101 Strings

101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening symphonic music organization, with a discography exceeding a hundred albums and a creative lifetime of roughly thirty years. Their LPs were individualized by the slogan "The Sound of Magnificence", a puffy cloud logo and sepia-toned photo of the orchestra. The 101 Strings orchestra was actually composed of 124 string instruments (all male except for the harpist) and was conducted by Wilhelm Stephan. The orchestra's famous official photograph was taken in the Musikhalle Hamburg.

History

Record label mogul David L. Miller (born circa 1912 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) came to prominence by releasing the first Bill Haley & His Comets’ records in 1952-1953 on his own Essex label (followed by Trans-World, then Somerset). In this capacity Miller played a role in the creation of rock and roll.

Following the rise of mood music practitioners Mantovani and Jackie Gleason Presents, Miller subcontracted the Orchester des Nordwestdeutschen Hamburg (the Northwest German Radio Orchestra of Hamburg) conducted by Wilhelm Stephan to play in-house arrangements of popular standards. The first 101 Strings album was released in late 1957; an astounding 24 titles were released in 1958 (many of which featured recycled material from earlier albums attributed to the New World Orchestra, Rio Carnival Orchestra, and other light music orchestras). These records were pressed by Miller’s own plants and released through his own distribution channels (such as grocery stores).

His core staff arrangers were Monty Kelly, Joseph Kuhn and Robert Lowden. All three proved adept at penning original compositions that were stylistically consistent both with contemporary hit songs and each other. Miller placed these on 101 Strings albums to provide additional publishing revenues.

Kelly’s earliest successes were Latin and Spanish travelogues (such as the Soul of Spain series) although, following the British Invasion, he became 101 Strings’ ‘Now Sound’ specialist. Kuhn concentrated on radio-friendly numbers in the ‘Pops’ orchestral manner ("Blues Pizzicato," etc.) which provided Somerset its initial catalog of originals. Lowden penned lounge ballads (such as "Blue Twilight"). Their body of early 1960s work would be recycled via rerelease throughout the next twenty years.

In 1964, Miller sold the franchise to Al Sherman, a successful record label distributor, who renamed the label Alshire (based in Los Angeles, California) and moved recording to London. Sherman retained Miller as a partner to oversee production and A&R. The Alshire era is characterized by large-scale expansion of product, attempts to branch out into younger markets and, beginning in 1969, eventual stagnation (although late efforts by Les Baxter and Nelson Riddle were released under the 101 moniker in 1970). Output decreased from 1974 on; a tribute to John Lennon (composed of earlier Beatle tribute material) in January 1981 marks the final 101 Strings effort.

Although many 101 Strings albums are simply orchestrated versions of pop hits and show tunes, the early Somerset material contains many examples of the exotica and lounge genres. Songs of the Seasons In Japan, Hawaiian Paradise and East of Suez are three such albums. 101 Strings Play The Blues and Back Beat Symphony comprise early experiments in symphonic-pop hybridization, while Fly Me To The Moon contains five noir-ish originals. Alshire releases include ‘Now Sound’ albums such as Jet Set, Sounds of Today and Astro-Sounds from Beyond the Year 2000, the last of which has been frequently sampled by electronic music artists of the 1990s and 2000s.

The Alshire catalog was sold to Madacy, Inc. in the 1990s and, under the direction of Greg Sims, a ‘New 101 Strings Orchestra’ began releasing a series of CDs (including a two-volume Beatles set). 101 Strings compilations were reissued on CD during the ‘lounge revival’ of the 1990s. Few 101 Strings LPs have been re-released in their original form.

If one goes to the Madacy site to view their 101 Strings collection, the exact same description that was used on the Bel Canto's ST- 76 two track stereo release about the 101 Strings sound is reprinted. That annoying 50 Hz hum heard on many of those tape recordings was due to the Ampex 350's filtering which was not well suited for European 50Hz power. The "My Fair Lady" and "King and I" releases have what appears to be the sound of dirty mixing pots used on the fly during those sessions. There were a number of tape releases that sounded like tape copies of pristine Stereo Fidelity vinyl which actually, were not all that pristine. As the selections played closer to the label, pinch distortion was evident due to the conical styli of those days. "The Soul of Spain" and "Conquers of the Ages" are prime examples of these suspicions. The same distortions exist on many of the small brand pre-recorded tapes of those days.

