Matt Uncovered - The Rarer Monro

[Eman]

Hey Lindy,
Don't know of any web station that plays Matt and that's a shame. Once in a blue moon, the oldies radio station here may play "Walk Away", but that's it. I'm just thankful my folks had some of his lps and now I've got the cds to listen to and share with them.

[hpooch]

Hi Lindy - Besides Facebook that has a Matt Monro site, but also my other favorite singer was Al Martino
whose wife, Judi, maintains a "Facebook" site titled "Fans of Al Martino" which also has "Friends' such as
Lena & Harry, John H, & others from Matt's Forum
Also if you download "Spotify" web site, you can create your own "Matt Monro" Radio Station using his
recordings that are listed on this music site....I play Matt's songs as a background when I'm using computer.
Check it out if you haven't used it before......also "Pandora" has some of Matt's recordings but not as many.

[LindyG]

Hi Henry,
Thanks very much for the ideas. I stay off the social network sites like Facebook. It takes SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL to get me to do something like this forum. Someone as special as Matt, and Matt's family.
Oh, I play Matt all the time, at home, at work, in my car (I wake up to him every morning and often have him on before I fall asleep).
I just meant that I want more Americans to hear him, especially the young ones who've never heard REAL SINGING.
I loaned a Matt CD to a 27-year-old at work and she is now a Matt lover! She is a singer, and like all singers, she recognized immediately how amazing his singing is.
Al Martino's "Mary in the Morning" was a beautiful recording.
And I used to like his Spanish Eyes very much, but then I heard Matt's incredible version of it. At first I thought, What the heck?! And then I listened to it again, and again, and then I realized, Matt's is spectacular! I forget who arranged that one, but I love it. Nobody could have sung that arrangement but Matt. I'm afraid I'm straying way off the Topic we're on.
But I'm interested in whether you prefer Al's Spanish Eyes or Matt's?

[ROBERT M.]

Lindy we have spoken on here many times regarding Matt's version of Spanish Eyes, a few of us thought Matt was rather out of tune at the end of the song......... but Richard went into detail to explain how Matt was "not" out of tune ............the arranger was Billy May........Matt recorded that song while he was at Capitol

[LindyG]

Eman,
Thanks. I see you're in San Diego. I used to live there, and I do recall a good oldies station there that played not just hits from the past but lesser known recordings too. That's probably the station you're referring to. I remember hearing Sinatra sing "Old Man River" on that station, and I must say, it was memorable. Now wouldn't we love to hear Matt sing that one!?

[LindyG]

Lindy we have spoken on here many times regarding Matt's version of Spanish Eyes, a few of us thought Matt was rather out of tune at the end of the song......... but Richard went into detail to explain how Matt was "not" out of tune ............the arranger was Billy May........Matt recorded that song while he was at Capitol

"Matt out of tune?!?" IMPOSSEEBLAY' with a Peter Sellers bad French accent, I say to that! I think it was physiologically impossible for Matt to ever be out of tune! No, I agree with Richard. That recording of Spanish Eyes by Matt is wondrous. Thanks for reminding me that it was Billy May.

[ROBERT M.]

Lindy, I'm not saying Matt was out of tune, but the way the song ended it just sounded a bit strained at the end, maybe not Matt............. but maybe the Orchestration.............. until Richard put us right

[ROBERT M.]

Just to say that I'm pleased you are joining us on a regular basis on the forum Lindy ..............time for me to make a move now, as it's quite late, but don't forget to join in when you can...........I'm sometimes on here while late...............the clock on the forum is an hour behind at the moment for British Summer time......its actually past 2.30 am now.

[LindyG]

Thanks Robert. I guess you've all discussed this before too...how musicians could go seriously sharp or flat off key while Matt was performing live, like in Australia, but Matt wouldn't waver or flinch, just sang perfectly through it, and never seemed to get flustered or angry at the musicians. Think Sinatra or any others could have handled that so perfectly? I think not.
There are some singers who would and did go famously berserk in situations like that.

[paul jh]

Welcome to the forum Lindy. I agree with you on most everything you've written. The US radio stations are all rubbish. In the 1980s Washington had a great AM radio station that played Matt Monro. I know that Los Angeles had a similar one (KMPC).

When I rented a car with Sirius, I heard them play some of the up tempo Matt Monro songs like Real Live Girl, but never the ballads. I don't like Sirius at all because they're so repetitious.

My situation with Spanish Eyes is exactly like yours. I only knew Al Martino's version, which I still love, but I prefer the Matt Monro version. It's an incredibly exciting vocal and arrangement and I love the ending.

I have a few more MM songs for which I prefer the more famous version by another artist: Answer Me My Love (probably his worst recording), Bridge Over Troubled Water, Strangers in the Night, People, and Leavin' on a Jet Plane (probably his second worst). And I know most people will disagree with me, but I prefer Doris Day's version of Softly As I Leave You, but I do love the Matt Monro version too.

[Rmoore]

But he did also sing "Too Close for Comfort"--which was something new to all of us. Not sure if it will ever be available for us fans to own--a lot of these clips are tied up in copyrights.

'Too Close For Comfort' is available. It's from an old 'Lunch Box' broadcast from 1960 and from a reel to reel tape from Sue Parker's collection. It was issued on the CD of Special Reserve - The special edition of Michele's Book.

No visuals survive.

Richard

[karl]

Is that the only cd it's available on Richard? I just have the regular hardback book with no cd.

[mariana44]

I remembered that clip had come from Sue Parker--but I do not think the track is anywhere else--I think that disc was nearly all exclusive tracks.

[Rmoore]

Yes, It's an exclusive disc with many tracks that have never (and probably will never) be released on any other disc - It also includes Matt's complete session listing, and discography plus as complete as possible TV & Radio listings - See here:-

http://www.mattmonro.com/Special%20Edition.html

[karl]

Would the tracks not be considered for anothe future rare Monro?