6 CD 6TC
Released February 1997
Cat No.: RDCD1371-6 RDC93041-6
RD Code : REMB 349
Compiled by John Hall
Produced by Paddy Marchant
One of my first memories of working for Reader's Digest Music was my trip to Belgium to meet the Head of Global Music, and a couple of my contempories from other European offices. I was to spend several days being 'indoctrinated' into the 'art' of 'Pleasure Programming', and getting a 'global perspective' on the subject. One of the tasks we had to complete was to compile a set for the 'European Market'. To this end, my fresh-faced and naive, colleagues from France, Germany, and I came up with the concept of 60s hits covered by RD orchestras. We had to all suggest loads of hits that were big in our respective countries, and then we would discard all those that were not hits in all three! We were promised that the final concept would be funded from the global budget, not to worry about the actual recordings as 'customers are not interested in the artists' and it would be up to us to get the project through the testing procedures at home. Not realising this was actually just an 'ego boost' for the Global Head, I dutifully presented the concept once I returned to the UK. Although the test results were not great, it eventually made production several years later and bombed completely. France and Germany had the good sense not to progress the non-sensical set, and it was never spoken of again. It was, officially, my first concept for the company, and although contained several classic recordings, also contained, far too many, 'cheap' cover versions, that were commisioned by the Global Head, making it a mish-mash of different styles that was no 'pleasure' for anyone. It did teach me however, how NOT to create a compilation.
1 - Those Were The Days
1 - What A Wonderful World - Larry Dalton and his Orchestra
2 - Monday, Monday - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
3 - Spanish Harlem - Billy May and his Orchestra
4 - Penny Lane - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
5 - Girl From Ipanema~The - Laurindo Almeida, his Guitar and Orchestra
6 - Sittin' On ) The Dock Of The Bay~( - David Whittaker and his Orchestra
7 - I'm A Believer - Arthur Greenslade and his Orchestra
8 - Mrs Robinson - Johnny Keating and his Orchestra
9 - Eleanor Rigby - Romantic Strings Orchestra
10 - Downtown - Hank Levine and his Orchestra
11 - Green, Green Grass Of Home - Gordon Langford and his Orchestra
12 - Leaving On A Jet Plane - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
13 - There's ) Always Something There To Remind Me~( - David Firman and his Orchestra
14 - Georgy Girl - Bob Crosby and his Orchestra
15 - Those Were The Days - Arthur Greenslade and his Orchestra
16 - MacArthur Park - Joe Reisman and his Orchestra
17 - Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Larry Dalton and his Orchestra
18 - Last Waltz~The - Les Reed and his Orchestra
19 - House Of The Rising Sun - Dominique Chatelain, his Piano and Orchestra
20 - Georgia On My Mind - Romantic Strings Orchestra
21 - Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk
22 - Moon River - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
2 - Dedicated To The One I Love
1 - Dedicated To The One I Love - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
2 - You're My World - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
3 - Let It Be Me - Acker Bilk
4 - Love Letters - Norman Percival and his Orchestra
5 - Michelle - Johnny Gibbs and his Orchestra
6 - My Cherie Amour - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
7 - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Norman Percival and his Orchestra
8 - Dream A Little Dream Of Me - Roger Williams, Piano
9 - Tell Laura I Love Her - Bryan Bennett, Saxophone, with Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
10 - When A Man Loves A Woman - Floyd Cramer and his Piano
11 - Somewhere My Love - Chet Atkins, Guitar, with Cam Mullins and his Orchestra
12 - Sealed With A Kiss - Romantic Strings Orchestra
13 - Lover's Concerto~A - Johnny Pearson, his Piano and Orchestra
14 - Strangers In The Night - Peter Hope and his Orchestra
15 - Save The Last Dance For Me - Larry Dalton and his Orchestra
16 - It's Now Or Never - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
17 - Unchained Melody - Roger Williams, Piano
18 - Maria - Eric Hammerstein and his Orchestra
19 - Can't Help Falling In Love - Roland Shaw and his Orchestra
20 - I Only Want To Be With You - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
21 - I Love How You Love Me - Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra
3 - Happy Together
1 - Cinderella Rockefella - Johnny Arthey and his Orchestra
2 - Lion Sleeps Tonight~The - Norman Percival and his Orchestra
3 - Puppet On A String - Frank Comstock and his Orchestra
4 - Lily The Pink - Benjamin Bienstock and his Orchestra
5 - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Leslie Lewis and his Orchestra
6 - Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
7 - Yellow Submarine - Mike Morrison Congregation
8 - Rocking Goose - André Brasseur, his Organ and Orchestra
