1.
Album
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Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
2.
John Farnham
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John Peter Farnham, Jr. AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham from his professional debut in 1967 until 1980, is an English-born Australian pop singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, but has since forged a career as a contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985, in September 1986 his solo single, Youre the Voice peaked at No.1 on the Australian singles charts. The associated album, Whispering Jack, held the No.1 position for a total of 25 weeks and is the album in Australian history. Both the single and the album had Top Ten success internationally including No.1 in Sweden, in 1993, Anthology 1, Greatest Hits 1986–1997 in 1997, 33⅓ in 2000, The Last Time in 2002 and Two Strong Hearts Live in 2015. Farnham has been recognised by honours and awards including 1987 Australian of the Year,1996 Officer of the Order of Australia, from 1969 he was voted by TV Week readers as the King of Pop for five consecutive years. Aside from his career, Farnham performed on stage with lead roles in Australian productions of Charlie Girl, Pippin. He starred in his own TV series and specials including Its Magic and Bobby Dazzler and as a guest on other popular shows such as Countdown. Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane described him as the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock, Farnham has retained an affable sense of humour and a simple, unpretentious everyman charm which also makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history. John Peter Farnham, Jr. was born in Dagenham, England, on 1 July 1949, to John Farnham Sr and his sisters are Jean and Jaquiline, and his younger brother is Steven. Farnham spent his first ten years in the United Kingdom before his family emigrated to Australia in 1959 to live in Melbourne and he attended school at Yarraman Park State School, Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale High School. During school holidays, Farnham worked with a plumber and he left school to begin a plumbing apprenticeship. In 1967, he took two years leave from his job to pursue his music career. Johnny Farnham performed with local band The Mavericks on weekends, while attending school. The band had a five-song repertoire, in late 1965 he was asked to join Strings Unlimited as a singer and they had a regular booking at a local hotel. On 29 April 1967, Strings Unlimited performed as a band for pop singer Bev Harrell in Cohuna. Harrells manager, Darryl Sambell, was impressed with Farnhams vocals, initially performing in Sambells home town of Adelaide, Farnham recorded an advertising jingle Susan Jones for Ansett ANA and was offered a solo record contract with EMI. Farnhams first commercially successful recording was a novelty song entitled Sadie, however, EMIs in house producer, David MacKay, insisted and so the single was released in November 1967
3.
Olivia Newton-John
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Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBE is a British-Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five number-one and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, eleven of her singles and fourteen of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the worlds best-selling artists of all time and she starred in Grease, which featured one of the most successful soundtracks in Hollywood history. Newton-John has been a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues, since surviving breast cancer in 1992, she has been an advocate for health awareness becoming involved with various charities, health products and fundraising efforts. Her business interests have included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and she is the mother of one daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, with her first husband, actor Matt Lattanzi. Her second husband is John Easterling, Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, to Irene Helene, the eldest child of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born and Welsh father, Brinley Bryn Newton-John. Her mothers family had left Germany before World War II to avoid the Nazi regime and she is a third cousin of comedian Ben Elton. Her maternal great-grandfather was jurist Victor Ehrenberg and her matrilineal great-grandmothers father was jurist Rudolf von Jhering. Newton-John is the youngest of three children, following brother Hugh, a doctor, and sister Rona, an actress who was married to Grease co-star Jeff Conaway from 1980 until their divorce in 1985. Newton-Johns father was an MI5 officer on the Enigma project at Bletchley Park who took Rudolf Hess into custody during the Second World War. In 1954, when she was six, Newton-Johns family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia and she attended Christ Church Grammar School, and then University High School, adjacent to Ormond College. At fourteen, Newton-John formed a short-lived all-girl group, Sol Four and she became a regular on local Australian radio and television shows including HSV-7s The Happy Show where she performed as Lovely Livvy. She also appeared on the Go Show where she met future partner, Pat Carroll. Newton-John was initially reluctant to use the prize she had won, a trip to Britain, Newton-John recorded her first single, Till You Say Youll Be Mine Forever, in Britain for Decca Records in 1966. While in Britain, Newton-John missed her then-boyfriend, Ian Turpie, with whom she had co-starred in the Australian telefilm, Newton-John repeatedly booked trips back to Australia that her mother subsequently cancelled. Newton-Johns outlook changed when Pat Carroll also moved to the UK, the two formed a duo called Pat and Olivia and toured nightclubs in Europe. After Carrolls visa expired forcing her to return to Australia, Newton-John remained in Britain to pursue solo work until 1975 and she became engaged to The Shadows guitarist Bruce Welch, but they never married. Newton-John was recruited for the group Toomorrow formed by American producer Don Kirshner, in 1970, the group starred in a science fiction musical film and recorded an accompanying soundtrack album both named after the group
4.
Santa Barbara, California
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Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County in the U. S. state of California. Situated on a section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States. Santa Barbaras climate is described as Mediterranean, and the city has been promoted as the American Riviera. The population of the county in 2010 was 423,895. In 2004, the sector accounted for fully 35% of local employment. Education in particular is well represented, with four institutions of learning on the south coast. The Santa Barbara Airport serves the city, as does Amtrak, U. S. Highway 101 connects the Santa Barbara area with Los Angeles to the southeast and San Francisco to the northwest. Behind the city, in and beyond the Santa Ynez Mountains, is the Los Padres National Forest, Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are located approximately 20 miles offshore. Evidence of human habitation of the area begins at least 13,000 years ago, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Chumash lived on the south coast of Santa Barbara County at the time of the first European explorations. Five Chumash villages flourished in the area, portuguese explorer João Cabrilho, sailing for the Kingdom of Spain, sailed through what is now called the Santa Barbara Channel in 1542, anchoring briefly in the area. In 1602, Spanish maritime explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno gave the name Santa Barbara to the channel, a land expedition led by Gaspar de Portolà visited in 1769, and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi, who accompanied the expedition, named a large native town Laguna de la Concepcion. Cabrillos earlier name, however, is the one that has survived, the first permanent European residents were Spanish missionaries and soldiers under Felipe de Neve, who came in 1782 to build the Presidio. They were sent both to fortify the region against expansion by other such as England and Russia. Many of the Spaniards brought their families with them, and those formed the nucleus of the small town – at first just a cluster of adobes – that surrounded the Presidio, the Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4,1786. It was the tenth of the California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans and it was dedicated by Padre Fermín Lasuén, who succeeded Padre Junipero Serra as the second president and founder of the California Franciscan Mission Chain. The Mission fathers began the work of converting the native Chumash to Christianity. The Chumash laborers built a connection between the creek and the Santa Barbara Mission water system through the use of a dam. During the following decades, many of the natives died of such as smallpox
5.
