Experiment in Terror (1962)

Henry Mancini's adventurous score for the 1962 thriller Experiment in Terror is one of the composer's many classic collaborations with director Blake Edwards. Released a year after Breakfast at Tiffany's and a year before The Pink Panther, it's a must for any level of Mancini collector, not because it's so representative of his work at the time but because it's extra quirky and diverse with jazzy lounge pieces, melancholy piano, and eerie suspense passages, as well as guitar rock ("Golden Gate Twist") and even a nod to the flapper era with the "Charleston"-like "The Good Old Days." The score was recorded earlier that year at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra.

Henry Mancini (/mænˈsiːni/ man-SEE-nee; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and twenty Grammy Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

If the recognition of one's peers is the true measure of success, then few men are as successful as composer, arranger, and conductor Henry Mancini. In a career that spanned 40 years, writing for film and television, Mancini won four Oscars and twenty Grammys, the all-time record for a pop artist. For 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's alone, Mancini won five Grammys and two Oscars. Breakfast at Tiffany's includes the classic "Moon River" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer), arguably one of the finest pop songs of the last 50 years. At last count, there were over 1,000 recordings of it. His other notable songs include "Dear Heart," "Days of Wine and Roses" (one Oscar, two Grammys), and "Charade," the last two with lyrics by Mercer. He also had a number one record and won a Grammy for Nino Rota's "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet." Among his other notable film scores are The Pink Panther (three Grammys), Hatari! (one Grammy), Victor/Victoria (an Oscar), Two for the Road, Wait Until Dark, and 10. His television themes include "Peter Gunn" (two Grammys, recorded by many rock artists), "Mr. Lucky" (two Grammys), "Newhart," "Remington Steele," and The Thorn Birds television mini-series. As a child, Mancini learned how to play a variety of musical instruments and as a teenager, he became enamored with jazz and big bands. He began to write arrangements and sent a few to Benny Goodman, who wrote the teenager back, encouraging him to pursue a career in music.

In a career that stretched nearly half a century, Henry Mancini became synonymous with catchy, jazzy, romantic music for film and television soundtracks. This 2014 Classic Soundtrack Collection features 18 original Mancini soundtrack albums for the RCA, Epic and Columbia labels on nine discs plus rare bonus tracks, including a never-before-heard version of "Nothing to Lose" from Blake Edwards' 1968 comedy the Party performed by Julie Andrews. Taken together, the albums in this collection underline the enduring popularity of Henry Mancini and his unique ability to create movie music that pop audiences could also embrace. Albums Included are: The Pink Panther, the Return of the Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade, Hatari!, Oklahoma Crude, What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? High Time, Experiment in Terror, Darling Lili, Gunn, Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, Two for the Road, Arabesque, the Great Race, Me, Natalie, the Party &, Visions of Eight.

One of the most versatile talents in contemporary 20th Century music, Henry Mancini was arguably America's greatest composer, conductor and arranger. Although he is nowadays perhaps best remembered for big selling LPs of movie and TV scores, he also enjoyed a parallel series of hit singles, only some of which were spun off his albums. This 30 track compilation is drawn from his singles releases between 1956-62 and includes his hits "Mr Lucky", "High Time", "Theme From The Great Imposter", "Moon River", "Experiment In Terror", "Theme From Hatari" and "Days Of Wine And Roses". Also included are Mancini's original, career defining recordings of tunes like "Tana's Theme" (from "Touch Of Evil"), "The Peter Gunn Theme" and "Breakfast At Tiffany's". Several of his early singles, notably "Cha Cha Cha For Gia" (from Four Girls In Town) and "Big Band Rock And Roll" b/w "Hot Rod" (from Rock Pretty Baby) are unavailable elsewhere on CD.

One of the most versatile talents in contemporary 20th Century music, Henry Mancini was arguably America's greatest composer, conductor and arranger. Although he is nowadays perhaps best remembered for big selling LPs of movie and TV scores, he also enjoyed a parallel series of hit singles, only some of which were spun off his albums. This 30 track compilation is drawn from his singles releases between 1956-62 and includes his hits "Mr Lucky", "High Time", "Theme From The Great Imposter", "Moon River", "Experiment In Terror", "Theme From Hatari" and "Days Of Wine And Roses". Also included are Mancini's original, career defining recordings of tunes like "Tana's Theme" (from "Touch Of Evil"), "The Peter Gunn Theme" and "Breakfast At Tiffany's". Several of his early singles, notably "Cha Cha Cha For Gia" (from Four Girls In Town) and "Big Band Rock And Roll" b/w "Hot Rod" (from Rock Pretty Baby) are unavailable elsewhere on CD.