This Is Love (Johnny Mathis album)
Encyclopedia
This Is Love is the twentieth original studio album released by singer Johnny Mathis
and his fourth album for Mercury Records
.
, this album is once again a collection of lushly orchestrated ballads. The songs include selections from contemporary Broadway
shows and films, standards, a cabaret classic and two further original songs by Bart Howard
. The album was recorded under the musical direction of Allyn Ferguson
.
In 1974, eight songs from this album were reissued and included on Mathis' Columbia Records
album "What'll I Do". The title song of the album was from Mathis' 1957 album "Warm
" and was released to capitalise on the fact that the Irving Berlin
classic received a revival that year as part of the score of the film "The Great Gatsby
".
musicals provide the inspiration for some of the selections here. From the 1960 musical "Bye Bye Birdie" comes "Put On A Happy Face" presented as a ballad by Mathis as opposed to its usually uptempo treatment. "Tovarich
" was a 1963 musical that starred Vivien Leigh
. From its score comes "You Love Me". Film music was ever present on a Mathis album from this period. For this album Mathis recorded his version of "More" the theme from the 1963 Italian film "Mondo Cane
", a song recorded by many artists of the period.
Dipping once more into the repertoire of Nat King Cole
, Mathis recorded versions of "Poinciana", "The Touch Of Your Lips" and "The End Of A Love Affair" paying a fitting homage to his musical hero while remaining musically true to himself. From the cabaret scene, Mathis includes "Over The Weekend" a song he learned from chanteuse Mabel Mercer
. The standards included on this album are "Under A Blanket Of Blue", a song recorded by everyone from Louis Armstrong
and Ella Fitzgerald
as a duet, through to solo versions by Frank Sinatra
and Doris Day
, and the exotic "Limehouse Blues
which is given a dramatic reading by the singer. Once again, Bart Howard
provided two original songs, "Fantastic" and "What Do You Feel in Your Heart".
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
and his fourth album for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
.
Overview
Very much in the mould of his earlier work for Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, this album is once again a collection of lushly orchestrated ballads. The songs include selections from contemporary Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows and films, standards, a cabaret classic and two further original songs by Bart Howard
Bart Howard
Bart Howard was the composer and writer of the famous jazz standard "Fly Me To The Moon", which has been performed by singers Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Della Reese, Diana Krall, June Christy and Astrud Gilberto...
. The album was recorded under the musical direction of Allyn Ferguson
Allyn Ferguson
Allyn Malcolm Ferguson Jr. was an American composer, best known for the themes for 1970s television programs Barney Miller and Charlie's Angels, which he co-wrote with Jack Elliott...
.
In 1974, eight songs from this album were reissued and included on Mathis' Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
album "What'll I Do". The title song of the album was from Mathis' 1957 album "Warm
Warm (album)
Warm is the third studio album by vocalist Johnny Mathis released in 1958 on the Columbia Record label, in stereo and monoaural. The album was issued in the UK by Fontana Records...
" and was released to capitalise on the fact that the Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
classic received a revival that year as part of the score of the film "The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby (1974 film)
The Great Gatsby is a 1974 romantic drama film distributed by Newdon Productions and Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Jack Clayton and produced by David Merrick, from a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola based on F...
".
Track listing
- "Put on a Happy Face - 3:15
- "Poinciana - 4:07
- "The Touch of Your Lips - 3:28
- "Just Move Along, Meadow Lark - 2:43
- "Under a Blanket of Blue - 3:45
- "Over the Weekend - 3:52
- "More [From Mondo Cane] - 2:56
- "You Love Me [From "Tovarich"] - 3:47
- "Limehouse BluesLimehouse BluesLimehouse Blues is a world famous jazz standard , as well as a 1934 crime film is set in London's Chinese district and starring George Raft and Anna May Wong. The film is named after the tune...
- 4:23 - "What Do You Feel in Your Heart - 3:12
- "The End of a Love Affair - 3:32
- "Fantastic - 3:57
Billboard Album Chart
This was Mathis' twenty fifth consecutive charting album peaking at #40 on the Billboard album chart in its original release.Highlights
As with most Mathis albums of the period, BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musicals provide the inspiration for some of the selections here. From the 1960 musical "Bye Bye Birdie" comes "Put On A Happy Face" presented as a ballad by Mathis as opposed to its usually uptempo treatment. "Tovarich
Tovarich (musical)
Tovarich is a 1963 musical play in two acts with book by David Shaw; music by Lee Pockriss and lyrics by Anne Croswell; based on the comedy by Jacques Deval and Robert E...
" was a 1963 musical that starred Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
. From its score comes "You Love Me". Film music was ever present on a Mathis album from this period. For this album Mathis recorded his version of "More" the theme from the 1963 Italian film "Mondo Cane
Mondo cane
Mondo cane is a documentary written and directed by Italian filmmakers Paolo Cavara, Franco Prosperi and Gualtiero Jacopetti. The film consists of a series of travelogue vignettes that provide glimpses into cultural practices around the world with the intention to shock or surprise Western film...
", a song recorded by many artists of the period.
Dipping once more into the repertoire of Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Mathis recorded versions of "Poinciana", "The Touch Of Your Lips" and "The End Of A Love Affair" paying a fitting homage to his musical hero while remaining musically true to himself. From the cabaret scene, Mathis includes "Over The Weekend" a song he learned from chanteuse Mabel Mercer
Mabel Mercer
Mabel Mercer was an English-born cabaret singer who performed in the United States, Britain, and Europe with the greats in jazz and cabaret. She was a featured performer at Chez Bricktop in Paris, owned by the hostess Bricktop, and performed in such clubs as Le Ruban Bleu, Tony's, the RSVP, the...
. The standards included on this album are "Under A Blanket Of Blue", a song recorded by everyone from Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
as a duet, through to solo versions by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
, and the exotic "Limehouse Blues
Limehouse Blues
Limehouse Blues is a world famous jazz standard , as well as a 1934 crime film is set in London's Chinese district and starring George Raft and Anna May Wong. The film is named after the tune...
which is given a dramatic reading by the singer. Once again, Bart Howard
Bart Howard
Bart Howard was the composer and writer of the famous jazz standard "Fly Me To The Moon", which has been performed by singers Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Della Reese, Diana Krall, June Christy and Astrud Gilberto...
provided two original songs, "Fantastic" and "What Do You Feel in Your Heart".