Ebay during any year has an almost complete Madacy catalog in one form or another from these early tapes made from 1957 in Germany by D.L. Miller.

Discography

"Million Seller Hit Songs of the 30's" Somerset catalog no. SF-1000: Moonlight Serenade, Embraceable You, It's a Sin To Tell a Lie, I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm, Portrait of You, Night and Day, Deep Purple, Begin the Beguine, September Song, Flirt, I'm Getting Sentimental Over You, Goodnight Sweetheart.

"101 Strings in a Symphony For Lovers" SF-4500: Evening Star (from Tanhauser by Richard Wagner), Barcarolle (from Tales of Hoffman by J. Offenbach), Poem (by Fibich), Serenade (by F. Schubert), Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto - 1st Movement, Reverie (by Debussy), Cradle Song (by Brahms).

"The Soul of Spain" SF-6600: Malaguena, Espana, La Violetera, Espana Cani, Macarenas, Domingo en Sevilla.

"A Night In Vienna" SF-6800: Vienna, My City of Dreams - Blue Danube - Pizzicato Polka - Artists' Life - Sweet For My Sweet - Tales From Vienna Woods - Vienna Blood - Kalter Kaffee und Hiesser Jazz - Perpetual Motion - Merry Widow Waltz.

"101 Strings Play the Sugar & Spice of Rudolph Friml" SF-6900: Someday, L'Amour Tojour L'Amour, Workout For Strings, Loveliest of the Lovely, Rosemarie, Donkey Serenade, Puppets on Parade, Giannina Mia, Cackling Chickens.

"Russian Fireworks" SF-8500: Volga Boatmen, Sabre Dance, Procession of the Sardar, Meadowland, Kamennoi-Ostrov, 1812 Finale.

"The Song of Spain, Vol II" SF-9900: The Breeze and I, Matador, Le Cid, Valencia, Granada, El Relicario, Cantina Toreros.

"A Night Serenade in the Quiet Hours" SF-10200: All Through The Night, Berceuse, Greensleeves, Romance (by Rubinstein), Traumerie, Serenade (by Drigo), Romance (by Tchaikovsky), On Wings of Song (by Mendelssohn)

"Broadway Cocktail Party" SF-12100: Till There Was You (Music Man); Climb Every Mountain (Sound of Music); Till Tomorrow (Fiorello); Gypsy (Small World); Tonight (West Side Story); Hey There! (Pajama Game); Just in Time (Bells Are Ringing); Promise Me A Rose (Take Me Along); I Enjoy Being a Girl (Flower Drum Song).

"101 Strings in a Hawaiian Paradise" SF-12800: Song of the Islands - Hawaiian Wedding Song - Little Grass Shack - Sweet Leilani - Moon Over Kona - Blue Hawaii - Stars Over Maui - Torchlight - Hawaiian War Chant - Aloha Oe.

"I Love Paris" SF-13000: I Love Paris, Poor People of Paris, Fifi, La Belle Parisienne, Montmartre, Can-can, Under Paris Skies, Le Soir: La Seine, Mademoiselle de Paris, A Day With Frere Jacques, Gay Boulevardier.

"Twenty-Five Years of Show Hits" SF-13700: Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific); I Won't Dance (Three Sisters); Only Make Believe (Showboat); People Will Say We're in Love (Oklahoma); Getting to Know You (The King and I); I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady); Fanny (Fanny); One Alone (The Desert Song); One Kiss (The New Moon).

"101 Strings Play Victor Herbert Favorites" SF-15400: Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life; Kiss Me Again; March of the Toys and Toyland; India Summer; A Gypsy Sweetheart; Red Mill Overture; Because your you; Moonbeams; Everyday is Ladies Day With Me; In Old New York; Isle of Our Dreams.

"I Left My Heart In San Francisco" SF-20300: I Left My Heart in San Francisco; Limehouse Blues; Top O' The Mark; Cable Cars; Harbor Lights; California Here I Come; San Francisco; Fisherman's Wharf; Union Square; Blues While the City Sleeps.

"Million Seller Hits of the 40's" SF-21100: Some Enchanted Evening, This Love of Mine, June is Bustin' Out All Over, Fools Rush In, Weekend Pass, Now is the Hour, Serenade in Blue, Sentimental Journey, Mam'selle, Run-Away Heart, To Each His Own, People Will Say We're In Love.

