Though his influence proved less durable than his record sales, Frankie Laine was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1950s, swinging jazz standards as well as half a dozen Western movie themes of the time with his manly baritone. Laine's somewhat artificial Western nature proved more successful in far-off England, where he set two chart records in 1953: his version of "I Believe" stayed at number one in the U.K. for an incredible 18 weeks, and his two subsequent chart-toppers that year ("Hey Joe," "Answer Me") set a record by putting Laine at number one for 27 weeks during the year.
On CHANTS OF INDIA, Ravi Shankar's music mixes both Western and Eastern styles to evoke the beauty of the collective human experience. We hear an Indian chorus of singers and a western chorus of singers working in synergy, and stringed instruments (violins, cellos, etc.) mixed in with Indian instruments such as the sitar, tanpura, and others.
With a live version of "Crossroads" going Top 30 for Cream, Songs for a Tailor was released in 1969, showing many more sides of Jack Bruce. George Harrison (again using his L'Angelo Misterioso moniker) appears on the first track, "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune," though his guitar is not as prominent as the performance on "Badge." The song is bass heavy with Colosseum members Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman providing a different flavor to what Bruce fans had become accustomed to. Hiseman drums on eight of the ten compositions, including "Theme From an Imaginary Western," the second track, and Jack Bruce's greatest hit that never charted. With "just" Chris Spedding on guitar and Jon Hiseman on drums, Bruce paints a masterpiece performing the bass, piano, organ, and vocals. The song is so significant it was covered by Mountain, Colosseum, and a Colosseum spin-off, Greenslade…
Patton/Tora! Tora! Tora! features some of the modern era's finest orchestral performances. Indeed, The General's March From Patton, a medley of the most dramatic cues from the soundtrack (and not on this CD), is a stirring piece that ranks with the 1812 Overture (by Tchaikovsky) and Fireworks Music (by Handel) as a power classic. The CD does feature all of the elements of the medley along with some cues and incidental music that were not used in the score. As a bonus, this disc also features some of the music from Tora! Tora! Tora!. While neither soundtrack is presented in its entirety, the music is ample evidence of Jerry Goldsmith's reputation as one of Hollywood's film music composers. This CD is an excellent addition to any orchestral collection – classical and/or contemporary.