Pop music
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Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid 1950s. The terms popular music and pop music are used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular. Pop and rock were synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they were used in opposition from each other. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other such as urban, dance, rock, Latin. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a format, as well as the common use of repeated choruses, melodic tunes. David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop music as a body of music which is distinguishable from popular, jazz, according to Pete Seeger, pop music is professional music which draws upon both folk music and fine arts music. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music, the music charts contain songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs. Pop music, as a genre, is seen as existing and developing separately, pop music continuously evolves along with the terms definition. The term pop song was first recorded as being used in 1926, Hatch and Millward indicate that many events in the history of recording in the 1920s can be seen as the birth of the modern pop music industry, including in country, blues and hillbilly music. The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pops earlier meaning meant concerts appealing to a wide audience. Since the late 1950s, however, pop has had the meaning of non-classical mus, usually in the form of songs, performed by such artists as the Beatles. Grove Music Online also states that, in the early 1960s pop music competed terminologically with beat music, while in the USA its coverage overlapped with that of rock and roll. From about 1967, the term was used in opposition to the term rock music. Whereas rock aspired to authenticity and an expansion of the possibilities of music, pop was more commercial, ephemeral. It is not driven by any significant ambition except profit and commercial reward, and, in musical terms, it is essentially conservative. It is, provided from on high rather than being made from below, pop is not a do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged. The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment, the lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions
6.
Christmas music
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Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music was a feature of the Christmas season and its celebrations. The earliest examples are hymnographic works intended for use in observance of both the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany, many of which are still in use by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The 13th century saw the rise of the written in the vernacular. In the Middle Ages, the English combined circle dances with singing, later, the word carol came to mean a song in which a religious topic is treated in a style that is familiar or festive. From Italy, it passed to France and Germany, and later to England, Music in itself soon became one of the greatest tributes to Christmas, and Christmas music includes some of the noblest compositions of the great musicians. During the Commonwealth of England government under Cromwell, the Rump Parliament prohibited the practice of singing Christmas carols as Pagan, like other customs associated with popular Catholic Christianity, it earned the disapproval of Protestant Puritans. Famously, Cromwells interregnum prohibited all celebrations of the Christmas holiday and this attempt to ban the public celebration of Christmas can also be seen in the early history of Father Christmas. The Westminster Assembly of Divines established Sunday as the holy day in the calendar in 1644. The new liturgy produced for the English church recognised this in 1645 and its celebration was declared an offence by Parliament in 1647. There is some debate as to the effectiveness of this ban, Puritans generally disapproved of the celebration of Christmas—a trend which continually resurfaced in Europe and the USA through the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. William Sandyss Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, contained the first appearance in print of many now-classic English carols, singing carols in church was instituted on Christmas Eve 1880 in Truro Cathedral, Cornwall, England, which is now seen in churches all over the world. Christmas festivities, including music, are celebrated in a more secular fashion by such institutions as the Santa Claus Village, in Rovaniemi. The tradition of singing Christmas carols in return for alms or charity began in England in the century after the Restoration. Also from the century, there was the English custom, predominantly involving women, of taking a wassail bowl to their neighbours to solicit gifts. The status of Christmas as an important feast within the year also means there is a long tradition of music specially composed for celebrating the season. S. This is in due to the efforts of amateur choral societies during the nineteenth century. When it was composed, it was performed during Passiontide, jakub Jan Ryba, Czech Christmas Mass Hey, Master
7.
Record producer
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A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performers music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many roles during the recording process, the roles of a producer vary. The producer may perform these roles himself, or help select the engineer, the producer may also pay session musicians and engineers and ensure that the entire project is completed within the record companies budget. A record producer or music producer has a broad role in overseeing and managing the recording. Producers also often take on an entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts. In the 2010s, the industry has two kinds of producers with different roles, executive producer and music producer. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the process of recording songs or albums. In most cases the producer is also a competent arranger, composer. The producer will also liaise with the engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. Noted producer Phil Ek described his role as the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, indeed, in Bollywood music, the designation actually is music director. The music producers job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music, at the beginning of record industry, producer role was technically limited to record, in one shot, artists performing live. The role of producers changed progressively over the 1950s and 1960s due to technological developments, the development of multitrack recording caused a major change in the recording process. Before multitracking, all the elements of a song had to be performed simultaneously, all of these singers and musicians had to be assembled in a large studio and the performance had to be recorded. As well, for a song that used 20 instruments, it was no longer necessary to get all the players in the studio at the same time. Examples include the rock sound effects of the 1960s, e. g. playing back the sound of recorded instruments backwards or clanging the tape to produce unique sound effects. These new instruments were electric or electronic, and thus they used instrument amplifiers, new technologies like multitracking changed the goal of recording, A producer could blend together multiple takes and edit together different sections to create the desired sound. For example, in jazz fusion Bandleader-composer Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, producers like Phil Spector and George Martin were soon creating recordings that were, in practical terms, almost impossible to realise in live performance. Producers became creative figures in the studio, other examples of such engineers includes Joe Meek, Teo Macero, Brian Wilson, and Biddu
8.
Two Strong Hearts Live
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Two Strong Hearts Live is a live album by John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John recorded in Melbourne with Philharmonia Australia in April 2015. During the concert, the two performed a set spanning their hits over five decades along with several covers, the live album was released on 16 June 2015 with the live DVD being released on 21 August 2015. Cameron Adams gave the album 4 out of 5 stars saying, John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John have a chemistry, the fact these two were having serious fun is not lost in the recorded translation. You also see new sides, like Farnham blitzing Over the Rainbow, that’s another one of the joys here, we rarely get to hear Olivia live and from the divine thrills of Xanadu to the spine chills of I Honestly Love You it’s our loss. On the Grease favourites Summer Nights and You’re the One That I Want and this is the second time Farnham and Newton-John had topped the charts together, in 1998, their Highlights from The Main Event album also peaked at No.1. List of number-one albums of 2015
9.
Christmas album
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Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music was a feature of the Christmas season and its celebrations. The earliest examples are hymnographic works intended for use in observance of both the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany, many of which are still in use by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The 13th century saw the rise of the written in the vernacular. In the Middle Ages, the English combined circle dances with singing, later, the word carol came to mean a song in which a religious topic is treated in a style that is familiar or festive. From Italy, it passed to France and Germany, and later to England, Music in itself soon became one of the greatest tributes to Christmas, and Christmas music includes some of the noblest compositions of the great musicians. During the Commonwealth of England government under Cromwell, the Rump Parliament prohibited the practice of singing Christmas carols as Pagan, like other customs associated with popular Catholic Christianity, it earned the disapproval of Protestant Puritans. Famously, Cromwells interregnum prohibited all celebrations of the Christmas holiday and this attempt to ban the public celebration of Christmas can also be seen in the early history of Father Christmas. The Westminster Assembly of Divines established Sunday as the holy day in the calendar in 1644. The new liturgy produced for the English church recognised this in 1645 and its celebration was declared an offence by Parliament in 1647. There is some debate as to the effectiveness of this ban, Puritans generally disapproved of the celebration of Christmas—a trend which continually resurfaced in Europe and the USA through the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. William Sandyss Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, contained the first appearance in print of many now-classic English carols, singing carols in church was instituted on Christmas Eve 1880 in Truro Cathedral, Cornwall, England, which is now seen in churches all over the world. Christmas festivities, including music, are celebrated in a more secular fashion by such institutions as the Santa Claus Village, in Rovaniemi. The tradition of singing Christmas carols in return for alms or charity began in England in the century after the Restoration. Also from the century, there was the English custom, predominantly involving women, of taking a wassail bowl to their neighbours to solicit gifts. The status of Christmas as an important feast within the year also means there is a long tradition of music specially composed for celebrating the season. S. This is in due to the efforts of amateur choral societies during the nineteenth century. When it was composed, it was performed during Passiontide, jakub Jan Ryba, Czech Christmas Mass Hey, Master
10.