"101 Strings Play The World's Great Standards" P-4300: Close To You; There's a Small Hotel; You Go To My Head; The Touch of Your Lips; Day By Day; The Way You Look Tonight; You and I; The Nearness of You; Alone Together; Two Sleepy People.

"101 Strings Play The Blues" P-5800: St. Louis Blues; Birth of the Blues; Frankie and Johnny; Blues in the Night; Symphony for Blues; Basin Street Blues; Shades of Blues; Blues Pizzacato.

"Hit American Waltzes" P-6200: Missouri Waltz; Tennessee Waltz; The Waltz You Saved For Me; Home On the Range; Gay Nineties Medley (The Band Played On, Sidewalks of New York, Bicycle Built For Two, After the Ball); Beautiful Ohio; In Old New York; Sweetheart of Signma Chi; Let me Call You Sweetheart.

"Concerto Under the Stars" P-6700: Cornish Rhapsody; Claire de Lune; Chopin's Study in E Major; Swedish Rhapsody; Chopin's Nocturne; Meditation, Thais; Liebestraum.

"Award Winning Scores From The Silver Screen" P-7000: Love Is A Many Splendored Thing; Ruby; Three Coins In The Fountain; The High and the Mighty; Around the World in 80 Days; Moulin Rouge; Spellbound Concerto; Picnic; Tara's Theme.

"Porgy and Bess" P-8600: Summertime; A Woman is a Sometimes Thing; I Got Plenty of Nothin'; Bess, You Is My Woman; I Can't Sit Down; It Ain't Necessarily So; There's a Boat Leavin' Soon For New York; Bess, Oh Where's My Bess; I'm On My Way.

"Exodus and Other Great Movie Themes" P-13500: Theme from "The Exodus", "Karen" from "The Exodus", "Green Leaves of Summer" from "The Alamo", Theme from "The Apartment", "Warsaw Concerto" from "Dangerous Moonlight", "Greensleeves" from "Moment of Love", Theme from "The Sundowners".

"Rhapsody" P-13600: Rhapsody in Blue, Midnight Rhapsody, Manhattan Rhapsody, Dream of Olwen, I Hear A Rhapsody, Variation on a Theme (by Paganini), Rhapsody d'Amour, Starlight Rhapsody.

"Million Seller Hits of the 30's" P-21000: Moonlight Serenade, Embraceable You, It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Portrait of You, Night and Day, Deep Purple, Begin The Beguine, September Song, Flirt, I'm Getting Sentimental, Goodnight Sweetheart.

"Cole Porter" S-5007: I've Got You Under My Skin, Easy to Love, White Tie and Tails, You Do Something to Me, In the Still of the Night, Night and Day, I Love You, Begin the Beguine, The Lady Said Yes, I Love Paris.

"Hoagy Carmichael and Duke Ellington" S-5008: Stardust (Carmichael-Parish), Satin Doll (Ellington), The Nearness of You (Carmichael-Washington), Caravan (Ellington-Tizol-Mills), Mood Indigo (Ellington-Mills-Bigard), Sophisticated Lady (Ellington), Lazy Bones (Carmichael-Mercer), Blue Twilight, Solitude (Ellington-DeLange-Mills), Two Sleepy People (Carmichael-Loesser).

"Richard Rodgers - Lorenz Hart" S-5009: Bewitched, My Funny Valentine, There's a Small Hotel, The Lady Is A Tramp, I Could Write a Book, I Didn't Know What Time It Was, With a Song In My Heart, Where or When, Manhattan, Curtain Time.

"Songs For Inspiration and Meditation" S-5031: Bless This House; Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow; Rock of Ages; Hallelujah Chorus; Beautiful Isle of Somewhere; The Lord's Prayer; Holy, Holy, Holy; Onward Christian Soldiers; In the Garden; Abide With Me; The Lord Is My Shepherd; Now the Day is Over.

"The Soul of Mexico" S-5032: Mexican Hat Dance, La Golondrina La Raspa, It happened in Monterey, Guadalajara, Bahia de Acapulco, Fiesta en Cuernavaca, El Gato Montez, Mexicali Rose, Cielito Lindo, Las Mananitas, Chiapenecas, La Cucaracha, Adios Mariquita Linda.

