Ray Conniff: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name              = Ray Conniff
| name              = Ray Conniff
| image            = Conniff IMG 4525.jpg
| image            = Ray Conniff (1967).png
| caption          = Conniff in 1958
| caption          = Conniff in 1967
| image_size        =  
| image_size        =  
| background        = non_performing_personnel
| background        = non_performing_personnel
| birth_name        = Joseph Raymond Conniff
| birth_name        = Joseph Raymond Conniff
| alias            = Jay Raye
| alias            = Jay Raye, Jimmy Richards
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1916|11|6|mf=y}}
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1916|11|6|mf=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Attleboro, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| birth_place      = [[Attleboro, Massachusetts]], U.S.
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==Biography==
==Biography==
Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in [[Attleboro, Massachusetts]], United States,<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=296/7}}</ref> and learned to play the [[trombone]] from his father. He studied music arranging from a course book.<ref name="Bush1">{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,416918,00.html|title=Ray Conniff Biography|last=Bush|first=John|website=Artistdirect.com|access-date=2009-03-25|archive-date=January 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124220505/http://artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,416918,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in [[Attleboro, Massachusetts]], United States,<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=296/7}}</ref> and learned to play the [[trombone]] from his father. He studied music arranging from a [[Textbook|course book]].<ref name="Bush1">{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,416918,00.html|title=Ray Conniff Biography|last=Bush|first=John|website=Artistdirect.com|access-date=2009-03-25|archive-date=January 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124220505/http://artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,416918,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>


===Early career===
===Early career===
After serving in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] in [[World War II]] (where he worked under [[Walter Schumann]]), he joined the [[Artie Shaw]] big band and wrote many arrangements for him.<ref name="Larkin"/> After his stint with Shaw, he was hired in 1954 by [[Mitch Miller]], head of [[A&R]] at [[Columbia Records]], as the label's home arranger, working with several artists including [[Rosemary Clooney]], [[Marty Robbins]], [[Frankie Laine]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Guy Mitchell]] and [[Johnnie Ray]].<ref name="Larkin"/> He wrote a top-10 arrangement for [[Don Cherry (singer)|Don Cherry]]'s "Band of Gold" in 1955, a single that sold more than a million copies.<ref name="Larkin"/> Among the hit singles Conniff backed with his orchestra (and eventually with a male chorus) were "[[Yes Tonight Josephine]]" and "[[Just Walkin' in the Rain]]" by Johnnie Ray; "[[Chances Are (song)|Chances Are]]" and "[[It's Not for Me to Say]]" by Johnny Mathis; "[[A White Sport Coat]]" and "[[The Hanging Tree (Marty Robbins song)|The Hanging Tree]]" by Marty Robbins; "[[Moonlight Gambler]]" by Frankie Laine; "[[Up Above My Head]]", a duet by Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray; and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also backed up the albums ''[[Tony (album)|Tony]]'' by [[Tony Bennett]], ''Blue Swing'' by [[Eileen Rodgers]], ''Swingin' for Two'' by Don Cherry, and half the tracks of ''The Big Beat'' by Johnnie Ray. In these early years Conniff produced similar-sounding records for Columbia's [[Epic Records|Epic]] label under the name of '''Jay Raye''' (which stood for "Joseph Raymond"), among them a backing album and singles with the American male vocal group [[Somethin' Smith and the Redheads]].
After serving in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] in [[World War II]] (where he worked under [[Walter Schumann]]), he joined the [[Artie Shaw]] [[big band]] and wrote many arrangements for him.<ref name="Larkin"/> After his stint with Shaw, he was hired in 1954 by [[Mitch Miller]], head of [[A&R]] at [[Columbia Records]], as the label's home arranger, working with several artists including [[Rosemary Clooney]], [[Marty Robbins]], [[Frankie Laine]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Guy Mitchell]] and [[Johnnie Ray]].<ref name="Larkin"/> He wrote a top-10 arrangement for [[Don Cherry (singer)|Don Cherry]]'s "Band of Gold" in 1955, a single that sold more than a million copies.<ref name="Larkin"/> Among the hit singles Conniff backed with his orchestra (and eventually with a male chorus) were "[[Yes Tonight Josephine]]" and "[[Just Walkin' in the Rain]]" by Johnnie Ray; "[[Chances Are (song)|Chances Are]]" and "[[It's Not for Me to Say]]" by Johnny Mathis; "[[A White Sport Coat]]" and "[[The Hanging Tree (Marty Robbins song)|The Hanging Tree]]" by Marty Robbins; "[[Moonlight Gambler]]" by Frankie Laine; "[[Up Above My Head]]", a duet by Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray; and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also backed up the albums ''[[Tony (album)|Tony]]'' by [[Tony Bennett]], ''Blue Swing'' by [[Eileen Rodgers]], ''Swingin' for Two'' by Don Cherry, and half the tracks of ''The Big Beat'' by Johnnie Ray. In these early years Conniff produced similar-sounding records for Columbia's [[Epic Records|Epic]] label under the name of '''Jay Raye''' (which stood for "Joseph Raymond"), among them a backing album and singles with the American male vocal group [[Somethin' Smith and the Redheads]].


