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Song from the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany'due south"

"Moon River"
Moon River - Henry Mancini & Orchestra.jpg
Single by Henry Mancini & Orchestra
from the album Breakfast at Tiffany'due south: Music from the Motion Motion-picture show
B-side "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Released October 1961 (1961)
Recorded 1960
Studio RCA Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California
Genre Pop
Length 2:41
Label RCA Victor
Composer(s) Henry Mancini
Lyricist(south) Johnny Mercer
Producer(s) Dick Peirce, Joe Reisman
Sound sample
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"Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics past Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, winning an University Award for Best Original Vocal.[one] The song also won the 1962 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.[2]

The song has been recorded by many other artists.[3] It became the theme song for Andy Williams, who kickoff recorded information technology in 1962 (and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremony that yr). He sang the commencement eight bars of the song at the offset of each episode of his eponymous idiot box show and named his product company and venue in Branson, Missouri, after it; his autobiography is chosen "Moon River" and Me. Williams' version was never released as a single, but information technology charted as an LP track that he recorded for Columbia on a hitting album of 1962, Moon River and Other Nifty Pic Themes.[4]

The song'south success was responsible for relaunching Mercer's career as a songwriter, which had stalled in the mid-1950s considering stone and scroll had replaced jazz standards as the popular music of the fourth dimension. The vocal'due south popularity is such that it has been used as a test sample in a study on people's memories of popular songs.[5]

Comments about the lyrics have noted that they are particularly reminiscent of Mercer'due south youth in the southern United States and his longing to expand his horizons.[6] Robert Wright wrote in The Atlantic Monthly, "This is a dearest sung [sic] to wanderlust. Or a romantic song in which the romantic partner is the thought of romance."[vii]

An inlet virtually Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer's hometown, was named Moon River in honor of him and this song.[5]

Versions [edit]

Original [edit]

Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for Audrey Hepburn to sing in the motion-picture show Breakfast at Tiffany's. The lyrics, written by Mercer, are reminiscent of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, including its waterways. As a kid, he had picked huckleberries in summer, and he continued them with a carefree childhood and Mark Twain'south Blueberry Finn. Although an instrumental version is played over the film'south opening titles, the lyrics are showtime heard in a scene where Paul "Fred" Varjak (George Peppard) discovers Holly Golightly (Hepburn) singing the song, accompanying herself on the guitar while sitting on the burn escape outside their apartments.[3] [6]

There was an eruption of behind-the-scenes consternation when a Paramount Pictures executive, Martin Rackin, suggested removing the vocal from the moving picture later a tepid Los Angeles preview. Hepburn'south reaction was described past Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying, "Over my dead body!" to her using more colorful language to make the aforementioned point.[viii]

An album version was recorded past Mancini and his orchestra and chorus (without Hepburn'southward song) on Dec 8, 1960.[9] It was released equally a single in 1961 and became a number 11 hit in December of that year.[10] Due to unpublished charts in Billboard, Joel Whitburn'southward Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs variously reported the song as a #three or #1 easy listening hit. Mancini's original version was likewise featured in the movie Built-in on the Fourth of July (1989). In 1993, following Hepburn's decease, her version was released on an anthology titled Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn. In 2004, Hepburn's version finished at #iv on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of superlative tunes in American movie theatre.

Early recordings [edit]

"Moon River"
Moon River - Jerry Butler.jpg
Single by Jerry Butler
from the anthology Moon River
A-side "Aware of Love"
Released 1961 (1961)
Recorded 1961
Studio Universal (Chicago)[xi]
Genre Pop, R&B
Length 2:45
Characterization Vee-Jay
Composer(s) Henry Mancini
Lyricist(s) Johnny Mercer
Producer(s) Riley C. Hampton

"Moon River" was a hit single for Jerry Butler in late 1961. Released simultaneously with Mancini's, it reached number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[12] and number 3 Easy Listening[xiii] in December, two weeks earlier Mancini'south recording reached the same chart ranking. British vocalizer Danny Williams had a hit version of the song that reached number one in the Britain in the final week of 1961.[1] Although Andy Williams never released the vocal as a single, his LP Moon River and Other Dandy Picture Themes (1962), was certified golden in 1963 for selling 1 million units.[14] The album reached number 3 on the Billboard Elevation 200, eventually selling more than two one thousand thousand copies past 1967.[xv] In 2002, a 74-year-old Andy Williams sang the song at the decision of the live NBC special telecast celebrating the network'due south 75th anniversary.[sixteen]

