Marian.
Johnny Mathis
Hi all-yes I agree it is very distracting having flashes go on all around you-I always try not to use a flash.----At Wembley I was sitting in the front row, and there was a barrier up a few feet from the stage, and 2 guys were inside taking photos of JM with a very long lens--no flash, but even so, they were diving and ducking about all through the first song-I think they had permission to be there, but the stage was so high, that I would have thought that all they got was a close up of his nostrils !!! But it was distracting for the audience and I'm sure it was distracting for JM too.
Marian
Marian
Mariana
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Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
- Contact:
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Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
- Contact:
FOR MARIAN
Chances Are, Johnny Mathis Will Shine at Performances with S.F. Symphony
by Rich Freedman
Oakland Tribune, July 20, 2007
One was 5-foot-7, the other 6-foot-10. Destiny would take them in different directions.
But high jumping united Johnny Mathis and Bill Russell when the smooth-as-silk vocalist was at San Francisco State University and the Hall-of-Fame basketball player leaped at the University of San Francisco.
"He and I were and still are good buddies," Mathis said. "I have this wonderful picture of Bill jumping over the bar while I'm under it. We were like Mutt and Jeff."
Mathis recorded a jump a mere 2 inches short of the then-Olympic record when a nightclub owner heard him sing. He was 19. Though Mathis was asked to the 1956 Olympic trials, Columbia Records heard of this talented crooner.
A signature later, Mathis' athletic career ended. And a stellar singing career began.
"Wonderful, Wonderful," ''It's Not For Me To Say" and "Chances Are" and a 1957 Ed Sullivan Show appearance made Mathis a star.
And, 50 years later, Clem and Mildred Mathis' "little Johnny" is still singing, still recording and still leaving audiences misty eyed.
"You don't want to get overjoyed having a career while you're doing it," Mathis said. "But you get to a point where you sit around and think about what you have done. It's just a special feeling you have. It's very meaningful in a very, very private way. You can never go out and shout to the world, "I'm so happy being me!"
The San Francisco Symphony is undoubtedly happy it hosts the man whose Top 40 tunes span four decades. The acclaimed orchestra backs Mathis on Friday and Saturday in a welcome homecoming at Davies Symphony Hall.
"Performing with the symphony is a treat I wish everybody who has ever fantasized about singing could have," Mathis said last week by phone. "It's like being lifted off the ground without doing anything. It's taking you away to wonderful places and is an extraordinary experience."
Mathis called Davies "one of the most beautiful places in the world to perform."
He should know. Mathis has appeared everywhere with everyone from Ray Charles to Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick and the late Beverly Sills. I've worked with extraordinary people who did extraordinary things vocally," Mathis said. "One of my favorite things to do is sing in tandem. You hear yourself constantly. So when you sing with somebody else, it's just wonderful."
Many would put Mathis in that "wonderful" category, though he initially didn't think he was anything special.
"I was disappointed at the beginning of my career," he said. "My voice was too high. It wasn't big and masculine like one of my heroes, Billy Eckstine, or Nat King Cole."
It was a learning experience, Mathis said.
"When I started, I knew how to open my mouth and sing a note without harming my vocal cords. That's all I studied," he said. "I was so busy in athletics and school politics. I never really became the musician I would have loved to become. All I did was learn to produce the tones properly when I was thrust on stage. I really learned how to use my voice and make it palatable and not get too carried away."
Mathis laughed.
"I ruined a lot of songs along the way," he said. "It's a wonderful learning process. Too bad you can't have it when you're a kid."
Perhaps, but Mathis' father, a "big booster," knew his son had the ability.
"And, before I knew it, I had a chance to make a recording," the artist said. "That was the catalyst, the thing that made the difference in whether I continued to sing or whether I went back to San Francisco State. Once I started recording, it opened up a lot of avenues for me."
by Rich Freedman
Oakland Tribune, July 20, 2007
One was 5-foot-7, the other 6-foot-10. Destiny would take them in different directions.
But high jumping united Johnny Mathis and Bill Russell when the smooth-as-silk vocalist was at San Francisco State University and the Hall-of-Fame basketball player leaped at the University of San Francisco.
"He and I were and still are good buddies," Mathis said. "I have this wonderful picture of Bill jumping over the bar while I'm under it. We were like Mutt and Jeff."
Mathis recorded a jump a mere 2 inches short of the then-Olympic record when a nightclub owner heard him sing. He was 19. Though Mathis was asked to the 1956 Olympic trials, Columbia Records heard of this talented crooner.
A signature later, Mathis' athletic career ended. And a stellar singing career began.