Between 1957 and 1968, Conniff had 28 albums in the American Top 40, the most famous one being ''Somewhere My Love'' (1966).<ref name="Larkin"/> He topped the album list in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in 1969 with ''[[His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound]],''<ref name="Larkin"/> an album which was originally published to promote his European tour (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) in 1969. He also was the first American popular artist to record in [[Russia]]—in 1974 he recorded ''Ray Conniff in Moscow'' with the help of a local choir.<ref name="Larkin"/> His later albums like ''Exclusivamente Latino,'' ''Amor Amor,'' and ''Latinisimo'' made him very popular in Latin-American countries, even more so after performing in the [[Viña del Mar International Song Festival]]. In Brazil and Chile in the 1980s and 1990s, he was treated like a young pop superstar despite being in his seventies and eighties. He played live with his orchestra and eight-person chorus in large football stadiums as well as in [[Viña del Mar]].
Between 1957 and 1968, Conniff had 28 albums in the [[American Top 40]], the most famous one being ''Somewhere My Love'' (1966).<ref name="Larkin"/> He topped the album list in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in 1969 with ''[[His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound]],''<ref name="Larkin"/> an album which was originally published to promote his European tour ([[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Switzerland]]) in 1969. He also was the first American popular artist to record in [[Russia]]—in 1974 he recorded ''Ray Conniff in Moscow'' with the help of a local choir.<ref name="Larkin"/> His later albums like ''Exclusivamente Latino,'' ''Amor Amor,'' and ''Latinisimo'' made him very popular in Latin American countries, even more so after performing in the [[Viña del Mar International Song Festival]]. In [[Brazil]] and [[Chile]] in the 1980s and 1990s, he was treated like a young pop superstar despite being in his seventies and eighties. He played live with his orchestra and eight-person chorus in large football stadiums as well as in [[Viña del Mar]].


Conniff commented, "One time I was recording an album with [[Mitch Miller]] – we had a big band and a small choir. I decided to have the choir sing along with the big band using wordless lyrics. The women were doubled with the trumpets and the men were doubled with the trombones. In the booth Mitch was totally surprised and excited at how well it worked." Because of the success of his backing arrangements, and the new sound Conniff created, Miller allowed him to make his own record, and this became the successful [['S Wonderful (album)|''’s&nbsp;Wonderful!'']], a collection of standards that were recorded with an orchestra and a wordless singing chorus (four men, four women).<ref name="Larkin"/> He released many more albums in the same vein, including ''’s&nbsp;Marvelous'' (1957, gold album), ''’s&nbsp;Awful Nice'' (1958), ''Concert in Rhythm'' (1958, gold album), ''Broadway in Rhythm'' (1958), ''Hollywood in Rhythm'' (1959), ''Concert in Rhythm'', Vol. II (1960), ''Say It With Music'' (1960), ''Memories Are Made of This'' (1960, gold album), and ''’s&nbsp;Continental'' (1962).<ref name="Larkin"/> His second album was ''Dance the Bop!'' (1957). It was an experiment by one of the senior managers at Columbia to cash in on a new dance step, but from the outset, Conniff disliked it. When it sold poorly, he had it withdrawn.
Conniff commented, "One time I was recording an album with [[Mitch Miller]] – we had a big band and a small choir. I decided to have the choir sing along with the big band using wordless lyrics. The women were doubled with the trumpets and the men were doubled with the trombones. In the booth Mitch was totally surprised and excited at how well it worked." Because of the success of his backing arrangements, and the new sound Conniff created, Miller allowed him to make his own record, and this became the successful [['S Wonderful (album)|''’s&nbsp;Wonderful!'']], a collection of standards that were recorded with an orchestra and a wordless singing chorus (four men, four women).<ref name="Larkin"/> He released many more albums in the same vein, including ''’s&nbsp;Marvelous'' (1957, gold album), ''’s&nbsp;Awful Nice'' (1958), ''Concert in Rhythm'' (1958, gold album), ''Broadway in Rhythm'' (1958), ''Hollywood in Rhythm'' (1959), ''Concert in Rhythm'', Vol. II (1960), ''Say It With Music'' (1960), ''Memories Are Made of This'' (1960, gold album), and ''’s&nbsp;Continental'' (1962).<ref name="Larkin"/> His second album was ''Dance the Bop!'' (1957). It was an experiment by one of the senior managers at Columbia to cash in on a new dance step, but from the outset, Conniff disliked it. When it sold poorly, he had it withdrawn.


