Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker

One of my favourite comedy routines - The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

Darlings! We have a centenary to celebrate...

Sharing a birthday (as he did) with another random selection of notables such as Spike Milligan, Sir Charlie Chaplin, Sir Peter Ustinov, Dusty Springfield [as featured yesterday], Georgian-era academic and collector Sir Hans Sloane, Dame Joan Bakewell, Kingsley Amis, Guy Burgess, Gerry Rafferty, Claire Foy (who's 40), Robert Stigwood, Bobby Vinton, Anya Taylor-Joy and (erm) Jimmy Osmond, Mr Henry Mancini was born one hundred years ago today!

A true musical genius, he wrote the music for numerous classic films and TV series such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Charade, Arabesque, Two for the Road, The Thorn Birds, 10, Victor Victoria...

...and these!

Henry Mancini - Pink Panther/Baby Elephant Walk/Peter Gunn Theme [Parkinson, 14th December 1974]

And here's possibly his most enduring standard, from the aforementioned Breakfast at Tiffany's:

Andy Williams - Moon River

A remarkable man!

Henry Mancini (born Enrico Nicola Mancini, 16th April 1924 – 14th June 1994)

Eye to eye, they solemnly convene to make the scene

Current mood: "Nurse Ratched". RIP, Louise Fletcher.

Yes. It's that time again...

Having woken with a jolt, I see it evidently pissed-down overnight - so all that watering I did yesterday was a little bit futile...

The weekend has yet again flown by, and now it's time to get the galoshes on and head back to the grind. To lift our spirits a little on this Tacky Music Monday, how about a little something from one of the all-time great crooners, who departed for Fabulon @adecadeago today?

Mr Andy Williams (for it was he) was always associated with the "slightly cheesy" end of the spectrum, alongside the likes of Perry Como and Val Doonican, but with the production on this number - ostensibly an ode to "red-blooded heterosexual" desires - he proved to knowingly or unknowingly embrace camp as well..

Andy Williams - Music To Watch Girls By

Have a good week, dear reader.

Pull out the stopper, we'll have a whopper

Monday again? Oh, dear...

Despite the fact I am not heading for the office this morning, today and tomorrow are dedicated "study days" for the latest useless qualification I am supposed to get for work. So it's just as bad. Worse, in fact, because there is the permanent temptation of the garden to hand. At least I can smoke at my desk, however!

Plus, I have access to the best soundtracks for my studies - such as anything featuring birthday boy Mr Vic Damone [a great survivor; he blows out 89 candles today]! On this Tacky Music Monday, here is the man himself as part of a "crooner triumvirate" with Mr Andy Williams and Mr Bobby Darin, and their Broadway Medley:

Andy Williams, Vic Damone & Bobby Darin - Broadway Medley

Faboo.

Have a good week, y'all!

Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola, 12th June 1928)

A precious Pearl

The outrageously fabulous Miss Pearl Bailey, had she lived, would have been 96 years old today.

She was not only a ground-breaking artist in her own right, making a successful crossover from Harlem nightclubs and singing with big band-leaders such as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington to become a genuine all-round entertainer; she was also an early supporter of gay rights (she steered the career of drag superstar Mr Lynne Carter), headed a Tony Award-winning all-black cast of Hello Dolly! and had her own very successful TV variety show during the 70s.

She even wrote her own cookbook!



Miss Bailey also sang with everyone who was anyone in showbiz, including Carol Channing, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Ethel Waters, Moms Mabley and many many more. Like these...

Here she is with Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams:

Three music legends on the Pearl Bailey Show

And here, the lady forms a formidable - and never to be repeated - trio with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan!

Pearl Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan - 1979

Phenomenal.

Pearlie Mae Bailey (29th March 1918 – 17th August 1990)

Falling leaves drift by the window

One of the greatest of the great "easy listening" crooners ever, Mr Andy Williams is dead.

A very sad day indeed...

Andy Williams with José Feliciano - Autumn Leaves

The autumn leaves have started to fall.

RIP

Andy Williams obituary on the BBC

Mr Smooth

Happy birthday to that epitome of squeaky-clean wholesomeness Mr Andy Williams, who will (attempt to) blow out 82 candles on his cake today...

A remarkable survivor of the great "crooner" era, Mr Williams's ultra-smooth vocals provided the backdrop to many a swinging 60s party, as well as having hits with the theme tunes to both Breakfast At Tiffany's (Moon River) and Love Story. It was on his show that The Osmonds first came to fame (although some might think that is a bad thing), and his prime time position on American TV meant that artist clambered over themselves to appear on it - Jackson 5, Bobby Darin, Julie Andrews, Pearl Bailey, Sammy Davis Jr and Ella Fitzgerald among them.

In recent times, alongside contemporaries Tony Bennett and Tony Christie, Andy Williams made something of a "comeback" as a cult figure - largely thanks to the power of advertising (as usual). And he is still performing today, most recently as a guest star on Strictly Come Dancing. If I weren't going to work (bleurggh) I would be running a hot bath and relaxing to the great man's dulcet tones...

Andy Williams - Music to Watch Girls By

Andy Williams and Carlos Jobim - Girl from Ipanema

Andy Williams - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Andy Williams official website