Christmas Is Johnny Farnham
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Johnny Farnham is a studio album of Christmas songs recorded by Australian pop singer John Farnham and released on EMI Records in December 1970. The single, Christmas Happy, was released in December. It would be Farnhams only Christmas album until some 46 years later, when in 2016 he would release Friends for Christmas, a duet seasonal album with Olivia Newton-John. The album was re-released under the new title of Memories of Christmas, on 13 November 1995 and again on 6 December 1997 with different covers, johnny Farnhams first #1 single on the Go-Set National Singles Charts was the novelty song Sadie released in 1967. Selling 180000 copies in Australia, Sadie was the highest selling single by an Australian artist of the decade and his first Christmas song was a non-album single, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, in November 1968. A cover of B. J. Thomas Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head was released in November 1969 and peaked at #1 for seven weeks in January–March 1970. After his third album, Looking Through A Tear was released in July 1970, Farnham recorded his fourth album as Christmas Is. Johnny Farnham, it was released in December and contained Christmas songs, one of the songs, Good Time Christmas, was written by Farnham. The single, Christmas Happy, was released in December
11.
Grease (film)
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Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film based on Jim Jacobs and Warren Caseys musical of the same name. The film depicts the life of Rydell High School students Danny Zuko, directed by Randal Kleiser and written by Bronte Woodard, the film stars John Travolta as Danny, Olivia Newton-John as Sandy and Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo. Grease was successful critically and commercially. Only a few of the original cast members reprised their roles, in the summer of 1958, local boy Danny Zuko and vacationing Sandy Olsson met at the beach and fell in love. When the summer comes to an end, Sandy, who is going back to Australia, frets that they may never meet again, the film moves to the start of the seniors term at Rydell High School. Danny, a greaser, is a member of the T-Birds, consisting of his best friend Kenickie, Doody, Sonny, the Pink Ladies, a popular clique of girls, also arrive, consisting of Rizzo, Frenchy, Marty, and Jan. After her parents not to return to Australia, Sandy enrolls at Rydell and is befriended by Frenchy. Unaware of each others presence at Rydell, Danny and Sandy tell their respective groups the accounts of events during the brief romance. Sandys version emphasizes the romance of the affair, while Dannys version is more sexual. When Sandy finally says Dannys name, Rizzo arranges a reunion for the two, but Danny is forced to maintain his bad-boy attitude in front of his pals, upsetting Sandy. Frenchy invites the girls to a party, but Sandy falls ill from trying a cigarette. As she recovers in the bathroom, Rizzo makes fun of her innocence, the T-Birds almost crash the party in Kenickies Greased Lightning car, but a guilty Danny leaves, followed by Rizzo, who departs to make out with Kenickie, who later becomes her boyfriend. Sandy laments over her feelings towards Danny, despite his earlier behavior, the two are disturbed by Leo Balmudo, leader of the T-Birds rival gang, the Scorpions, and his girlfriend Cha-Cha, leading to a planned car race between Leo and Kenickie. Kenickie purchases an old car and the group repair it. In an attempt to impress Sandy, Danny turns to Coach Calhoun to get into sports and he reunites with Sandy and they attempt to go on a date, but their friends crash it, resulting in Kenickie and Rizzo arguing and parting. Left alone, Frenchy is visited by an angel who advises her to return to school after a mishap in beauty class leaves her with bubblegum-pink hair. The school dance arrives, broadcast live on television and hosted by DJ Vince Fontaine, Rizzo and Kenickie attempt to spite one another by bringing Leo and Cha-Cha as their dates, while Danny and Sandy arrive together. Danny and Sandy dance well and are expected to win, Danny and Cha-Cha end up performing together and winning
12.
John Travolta
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John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, producer, dancer, and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever, Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for performances in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. He won his only Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty and has received a total of six nominations, in 2014, he received the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema. Travolta, the youngest of six children, was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey and his father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company. His mother, Helen Cecilia, was an actress and singer who had appeared in The Sunshine Sisters, a vocal group. His siblings, Joey, Ellen, Ann, Margaret, and his father was a second-generation Italian American and his mother was Irish American, he grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and has said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. He was raised Roman Catholic, but converted to Scientology in 1975, Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out as a junior at age 17 in 1971. After attending Dwight Morrow High School, Travolta moved across the Hudson River to New York City and landed a role in the company of the musical Grease. Singing the Sherman Brothers song Dream Drummin and he then moved to Los Angeles to further his career in show business. Travoltas first California-filmed television role was as a victim in Emergency. In September 1972, but his first significant movie role was as Billy Nolan, around the same time, he landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, in which his sister, Ellen, also occasionally appeared. Travolta had a hit single entitled Let Her In, peaking at ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1976. In the next few years, he appeared in two of his most noted screen roles, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever and as Danny Zuko in Grease, the films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom. Saturday Night Fever earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, at age 24, Travolta became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. His mother and his sister Ann appeared in roles in Saturday Night Fever. Travolta performed several of the songs on the Grease soundtrack album, in 1980, Travolta inspired a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film, Urban Cowboy, in which he starred with Debra Winger. After Urban Cowboy, Travolta starred in a series of financial and critical failures that sidelined his acting career and these included Perfect, co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and Two of a Kind, a romantic comedy reteaming him with Olivia Newton-John. During that time he was offered, but turned down, lead roles in what would become box office hits, including American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman, both of which went to Richard Gere
13.
Highlights from The Main Event
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The album peaked at No.1 on the ARIA Albums Chart for two weeks in December that year. It was re-released in 2001 with three additional tracks, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Age of Reason feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Phantom of the Opera feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Little More Love feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Age of Reason feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow This Is the Moment feat Anthony Warlow Hopelessly Devoted to You feat. Olivia Newton-John Every Time You Cry feat, John Farnham Please Dont Ask Me feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham Youre the One That I Want feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham Long and Winding Road feat. Olivia Newton-John, Anthony Warlow Take Me Home, Country Roads feat, olivia Newton-John, Anthony Warlow I Honestly Love You feat. Olivia Newton-John, Anthony Warlow Love Is a Gift feat, olivia Newton-John, Anthony Warlow Thats Life/Bad Habits feat. John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Granada feat, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Summer Nights feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow If Not for You feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Let Me Be There feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Jolene feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Hearts on Fire feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Dont You Know Its Magic feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Youre the Voice feat. Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow Two Strong Hearts feat, olivia Newton-John, John Farnham Not Gonna Give in to It feat
14.
