears on anymore of these as i'm sure we (particularly mad record collectors like John) would have uncovered something by now.

We live in hope though!

Richard

Interesting to find out about them though. Thanks Richard.
It gives us something else to look out for anyway... someone might get lucky.
I wonder where Brian heard about them. He mentions he read that Matt sang under a pseudonym too.
Marian

It could have been under the name Al Jordan, Marian.

Good thought John..
I'm presuming Matt sang under the name Matt Monro on #16 though.
It would be interesting to know which year this one was issued.
Marian

HELLO JOHN, THE ONLY SONG I KNOW MATT RECORDED UNDER
"AL jORDAN", WAS "STRANGE LADY IN TOWN" WITH THE HARRY LEADER BAND, ON THE SOLITAIRE RECORD LABEL (10 INCH PLATTER I THINK)
ED

This is really fascinating. Basically I learnt of the Top Pop Club albums from the great book 'The Singers Singer'. In the same paragraph it also mentions the LP 'Parade Of The Pops' issued by EMI / Parlophone before Matt was actually signed to them.

What was 'Parade Of The Pops'?!

I think "Parade of the Pops" was a various artist compilation, then again I could be wrong. I feel pretty certain I have got a copy somewhere, it seems to ring a bell.

I think you're right John. They were cheap compilation albums, but I have a feeling they weren't by the original artists.
I have now realised the compilation albums are entitled "Parade of Pops" and
not "Parade of the Pops" that Richard mentions.
Marian.

Yes - Al Jordan was used by matt for a short time and strange lady comes from that period. However only one copy of that record is known to exist!

The Top Pop Club record Matt is very much Matt Monro on the sleeve.

Parade fo the Pops is not a compilation it was recorded as a whole and the recordings on it had not appeared anywhere else before - although you may well be right in saying they were covers of other hits. I have all the details for this album in my Sessionography!

Oh by the wa I have now after much searching discovered on an online store No. 11 Top Pop Club - No Matt though! I suspect that if he only appears on 16 (unless some one has no.15 and can say otherwise) and doesn't appear on 14 & 11 it looks incresingly likely that he is not on any of the other albums.

There is no date on the record but I suspect it is from Mid 1959 (Twixt Twelve and Twenty" was a hit in June 59) so it was in between his Fontana and Parlophone contracts so it depends how often these things were issued and if there were any more after no.16.

Richard