Post by Rob Durkee on Aug 2, 2010 23:39:41 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Mitch Miller, who thrilled a generation of music lovers with his "Sing Along With Mitch" albums and TV shows, died Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Lenox Hill Hospital of New York City after a short illness, according to the Associated Press. He was 99. He was born on the Fourth Of July in 1911.
Together with his mostly male singers, Miller's TV show lasted from 1961 to 1966. The show included a bouncing ball hitting the lyrics when they would be sung. The year 1961 was particularly successful for Miller with his "Sing Along With Mitch" albums. It's believed that Miller still holds the record for having the most albums on one LP chart with 13 in 1961. According to writer Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times, the various "Sing Along With Mitch" albums sold over 22 million copies.
Largely overlooked, though, was Miller's success as a record executive and producer. Between his stints at Mercury and Columbia Records, he had at least a dozen #1's as a producer. For instance, he produced three chart-toppers alone for Frankie Laine and Mercury Records with "Mule Train," "That Lucky Old Sun" and "The Cry Of The Wild Goose."
Miller joined Columbia Records in 1950 and put the label on the pop music map as an A&R head and producer. He would produce another three #1's alone for Tony Bennett with "Because Of You," "Cold Cold Heart" and "Rags To Riches." He produced "Cry," which not only make it to #1 pop, but would also make Johnnie Ray the first white artist to land a #1 on the R&B chart. Jimmy Boyd's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was another Mitch Miller-produced #1 hit along with "Come On-A My House" by Rosemary Clooney.
In 1954-55, he was the producer behind "Let Me Go Lover," the hit that would make Joan Weber the greatest disappearing act of all time. Miller also produced both of Guy Mitchell's #1's, "Singing The Blues" (1956) and "Heartaches By The Number" (1959). Among the many other acts Miller worked with were Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, Jo Stafford, Marlene Dietrich, Vic Damone, Patti Page, Leslie Uggams and the Four Lads.
Mitch Miller was an outspoken critic against rock and roll music. He turned down a chance at Columbia Records' landing Elvis Presley because he felt the asking price was too high. Miller also refused to sign Buddy Holly because he was deemed to be "unmusical". Ironically, Miller's single release, "Yellow Rose Of Texas," would not only to go #1 in August, 1955, on the Cash Box pop chart, it would replace at #1 our rock and roll national anthem, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets. Miller was so convinced the single would become a hit that he ordered 100,000 copies printed immediately upon release, according to Fred Bronson. Miller insisted he would pay for any unsold singles but never had to. "Yellow Rose Of Texas" became a million seller.
Miller and his chorus and orchestra would have three other songs crack the Cash Box top 40. The largely-forgotten "Theme Song From 'Song For A Summer Night'' " was a #9 hit in 1956. In 1958, Mitch and the gang whistled their way to #15 with "March From The River Kwai And Colonel Bogey." Then in 1959, "The Children's Marching Song" from the Movie "Inn Of The Sixth Happiness" was a #5 hit.
Mitch and his singers sang background and the bridge on Marty Robbin's #3 hit, "A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)." The Miller gang provided the whistling on Robbins' late 1957 #32 hit, "The Story Of My Life."
After after his TV show was cancelled in 1966, Miller would continue to put out sing-along albums and tour. He averaged about 80 concerts a year for quite some time. He would receive a special Grammy in 2000, the Trustees' Award for his contributions to the music industry. In 1996, the bearded Miller told the Boston Globe, "I've been very lucky. I worked at what I love. Very few people get that in life. For me, music's still a turn-on."
Mitch Miller, who thrilled a generation of music lovers with his "Sing Along With Mitch" albums and TV shows, died Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Lenox Hill Hospital of New York City after a short illness, according to the Associated Press. He was 99. He was born on the Fourth Of July in 1911.
Together with his mostly male singers, Miller's TV show lasted from 1961 to 1966. The show included a bouncing ball hitting the lyrics when they would be sung. The year 1961 was particularly successful for Miller with his "Sing Along With Mitch" albums. It's believed that Miller still holds the record for having the most albums on one LP chart with 13 in 1961. According to writer Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times, the various "Sing Along With Mitch" albums sold over 22 million copies.
Largely overlooked, though, was Miller's success as a record executive and producer. Between his stints at Mercury and Columbia Records, he had at least a dozen #1's as a producer. For instance, he produced three chart-toppers alone for Frankie Laine and Mercury Records with "Mule Train," "That Lucky Old Sun" and "The Cry Of The Wild Goose."
Miller joined Columbia Records in 1950 and put the label on the pop music map as an A&R head and producer. He would produce another three #1's alone for Tony Bennett with "Because Of You," "Cold Cold Heart" and "Rags To Riches." He produced "Cry," which not only make it to #1 pop, but would also make Johnnie Ray the first white artist to land a #1 on the R&B chart. Jimmy Boyd's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was another Mitch Miller-produced #1 hit along with "Come On-A My House" by Rosemary Clooney.
In 1954-55, he was the producer behind "Let Me Go Lover," the hit that would make Joan Weber the greatest disappearing act of all time. Miller also produced both of Guy Mitchell's #1's, "Singing The Blues" (1956) and "Heartaches By The Number" (1959). Among the many other acts Miller worked with were Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, Jo Stafford, Marlene Dietrich, Vic Damone, Patti Page, Leslie Uggams and the Four Lads.
Mitch Miller was an outspoken critic against rock and roll music. He turned down a chance at Columbia Records' landing Elvis Presley because he felt the asking price was too high. Miller also refused to sign Buddy Holly because he was deemed to be "unmusical". Ironically, Miller's single release, "Yellow Rose Of Texas," would not only to go #1 in August, 1955, on the Cash Box pop chart, it would replace at #1 our rock and roll national anthem, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets. Miller was so convinced the single would become a hit that he ordered 100,000 copies printed immediately upon release, according to Fred Bronson. Miller insisted he would pay for any unsold singles but never had to. "Yellow Rose Of Texas" became a million seller.
Miller and his chorus and orchestra would have three other songs crack the Cash Box top 40. The largely-forgotten "Theme Song From 'Song For A Summer Night'' " was a #9 hit in 1956. In 1958, Mitch and the gang whistled their way to #15 with "March From The River Kwai And Colonel Bogey." Then in 1959, "The Children's Marching Song" from the Movie "Inn Of The Sixth Happiness" was a #5 hit.
Mitch and his singers sang background and the bridge on Marty Robbin's #3 hit, "A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)." The Miller gang provided the whistling on Robbins' late 1957 #32 hit, "The Story Of My Life."
After after his TV show was cancelled in 1966, Miller would continue to put out sing-along albums and tour. He averaged about 80 concerts a year for quite some time. He would receive a special Grammy in 2000, the Trustees' Award for his contributions to the music industry. In 1996, the bearded Miller told the Boston Globe, "I've been very lucky. I worked at what I love. Very few people get that in life. For me, music's still a turn-on."