"Wonderful, Wonderful," ''It's Not For Me To Say" and "Chances Are" and a 1957 Ed Sullivan Show appearance made Mathis a star.
And, 50 years later, Clem and Mildred Mathis' "little Johnny" is still singing, still recording and still leaving audiences misty eyed.
"You don't want to get overjoyed having a career while you're doing it," Mathis said. "But you get to a point where you sit around and think about what you have done. It's just a special feeling you have. It's very meaningful in a very, very private way. You can never go out and shout to the world, "I'm so happy being me!"
The San Francisco Symphony is undoubtedly happy it hosts the man whose Top 40 tunes span four decades. The acclaimed orchestra backs Mathis on Friday and Saturday in a welcome homecoming at Davies Symphony Hall.
"Performing with the symphony is a treat I wish everybody who has ever fantasized about singing could have," Mathis said last week by phone. "It's like being lifted off the ground without doing anything. It's taking you away to wonderful places and is an extraordinary experience."
Mathis called Davies "one of the most beautiful places in the world to perform."
He should know. Mathis has appeared everywhere with everyone from Ray Charles to Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick and the late Beverly Sills. I've worked with extraordinary people who did extraordinary things vocally," Mathis said. "One of my favorite things to do is sing in tandem. You hear yourself constantly. So when you sing with somebody else, it's just wonderful."
Many would put Mathis in that "wonderful" category, though he initially didn't think he was anything special.
"I was disappointed at the beginning of my career," he said. "My voice was too high. It wasn't big and masculine like one of my heroes, Billy Eckstine, or Nat King Cole."
It was a learning experience, Mathis said.
"When I started, I knew how to open my mouth and sing a note without harming my vocal cords. That's all I studied," he said. "I was so busy in athletics and school politics. I never really became the musician I would have loved to become. All I did was learn to produce the tones properly when I was thrust on stage. I really learned how to use my voice and make it palatable and not get too carried away."
Mathis laughed.
"I ruined a lot of songs along the way," he said. "It's a wonderful learning process. Too bad you can't have it when you're a kid."
Perhaps, but Mathis' father, a "big booster," knew his son had the ability.
"And, before I knew it, I had a chance to make a recording," the artist said. "That was the catalyst, the thing that made the difference in whether I continued to sing or whether I went back to San Francisco State. Once I started recording, it opened up a lot of avenues for me."
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Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
- Contact:
-
Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
- Contact:
Moon River And Me
Hi Mariana
The DVD I have is titled Moon River And Me.
Here it is at Amazon.uk for only 4.97 pounds!
The title of the duet is FOR YOU.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andy-Williams-M ... 996&sr=1-1
The DVD I have is titled Moon River And Me.
Here it is at Amazon.uk for only 4.97 pounds!
The title of the duet is FOR YOU.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andy-Williams-M ... 996&sr=1-1
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Lena & Harry Smith
- Posts: 21514
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:05 am
- Location: London UK
Marian, we were only reminded of Johnny Mathis's Birthday by a lady who phoned in to Eric Hall's show on Sunday and requested a song in his honour.
Further info... this forum may be relatively quieter during the next day or so but we can confirm that all is going to plan and the gang are safely assembled and a coffee all together this afternoon was first priority.
Further info... this forum may be relatively quieter during the next day or so but we can confirm that all is going to plan and the gang are safely assembled and a coffee all together this afternoon was first priority.
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Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
- Contact:
Johnny Mathis Reviewed
Masterful Mathis Leaves Nothing to Imagination
by Mary Kunz Goldman
Buffalo News, October 7, 2007
Saturday night in Kleinhans Music Hall, the sellout crowd gave Johnny Mathis a big standing ovation before he even sang a note. Mathis stood still, almost apologetically, in the midst of the tumult. He waited for things to quiet down.
Then, alone with the piano, he sang "Pure Imagination, " from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."
It was a good song to start with. So many Mathis fans love his old standards so much that they can't help singing along. "Pure Imagination" was an unknown quantity for many, so we got to hear it unimpeded. What a joy it is to listen to Mathis' voice.
To say that voice has held up is an understatement. I can't imagine that Mathis ever sounded better than he does now. His vocal control made me think of a master classical singer's. His phrasing and articulation are impeccable. Even when he pauses to take a breath or clear his throat, it sounds graceful and natural.
Mathis' voice is so pure and clean that one listener compared it to Vicks Vapo-Rub. "You feel your sinuses cleared out just by listening to him," he said.
