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45 RPM Recordings

Acknowledgement: I wish to thank Mantovani Fan and Virginia (USA) resident, Bob Baker for sharing his extensive data on 45 RPM releases by Mantovani. I wish I were able to put them in the best shape with respect to my editing, etc. but working with such an extensive list is a daunting task and my eyes begin to blurr. I have the listing on a downloadable ZIP file (I use Norton Anti Virus) with the releases listed alphabetically using the "A" side title. I hope that you are able to use the listing. I initially planned to put them on a page but the listing includes over 147 disks. The Zip file is about 10 KB.

"New light on 1953 Victor Herbert recordings"

At least three of Mantovani's London singles from his 1953 Victor Herbert sessions are not the same as the LP

recordings (London LL 746; Decca LK 4060). The four singles in question are London 45-1307 to 45-1310. Here's what a recent examination of the recordings has unearthed. (From Colin MacKenzie)

Lon 45-1307 Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life DR 17505: this seems to be a different take to the one used on the LP which I would guess is -1. The English Decca single is marked -2 and seems to be the same as the US London one. There is

a loud drum roll finish here which you don't get on the LP version which links up with When You're Away. The timings are similar, however, 2.37 approx.

Lon 45-1307 A Kiss In The Dark DR 17515: The arrangement and timing of this single and LP are the same, i.e. 2.33 approx. The English Decca 78 is a -1 and is also 2.33 so I cannot make out a case for this being a -3 despite the

FF 1777-3 on the London disc margin alongside the DR no.
Lon 45-1308 Kiss Me Again DR 17511: same as LP version

Lon 45-1308 Italian Street Song DR 17514: same as LP version

Lon 45-1309 Sweethearts DR 17517: same as LP version

Lon 45-1309 I'm Falling In Love With Someone DR 17509: same as LP version

Lon 45-1310 Indian Summer DR 17512: this appears to be the same as my London demo disc which is shown as -2 on its label. I think therefore that -1 was used for the LP, a totally different "fussier" arrangement, using guitar at

the beginning. The London single is timed at 2.58, the LP take is 2.45 approx.

Lon 45-1310 To The Land Of My Own Romance DR 17513: ? same as LP version including the linked beginning with Indian Summer except that the last 14 seconds or so are missing on the LP when it links up with Italian Street

Song. The single recording is timed at 2.41 approx, the LP at 2.27 approx.

For the record the others on the album which were not issued as singles were When You're Away (DR 17506), Neapolitan Love Song (DR 17507), March Of The Toys (DR 17508), Gipsy Love Song (DR 17510), Habanera (DR 17516) and The Irish Have A Great Day Tonight (DR 17518). The sessions were held on 21, 27,

29 January 1953 and 3 February.

The London singles carry in the margins, alongside the DR, nos FF matrix nos, and they have always been a mystery to me. These were never used in England. They were only used on the early London singles, but I have no idea

even now what their significance was. So the FF 1777-3 on A Kiss In The Dark may or may not signify a -3, I just don't know.
Thanks to Colin MacKenzie.