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Cha Cha! Billy May

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Cha Cha! Billy May
Studio album by
Released1960
StudioCapitol (Hollywood)
GenreBig band
LabelCapitol
ProducerDave Cavanaugh[1]

Cha Cha! Billy May is a studio album released by Billy May in 1960 on Capitol LP record T1329 (monophonic) and ST1329 (stereophonic).[1] The album features instrumental Latin renderings of big band standards and theme songs of many top musical outfits. Many of the arrangements are done tonge-in-cheek, even Capitol's own publicity described "Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha" as "unforgivable".[2] Further playfulness is revealed in the song "Good-Bye" in which May's arrangement references the Benny Goodman bandmembers' habit of singing "go to hell, go to hell" over the repeating riff.[3] The album was recorded on October 1, 1959, at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.[1] May's experience arranging and performing this album subsequently influenced his arrangements for the Frank Sinatra album Sinatra Swings.[4]

Track listing

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Side one

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  1. "In a Mellow Tone-Cha-Cha" (Duke Ellington) – associated with Duke Ellington/Count Basie
  2. "Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha" (Euday L. Bowman) – associated with Pee Wee Hunt
  3. "Artistry in Rhythm-Cha-Cha" (Stan Kenton)Stan Kenton theme.
  4. "The Poor People of Paris-Cha-Cha" (Marguerite Monnot - René Rouzaud) – associated with Les Baxter
  5. "Good-Bye-Cha-Cha" (Gordon Jenkins)Benny Goodman closing theme.
  6. "Leap Frog-Cha-Cha" (Joe Garland - Leo Corday)Les Brown theme.

Side two

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  1. "Flyin' Home-Cha-Cha" (Benny Goodman - Lionel Hampton) – associated with Lionel Hampton
  2. "Snowfall-Cha-Cha" (Claude Thornhill)Claude Thornhill theme.
  3. "In the Mood-Cha-Cha" (Joe Garland - Andy Razaf) – associated with Glenn Miller.
  4. "I Remember-Cha-Cha" (Billy May)
  5. "Tuxedo Junction-Cha-Cha" (Johnson - Dash - Hawkins - Feyne) – associated with Glenn Miller.
  6. "Bijou-Cha-Cha" (Ralph Burns) - associated with Woody Herman

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mirtle, Jack (1998). The Music of Billy May: A Discography. Greenwood Press. pp. 188–189. ISBN 9780313307393.
  2. ^ "Party-giving Primer No.2 (Capitol advertisement)". The Michigan Daily. February 26, 1960. p. 5. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  3. ^ Friedwald, Walt (1995). Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art. Da Capo Press. p. 249. ISBN 9780786751594.
  4. ^ Friedwald, Walt (1995). Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art. Da Capo Press. p. 297. ISBN 9780786751594.