Search - Frank Chacksfield :: In the Limelight

WONDERFUL CELEBRATION OF LIGHT MUSIC FROM THE 50's

A. POLLOCK | PLYMOUTH, DEVON United Kingdom | 04/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There was a time when orchestral light music was the staple fare of the airwaves with healthy record sales accompanying each release, particularly when the advent of the vinyl long-playing record enabled concept albums of romantic, Latin and many other imaginative themes to come up with a dozen of so tracks during the 50's and early `60's. Nowadays sidelined to film and television themes, the great conductors and their lush orchestrations have long disappeared but fortunately their recordings are now frequently available as CD collections in celebration of a once popular genre.



Frank Chacksfield was one of UK Decca's foremost talents and provided a steady diet of light music with the thirty melodies recaptured on this compilation typical of his lush stringy style. Looking back to 1952 when the Theme from the Chaplin film, LIMELIGHT sold a million copies, EBB TIDE quickly followed with both hitting high in the American Charts as well as in Britain. More hits followed like the catchy MEET MISTER CALLAGHAN and LITTLE RED MONKEY with the silver screen continuing to provide the impetus for popular Chacksfield recordings of A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS, IN OLD LISBON, COCKLESHELL HEROES and LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING.



Listening to this fine collection brought back many pleasant memories and it could be said the early tracks sound infinitely better than the scratchy 78's which these treasured tracks first surfaced.

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