===The Ray Conniff Singers===
===The Ray Conniff Singers===
[[File:Ray Conniff (1967).png|thumb|upright=0.8|Conniff in 1967]]
[[File:Conniff IMG 4525.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Conniff and his singers in 1958]]
In 1959, Conniff started The Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men) and released the album ''It's the Talk of the Town.''<ref name="Larkin"/> This group brought him his biggest hit: ''Somewhere My Love'' (1966). The lyrics of the album's title track were sung to the music of "[[Lara's Theme]]" from the film ''[[Doctor Zhivago (1965 film)|Doctor Zhivago]],'' and it became a US top 10 single.<ref name="Larkin"/>
In 1959, Conniff started The Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men) and released the album ''It's the Talk of the Town.''<ref name="Larkin"/> This group brought him his biggest hit: ''Somewhere My Love'' (1966). The lyrics of the album's title track were sung to the music of "[[Lara's Theme]]" from the film ''[[Doctor Zhivago (1965 film)|Doctor Zhivago]],'' and it became a US top 10 single.<ref name="Larkin"/>


The album reached the US top 20 and went platinum, and Conniff won a Grammy. The single and album also reached high positions in the international charts (a.o. Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan), while the first of four Christmas albums by the Singers, ''[[Christmas with Conniff]]'' (1959) was also successful.
The album reached the US top 20 and went platinum, and Conniff won a Grammy. The single and album also reached high positions in the international charts (including [[Australia]], Germany, [[Great Britain]], [[Japan]]), while the first of four Christmas albums by the Singers, ''[[Christmas with Conniff]]'' (1959) was also successful.


Nearly 50 years after its release, in 2004, Conniff was posthumously awarded a platinum album/CD. Other well-known releases by the Singers included ''Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album'' (1967), featuring the hit song "Pearly Shells," and ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' (1970), which included Conniff's original composition "Someone", and remakes of such hits as "All I Have to Do is Dream", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", and "Something".
Nearly 50 years after its release, in 2004, Conniff was posthumously awarded a platinum album/CD. Other well-known releases by the Singers included ''Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album'' (1967), featuring the hit song "Pearly Shells," and ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' (1970), which included Conniff's original composition "Someone", and remakes of such hits as "All I Have to Do is Dream", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", and "Something".
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==Death==
==Death==
Ray Conniff died October 12, 2002, in [[Escondido, California]] after falling and hitting his head on a sink, and is buried in the [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Los Angeles, California]].  His grave marker bears a musical score with the first four notes of "Somewhere My Love".  Conniff was survived by his wife Vera (April 7, 1944 - January 7, 2018, buried in the same plot as Ray), daughter Tamara Conniff, son Jimmy Conniff (died 2015), and three grandchildren.
Ray Conniff died October 12, 2002, in [[Escondido, California]] after falling and hitting his head on a sink.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bernstein|first=Adam|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/10/15/musician-ray-conniff-85-dies/dd2793cb-24d7-49dc-92e1-359d8ba39579/|title=Musician Ray Conniff, 85, Dies|newspaper=Washington Post|date=October 14, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=McLellan|first=Dennis|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-15-me-conniff15-story.html|title=Ray Conniff, 85; Popularized Choral Sound|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 15, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2002/scene/people-news/ray-conniff-1117874300/|title=Ray Conniff Composer, trombone player and bandleader|magazine=Variety|date=October 13, 2002}}</ref> He is buried in the [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Los Angeles, California]] with his grave marker bearing a musical score with the first four notes of "Somewhere My Love".  Conniff was survived by his wife Vera (April 7, 1944 - January 7, 2018, buried in the same plot as Ray), daughter Tamara Conniff, son Jimmy Conniff (died 2015), and three grandchildren.


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
In 2004, a memorial two-CD compilation set, ''The Essential Ray Conniff,'' was released, featuring many rare and previously unreleased tracks. ''The Singles Collection, Vol. 1'' was released on the Collectables label in 2005, ''The Singles Collection, Vol. 2'' in 2007, and Vol. 3 was released in 2009. These collections feature rare singles and previously unissued tracks. His music is also featured prominently in the movie ''[[There's Something About Mary]]''.
In 2004, a memorial two-CD compilation set, ''The Essential Ray Conniff,'' was released, featuring many rare and previously unreleased tracks. ''The Singles Collection, Vol. 1'' was released on the Collectables label in 2005, ''The Singles Collection, Vol. 2'' in 2007, and Vol. 3 was released in 2009. These collections feature rare singles and previously unissued tracks. His music is also featured prominently in the movie ''[[There's Something About Mary]]''.