Anthony Warlow
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Anthony Thorne Warlow AM is an Australian opera and musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and this was arguably his break-through role, as he was cast as the Phantom as the Australian tour of Les Misérables was ending. He performed the role of Doctor Yuri Zhivago in the new adaptation of Boris Pasternaks novel. In 2012, Anthony reprised his role as Daddy Warbucks in Annie at the Lyric Theatre, Anthony made his debut on Broadway, New York, in the James Lapine directed role of Daddy Warbucks in Annie at the Palace Theatre. In July 2015, he was playing Charles Frohman/James Hook in Finding Neverland on Broadway, in December 2015 he returned to Australia playing the part of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. His opera roles include roles in Die Fledermaus, The Magic Flute, A Midsummer Nights Dream. Apart from The Mikado, these Gilbert and Sullivan productions are available on DVD, Warlow performed Advance Australia Fair at the 2008 NRL Grand Final on 5 October 2008. Warlow first portrayed the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in the original Australian production and it was announced in October 2006 that Phantom would reopen in Melbourne the following year and that Warlow had agreed to reprise his role as The Phantom. Phantom reopened in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre, its original home, alongside Warlow, Australias Ana Marina and Alexander Lewis were cast as Christine Daae and Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny. Understudy Simon Pryce performed in his place until Warlow made a return on 9 August 2007, unlike the original Australian Phantom, Warlow played the Phantom for the two-year tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Phantom of the Opera opened at Melbournes Princess Theatre on 28 July 2007, after closing in Sydney on 14 September, the production moved to Auckland, New Zealand and following a holiday break, subsequently opened in Perth in February 2009. The last stop on the tour was Adelaide where Warlow donned the mask for the time on 23 May 2009. Warlow appeared as a guest at the 25th anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in London, warlows Pirate King appeared in dress, voice and mannerism very similar to Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. David Hobson and Suzanne Johnston also appeared in this production, the lead female role of Mabel, initially played by Emma Matthews was taken over by soprano Taryn Fiebig for most of the tour. This production of The Pirates of Penzance was shown on television by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on 9 December 2006, a DVD of the production was subsequently released. Warlow was found to be suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1992 and he had to put his career on hold for about a year while he dealt with the disease, and his role in the production was given to John Waters. He returned to the circuit in the second half of 1993 with a national concert tour for the launch of his Back In The Swing album. He has since done work for the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia
15.
David Jones Limited
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David Jones Limited, trading as David Jones, is an Australian upmarket department store, owned by South African retail group Woolworths Holdings Limited. David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh immigrant and it currently has 39 stores located in most Australian states and territories. David Jones main competitor is the larger, mid-to-up market department store chain Myer, on 28 July 2016 David Jones will open their first New Zealand store in Wellington after buying Kirkcaldie & Stains. David Jones, a Welsh merchant, met a Hobart businessman Charles Appleton in London, Appleton had established a store in Sydney in 1825 and Jones subsequently established a partnership with Appleton, moved to Australia in 1835, and the Sydney store became known as Appleton & Jones. When the partnership was dissolved in 1838, Jones moved his business to premises on the corner of George Street, Jones survived the depression of the 1840s, and by 1856 had retired from active management of the business. A few years later when the failed, he returned to manage its affairs. By 1887, the George Street store had been rebuilt and a mail order facility introduced, a factory was opened in Marlborough Street, Sydney to reduce reliance on imported goods. On the death of the founder, his son, Edward Lloyd Jones, at eighteen years of age, Edward Lloyd Jones Jnr journeyed to England and entered the London office of David Jones. On his return to Australia he gained pastoral and cattle experience in the Burnett district of Queensland and he re-entered the family business upon the death of his father in the train disaster at Redfern in 1894. David Jones was then a company but in 1906, it became a public company. Edward Lloyd Jones Jnr became chairman of directors and held that position until he resigned In 1921, the Elizabeth Street store was opened in 1927 under the guidance of chairman Charles Lloyd Jones. A further store was opened in Market Street, Sydney in 1938, there was a small branch located in the Australia Hotel on Martin Place. In 1954, a State banquet was held for visiting Queen Elizabeth II in the restaurant of the Elizabeth Street store. Within New South Wales, David Jones established its first store in Newcastle by acquiring Scotts on Hunter Street in 1957, and in Wollongong, David Jones acquired and then converted the Big W Department Stores at Kotara Fair and the two storey Big W at Warrawong in 1971. The Warrawong store closed in February 1986, there was a store in Wagga Wagga due to the purchase of David Copland & Co in 1953. David Jones expanded into Victoria in 1982 by acquiring the three stores of Buckley & Nunn located in Bourke Street, Northland, and Chadstone. In 1987 David Jones purchased the former GJ Coles store and building at 299 Bourke Street, Melbourne, David Jones also owned the former Georges store in Collins Street, Melbourne between 1981 and 1995. In South Australia there were the acquisitions of Charles Birks & Co in 1954, in Western Australia acquired Bon Marche in 1954, Foy & Gibson in 1964, and Aherns in 1999
16.
Broadway theatre
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Along with Londons West End theatres, Broadway theatres are widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. The Theater District is a popular tourist attraction in New York City, the great majority of Broadway shows are musicals. They presented Shakespeare plays and ballad operas such as The Beggars Opera, in 1752, William Hallam sent a company of twelve actors from Britain to the colonies with his brother Lewis as their manager. They established a theatre in Williamsburg, Virginia and opened with The Merchant of Venice, the company moved to New York in the summer of 1753, performing ballad operas and ballad-farces like Damon and Phillida. The Revolutionary War suspended theatre in New York, but thereafter theatre resumed in 1798, the Bowery Theatre opened in 1826, followed by others. Blackface minstrel shows, a distinctly American form of entertainment, became popular in the 1830s, by the 1840s, P. T. Barnum was operating an entertainment complex in lower Manhattan. In 1829, at Broadway and Prince Street, Niblos Garden opened, the 3, 000-seat theatre presented all sorts of musical and non-musical entertainments. In 1844, Palmos Opera House opened and presented opera for four seasons before bankruptcy led to its rebranding as a venue for plays under the name Burtons Theatre. The Astor Opera House opened in 1847, booth played the role for a famous 100 consecutive performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1865, and would later revive the role at his own Booths Theatre. Other renowned Shakespeareans who appeared in New York in this era were Henry Irving, Tommaso Salvini, Fanny Davenport, lydia Thompson came to America in 1868 heading a small theatrical troupe, adapting popular English burlesques for middle-class New York audiences. Thompsons troupe called the British Blondes, was the most popular entertainment in New York during the 1868–1869 theatrical season, the six-month tour ran for almost six extremely profitable years. Theatre in New York moved from downtown gradually to midtown beginning around 1850, in 1870, the heart of Broadway was in Union Square, and by the end of the century, many theatres were near Madison Square. Broadways first long-run musical was a 50-performance hit called The Elves in 1857, New York runs continued to lag far behind those in London, but Laura Keenes musical burletta The Seven Sisters shattered previous New York records with a run of 253 performances. It was at a performance by Keenes troupe of Our American Cousin in Washington, the production was a staggering five-and-a-half hours long, but despite its length, it ran for a record-breaking 474 performances. The same year, The Black Domino/Between You, Me and the Post was the first show to call itself a musical comedy, Tony Pastor opened the first vaudeville theatre one block east of Union Square in 1881, where Lillian Russell performed. Comedians Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart produced and starred in musicals on Broadway between 1878 and 1890, with book and lyrics by Harrigan and music by his father-in-law David Braham. They starred high quality singers, instead of the women of repute who had starred in earlier musical forms. Plays could run longer and still draw in the audiences, leading to better profits, as in England, during the latter half of the century, the theatre began to be cleaned up, with less prostitution hindering the attendance of the theatre by women
17.