It's funny, because Mathis sounds uncomfortable when he's speaking. He gave a brief polite speech at the start of his set, something about loving Kleinhans, which he referred to awkwardly as "this wonderful theater of music." There was something touching about this sublime singer stumbling over his spoken words.
Once the music starts, he is in his element. The night flowed like oil. One song would end, and another would begin, with Mathis poised over the microphone, gazing downward, getting the beat, concentrating. There was no break and almost no banter.
He gave us songs he has sung a million times -- "The Days of Wine and Roses," "Moon River," "Chances Are" -- with passion and relish. It was breathtaking to hear him ease through the twisting, chromatic lines of "Laura" and "Misty," savoring every note.
Mathis' pianist -- all I could catch was that his name is John and they call him Scott -- took the simple route as he laid down spare accompaniments and directed the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. It's a pity he couldn't have been more adventurous at the keyboard -- certain songs, like "It's Not for Me to Say," sounded just the way they do on record. Some time I would love to hear Mathis with a jazz combo.
He loves words as well as melodies. Just the way he said the word "Kismet" made me slightly delirious. He gloried in the alliteration of "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," giving crisp beauty to words like "sparkles" and "spangles."
Occasionally, the orchestra drowned him out. That was a problem. But we got to binge on Mathis' artistry. He sang "The Twelfth of Never" in a spotlight, with just a guitar accompaniment. The lighting, by the way, was very impressive throughout the concert. There was a lot of elaborate equipment.
Resident Conductor Robert Franz filled the concert's first half with fun, from the theme from "Chariots of Fire" to a zany "Rock Around the Clock" spiced up with Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.
The concert began our Pops season on a terrific high note.
by Mary Kunz Goldman
Buffalo News, October 7, 2007
Saturday night in Kleinhans Music Hall, the sellout crowd gave Johnny Mathis a big standing ovation before he even sang a note. Mathis stood still, almost apologetically, in the midst of the tumult. He waited for things to quiet down.
Then, alone with the piano, he sang "Pure Imagination, " from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."
It was a good song to start with. So many Mathis fans love his old standards so much that they can't help singing along. "Pure Imagination" was an unknown quantity for many, so we got to hear it unimpeded. What a joy it is to listen to Mathis' voice.
To say that voice has held up is an understatement. I can't imagine that Mathis ever sounded better than he does now. His vocal control made me think of a master classical singer's. His phrasing and articulation are impeccable. Even when he pauses to take a breath or clear his throat, it sounds graceful and natural.
Mathis' voice is so pure and clean that one listener compared it to Vicks Vapo-Rub. "You feel your sinuses cleared out just by listening to him," he said.
It's funny, because Mathis sounds uncomfortable when he's speaking. He gave a brief polite speech at the start of his set, something about loving Kleinhans, which he referred to awkwardly as "this wonderful theater of music." There was something touching about this sublime singer stumbling over his spoken words.
Once the music starts, he is in his element. The night flowed like oil. One song would end, and another would begin, with Mathis poised over the microphone, gazing downward, getting the beat, concentrating. There was no break and almost no banter.
He gave us songs he has sung a million times -- "The Days of Wine and Roses," "Moon River," "Chances Are" -- with passion and relish. It was breathtaking to hear him ease through the twisting, chromatic lines of "Laura" and "Misty," savoring every note.
Mathis' pianist -- all I could catch was that his name is John and they call him Scott -- took the simple route as he laid down spare accompaniments and directed the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. It's a pity he couldn't have been more adventurous at the keyboard -- certain songs, like "It's Not for Me to Say," sounded just the way they do on record. Some time I would love to hear Mathis with a jazz combo.
He loves words as well as melodies. Just the way he said the word "Kismet" made me slightly delirious. He gloried in the alliteration of "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," giving crisp beauty to words like "sparkles" and "spangles."
Occasionally, the orchestra drowned him out. That was a problem. But we got to binge on Mathis' artistry. He sang "The Twelfth of Never" in a spotlight, with just a guitar accompaniment. The lighting, by the way, was very impressive throughout the concert. There was a lot of elaborate equipment.
Resident Conductor Robert Franz filled the concert's first half with fun, from the theme from "Chariots of Fire" to a zany "Rock Around the Clock" spiced up with Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.
The concert began our Pops season on a terrific high note.
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Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
- Contact:
Mathis on Celluloid
It has just been brought to my attention that Johnny Mathis appeared in 2 Hollywood feature films. Here are two performance clips from the late 1950's where he is featured as a nightclub singer in each.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sbUIijsRiM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLHV_vob0EQ
Mariana, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sbUIijsRiM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLHV_vob0EQ
Mariana, enjoy!