In 2022, "Bah Bah Conniff Sprach (Zarathustra)", from Conniff's 1973 album ''You Are the Sunshine of My Life'', was featured in a Salesforce TV commercial starring [[Matthew McConaughey]].
In 2022, "Bah Bah Conniff Sprach (Zarathustra)", from Conniff's 1973 album ''You Are the Sunshine of My Life'', was featured in a [[Salesforce]] television commercial starring [[Matthew McConaughey]].


==Ray Conniff Singers membership==
==Ray Conniff Singers membership==
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*Karen Schnurr
*Karen Schnurr
*Rhonda Cherryholmes  
*Rhonda Cherryholmes  
*Byllie Sluyter
*Billye Sluyter
*Robin Gray  
*Robin Gray  
*Kathy Mann  
*Kathy Mann  
*Judy Murdock  
*Judy Murdock  
*Dianna Lee
*Diana Lee
*[[Andra Willis]]
*[[Andra Willis]]
*Susie McCune
*Susie McCune
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==Original albums==
==Original albums==
Ray Conniff was one of the most successful easy listening artists on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine album chart, placing 30 albums on their [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Hot 200]] charts to 1973.  
Ray Conniff was one of the most successful easy listening artists on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine album chart, placing 30 albums on their [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Hot 200]] chart to 1973,<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Top LPs, 1955–1996 | year = 1996 | publisher = Record Research | page = 35 | url = https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstoplp00whit/page/52/mode/2up | access-date = 2025-07-10}}</ref> and many of them charted in the UK too.<ref>{{cite web
| title = RAY CONNIFF – full Official Chart history
| website = Official Charts Company
| publisher = Official Charts
| access-date = 2025-08-20
| url = https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2426/ray-conniff/
}}</ref>
The group went on to record over 90 albums.
The group went on to record over 90 albums.