"A Romantic Mood For Dining and Dreaming" S-5034: I Left My Heart In San Francisco. Limehouse Blues. Top O' The Mark. Cable Cars. Harbor Lights. California Here I Come. San Francisco. Fisherman's Wharf. Union Square. Blues While the City Sleeps.

"Million Seller Hits of the 50's" S-5037: Volare, Canadian Sunset, So Rare, Young At Heart, Wait For Me, Cry, Autumn Leaves, Vaya Con Dios, Mack the Knife, Tennessee Waltz, Blue Twilight, Melody of Love.

"S.R.O - Standing Room Only - Broadway Hits" S-5061: Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler On The Roof); Cabaret (Cabaret); Matchmaker (Fiddler on the Roof); Man From La Mancha (Man From La Mancha); I Do, I Do (I Do, I Do); The Impossible Dream (Man From La Mancha); Mame (Mame); Never On Sunday (Illya Darling).

"A Bridal Bouquet The World's Most Beautiful Wedding Songs" S-5066: Because; At Dawning; Ich Liebe Dich; The Wedding March; I Love You Truly; Reception Waltz; Bridal March; My Heart at Thy Voice; Oh Promise Me.

"101 Strings Play Million Seller Hits - Volume 4" S-5090 (Stereo): Moon River; Dear Heart; St. Tropez In June, You Will Never Be Far Away; Hawaiian wedding Song; Can't Take My Eyes Off You; Days Of Wine And Roses; Call Me Irresponsible; When Love Is All; Canadian Sunset.

"The Tijuana Sound" S-5091: A Taste of Honey; The Lonely Bull; Spanish Flea; Cuidad Quieta; Flamingo; What Now My Love; Zorba The Greek; Tijuana Taxi; Senora de Grandeza; Tijuana Skies.

"Million Seller Hits from the Golden Age of the Dance Band" S-5092: Moonlight Serenade; You Made Me Love You; Song of India; Serenade in Blue; Goodbye; I'm Getting Sentimental Over You; Barcarolle; Weekend Pass; So Rare; Liebestraum.

"Songs From George M. - Cohan, That Is - And New York, The Good Old Days" S-5098: You're a Grand Old Flag; Give My Regards To Broadway; Oh My! What Fun; Hats Off For Your Flag; Yankee Doodle Boy; Strolling Through the Park; Mary; Tammany Picnic; Every Day is Ladies' Day To Me In Old New York; Medley: The Band Played On, Sidewalks of New York, Bicycle Built For Two, After the Ball.

"101 Strings Play Songs of Faith" S-5100 (Stereo): O God, Our Help In Ages Past; He; March On; A Mighty Fortress is Our God; Blest Be The Tie That Binds; How Great Thou Art; I Believe; Enduring Light; Keeping Faith; The Day is Gently Sinking to a Close.

"The Supremes" S-5105: Where Did Our Love Go; Back In My Arms Again; You Can't Hurry Love; Stop In The Name of Love; Baby Love; I Hear A Symphony; In and Out of Love; My World is Empty Without You Babe; It's So Exciting; Baby, Let's Smooth it Over.

"Dynamic Percussion" S-5145: Malaguena; Sabre Dance; Old Soft Show; Bats In The Belfry; Ghost Riders in the Sky; Voodoo Moon; Roller Coaster; Dizzy Fingers; Caravan; Flight of the Bumble Bee; Beguine for Bongos; Ski Run.

"The Romantic Melodies of Victor Herbert" S-5209: Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life; Kiss Me Again; March of the Toys-Toyland; Indian Summer; Gypsy Love Song; Red Mill Overture; Because You're You; Moonbeams; Every Day Is Ladies' Day To Me; In Old New York; Isle of Our Dreams.

"The Glory of Christmas" XM-4: Silent Night, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Tannenbaum, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, Jingle Bells.

"101 Strings Play and Sing the Songs Made Famous by Olivia Newton John" Alshire 5327: Have You Ever Been Mellow, Please Mr. Please, Time of Your Life, Loving You Ain't Easy, Home Ain't Home Anymore, I Honestly Love You, Let Me Be There, Once Upon a Summertime, If You Love Me (Let Me Know), To Olivia.

Films

The music of the 101 Strings Orchestra was prominently featured throughout the motion picture Easy Listening (2002).