Sinatra Music Society - Dublin Branch

A fantastic remastered 5 disc collection for the discerning collector. This set includes every official A and B side release from Matt's years with Fontana, Decca, EMI, Parlophone and Capitol Records.
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Michele Monro
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Sinatra Music Society - Dublin Branch

Post by Michele Monro » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:54 pm

Chris Hitchcock kindly sent me the Sinatra Music Society Newsletter today. He thought we might be interested in the review on 'The Complete Singles Collection;


CD News

Matt Monro: The Complete Singles Collection
EMI Gold. Remastered 5-CD Box set. £11.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 1/refnosim

It's hard to realise Matt Monro died twenty-five years ago. Fortunately, he left a superb catalogue of magical recordings that have stood the test of time, with each verifying what a superb singer he was. Thanks to the unstinting efforts of his daughter Michele, together with EMI, there have been many excellent collections released over the years and The Complete Singles Collection is equally welcome. Its expansive 130 song trawl is spread over five discs and covers Matt's entire career with even his early platters from Decca (1956/57) and Philips/Fontana (1958) included, with standards "Gone With The Wind," "My Old Flame" and "Prisoner Of Love" plus pop covers of "The Garden Of Eden" and "My House Is Yours" aka "Mi Casa Su Casa" amongst embryonic song choices. Surprisingly, these recordings confirm Matt's vocal style and approach was already mature and merely in need of the polished veneer of further experience he had gained by the time he signed with EMI'S Parlophone label in 1960. His first single, a shuffle-beat Love Walked In, preceded his initial Chart hit "Portrait Of My Love" which headed "Softly As I leave You," " Walk Away," "Yesterday," "My Kind Of Girl," "From Russia With Love," "Why Not Now?" "Can This Be Love?" among further winners. Whilst film-inspired themes "Born Free," "Wednesday’s Child" and "On Days Like These" may not have been amongst these immediate hits, they slow-burned their way into Matt's popular repertoire and no doubt sold very well over the years.


Being a complete collection of both "A" and "B" side pop singles, there are examples of songs which lack distinction but regardless of the material's worth, Matt never gave less than his very best, with expressive input overcoming any negative factors, so each recording brightly shines as an example of his understanding of lyrics; tenderly applied and totally delivered to reach the emotional heartbeat of the listener. He certainly worked with the best arranger/conductors and Johnnie Spence, Sid Feller, Billy May, and Kenny Clayton were amongst the regulars whilst legendary producer George Martin was on hand as guiding hand in the recording studio for much of Matt's career. Highlights include "When I Fall In Love" which equals the emotional power of Nat's, whilst "My Love And Devotion," "Somewhere," "The Impossible Dream," "Try To Remember" and "For Mama" are amongst strong ballads that put Matt ahead of the competition. "Come Back To Me," "Gonna Build A Mountain," "Here And Now" and "On A Clear Day" are contrasting swingers which confirm upbeat tenacity whilst "Curiouser And Curiouser," "Mama Packed A Picnic Tea"; the dramatic intensity of "When You Become A Man," country and western flavoured "There Ya Go" and banner-waving "We’re Gonna Change The World" are refreshing oddities to cherish. It would be churlish to ignore Matt's popular Spanish recordings with versions of "My Way" (A Mi Manera), "Wednesday’s Child" (Ven Mi Amour) and "Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You" (No Puedo Quitar Mis De Ti) amongst an included handful, with just "L'Etoile Du Sud" representing his French-language output.


Many songs reach CD for the first time and make for exciting listening; others have been remixed to stereo, with included recording dates, catalogue numbers, highest UK/US Chart placings etc. and each disc reflects a different style logo representing Matt's EMI career through the Parlophone, Capitol, and Liberty labels. A typical 45rpm. sleeve image is appropriately utilised as the CD set's cover, leaving Michele Monro's notes to briefly explore personal and professional facets of her father's career and recordings. This is certainly a welcome song-packed anthology that will be an essential purchase for all Matt's devoted fans as well as a "must have" for those who appreciate the enduring vocal talent of this great British singer. Tracks: Disc 1 - Ev'rybody Falls In Love With Someone / Out Of Sight Out Of Mind / Gone With The Wind / My Old Flame / The Garden Of Eden / Love Me Do / My House Is Your House (Mi Casa Su Casa) / The Bean Song (Which Way To Boston?) / Golden Age / I'll Never Have A Sweetheart / A Story Of Ireland / Another Time Another Place / Prisoner Of Love / Have Guitar Will Travel / Love Walked In / I'll Know Her / Portrait Of My Love / You're The Top Of My Hit Parade / My Kind Of Girl / This Time / Why Not Now / Can This Be Love / Love Is The Same Anywhere / Gonna Build A Mountain / I'll Dream Of You / Softly As I Leave You / Is There Anything I Can Do. Disc 2 - My Love And Devotion / By The Way / One Day / I've Got Love / The Girl I Love / Leave Me Now / From Russia With Love (Mono) (Single Version) / Here And Now / I Love The Little Things / It's Funny How You Know / Somewhere / I Love You Too / Walk Away / Around The World / Charade / April Fool / For Mama / Going Places / Without You / Start Living / And Roses And Roses / Before You Go / Yesterday / Just Yesterday (Your Love Was Mine) / Beyond The Hill / How Do You Do / Till Then My Love. Disc 3 - Born Free/ Other People / Honey On The Vine / My Best Girl / Merci Cherie / Wednesday's Child / When You Become A Man / Where In The World / The Lady Smiles / What To Do? / These Years / Only The Night Wind Knows / Fourth Blue Monday / Don't Answer Me (Ti Vedo Uscire) / When Joanna Loved Me (/ Real Live Girl / Pretty Polly / Release Me / One Day Soon / Yours Alone / The Music Played (English Version) / All That Remains / The Impossible Dream / Come Back To Me / Try To Remember / Love Song / Alguien Canto (The Music Played) / De Repente Un Dia (One Day Soon) Disc 4 - All Of A Sudden / That's the Way it Goes / Southern Star / When I Fall In Love / People (Funny Girl) / No Puedo Quitar Mis Ojos De Ti (Can't Take my Eyes Off You) / On Days Like These / On A Clear Day You Can See Forever / Lily M'Lady / Just A Heartbreak Ago / Picking Up The Pieces / A Mi Manera (My Way) / Ven Mi Amour (Wednesday's Child) / We're Gonna Change The World / You're Closer To Me / If There Ever Is A Next Time / You've Made Me So Very Happy / Isn't It A Pity / Mama Packed A Picnic Tea / This Way Mary / Wish Now Was Then / Todo Pasara (Everything Will Happen) / L'Etoile Du Sud (The Southern Star) Disc 5 - Sarah's Coming Home / Only Friends / Curiouser And Curiouser / The Me I Never Knew / I Am / I Am In Life / Amour Habla Me Dulcemente / And You Smiled / There Ya Go / How Could I Ever Leave You / Darling Come Home Soon / You And Me Against The World / So Little Time / All The Wishing In The World / You're Sensational / The Little Things / By Her Side / If I Never Sing Another Song / The Precious Moments / May Each Day / Diana / You Bring Out The Best In Me / I Don't Want To Run Your Life. – A. Pollock.

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