The Music from Oklahoma!
The Music from Oklahoma! | ||||
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Studio album by Nelson Riddle | ||||
Released | 1955 | |||
Recorded | 1955 | |||
Studio | Capitol Records | |||
Genre | Show tunes, traditional pop | |||
Length | 36:53 | |||
Label | Capitol T-596 | |||
Nelson Riddle chronology | ||||
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The Music from Oklahoma! was Nelson Riddle's first studio album in his own right, released in 1955, after successful collaborations with Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra for Capitol Records.
Origin
The concept for the album stemmed from Capitol's release of the soundtrack from the motion picture Oklahoma!. Capitol's album chief F.M. Scott said the label was looking for "ancillary promotion for the film album," and gave Riddle a free artistic hand, saying "Do what you think is good."[1]
The instrumental arrangements use voices, but not to sing the lyrics to the score. Instead, Riddle integrated them "as a part of the overall orchestral color." The principal voice was Norma Zimmer, who was used prominently on "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'."[2]
Reception
While not a commercial success, the album received enthusiastic reviews from the music industry. Billboard concluded that the "unusual treatment of the familiar score is both listenable and effective."[3] Cash Box said Riddle "ought to have a hot item in this imaginary [imaginatively?] arranged album," adding that "Riddle has done a top job."[4]
The recording enjoyed renewed popularity when Capitol released it in a "Two on One" compact disc in 2005, paired with Riddle's 1960 release, Music of the Motion Picture "Can Can".
Track listing
Side 1
- "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" 6:19
- "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" 2:51
- "Kansas City" 2:58
- "I Cain't Say No" 2:36
- "Many a New Day" 3:07
Side 2
- "People Will Say We're in Love" 4:39
- "Poor Jud Is Dead" 2:22
- "Out of My Dreams" 4:08
- "The Farmer and the Cowman" 2:29
- "All Er Nothin'" 2:57
- "Oklahoma" 2:27
References
- ^ Levinson, Peter J. (2001). September in the Rain; The Life of Nelson Riddle. Billboard Books. p. 170. ISBN 0-8230-7672-5.
- ^ The Music of Oklahoma! (LP record). Nelson Riddle. Los Angeles, California: Capitol Records. 1955.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Reviews and Ratings of New Popular Albums". Billboard. New York NY. August 20, 1955. p. 26.
- ^ "Album Reviews". The Cash Box. New York NY. September 3, 1955. p. 14.
- v
- t
- e
- The Music from Oklahoma! (Capitol, 1955)
- The Tender Touch (Capitol, 1956)
- Hey...Let Yourself Go! (Capitol, 1957)
- C'mon...Get Happy! (Capitol, 1957)
- Sea of Dreams (Capitol, 1958)
- The Joy of Living (Capitol, 1959)
- Sing a Song with Riddle (Capitol, 1959)
- Music of the Motion Picture "Can Can" (Capitol, 1960)
- Original Music from The TV Show The Untouchables (Capitol, 1960)
- Dance to the Music of "Tenderloin" (Capitol, 1961)
- Love Tide (Capitol, 1961)
- Magic Moments from "The Gay Life" (Capitol, 1961)
- Route 66 Theme and Other Great TV Themes (Capitol, 1962)
- Love Is a Game of Poker (Capitol, 1962)
- More Hit TV Themes (Capitol, 1963)
- The Best of Nelson Riddle (Capitol, 1963)
- White on White, Shangri-La, Charade & Other Hits of 1964 (Reprise, 1964)
- Original Music from The Rogues (RCA Victor, 1964)
- Interprets Great Music, Great Films, Great Sounds (Reprise, 1964)
- NAT: An Orchestral Portrait of Nat "King" Cole (Reprise, 1966)
- Music for Wives and Lovers (Solid State, 1967)
- The Bright and the Beautiful (Liberty, 1967)
- The Riddle of Today (Liberty, 1968)
- British Columbia Suite (Capilano, 1969)
- Nelson Riddle Conducts The 101 Strings (Marble Arch, 1970)
- Communication (MPS, 1971)
- Changing Colors (MPS, 1972)
- Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle! (RCA Victor, 1961)
- Love (Reprise, 1963)
- Unforgettable (Capitol, 1954)
- Nat King Cole Sings for Two in Love (Capitol, 1954)
- The Piano Style of Nat King Cole (Capitol, 1955)
- Ballads of the Day (Capitol, 1956)
- St. Louis Blues (Capitol, 1958)
- Cole Español (1958)
- To Whom It May Concern (Capitol, 1959)
- Wild Is Love (Capitol, 1960)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book (Verve, 1959)
- Ella Swings Gently with Nelson (Verve, 1962)
- Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson (Verve, 1962)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book (Verve, 1963)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book (Verve, 1964)
- Ella Loves Cole
- Dream Dancing (Atlantic, 1972)
- The Best Is Yet to Come (Pablo, 1982)
- What's New? (Elektra, 1983)
- Lush Life (Elektra, 1984)
- For Sentimental Reasons (Elektra, 1986)
- Swing Easy! (Capitol, 1954)
- Songs for Young Lovers (Capitol, 1954)
- In the Wee Small Hours (Capitol, 1955)
- Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (Capitol, 1956)
- Close to You (Capitol, 1956)
- A Swingin' Affair! (Capitol, 1956)
- Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (Capitol, 1958)
- Nice 'n' Easy (Capitol, 1960)
- Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! (Capitol, 1960)
- The Concert Sinatra (1963)
- Sinatra's Sinatra (1963)
- Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners (Reprise, 1964)
- Strangers in the Night (Reprise, 1966)
- Moonlight Sinatra (Reprise, 1966)
- I Wish You Love (Capitol, 1958)
- Swingin' Pretty (Capitol, 1959)
- Little Girl Blue/Little Girl New (Reprise, 1963)
- New In Town (Capitol, 1959)
- Glad To Be Here (Capitol, 1959)
- Shirley Bassey, Let's Face the Music (Columbia, 1962)
- Bing Crosby, Return to Paradise Islands (Reprise, 1964)
- Judy Garland, Judy (1956)
- Antônio Carlos Jobim, The Wonderful World of Antônio Carlos Jobim (Warner Bros., 1965)
- Peggy Lee, The Man I Love (Capitol, 1957)
- Dean Martin, This Time I'm Swingin'! (Capitol, 1960)
- Johnny Mathis, I'll Buy You a Star (Capitol, 1962)
- Oscar Peterson, Oscar Peterson and Nelson Riddle (Verve, 1964)
- Mavis Rivers, Take a Number (Capitol, 1959)
- Tommy Sands, When I'm Thinking of You (Capitol, 1959)
- Dinah Shore, Dinah, Yes Indeed! (Capitol, 1959)
- Phil Silvers, Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass (Columbia, 1957)