Chart history [edit]

Henry Mancini & Orchestra
Chart (1961–62) Acme
position
Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[17] fourteen
U.South. Billboard Hot 100[eighteen] eleven
U.South. Billboard Easy Listening three
U.Due south. Cash Box Top 100[19] 5
Jerry Butler
Chart (1961–62) Meridian
position
Canada (CHUM Hitting Parade)[17] 14
New Zealand (Listener)[20] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[eighteen] 11
U.Due south. Billboard Easy Listening iii
U.South. Cash Box Top 100[19] 5
Danny Williams
Chart (1961–62) Pinnacle
position
United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland Singles Chart[1] one

Later versions [edit]

Hundreds of versions of the song accept been recorded and information technology has been featured in many media.[three] [21] Mercer recorded the song in 1974 for his album My Huckleberry Friend.[22] In 2007, saxophonist Dave Koz recorded a version from his standards music album, At the Movies, sung by Barry Manilow.[23] [24] [25] In 2013, Neil Finn and Paul Kelly performed the song on their Goin' Your Way Bout,[26] [27] during which their performance at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall was recorded for the alive album, Goin' Your Way, released the same year.[28] The title of the album comes from a phrase in the song's chorus: "Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your fashion".[29] Lawrence Welk's 1961 instrumental version was featured in Mad Men season 6, episode thirteen, "In Intendance Of" (2013).[thirty] A jazzy version of the song is used as the one of the boxing themes in the video game Bayonetta 2 (2014).[31] A version of the song was featured in Asif Kapadia's documentary film, Amy (2015), nearly Amy Winehouse. Winehouse'due south version, sung at historic period sixteen with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra in 2000, is the opening song in the picture.[32]

The Telegraph listed, among prominent covers of the vocal, those by Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Brightman and Chevy Hunt.[3] Other stars who have covered the song include Rod Stewart in Wing Me to the Moon... The Bang-up American Songbook Volume V (2010), which charted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200,[33] Barbra Streisand in The Movie Album (2003), a Grammy-nominated[34] gilded album,[35] and Frank Ocean, who released a comprehend on Valentine's Twenty-four hours 2018[36] that debuted in the Elevation 10 of the Billboard Hot R&B chart.[37] Diffuser.fm named these the "Top 5 Alt-Rock" versions of the song: The Killers, Glasvegas, R.E.M., Morrissey and Josh Ritter.[38] Jacob Collier'due south a capella cover won the 2020 Grammy Accolade for Best Organisation, Instrumental or A Cappella.[39]

See too [edit]

  • "Charade" (1963 song)
  • The Sweetheart Tree
  • "Days of Wine and Roses" (song)
  • Moon River radio program
  • List of United kingdom Singles Chart number ones of the 1960s