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*''[['S Marvelous]]'' (1957, gold album)
*''[['S Marvelous]]'' (1957, gold album)
*''[['S Awful Nice]]'' (1958)
*''[['S Awful Nice]]'' (1958)
*''[[Concert in Rhythm|Concert in Rhythm, Vol.1]]'' (1958, gold album)
*''[[Concert in Rhythm|Concert in Rhythm, Vol.1]]'' (1958, No. 9 Hot 200, gold album)
*''[[Broadway in Rhythm]]'' (1958)
*''[[Broadway in Rhythm]]'' (1958) No. 10 Hot 200
*''Hollywood in Rhythm'' (1958)
*''Hollywood in Rhythm'' (1958) No. 29 Hot 200
*''It's the Talk of the Town'' (1959)
*''It's the Talk of the Town'' (1959) No. 8 Hot 200, No. 15 UK
*''[[Conniff Meets Butterfield]]'' (1959), with [[Billy Butterfield]]
*''[[Conniff Meets Butterfield]]'' (1959), with [[Billy Butterfield]]
*''[[Christmas with Conniff]]'' (1959, platinum album)
*''[[Christmas with Conniff]]'' (1959, platinum album)
*''Concert in Rhythm, Vol.2'' (1959)
*''Concert in Rhythm, Vol.2'' (1959) No. 13 Hot 200
*''[[Young at Heart (Ray Conniff album)|Young at Heart]]'' (1960)
*''[[Young at Heart (Ray Conniff album)|Young at Heart]]'' (1960)
*''[[Say It with Music (A Touch of Latin)]]'' (1960)
*''[[Say It with Music (A Touch of Latin)]]'' (1960)
*''[[Memories Are Made of This (Ray Conniff album)|Memories Are Made of This]]'' (1960, gold album)
*''[[Memories Are Made of This (Ray Conniff album)|Memories Are Made of This]]'' (1960, gold album)
*''Somebody Loves Me'' (1961)
*''Somebody Loves Me'' (1961) No. 14 Hot 200
*''[['S Continental]]'' (1962)
*''[['S Continental]]'' (1962)
*''[[So Much in Love (Ray Conniff album)|So Much in Love]]'' (1962, gold album)
*''[[So Much in Love (Ray Conniff album)|So Much in Love]]'' (1962, gold album)
*''Rhapsody in Rhythm'' (1962)
*''Rhapsody in Rhythm'' (1962) No. 28 Hot 200
* ''[[We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Ray Conniff album)|We Wish You a Merry Christmas]]'' (1962, platinum album)
* ''[[We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Ray Conniff album)|We Wish You a Merry Christmas]]'' (1962, platinum album)
*''The Happy Beat of Ray Conniff, His Orchestra and Chorus'' (1962)
*''The Happy Beat of Ray Conniff, His Orchestra and Chorus'' (1962) No. 20 Hot 200
*''Just Kiddin' Around'' (1962), with Billy Butterfield #85 Hot 200  
*''Just Kiddin' Around'' (1962), with Billy Butterfield No. 85 Hot 200  
*''You Make Me Feel So Young'' (1963) #73 Hot 200  
*''You Make Me Feel So Young'' (1963) No. 73 Hot 200  
*''Speak to Me of Love'' (1963) #50 Hot 200  
*''Speak to Me of Love'' (1963) No. 50 Hot 200  
*''Friendly Persuasion'' (1964) #141 Hot 200  
*''Friendly Persuasion'' (1964) No. 141 Hot 200  
*''Invisible Tears'' (1964) #23 Hot 200  
*''Invisible Tears'' (1964) No. 23 Hot 200  
*''Love Affair'' (1965) #54 Hot 200  
*''Love Affair'' (1965) No. 54 Hot 200  
*''Music From '[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]', '[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound of Music]]', '[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]' & Other Great Movie Themes'' (1965) #34 Hot 200  
*''Music From '[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]', '[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound of Music]]', '[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]' & Other Great Movie Themes'' (1965) No. 34 Hot 200  
*''[[Here We Come A-Caroling (Ray Conniff album)|Here We Come A-Caroling]]'' (1965, platinum album)
*''[[Here We Come A-Caroling (Ray Conniff album)|Here We Come A-Caroling]]'' (1965, platinum album)
*''[[Happiness Is (Ray Conniff album)|Happiness Is]]'' (1965) #80 Hot 200  
*''[[Happiness Is (Ray Conniff album)|Happiness Is]]'' (1965) No. 80 Hot 200  
*''[[Somewhere My Love and Other Great Hits]]'' (1966, platinum album) #3 Hot 200  
*''[[Somewhere My Love and Other Great Hits]]'' (1966, platinum album) No. 3 Hot 200, No. 34 UK
* ''Ray Conniff's World of Hits'' (1966) #78 Hot 200  
* ''Ray Conniff's World of Hits'' (1966) No. 78 Hot 200  
*''En Español (The Ray Conniff Singers Sing It in Spanish)'' (1966) #180 Hot 200  
*''En Español (The Ray Conniff Singers Sing It in Spanish)'' (1966) No. 180 Hot 200  
*''[[This Is My Song (Ray Conniff album)|This Is My Song]]'' (1967) #30 Hot 200  
*''[[This Is My Song (Ray Conniff album)|This Is My Song]]'' (1967) No. 30 Hot 200  
*''Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album'' (1967) #39 Hot 200  
*''Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album'' (1967) No. 39 Hot 200  
*''[[It Must Be Him (Ray Conniff album)|It Must Be Him]]'' (1967, gold album) #25 Hot 200  
*''[[It Must Be Him (Ray Conniff album)|It Must Be Him]]'' (1967, gold album) No. 25 Hot 200  
*''[[Honey (Ray Conniff album)|Honey]]'' (1968, gold album) #22 Hot 200  
*''[[Honey (Ray Conniff album)|Honey]]'' (1968, gold album) No. 22 Hot 200  
*''Turn Around Look at Me'' (1968) #69 Hot 200  
*''Turn Around Look at Me'' (1968) No. 69 Hot 200  
*''I Love How You Love Me'' (1969) #101 Hot 200  
*''I Love How You Love Me'' (1969) No. 101 Hot 200  
*''Ray Conniff's Greatest Hits'' (1969) #158 Hot 200
*''Ray Conniff's Greatest Hits'' (1969) No. 158 Hot 200
*''Live Europa Tournee 1969/Concert in Stereo'' (1969)
*''Live Europa Tournee 1969/Concert in Stereo'' (1969)
*''Jean'' (1969) #103 Hot 200  
*''Jean'' (1969) No. 103 Hot 200  
*''Concert In Stereo: Live at '[[Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe|The Sahara Tahoe]]''' (1969) #177 Hot 200  
*''Concert In Stereo: Live at '[[Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe|The Sahara Tahoe]]''' (1969) No. 177 Hot 200  
*''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' (1970) #47 Hot 200  
*''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' (1970) No. 47 Hot 200, No. 30 UK
*''We've Only Just Begun'' (1970) #120 Hot 200  
*''We've Only Just Begun'' (1970) No. 120 Hot 200  
*''Love Story'' (1970) #98 Hot 200  
*''Love Story'' (1970) No. 98 Hot 200, No. 34 UK
*''Great Contemporary Instrumental Hits'' (1971) #177 Hot 200  
*''Great Contemporary Instrumental Hits'' (1971) No. 177 Hot 200  
*''I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing'' (1971) #138 Hot 200  
*''I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing'' (1971) No. 138 Hot 200, No. 17 UK
{{col-break}}
{{col-break}}
*''Love Theme from '[[The Godfather]]''' (1972) #114 Hot 200  
*''Love Theme from '[[The Godfather]]''' (1972) No. 114 Hot 200  
