TRACK LISTING
SIDE ONE
1. LA BAMBA
2. SPANISH HARLEM
3. GUANTANAMERA
4. SUCU SUCU
5. THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA
6. ONE NOTE SAMBA
SIDE TWO
1. SOUTH OF THE BORDER
2. MARIA ELENA
3. SPANISH EYES
4. DESAFINADO
5. THE BREEZE AND I
6. MEXICAN HAT DANCE
P1973
A Supertunes Production
Produced
by Norman Newell
Assistant
Producer: Gil King
Recording
Engineer: John Timperley
A
surname like Love is ideal when it comes to selecting interesting and relevant
album titles. Hence we have already enjoyed MFP LPs called "Big Love Movie
Themes" (MFP 5221), with a neat double meaning, and "Love With
Love" (MFP 5246), to say nothing of others, Love-less in title but not in
origin, such as "Big Western Movie Themes" (MFP 1328); "Big War
Movie Themes" (MFP 5171); "Big Concerto Movie Themes" (MFP 5261);
"Your Top TV Themes" (MFP 5272), and "Big Suspense Movie
Themes" (MFP 50035).
The Love in question is, of course, Geoff Love. One
of Britain's most distinguished and successful musical directors and arrangers,
and certainly one of the most popular with the public and his fellow musicians,
with a constantly cheerful and amiable nature as befits his surname. Geoff has
worked with and won the unstinted admiration of some of the greatest names of
international show business, including Shirley Bassey, Howard Keel, Judy
Garland, Paul Robeson, Vera Lynn, Frankie Vaughan and Des O'Connor. As an artist
in his own right, Geoff's albums mentioned above have proved to be amongst the
best-selling records in the history of the label.
The latest is "Latin With Love", and is
destined for the same popularity. Geoff selected twelve of the perennially
favourite melodies from Latin-America or inspired by that colourful
sub-continent, and arranged them for an orchestra comprising four trumpets
doubling fluegel horns, four trombones, five woodwind, twelve violins, four
violas, four cellos, piano, two guitars, bass doubling bass guitar, one drummer,
and three Latin-American percussion. The results are ear-catching and immensely
enjoyable.
La Bamba, that
lively dance speciality from Vera Cruz in Mexico, provides a suitably
bright opener with all sections of the orchestra spotlighted and a growling
jungle flute solo. The mellow evocation of that area in New York city known as
Spanish Harlem begins with marimba and piano setting the easy pace and a
cor anglais solo later. Guantanamera receives an appropriate Afro-Cuban
atmosphere with the brass shining over the cha cha cha beat, and Sucu Sucu of
Argentine origin
gets
a sprightly samba treatment here. Another Brazilian tempo in the form of the
bossa nova ensues as a second Music for Pleasure Latin music maestro, Duncan
Lamont, is featured on tenor-saxophone in The Girl From Ipanema, and the
bossa mood is maintained for One Note Samba with fluegel horns prominent.
The second side begins noticeably South Of The
Border as Geoff coaxes a Mexican mariachi sound from the trumpets in cha cha
cha time, and then we meet the beautiful Maria Elena portrayed in bolero
style by the guitar against a background of muted trombones, followed later by
piano, strings, oboe, and a key change into a full ensemble passage. Marimba and
trumpets open Spanish Eyes in baion time, with the rest of the orchestra joining
in turn, and then comes the famous prototype bossa nova, Desafinado, introduced
by woodwind and trombones before the fluegel horns take the theme. The bolero
returns with The Breeze And I, showcasing strings and low-pitched
woodwind, and the rhythm section contribute the right atmosphere for a rousing
climax to the LP with an infectious Brazilian marcha tempo redolent of street
parades at carnival time, and the mariachi trumpets set the Mexican Hat Dance
in motion.
Geoff Love has assembled a dozen proven Latin favourites, and presented them with all the verve, vivacity and melodic richness
which their background demands. It is impossible to refrain from the obvious
remark-you'll love it!
Nigel
Hunter