Christmas Eve
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Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day, together, both days are considered one of the most culturally significant celebrations in Christendom and Western society. Many churches still ring their bells and hold prayers in the evening, for example. Since tradition holds that Jesus was born at night, Midnight Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve, traditionally at midnight, roman Catholics and high church Anglicans traditionally celebrate Midnight Mass, which begins either at or sometime before midnight on Christmas Eve. This ceremony, which is held in churches throughout the world, celebrates the birth of Christ, Midnight Mass is popular in Poland. In recent years churches have scheduled their Midnight Mass as early as 7 pm. In Spanish-speaking areas, the Midnight Mass is sometimes referred to as Misa de Gallo, in the Philippines, the custom has expanded into the nine-day Simbang Gabi, when Filipinos attend dawn Masses from 16 December, continuing daily until Christmas Eve. In 2009 Vatican officials scheduled the Midnight Mass to start at 10 pm so that the 82-year-old Pope Benedict XVI would not have too late a night. Whilst it does not include any kind of Mass, the Church of Scotland has a service beginning just before midnight, the Church of Scotland no longer holds Hogmanay services on New Years Eve, however. The Christmas Eve Services are still very popular, on Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is traditionally lit in many church services. In candlelight services, while singing Silent Night, each member of the congregation receives a candle, lutherans traditionally practice Christmas Eve Eucharistic traditions typical of Germany and Scandinavia. Krippenspiele, special music for organ, vocal and brass choirs. A nativity scene may be erected indoors or outdoors, and is composed of figurines depicting the infant Jesus resting in a manger, Mary, other figures in the scene may include angels, shepherds, and various animals. The figures may be made of any material, and arranged in a stable or grotto, the Magi may also appear, and are sometimes not placed in the scene until the week following Christmas to account for their travel time to Bethlehem. While most home nativity scenes are packed away at Christmas or shortly thereafter, Christmas Vespers are popular in the early evening, and midnight services are also widespread in regions which are predominantly Lutheran. The old Lutheran tradition of a Christmas Vigil in the morning hours of Christmas Day can still be found in some regions. Methodists celebrate the evening in different ways, some, in the early evening, come to their church to celebrate Holy Communion with their families. The mood is very solemn, and the visible light is the Advent Wreath
18.
Sammy Cahn
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Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his lyrics to films and Broadway songs. He and his collaborators had a series of hit recordings with Frank Sinatra during the tenure at Capitol Records. He played the piano and violin and he won the Academy Award four times for his songs, including the popular song Three Coins in the Fountain. Among his most enduring songs is Let It Snow, cowritten with Jule Styne in 1945. Cahn was born Samuel Cohen in the Lower East Side of New York City, the son of Abraham and Elka Reiss Cohen. His sisters, Sadye, Pearl, Florence, and Evelyn and his mother did not approve of Sammy studying it though, feeling that the piano was a womans instrument, so he took violin lessons. After three lessons and following his bar mitzvah, he joined a small band called Pals of Harmony. This new dream of Cahns destroyed any hopes his parents had for him to be a professional man. At age 16, he was watching vaudeville, of which he had been a fan since the age of 10, and he witnessed Jack Osterman singing a ballad Osterman had written. Cahn was inspired and, on his way home from the theater, wrote his first lyric, years later he would say I think a sense of vaudeville is very strong in anything I do, anything I write. They even call it a vaudeville finish, and it comes through in many of my songs, just sing the end of All the Way or Three Coins in the Fountain—Make it mine, make it mine, MAKE IT MINE. If you let people know they should applaud, they will applaud, much of Cahns early work was written in partnership with Saul Chaplin. They first met when Cahn invited Chaplin to audition for him at the Henry Street Settlement, Cahn said, Id learned a few chords on the piano, maybe two, so Id already tried to write a song. Something I called Shake Your Head from Side to Side, billed simply as Cahn and Chaplin, they composed witty special material for Warner Brothers musical short subjects, filmed at Warners Vitaphone studio in Brooklyn, New York. There was an outfit on West 46th Street, Beckman. They were the MCA, the William Morris of the Borscht Belt, I got a room in their offices, and we started writing special material. For anybody whod have us—at whatever price and they did not make much money, but they did work with up-and-comers Milton Berle, Danny Kaye, Phil Silvers, and Bob Hope
19.
Meredith Willson
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He wrote three other Broadway musicals, composed symphonies and popular songs, and his film scores were twice nominated for Academy Awards. He attended Frank Damroschs Institute of Musical Art in New York City and he married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Peggy Wilson, on August 29,1920. A flute and piccolo player, Willson was a member of John Philip Sousas band, Willson then moved to San Francisco, California, as the concert director for radio station KFRC, and then as a musical director for the NBC radio network in Hollywood. His on-air radio debut came on KFRC in 1928 on Blue Monday Jamboree and his work in films included composing the score for Charlie Chaplins The Great Dictator, and arranging music for the score of William Wylers The Little Foxes. During World War II, he worked for the United States Armed Forces Radio Service and his work with the AFRS teamed him with George Burns, Gracie Allen and Bill Goodwin. He would work all three as the bandleader, and a regular character, on the Burns and Allen radio program. He played a shy man, always trying to get advice on women and his character was ditsy as well, basically a male version of Gracie Allens character. In 1942, Willson had his own program on NBC, Meredith Willsons Music was a summer replacement for Fibber McGee and Molly. Sparkle Time, which ran on CBS in 1946-47, was Willsons first full-season radio program, returning to network radio after WWII, he created the Talking People, a choral group that spoke in unison while delivering radio commercials. He also became the director for The Big Show, a prestigious comedy-variety program hosted by actress Tallulah Bankhead. Willson himself became part of one of the very few running gags, beginning replies to Bankheads comments or questions with, Well, sir. Willson wrote the song, May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You for the show, Bankhead spoke the lyrics over the music at the end of each show. He also worked on Jack Bennys radio program, and hosted his own program in 1949, for a few years in the early 1950s, Willson was a regular panelist on the Goodson-Todman game show The Names the Same. In 1950 Willson served as Musical Director for The California Story, the California Story spectacular was followed by two more state centennial collaborations with stage director Vladimir Rosing, The Oregon Story in 1959 and The Kansas Story in 1961. Willsons most famous work, The Music Man, premiered on Broadway in 1957 and he referred to the show as an Iowans attempt to pay tribute to his home state. It took Willson some eight years and thirty revisions to complete the musical, the cast recording of The Music Man won the first Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album. In 1959, Willson and his wife Rini recorded an album called. and Then I Wrote The Music Man, in which they review the history of, and sing songs from, the show. In 2010, Brian dArcy James and Kelli OHara played Willson and his second musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, ran on Broadway for 532 performances from 1960 to 1962 and was made into a 1964 motion picture starring Debbie Reynolds
20.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a song written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, was introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, in 2007, ASCAP ranked Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas the third most performed Christmas song, during the preceding five years, that had been written by ASCAP members. In 2004 it finished at #76 in AFIs 100 Years.100 Songs rankings of the top tunes in American cinema. The song was written while Martin was vacationing in a flat in the neighborhood of Southside in Birmingham, Alabama, located at 1919 South 15th Avenue, the house became the home of Martin and his family in 1923. In a scene set on Christmas Eve, Judy Garlands character, Esther, sings the song to cheer up her despondent five-year-old sister, Tootie, some of the original lyrics that were penned by Martin were rejected before filming began. They were, When presented with the original lyric, Garland, her co-star Tom Drake and director Vincente Minnelli criticized the song as depressing. Though he initially resisted, Martin made several changes to make the more upbeat. For example, the lines It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past became Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight. In 1957, Frank Sinatra asked Martin to revise the line Until then well have to muddle through somehow and he told Martin, The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me, martins new line was Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. Martin made several alterations, changing the songs focus to a celebration of present happiness. On The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special, Garland sings the song to her children Joey, the song was recorded by gospel female vocalist Del Delker with Martin accompanying her on piano. Deserter in a bleak, snowy field on Christmas Eve – a scene inspired by the execution of Pvt. The New York Times film reviewer, while recognising the power of the scene, complained that the device itself is almost as specious, on December 6,2014, English singer Sam Smith released a cover version on the song. The song debuted at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, in Australia, the song charted at number 63, the second time a version of the song has charted, after Michael Bublés version reached number 98 in 2011
21.