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness Earth Records Limited. p. 135. ISBNone-904994-x-5.
  2. ^ "Moon River past Henry Mancini". songfacts.com.
  3. ^ a b c d Cryer, Max. "The story behind the vocal: Moon River", The Telegraph, Oct vii, 2008, accessed January 6, 2016
  4. ^ Thomas, Bob; Salter, Jim (September 26, 2012). "'Moon River' Crooner Andy Williams Dies at Age 84". Associated Printing. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Bartlett, James C., and Snelus, Paul; Snelus, Paul (September 1980). "Lifespan Memory for Popular Songs". The American Journal of Psychology. University of Illinois Printing. 93 (3): 551–560. doi:x.2307/1422730. JSTOR 1422730.
  6. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (March 30, 1997). "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of Mercer'due south Lyrics". The New York Times . Retrieved Baronial 5, 2012.
  7. ^ Wright, Robert. "Andy Williams's Moon River – Decoded and Vindicated at Last!", The Atlantic Monthly, September 27, 2012, accessed January vi, 2016
  8. ^ Spoto, Donald (2007). Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn. Arrow Books. p. 159. ISBN978-0-09-948704-iii.
  9. ^ "Henry Mancini – Breakfast At Tiffany's (Music From The Motility Picture Score)". Retrieved Feb 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "Hot 100 for Week Catastrophe Dec 31". Billboard Music Week. 78 (51). December 25, 1961. Retrieved May x, 2015.
  11. ^ Swedien, Bruce (2003). Brand Mine Music. Norway: MIA Musikk. p. 80. ISBN82-996756-1-viii.
  12. ^ "Hot 100 for Week Ending December 17". Billboard Music Week. 78 (49). Dec eleven, 1961.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Elevation Adult Gimmicky: 1961–1993. Record Inquiry. p. 37.
  14. ^ "American certifications – Moon River _ Other Great Movie Themes". Recording Industry Clan of America. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  15. ^ Clive Davis (November xi, 1967). "Columbia's View: Market Potential". Billboard. p. 26. ISSN 0006-2510. [Special Issue titled A Billboard Spotlight: Andy Williams]
  16. ^ Boedeker, Hal (May vii, 2002). "TV Reviews". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved May x, 2015.
  17. ^ a b CHUM Hitting Parade, October xxx, 1961
  18. ^ a b Joel Whitburn's Meridian Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  19. ^ a b Greenbacks Box Top 100 Singles, December 9, 1961
  20. ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 28 December 1961
  21. ^ Testa, Jessica. "13 'Moon River' Covers, In Memory of Andy Williams", BuzzFeed, September 26, 2012, accessed January 6, 2016
  22. ^ Mercer, Johnny. My Huckleberry Friend, Pye NSPL18432 (1974) ASIN: B008K7RPIK
  23. ^ Soergel, Brian (May 24, 2007). "Dave Koz'southward Secret Symphony Gig". SmoothVibes.com.
  24. ^ Ware, Elizabeth (October iii, 2007). "Dave Koz - At The Movies". SmoothViews.com.
  25. ^ Moon River at AllMusic
  26. ^ Shedden, Iain (Nov xvi, 2013). "Goin' Your Fashion (Neil Finn and Paul Kelly)". The Australian. News Corp Commonwealth of australia. Retrieved December xvi, 2013.
  27. ^ "Neil Finn/Paul Kelly Australian Tour – Latest Dates". Neil Finn Official Website. January 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  28. ^ "Sentinel Paul Kelly & Neil Finn Concert". Paul Kelly Official Website. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  29. ^ McArthur, Rachael (November 11, 2013). "Neil Finn and Paul Kelly – Goin' Your Fashion". Renowned for Audio (Brendon Veevers, Robert Lee). Retrieved Dec 18, 2013.
  30. ^ "Season Finale Review: Mad Men: "In Care Of" (Both Sides Now)". Hitfix: What's Alan Watching?. June 2013.
  31. ^ Biggs, Tim (November 18, 2014). "Bayonetta 2 review: mode and substance". The Sydney Forenoon Herald . Retrieved January 16, 2021. {{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) Carter, Chris (October 24, 2014). "Review: Bayonetta 2". Destructoid . Retrieved January 16, 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ Pattison, Michael. "Weighing Up the Pros and Cons of the New Amy Winehouse Documentary", Vice.com, July one, 2015
  33. ^ Wing Me to the Moon: The Smashing American Songbook, Vol. v, Allmusic.com, accessed January eight, 2015
  34. ^ Santopietro, Tom. The Importance of Being Barbra, Macmillan (2007) ISBN 142990853X
  35. ^ "Barbra Streisand", RIAA, accessed January 8, 2016
  36. ^ "Moon River - Single by Frank Ocean". Apple Music . Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  37. ^ "Frank Body of water's 'Moon River' Embrace Debuts in Tiptop x on Hot R&B Songs Chart". Billboard . Retrieved December ii, 2020.
  38. ^ Robinson, Joe. "Andy Williams Tribute: Top 5 Alt-Rock Versions of 'Moon River'", Diffuser.fm, September 2012, accessed Jan 6, 2016
  39. ^ "Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Instrumental Arrangement". Grammy Awards. 2020. Retrieved Jan 26, 2019.

External links [edit]

  • "Lyrics to "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany'southward". 1961 Paramount Music Corporation, ASCAP. Reel Classics.
  • Janovitz, Neb. "Moon River - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini & His Orchestra: Song Review". AllMusic.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_River

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