*''Alone Again (Naturally)'' (1972) #180 Hot 200  
*''Alone Again (Naturally)'' (1972) No. 180 Hot 200  
*''I Can See Clearly Now'' (aka ''Clair'') (1973) #165 Hot 200  
*''I Can See Clearly Now'' (aka ''Clair'') (1973) No. 165 Hot 200, No. 39 UK
*''Ray Conniff in Britain'' (1973)
*''Ray Conniff in Britain'' (1973)
*''You Are the Sunshine of My Life'' (1973) #176 Hot 200, #41 AUS<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=73}}</ref>
*''You Are the Sunshine of My Life'' (1973) No. 176 Hot 200, No. 41 AUS<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=73}}</ref>
*''Harmony'' (1973) #194 Hot 200, #61 AUS<ref name=aus/>
*''Harmony'' (1973) No. 194 Hot 200, No. 61 AUS<ref name=aus/>
*''The Way We Were'' (1973)
*''The Way We Were'' (1973)
*''Ray Conniff Plays [[The Carpenters|Carpenters]]'' (1974)
*''Ray Conniff Plays [[The Carpenters|Carpenters]]'' (1974)
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! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Year
! style="width:400px;" rowspan="2"| Single
! style="width:400px;" rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="2"|Chart positions
! colspan="3"|Chart positions
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:40px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br/><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/244/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002 |date=2002 |publisher=Record Research |isbn=0898201551 |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisc. |pages=148}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnsbub0000whit/page/58/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981 |date=1982 |publisher=Record Research |isbn=978-0-8982-0047-8 |location=Menomonee Falls, Wis |pages=38}}</ref>
! style="width:40px;"| [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|US AC]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|US AC]]<br/><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnpres0000whit/page/62/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006 |date=2007 |publisher=Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. |isbn=978-0-89820-169-7 |pages=96}}</ref>
! style="width:40px;"| [[Cash Box|CB]]<br/><ref name=":02222">{{Cite book |last=Downey |first=Pat |url=https://archive.org/details/cashboxpopsingle00down/page/74/mode/2up |title=Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993 |date=1994 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |isbn=1-56308-316-7 |location=Englewood, Colo. |pages=120–121}}</ref>
|-
|-
|| 1957
|| 1957
| style="text-align:left;"| "'s Wonderful"
| style="text-align:left;"| "'[['S Wonderful]]"
| 73
| 73
|  
| —
| —
|-
|-
|| 1960
|| 1960
| style="text-align:left;"| "Midnight Lace-Part 1"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Midnight Lace-Part 1"
| 92
| 92
|  
| —
| 89
|-
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1964
| rowspan="3"| 1964
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]"
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]"
| 119
| 119
|  
| —
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Invisible Tears"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Invisible Tears"
| 57
| 57
| 10
| 10
| 50
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[If I Knew Then (Dick Jurgens and Eddy Howard song)|If I Knew Then]]"
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[If I Knew Then (Dick Jurgens and Eddy Howard song)|If I Knew Then]]"
| 126
| 126
|  
| —
| —
|-
|-
|| 1965
|| 1965
| style="text-align:left;"| "Happiness Is"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Happiness Is"
|  
| —
| 26
| 26
| —
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1966
| rowspan="2"| 1966
Line 295: Line 308:
| 9
| 9
| 1
| 1
| 11
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Lookin' For Love"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Lookin' For Love"
| 94
| 94
| 2
| 2
| —
|-
|-
| rowspan="6"| 1967
| rowspan="6"| 1967
| style="text-align:left;"| "Wednesday's Child"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Wednesday's Child"
|  
| —
| 29
| 29
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Cabaret"
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Cabaret (Cabaret song)|Cabaret]]"
| 118
| 118
| 13
| 13
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "'17'"
| style="text-align:left;"| "'17'"
|  
| —
| 15
| 15
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Wonderful Season of Summer"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Wonderful Season of Summer"
|  
| —
| 14
| 14
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Moonlight Brings Memories"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Moonlight Brings Memories"
|  
| —
| 24
| 24
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "One Paddle, Two Paddle"
| style="text-align:left;"| "One Paddle, Two Paddle"
|  
| —
| 25
| 25
| —
|-
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1968
| rowspan="4"| 1968
| style="text-align:left;"| "Winds of Change"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Winds of Change"
|  
| —
| 7
| 7
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "We're a Home"
| style="text-align:left;"| "We're a Home"
|  
| —
| 23
| 23
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[The Sound of Silence|Sounds of Silence]]"
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[The Sound of Silence|Sounds of Silence]]"
|  
| —
| 34
| 34
| —
|-
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Look Homeward Angel"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Look Homeward Angel"
|  
| —
| 12
| 12
| —
|-
|-
|| 1969
|| 1969
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[I've Got My Eyes on You (1968 song)|I've Got My Eyes On You]]"
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[I've Got My Eyes on You (1968 song)|I've Got My Eyes On You]]"
|  
| —
| 23
| 23
| —
|-
|-
|| 1971
|| 1971
| style="text-align:left;"| "Loss of Love"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Loss of Love"
|  
| —
| 35
| 35
| —
|-
|-
|| 1973
|| 1973
| style="text-align:left;"| "Harmony"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Harmony"
|  
| —
| 23
| 23
| —
|-
|-
|| 1977
|| 1977
| style="text-align:left;"| "Rain On"
| style="text-align:left;"| "Rain On"
|  
| —
| 48
| 48
| —
|}
|}


