45 R.P.M.: LA REINE DE SABA

HIT-1584 S, Seven Seas, King Record Co. Ltd., Japan. Recorded by Riviera (France).

1. La Reine de Saba (Laurent)
   
2. Days of Pearly Spencer (D. McWilliams)
   

    SLEEVE NOTES:

    At one time, Mantovani, Frank Chacksfield, Percy Faith, Werner Mueller, and others conducted their orchestras and produced a series of masterpieces, creating a quiet boom in mood music. Recently, however, a similar phenomenon is occurring again. The German James Last Orchestra, the French Paul Mauriat Orchestra, and the Raymond Lefebvre Orchestra have released new records one after another, and they have been quite successful. Each of these new orchestras has its own characteristics, but they all have one thing in common: they all play beautiful string-based ensembles set to a rock beat. This kind of easy listening music is loved and accepted by young people in the same way as rhythm & blues and new rock music.

    Now, let me introduce you to the star of this record, Raymond Lefebvre. He is one of the busiest musicians in France today. Let me tell you a little about his work. First of all, he is the musical director and conductor of the famous French TV programs “Musicorama” and “Palmares des Chansons. It is very difficult to have two such programs on the other side of the world, where it takes one or two weeks to prepare for each program, including song selection, arrangement, and rehearsals. In addition, he is a first-rate accompanist for singers. He has accompanied Charles Aznavour, Dalida, and many other famous singers who have been accompanied by him. In addition to accompanying these singers, he has also recorded his own orchestras, as you will hear now. The original recordings of his albums were released under the series “Palmares des Chansons,” named after the popular TV program in which he appeared, and this series was introduced in the United Kingdom and the United States, making the name of Raymond Lefebvre worldwide.

    Another important work of his was composing music. He composed the music for the film “The Gendarme of St. Tropez,” in which Geneviève Grad sang and starred. He is also active as a member of the orchestra team of the “Golden Rose Festival,” and we are sure that he will continue to give us many more beautiful pieces of music.

La Reine de Saba (The Queen of Sheba):
    Sheba is a beautiful melody written by Michel Laurent for a small country in North Borneo, an exotic foreign country. This performance by Raymond Lefebvre starts with a guitar introduction, then strings play a beautiful melody, and the chorus is heard as if covered by a thin robe, creating a pleasant mood as if we are playing in a fantasy world.

The Days of Pearly Spencer:
    This song was written by David McWilliams, an up-and-coming British male folk singer, and became a hit throughout Europe between 1967 and 1968. Following its success in the U.K., the song reached No. 1 on the French hit parade in March 1968, and was sung by Caterina Caselli in June in Italy, where it won the Cantadillo. Raymond Lefebvre's performance is also very powerful, combining the dramatic atmosphere of the original recording with fast rhythms and hot strings to create a powerful performance.

Atsushi Kumazawa

Recorded by RIVIERA, France

Note: Translation made by online translator.