The Christmas Song
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The Christmas Song is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé. According to Tormé, the song was written during a hot summer. In an effort to cool by thinking cool, the most-performed Christmas song was born. I saw a spiral pad on his piano with four written in pencil. Bob didnt think he was writing a song lyric and he said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written, I wrote all the music and some of the lyrics. The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the early in 1946. First recording, Recorded at WMCA Radio Studios, New York City, label credit, The King Cole Trio. Not issued until 1989, when it was included on the various-artists compilation Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits Rhino R170637 / R270637, second recording, Recorded at WMCA Radio Studios, New York City, August 19,1946. Label credit, The King Cole Trio with String Choir, issued November 1946 as Capitol 311. Third recording, Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, August 24,1953 and this was the songs first magnetic tape recording. Label credit, The King Cole Trio with String Choir, issued November 1953 as the new Capitol 90036 / F90036. Correct label credit issued on October 18,1954 as Capitol 2955 / F2955, label credit, Nat King Cole with Orchestra Conducted by Nelson Riddle. This recording is available on the 1990 Cole compilation CD Cole, Christmas, & Kids and it was also included, along with both 1946 recordings, on the 1991 Mosaic Records box set The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio. This version is played on the radio during the Christmas season and is nearly identical to the popular 1961 recording. It is easy to tell apart from the 1961 version in that the final notes sounds faster, fourth recording, Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York City, March 30,1961. This rendition, the first recorded in stereo, is played on radio stations during the Christmas season. The instrumental arrangement is identical to the 1953 version, but the vocals are much deeper
22.
Baby, It's Cold Outside
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Baby, Its Cold Outside is a song written by Frank Loesser in 1944. Originally recorded for the film Neptunes Daughter, it has been recorded by artists since its original release, including Ray Charles, Dolly Parton. Loesser would introduce himself as the Evil of Two Loessers, a play on the theme of the song, trying to keep the girl from leaving and this was a period when the Hollywood elites chief entertainment was throwing parties and inviting guests who were expected to perform. Garland wrote that after the first performance, We become instant parlor room stars and we got invited to all the best parties for years on the basis of Baby. It was our ticket to caviar and truffles, parties were built around our being the closing act. Garland considered it their song and was furious when Loesser told her he was selling the song, garland wrote, I felt as betrayed as if Id caught him in bed with another woman. The mouse wants to stay and enjoy herself, but feels obligated to return home, worried what family, every line in the song features a statement from the mouse followed by a response from the wolf, which is musically known as a call and response song. Although some critical analyses of the song have highlighted parts of the such as Whats in this drink. Was a common idiom of the used to rebuke social expectations by blaming ones actions on the influence of alcohol. In 1948, after years of performing the song at various parties, Loesser sold the rights to MGM. These performances earned Loesser an Academy Award for Best Original Song, in at least one published version the tempo of the song is given as Loesserando, a humorous reference to the composers name. The following versions were recorded in 1949, The recording by Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark was recorded on March 17 and it first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on May 6,1949, and lasted 19 weeks on the chart, peaking at No.4. The recording by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer was recorded on March 18 and it first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on May 6,1949, and lasted 19 weeks on the chart, peaking at No.4. The recording by Don Cornell and Laura Leslie with the Sammy Kaye orchestra was recorded on April 12 and it first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on June 24,1949, and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at No.13. The recording by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan was recorded on April 28 and it first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on June 17,1949, and lasted seven weeks on the chart, peaking at No.17. A parody recording was made by Homer and Jethro with June Carter, it went to No.9 on the country charts, Baby, Its Cold Outside has been recorded by numerous other artists over the years. At least five different versions of the song have made at least one singles chart in the United States,120 on the Billboard 2002013, Jimmy Fallon and Cecily Strong on Saturday Night Live. The song begins in the manner, but after sex, roles reverse
23.
Frank Loesser
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Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and music to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the latter. He also wrote songs for films and Tin Pan Alley, many of which have become standards. Loesser was born in New York City to Henry Loesser, a pianist and he grew up in a house on West 107th Street in Manhattan. His father had moved to America to avoid Prussian military service and he came to America and married Berthe, and had a son in 1894, Arthur Loesser. In 1888, Berthes sister Julia arrived in America, Julia and Henry soon fell in love and Julia really loved Arthur, but Berthe sent her to Washington D. C. Berthe died in childbirth and Julia moved back in and married Henry in 1907 and their first child, Grace, was born in December of that year. His parents both prized high intellect and culture and thus Loesser was taught musically in the vein of European composers, but although Henry was a full-time piano teacher, he never taught his son. In a 1914 letter to Franks older half-brother Arthur Loesser, Henry wrote that the 14-year-old Frank could play by ear any tune hes heard, Loesser did not like his fathers refined taste of music and resisted when he wrote his own music and took up the harmonica. He was expelled from Townsend Harris High School, and from there went to City College of New York and he was expelled from the CCNY in 1925 after one year for failing every subject except English and gym. After his father died suddenly in 1926, Loesser was forced to work in order to support his family. After his many jobs, he decided that he wanted to write in Tin Pan Alley. His first song credit is listed as In Love with the Memory of You, with music by William Schuman, Loessers early lyrics included two hit songs of 1934, Junk Man and I Wish I Were Twins. However, they apparently did not help his reputation, and in later years, after a year, Feist had not published any of them. He fared only slightly better collaborating with the classical composer William Schuman, selling one song. Loesser described his days of learning the songwriting craft as having a rendezvous with failure. But while he dabbled in other trades, he returned to the music business. The Back Drop turned out to have some substantial connections, due to his work there he was able to secure his first Broadway musical, The Illustrator’s Show, a 1936 revue written with Back Drop collaborator Irving Actman, lasted only four nights
24.
