Guy Lombardo - Enjoy Yourself Hits of Guy Lombardo (17 tracks) +Album Reviews

And the band played on and on and on for 50 years !!!!

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 06/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hailing from London, Ontario, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians would have their first hit record in the fall of 1927. Incredibly, there would be 217 more charted hits over the next 27 years!!! The band would continue with live performances until 1977. What accounted for the enduring popularity of this outfit? After all, most of the critics dismissed Guy Lombardo's music as "trite and predictable" and dubbed him "The King of Corn". And many big band afficianados never really took him seriously either. But the record buying public loved him!! In fact, it has been estimated that over 100,000,000 Lombardo recordings have been sold!!!
Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians recorded for 4 different record labels over the years. This collection features 16 of his biggest hits on Decca between 1934 and 1954. These original recordings having been lovingly remastered for your enjoyment. There are 7 #1 hits here including ""Penny Serenade", "What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You), "Red Sails In The Sunset" and one of my all-time favorites "The Band Played On". The package also includes a nicely done 12 page booklet.
Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians were one of the most successful recording acts of the last millenium. This music should be included in any serious collection of 20th century American popular music. And while there are several discs currently available I feel that this is the best of the bunch. Recommended."

A song for the 90's if ever there was one

Paul Tognetti | 05/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't know much about the other songs on the cd, but this remastered version of Enjoy Yourself (It's later than you think) is too funny. It's got great horns, a cha cha/latino sound and lyrics that will make you laugh out loud. If ever there was a warning song for fast paced career driven 90's people--this is it."

Fine Music

Tsang Lok Ming | Hong Kong | 12/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though most of Guy Lombardo's top chart hits not included here, you may really ENJOY YOURSELF when you listen it. "Enjoy Yourself" is amazing, and "Red Sails In the Sunset" is beautiful. Moreover, Guy's version of "Harbor Light" may give you a different experience with Platter's version."

Some Called Him "The King Of Corn" - Others Just The King

Tsang Lok Ming | 08/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a band leader who, prior to the emergence of the national Billboard Pop charts in 1940, registered well over 140 hit singles on what then passed for such listing (such as the Record Buyers Guide), no less than 21 of them # 1 hits. Then, from 1940 to 1954 he added another 73, including three more # 1s. It is estimated that, in singles alone [78/45rpm] he has sold over 100,000,000, easily making his the most commercially successful big band of all time.

Critics back then loved to pan his music, calling him "The King Of Corn" but as Joseph F. Laredo [my favourite liner note writer] says in his seven pages "For each critic of the Lombardo band's approach, there must have been at least a thousand admirers of every description imaginable. Jazz purists and all hipsters who decry the Lombardo sound as terminally square will be tormented until the end of their days knowing that Louis Armstrong was an ardent Lombardo booster." He then goes on to quote Louis, who said in writing, "Guy Lombardo and his band has always been my favorite band ... [and that brother Lebert] has always been in my mind as my first chair man in my dream band if he ever leaves the Guy."

Obviously, any attempt to completely cover his hits would require a 10-disc box set, but this one, with excellent sound reproduction, offers up original renditions of some of his best from 1934 to 1950 and, in the insert, shows you recording dates and label details. Not one of the selections offered from tracks 1 to 16 finished lower than # 10 [that was track 1]. Number one hits are represented at tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 15, while # 2 hits are at tracks 8 to 10. The others were: track 5 [# 6], track 12 [# 7], track 13 [# 5], and track 14 [# 8].

The disc then finishes with a 1947 recording of his signature broadcast close-off tune, Auld Lang Syne, this one recorded in 1947 and which features a chorus, and at track 17 you get a 45 second clip of the same song with Guy wishing you a Happy New Year.

Just beautifully done from every angle and highly recommended for any fan of the "sweetest music this side of Heaven" - a description of their music derived from a review in 1928 by renowned critic Ashton Stevens. He called them "the softest and sweetest jazzmen on any stage this side of Heaven." All this is contained in Mr. Laredo's wonderful notes."

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