Matt Uncovered - The Rarer Monro

[Rmoore]

No, The majority of the tracks are from sources that are not good enough quality to consider releasing on a mainstream album.

This was the opportunity for people to get hold of extremely rare material that will probably never be issued anywhere else - unless much higher quality versions come to light.

Richard

[LindyG]

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.

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your message. Wow, you taught me something: I never knew that Doris recorded Softly. I gave it a spin on Youtube. Thanks for sharing that information. Doris is someone I really admire for her lifelong work for animals in the U.S. I've been to her hotel in Carmel, CA. She was the first one to have a 4-star hotel there that allowed dogs and cats in the rooms and even in the lounge. Now most of them in Carmel do. It's a wonderful town, a wonderful beautiful place to have a vacation. As for her version of Softly, it hardly raised my Enjoy-o-meter. And I think the needle went up only because I truly admire her and am grateful to her for doing her very important good works and educating people. Still, I thank you for sharing that knowledge about her recording.

About your list of Matt's "worst" recordings (thanks for sharing again....Although, I must assert, a person has to do a lot bad, to do anything "worse". Our Matt only did GREAT. Okay, I'll grant that he was entitled to a few "not quite greats".): I've not heard "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Matt....I've read that Paul Simon hates the song, hates performing it, and he wrote it (not certain that what I read is true)! I don't think I want to hear Matt's recording, I'll trust you on this. Till curiosity wears me down and I have to hear it. However, I prefer Matt's Strangers in the Night to Frank's. And I like Matt's "People" very much! But I won't dispute that Barbra's is the topper. I don't know if that's because I listened to it a buzzillion times over the years before I ever heard Matt's. Leavin' On a Jet Plane... That just belongs to Peter, Paul, and Mary, or John Denver. I won't dispute that. But I'll make this claim: Matt's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" is the BEST, and so is Matt's "Who Can I Turn To" and Matt's "The Shadow of Your Smile". And "Unchained Melody"...they all beat the more famous recordings for eye-closing, stop everything, out of this world perfection. (Peter Sellers did a great "Unchained Melody" too. I have it on a CD compilation with Matt's. )

Agree with you completely on Sirius Satellite Radio. I just drove 3000 miles (to beautiful Minnesota and back to awful Colorado) and the rental car had Sirius. Although I kept shutting it off and playing my own CDs, heavily stacked with Matt, everytime I tried Sirius again it was like they were repeating what I heard before I shut it off. Would never pay for that in a car I bought. I'll stick with my own music control, thanks.

I'm glad you "get" Matt's Spanish Eyes. I love it and I can just feel how much enjoyment he got out of that one. Oh if only we had video of that! Imagine Doris doing that song, THAT way?! Or William Shatner?
Thanks Paul.

[LindyG]

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

Hi Richard,
Thanks for reminding me this is available.
After much careful consideration, I just added this to my collection. Like Lulu sang so beautifully, "I'm a fool for you, Baby", but I can't not have all the early sounds Matt left us. Or in this case, Terry Parsons. Besides, I need a backup copy of the Singer's Singer, and I want that second book with all the history. It's a Bargain, Darling!
Thanks to you and Michele for your great work.

[mariana44]

You will not regret it Lindy--it is a beautifully packaged book, and loads of info--plus the wonderful disc.

Going back to Doris Day singing "Softly"--I did not know either that she had sung it--but to my mind the only version to come anywhere near Matt's version is Bobby Darin---plus of course---I will say this quietly, in case Paul hears---Michael Buble.

[mike]

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

The discography is well worth having Karl, as well as the CD. Amazon sometimes have this second hand. That's how I got mine.

[karl]

Cliff Richard does a nice version of "Softly" on a live album.

[jon]

Hi Lindy

Welcome to the forum from me. I've been a regular visitor in the past but personal and work-related matters have contrived to keep me away from the site for longer than I'd like to be in more recent times, but I'm now trying to post more often and it's nice to see new members such as yourself coming to the site with an obvious enthusiasm for Matt and his music.

I particularly enjoyed your "debate" with Paul JH on Matt's best/worst recordings. I have to say that, for me, Matt's uptempo tracks are, by and large, not his best, as I prefer his slower numbers. For example, I hate his version of "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever", which is not a patch on Johnny Mathis's, but by contrast I prefer Matt's version of "September Song" to Johnny's (even though he doesn't sing the intro and Johnny does). I'm also well known for my dislike of Frank Sinatra, whom I regard as one of the most overrated singers ever; I only have one of his albums - "Songs For Swinging Lovers" - which I listen to rarely, although the songs are passably listenable to, but one of the tracks on there is "Ole Devil Moon", which I look forward to comparing with Matt's on "The Rarer Monro" (and I'm sure Matt's will be better"!). I've managed to hear some of the snippets from "The Rarer Monro" on Amazon but it's difficult to get a true feel for the songs as the clips are only a few seconds long, but I'm sure they will be quite an experience when the full album is released. I was a bit surprised that you had never heard of "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", which is a famous old standard and, for me, once of the nicest tunes ever; I'm sure Matt will give it his magic touch.