Silent Night
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Silent Night is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The song has been recorded by a number of singers from every music genre. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time, the song was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, a village in the Austrian Empire on the Salzach river in present-day Austria. A young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to Oberndorf the year before and he had written the lyrics of the song Stille Nacht in 1816 at Mariapfarr, the hometown of his father in the Salzburg Lungau region, where Joseph had worked as a co-adjutor. The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, schoolmaster and organist in the village of Arnsdorf. Before Christmas Eve, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody, together they performed the new carol during the mass on the night of 24 December. The original manuscript has been lost, however, a manuscript was discovered in 1995 in Mohrs handwriting and dated by researchers as c. 1820. It states that Mohr wrote the words in 1816 when he was assigned to a church in Mariapfarr, Austria. This is the earliest manuscript that exists and the one in Mohrs handwriting. The version of the melody that is used today is a slow, meditative lullaby or pastorale, differing slightly from Grubers original. Today, the lyrics and melody are in the public domain, the carol has been translated into about 140 languages. Max Reger quotes the tune in the Christmas section of his organ pieces Sieben Stücke, several theatrical and television films depict how the song was ostensibly written. Most of them however are based on a legend, about the organ breaking down at the church in Oberndorf. The Legend of Silent Night TV film directed by Daniel Mann Silent Night, Silent Mouse television special directed and produced by Robin Crichton and narrated by Lynn Redgrave. org Text and music, Stille-Nacht-Association, Salzburg Silent Night Chapel, origin of song
25.
Joseph Mohr
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Josephus Franciscus Mohr, sometimes spelt Josef was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and writer, who wrote the words to the Christmas carol Silent Night. Mohr was born in Salzburg on December 11,1792, to an unmarried embroiderer, Anna Schoiberin, and Franz Mohr, a soldier and deserter. The ancestors on his fathers side came from the town of Mariapfarr in the mountainous Lungau region south of Salzburg, as the parents were unmarried, Joseph received the name of his godfather, according to custom. Johann Nepomuk Hiernle, vicar and leader of music at Salzburg Cathedral, enabled Mohr to have an education, as a boy, Mohr would serve simultaneously as a singer and violinist in the choirs of the University Church and at the Benedictine monastery church of St. Peter. From 1808 to 1810, Mohr studied at the Benedictine monastery of Kremsmünster in the province of Upper Austria and he then returned to Salzburg to attend the Lyceum school, and in 1811, he entered the seminary. Since he was of illegitimate birth, a dispensation was required in those days for him to attend seminary. On August 21,1815, Mohr graduated and was ordained as a priest, in the fall of 1815, Mohr was asked to provide temporary help in the village of Ramsau near Berchtesgaden. Mohr then served as assistant priest in Mariapfarr and it was during this time, in 1816, that he penned the words to Silent Night in Mariapfarr. Poor health forced him to return to Salzburg in the summer of 1817, after a short recuperation he began serving as an assistant priest at St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, where he made the acquaintance of Franz Gruber, schoolteacher in neighbouring Arnsdorf. On a cold Christmas Eve in 1818, Mohr walked the three kilometres from his home in Oberndorf bei Salzburg to visit his friend Franz Xaver Gruber in the town of Arnsdorf bei Laufen. Mohr brought with him a poem he had written two years earlier. Gruber composed the melody for Mohrs Stille Nacht in just a few hours, the song was sung at Midnight Mass in a simple arrangement for guitar and choir. Within a few years, arrangements of the carol appeared in churches in the Salzburg Archdiocese, Mohr, a generous man who donated most of his salary to charity, was moved from place to place, and remained in Oberndorf only until 1819. After Oberndorf he was sent to Kuchl, followed by stays in Golling an der Salzach, Bad Vigaun, Adnet, in 1827 he was made pastor of Hintersee, and in 1837 of the Alpine village of Wagrain. Here he created a fund to allow children from families to attend school. Mohr died of disease on December 4,1848, at the age of 55. Mohrs final resting place is in the tiny Alpine ski resort of Wagrain, the Joseph Mohr School stands as a fitting memorial, and close to the grave of the man who wrote the words heard around the world. The village school is named after him and his grave has been kept in a place of honour in the churchyard cemetery
26.
Franz Xaver Gruber
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Franz Xaver Gruber, was an Austrian primary school teacher, church organist and composer in the village of Arnsdorf, who is best known for composing the music to Stille Nacht. Gruber was born on November 25,1787, in the village of Hochburg, Upper Austria and his given name was recorded in the baptismal record as Conrad Xavier, but this was later changed to Franz Xaver. The Hochburger schoolteacher Andreas Peterlechner gave him music lessons, Gruber worked as a weaver until the age of 18, then trained to become a schoolteacher. He completed his education studying with the church organist of Burghausen. In 1807 Gruber became schoolteacher in Arnsdorf and he also became the church caretaker and organist. In 1808 he married a widow, Maria Elisabeth Fischinger Engelsberger and they had two children, both of whom died young. After the death of his first wife in 1825, Gruber married a former student and they had ten children, four of whom survived to adulthood. In 1829 Gruber moved to Berndorf, and in 1835 to Hallein, Salzburg, Maria Gruber died in childbirth in 1841 in Hallein. The following year he married Katherine Wimmer, in 1816 he took on the additional responsibilities of organist and choirmaster at St Nicholas Church in the neighboring village of Oberndorf bei Salzburg. Together with Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest who wrote the original German lyrics, on Christmas Eve of 1818, Mohr, an assistant pastor at St Nicholas, showed Gruber a six-stanza poem he had written in 1816. He asked Gruber to set the poem to music, the church organ had broken down so Gruber produced a melody with guitar arrangement for the poem. The two men sang Stille Nacht for the first time at Christmas Mass in St Nicholas Church while Mohr played guitar and the choir repeated the last two lines of each verse
27.
White Christmas (song)
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White Christmas is a 1942 Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the single of all time. Other versions of the song, along with Crosbys, have sold over 150 million copies, accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. He often stayed up all night writing—he told his secretary, Grab your pen, I just wrote the best song Ive ever written—heck, I just wrote the best song that anybodys ever written. At first, Crosby did not see anything special about the song and he just said I dont think we have any problems with that one, Irving. The song initially performed poorly and was overshadowed by Holiday Inns first hit song, Be Careful, by the end of October 1942, White Christmas topped the Your Hit Parade chart. It remained in position until well into the new year. A few weeks after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Crosby introduced “White Christmas” on a Christmas Day broadcast, the Armed Forces Network was flooded with requests for the song. The recording is noted for Crosbys whistling during the second chorus, in 1942 alone, Crosbys recording spent eleven weeks on top of the Billboard charts. The original version hit number one on the Harlem Hit Parade for three weeks, Crosbys first-ever appearance on the black-oriented chart. Re-released by Decca, the returned to the No.1 spot during the holiday seasons of 1945 and 1946. The recording became a perennial, reappearing annually on the pop chart twenty separate times before Billboard magazine created a distinct Christmas chart for seasonal releases. In Holiday Inn, the won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1942. In the film, Crosby sings White Christmas as a duet with actress Marjorie Reynolds and this now-familiar scene was not the moviemakers initial plan. In the script as originally conceived, Reynolds, not Crosby, the song would feature in another Crosby film, the 1954 musical White Christmas, which became the highest-grossing film of 1954. The version most often heard today on radio during the Christmas season is the 1947 re-recording, the 1942 master was damaged due to frequent use. Crosby re-recorded the track on March 19,1947, accompanied again by the Trotter Orchestra, the re-recording is recognizable by the addition of flutes and celesta in the beginning. Although Crosby dismissed his role in the success, saying later that a jackdaw with a cleft palate could have sung it successfully
28.