Line 367: Line 396:


==Holiday 100 chart entries==
==Holiday 100 chart entries==
Since many radio stations in the US adopt a format change to Christmas music each December, many holiday hits have an annual spike in popularity during the last few weeks of the year and are retired once the season is over.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-christmas-radio-20151222-story.html|title=Jingle bell rock: Why lots of radio stations go all-Christmas in December|last=Judkis|first=Maura|date=2015-12-22|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> In December 2011, ''Billboard'' began a Holiday Songs chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as the Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay, and sales data",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8491032/andy-williams-the-ronettes-hot-100-chart-moves |title=Andy Williams Hits New High, The Ronettes 'Ride' Back After 52 Years & More Hot 100 Chart Moves|website=Billboard.com |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> and in 2013 the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in the Holiday 100.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Carey Brings Back 'Christmas'|date= 2013-12-14 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| page=115}}</ref> Two recordings by Conniff and The Singers have made appearances on the Holiday 100 and are noted below according to the holiday season in which they charted there.
Since many radio stations in the US adopt a format change to Christmas music each December, many holiday hits have an annual spike in popularity during the last few weeks of the year and are retired once the season is over.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-christmas-radio-20151222-story.html|title=Jingle bell rock: Why lots of radio stations go all-Christmas in December|last=Judkis|first=Maura|date=2015-12-22|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> In December 2011, ''Billboard'' began a Holiday Songs chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as the Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay, and sales data",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/andy-williams-the-ronettes-hot-100-chart-moves/ |title=Andy Williams Hits New High, The Ronettes 'Ride' Back After 52 Years & More Hot 100 Chart Moves|website=Billboard.com |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref> and in 2013 the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in the Holiday 100.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Carey Brings Back 'Christmas'|date= 2013-12-14 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| page=115}}</ref> Two recordings by Conniff and The Singers have made appearances on the Holiday 100 and are noted below according to the holiday season in which they charted there.