[LindyG]

You will not regret it Lindy--it is a beautifully packaged book, and loads of info--plus the wonderful disc.

Going back to Doris Day singing "Softly"--I did not know either that she had sung it--but to my mind the only version to come anywhere near Matt's version is Bobby Darin---plus of course---I will say this quietly, in case Paul hears---Michael Buble.

Hi Mariana,
Thumbs up on Bobby Darin. He has always been another of my favorites, and I think from what Michele wrote, Matt appreciated Bobby's talent too. Bobby lived a brave, heroic life as well, giving everything with the knowledge that he could go at anytime because of a weak heart from childhood. No one would know it to hear him sing and see him groove. He sure knocked the audiences out, like Matt did, at every performance. American audiences gave Bobby a bad time when he tried to mellow it down, though. Just as we've read that Matt got the treatment (here in America, land of the limited imagination) when he tried to perform new songs instead of the hits. (My many, many favorites of Matt's were never even heard on radio here, and certainly weren't hits.)
Sounds like Paul and I are likely in agreement on Buble.
Time to go to work (a no Buble zone).
Have a Great Day, Mariana and everyone!

[LindyG]

Hi Jon,
Thanks very much for the welcome.
I just posted a new topic in "Ask Richard".
I hope someone can answer it.

Jon, now regarding when you said there are some songs of Matt's that you don't like (actually, you used the word "hate"), I wonder if you saw the show, "Matt on BBC"? His performance of "Maria "on that show is the single most thrilling performance of a popular song, by anyone, that I have ever heard and seen. And I don't believe he was in good health at that point. Have you seen it?
I say, anybody who could do just that one song, that breathtakingly beautifully, should get a free pass for eternity on any less than perfect recording. I don't think most of us have even one moment of that level of achievement in anything, sadly.
And he had SOOOOOOO MANY.

[ROBERT M.]

I wonder if you saw the show, "Matt on BBC"? His performance of "Maria "on that show is the single most thrilling performance of a popular song, by anyone, that I have ever heard and seen.

Lindy, everyone on here knows that my favourite Matt song is the magical MARIA I wish the final breathtaking note could last forever

[ROBERT M.]

Lindy, do you own the 4 disc "Singers Singer" ? ........which has now been released in a smaller remastered box set .............this does contain Bridge Over Troubled Water

[LindyG]

I wonder if you saw the show, "Matt on BBC"? His performance of "Maria "on that show is the single most thrilling performance of a popular song, by anyone, that I have ever heard and seen.

Lindy, everyone on here knows that my favourite Matt song is the magical MARIA I wish the final breathtaking note could last forever

Then you and I are SOULMATES, Robert! Pardon me, I hate that word. hahaha But really, Robert, I'm thrilled to hear you say that. I find that performance of Maria astonishing! Only Matt could do that! And it wasn't that song alone that he could do it on. When he performed a song like that, he was/is the Pavarotti of popular music. I think he did it on One Day in the Concert in Manila too. And many times in the studio. "No One Will Ever Know", and "Who Can I Turn To" and so many others.

[LindyG]

Lindy, do you own the 4 disc "Singers Singer" ? ........which has now been released in a smaller remastered box set .............this does contain Bridge Over Troubled Water

Robert, I trust your opinion. Can you give me your appraisal, please, of Matt's "Bridge' recording? Paul really made me wary. I don't really like the song, to begin with. It's the ONLY Paul Simon song I don't admire greatly. After Paul mentioned it, I tried to imagine Matt singing it, perhaps when he was not well, and it sounds a bit scary. After all, I cringe when I hear Garfunkle attempting it now. Not easy to witness.

[mariana44]

Going back to the first Fans reunited meeting in London--6 or 7 years ago, and one of the dvds that Michele played was Matt singing Maria---and this was the first time that we had actually seen, as well as listened to him sing. It was just breathtaking--and at the end--for a few seconds there was not a sound from anyone, as we were all mesmerised. It is for me, still a very vivid memory of that very special day.

Even Paul was impressed--and he does not like that song , in fact he has had several "discussions " with Robert over this.

[Seb Lassandro]

Hi Lindy,

Matt's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' is an absolutely excellent version of the song. It's one which has mainly passed me by, having it on a couple of albums I've just listened to it in the background as the discs have played. However, I gave it a full listen last night on my iPod as I was flicking through Matt tracks and I was amazed that I hadn't really honed in on it before -it's absolutely excellent!! Give it a listen