Irving Berlin
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Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. His music forms a part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. He published his first song, Marie from Sunny Italy, in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights and he also was an owner of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. Alexanders Ragtime Band sparked a dance craze in places as far away as Berlins native Russia. In doing so, said Walter Cronkite, at Berlins 100th birthday tribute, he helped write the story of country, capturing the best of who we are. He wrote hundreds of songs, many becoming major hits, which him a legend before he turned thirty. During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 Hollywood films, with his songs nominated eight times for Academy Awards. Many songs became popular themes and anthems, including Easter Parade, White Christmas, Happy Holiday, This Is the Army, Mr. Jones, and Theres No Business Like Show Business. His Broadway musical and 1942 film, This is the Army, Celine Dion recorded it as a tribute, making it no.1 on the charts after the September 11 attacks in 2001. In 2015, pianist and composer Hershey Felder began touring nationwide as a show, portraying Berlin. Composer George Gershwin called him the greatest songwriter that has ever lived, Berlin was born on May 11,1888, in Tolochin, Russian Empire. He was one of eight children of Moses and Lena Lipkin Beilin and his father, a cantor in a synagogue, uprooted the family to America, as did many other Jewish families in the late 19th century. In 1893 they settled in New York City, as of the 1900 census, the name Beilin had changed to Baline. By daylight the house was in ashes, as an adult, Berlin said he was unaware of being raised in abject poverty since he knew no other life. Tsar Alexander III of Russia and then Tsar Nicholas II, his son, had revived with utmost brutality the anti-Jewish pogroms, which created the spontaneous mass exodus to America. When they reached Ellis Island, Israel was put in a pen with his brother and his Yiddish-speaking family eventually settled on Cherry Street, a windowless cold-water basement flat in the Theater District of the Lower East Side. His father, unable to find work as a cantor in New York, took a job at a kosher meat market and gave Hebrew lessons on the side
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The Little Drummer Boy
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The Little Drummer Boy is a popular Christmas song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. It was recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family Singers and realised on the choirs first LP Christmas with the Trapp Family Singers and these were the first recordings released on their new record label Decca Records and further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale. This version was re-released successfully for years and the song has been recorded many times since. The song was originally titled Carol of the Drum and was published by Davis as based upon a traditional Czech carol and it is headed Czech Carol freely transcribed by K. K. D, these initials then deleted and replaced with C. R. W. Robinson, a name under which Davis sometimes published, the Czech original of the carol has never been identified. In 1957 it was recorded, with an altered arrangement. Simeone and Onorati claimed joint composition credits with Davis, the album and the song were an enormous success, the single scoring on the U. S. music charts from 1958 to 1962. In 1963, the album was reissued under the title The Little Drummer Boy, A Christmas Festival, the following year the album was released in stereo. In 1988, The Little Drummer Boy, A Christmas Festival was released on CD by Casablanca Records, and subsequently, on Island Records. Harry Simeone, who in 1964 had signed with Kapp Records, recorded a new version of The Little Drummer Boy in 1965 for his album O Bambino, Simeone recorded the song a third and final time in 1981, for an album on the budget Holiday Records label. The story depicted in the song is similar to a 12th-century legend retold by Anatole France as Le Jongleur de Notre Dame. The Crusaders released their version of the song as a single, jackie Evancho covered the song with Il Volo on her album Someday at Christmas In Spanish speaking countries it is a common carol recorded under the name El niño del tambor or El tamborilero. One of the better known cover versions of the song is sung by Spanish singer Raphael, in French speaking countries since Nana Mouskouri 1965 version it is a common song recorded under the name Lenfant au tambour. A Punjabi version was recorded under the name Drummer Boy - Kich Ke in 2014 by Canadian YouTube sensation Jus Reign for his Geeta Brothers Presents - Punjabi Christmas Album. The Finnish band Northern Kings recorded a version with Finnish lyrics, entitled Pieni Rumpali, in 2015, Sonata Arctica frontman Tony Kakko, who sang on the Raskasta Joulua version, and Apocalyptica cellist Eicca Toppinen collaborated to record another version. The Little Drummer Boy at Keyframe - the Animation Resource The Little Drummer Boy at the Internet Movie Database Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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Katherine Kennicott Davis
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Katherine Kennicott Davis was an American former teacher, who was a classical music composer, pianist, and author of the famous Christmas tune The Little Drummer Boy. Davis was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on June 25,1892 and she composed her first piece of music, Shadow March, at the age of 15. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1910, in 1914 she won the colleges Billings Prize. After graduation she continued at Wellesley as an assistant in the Music Department, teaching music theory, at the same time she studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Davis also studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and she taught music at the Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts, and at the Shady Hill School for Girls in Philadelphia. She became a member of ASCAP in 1941. and was granted a doctorate from Stetson University, in DeLand. Katherine K. Davis continued writing music until she became ill in the winter of 1979-1980 and she died on April 20,1980, at the age of 87, in Littleton, Massachusetts. These funds are used to support musical instrument instruction, many of her over 600 compositions were written for the choirs at her school. She was actively involved in The Concord Series, multiple-volume set of music, many of the musical volumes were compiled, arranged, and edited by Davis with Archibald T. Davison, and they were published by E. C. Schirmer in Boston. She wrote The Little Drummer Boy, in 1941 and it became famous when recorded by the Harry Simeone Chorale in 1958, the recording sailed to the top of the Billboard charts and Simeone insisted on a writers royalty for his arrangement of the song. Another famous hymn by Katherine Davis is the Thanksgiving hymn Let All Things Now Living which uses the melody of the traditional Welsh folk song The Ash Grove. Birchard Seasonal Anthems for junior choirs, two-part childrens chorus and keyboard,1963, B. F. Wood Music Shepherds, Awake. Mixed voices a cappella,1938, Remick Music Sing Gloria, text by John Crowley, mixed voices, SA duet, Katherine Davis, Composer, At 87, Memorial Service At Wheaton. Miss Davis composed more than 800 selections, sacred and secular and her most well-known song is the carol, The Little Drummer Boy, originally published in 1941 as The Carol of the Drum. She also composed songs, seven operas, carols, choruses, Katherine K. Davis, life and work. Ann Arbor, Michigan, Thesis, University of Missouri, reprint by University Microfilms, flanagan, A. L. Katherine K. Davis, 1892-1980, The American Organist, p.31. The Hymns of Katherine K. Davis, The Hymn,43, pp. 28–33