9 - Lonely Bull~The - Ray Davis and his Orchestra
10 - Eloise - Mayfair Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ralph Benatar
11 - Time Is Tight - André Brasseur, his Organ and Orchestra
12 - My Boy Lollipop - Leslie Lewis and his Orchestra
13 - Loco - motion~The - Mike Morrison Congregation
14 - Zorba's Dance - Charles Gerhardt and his Orchestra
15 - Speedy Gonzales - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
16 - Green Onions - André Brasseur, his Organ and Orchestra
17 - Walk In The Black Forest~A - Douglas Gamley, his Piano and Orchestra
18 - Nut Rocker - Leslie Lewis and his Orchestra
19 - Wooly Bully - Pietro Lacirignola, Saxophone, with Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
20 - Happy Together - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
21 - Good, The Bad And The Ugly~The - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
22 - Goldfinger - Harry Rabinowitz and his Orchestra
4 - Good Vibrations
1 - Good Vibrations - Mike Morrison Congregation
2 - Sunny - Joe Reisman and his Orchestra
3 - Summer Holiday - Paul Preston, his Guitar and Orchestra
4 - Hello Mary Lou - Mike Morrison Congregation
5 - Venus - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
6 - Guantanamera - Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra
7 - Sukiyaki - David Whittaker and his Orchestra
8 - Desafinado - Laurindo Almeida, his Guitar and Orchestra
9 - Wheels - Billy Vaughn, his Saxophone and Orchestra
10 - Can't Buy Me Love - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
11 - Let's Dance - Leslie Lewis and his Orchestra
12 - If I Had A Hammer - Vic Flick and Ike Mullins, Guitar, with Chris Young and his Orchestra
13 - What's New Pussycat? - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
14 - Mony Mony - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
15 - Taste Of Honey~A - Harry James and his Orchestra
16 - Aquarius - Joe Reisman and his Orchestra
17 - Help! - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
18 - Let's Twist Again - Georges Jouvin, his Trumpet and Orchestra
19 - King Of The Road - Jerry Reed, Guitar, with the Nashville Sounds
20 - California Dreamin' - Dick Grove and his Orchestra
21 - Cast Your Fate To The Wind - Pete King and his Orchestra
22 - There's A Kind Of Hush - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
23 - All You Need Is Love - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
5 - Satisfaction
1 - Fire - Mayfair Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ralph Benatar
2 - Bad Moon Rising - Mike Morrison Congregation
3 - Paint It Black - Mayfair Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ralph Benatar
4 - Ruby Tuesday - Dick Grove and his Orchestra
5 - Last Time~The - Mayfair Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ralph Benatar
6 - Honky Tonk Women - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
7 - I Can't Get No ) Satisfaction~( - Mayfair Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ralph Benatar
8 - San Francisco ( Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair ) - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
9 - Keep On Running - Mike Morrison Congregation
10 - Blowin' In The Wind - Gordon Langford and his Orchestra
11 - Proud Mary - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
12 - Light My Fire - Joe Reisman and his Orchestra
13 - Apache - David Palmer, his Guitar and Orchestra
14 - With A Little Help From My Friends - Mike Morrison Congregation
15 - Telstar - André Brasseur, his Organ and Orchestra
16 - She Loves You - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
17 - In The Ghetto - David Whittaker and his Orchestra
18 - Sound Of Silence~The - Al Capps and his Orchestra
19 - Whiter Shade Of Pale~A - Pierre Belmonde, his Pan Flute and Orchestra
20 - Nights In White Satin - Larry Dalton and his Orchestra
6 - Love Is Blue
1 - I Left My Heart In San Francisco - Acker Bilk
2 - I'm Sorry - David Firman and his Orchestra
3 - If I Were A Carpenter - David Whittaker and his Orchestra
4 - This Is My Song - Hope and his Orchestra~Peter
5 - As Tears Go By - Mike Morrison Congregation
6 - I Can't Stop Loving You - Acker Bilk
7 - All Alone Am I - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
8 - Love Is Blue - Romantic Strings Orchestra
9 - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Frank Comstock and his Orchestra
10 - Only The Lonely - Christian Colombier and his Orchestra
11 - Yesterday - Billy Vaughn, his Saxophone and Orchestra
12 - Hey Jude - Acker Bilk
13 - Crying In The Rain - Mickey McCall and his Orchestra
14 - It Must Be Him - Perry Botkin Jr and his Orchestra
15 - Release Me - Larry Dalton and his Orchestra
16 - Anyone Who Had A Heart - Nick Ingman and his Orchestra
17 - It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World - Ralph Benatar and his Orchestra
18 - Wooden Heart - Francis Moore and his Orchestra
19 - Stop! In The Name Of Love - Arthur Greenslade and his Orchestra
20 - Delilah - Les Reed and his Orchestra
21 - No Milk Today - Leslie Lewis and his Orchestra
22 - I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Douglas Gamley and his Orchestra