{| class = "wikitable" style = text-align:center;
{| class = "wikitable" style = text-align:center;
|-
|-
! rowspan = "2"| Title
! rowspan = "2"| Title
! colspan = "12"| Holiday season peak chart positions
! colspan = "6"| Holiday season peak chart positions
! rowspan = "2"| Album
! rowspan = "2"| Album
|- style = "width:3em;font-size:90%;"
|- style = "width:3em;font-size:90%;"
! align = center| 2011
! align = center| 2012
! align = center| 2013
! align = center| 2014
! align = center| 2015
! align = center| 2015
! align = center| 2016
! align = center| 2017
! align = center| 2017
! align = center| 2018
! align = center| 2018
! align = center| 2019
! align = center| 2019
! align = center| 2020
! align = center| 2021
! align = center| 2021
! align = center| 2022
! align = center| 2022
|-
|-
| align = left| "[[Carol of the Bells|Ring Christmas Bells]]"
| align = left| "[[Carol of the Bells|Ring Christmas Bells]]"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 60<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2015-12-12|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180407094423/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2015-12-12|url-status= dead|archive-date= 7 April 2018|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 12, 2015 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 60<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2015-12-12|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180407094423/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2015-12-12|url-status= dead|archive-date= 7 April 2018|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 12, 2015 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| —
| 92<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2017-12-16|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180407094210/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2017-12-16|url-status= dead|archive-date= 7 April 2018|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 16, 2017 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 92<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2017-12-16|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180407094210/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2017-12-16|url-status= dead|archive-date= 7 April 2018|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 16, 2017 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 97<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2018-12-08|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190223024719/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2018-12-08|url-status= dead|archive-date= 23 February 2019|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 8, 2018 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 97<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2018-12-08|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190223024719/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2018-12-08|url-status= dead|archive-date= 23 February 2019|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 8, 2018 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 84<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-12-07|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 7, 2019|publisher=billboard.com|access-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210818011431/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-12-07|archive-date= August 18, 2021}}</ref>
| 84<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-12-07|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 7, 2019|publisher=billboard.com|access-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210818011431/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-12-07|archive-date= August 18, 2021}}</ref>
| —
| —
| —
| 92<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2022-12-03|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 3, 2022)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 3, 2022|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>
| 92<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2022-12-03|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 3, 2022)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 3, 2022|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>
Line 404: Line 421:
|-
|-
| align = left| "[[The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)|The Twelve Days of Christmas]]"
| align = left| "[[The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)|The Twelve Days of Christmas]]"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 49<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-01-05|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190223023907/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-01-05|url-status= dead|archive-date= 23 February 2019|title=Holiday 100: The week of January 5, 2019 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 49<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-01-05|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190223023907/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-01-05|url-status= dead|archive-date= 23 February 2019|title=Holiday 100: The week of January 5, 2019 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| 63<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2020-01-04|title=Holiday 100: The week of January 4, 2020|publisher=billboard.com|access-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210103152333/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2020-01-04|archive-date= January 3, 2021}}</ref>
| 63<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2020-01-04|title=Holiday 100: The week of January 4, 2020|publisher=billboard.com|access-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210103152333/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2020-01-04|archive-date= January 3, 2021}}</ref>
| —
| 83<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2021-12-11|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 11, 2021)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 11, 2021|access-date=13 December 2021}}</ref>
| 83<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2021-12-11|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 11, 2021)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 11, 2021|access-date=13 December 2021}}</ref>
| —
| —
Line 488: Line 499:
* {{imdb name|0175241}}
* {{imdb name|0175241}}
* [http://www.rayconniff.com The Ray Conniff Page – News]
* [http://www.rayconniff.com The Ray Conniff Page – News]
* [http://mthoenicke.magix.net/public/conniff/CollectorsGuide.pdf The Collector's Guide to the Works of Ray Conniff]
* [https://rayconniff.net/TheRayConniffEncyclopedia.pdf The Ray Conniff Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.spaceagepop.com/conniff.htm SpaceAgePop.com biography]
* [http://www.spaceagepop.com/conniff.htm SpaceAgePop.com biography]
* [http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Ray-Conniff.html Ray Conniff CDs released on the Collectables label]
* [http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Ray-Conniff.html Ray Conniff CDs released on the Collectables label]
Line 504: Line 515:
[[Category:People from Attleboro, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Attleboro, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:American male composers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male composers]]
[[Category:American music arrangers]]
[[Category:American music arrangers]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths from falls]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths from falls]]
Line 514: Line 525:
[[Category:20th-century American trombonists]]
[[Category:20th-century American trombonists]]
[[Category:20th-century American composers]]
[[Category:20th-century American composers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]

Latest revision as of 16:58, 3 December 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.

Biography

Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United States,[1] and learned to play the trombone from his father. He studied music arranging from a course book.[2]

Early career

After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II (where he worked under Walter Schumann), he joined the Artie Shaw big band and wrote many arrangements for him.[1] After his stint with Shaw, he was hired in 1954 by Mitch Miller, head of A&R at Columbia Records, as the label's home arranger, working with several artists including Rosemary Clooney, Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Guy Mitchell and Johnnie Ray.[1] He wrote a top-10 arrangement for Don Cherry's "Band of Gold" in 1955, a single that sold more than a million copies.[1] Among the hit singles Conniff backed with his orchestra (and eventually with a male chorus) were "Yes Tonight Josephine" and "Just Walkin' in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray; "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me to Say" by Johnny Mathis; "A White Sport Coat" and "The Hanging Tree" by Marty Robbins; "Moonlight Gambler" by Frankie Laine; "Up Above My Head", a duet by Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray; and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also backed up the albums Tony by Tony Bennett, Blue Swing by Eileen Rodgers, Swingin' for Two by Don Cherry, and half the tracks of The Big Beat by Johnnie Ray. In these early years Conniff produced similar-sounding records for Columbia's Epic label under the name of Jay Raye (which stood for "Joseph Raymond"), among them a backing album and singles with the American male vocal group Somethin' Smith and the Redheads.

Between 1957 and 1968, Conniff had 28 albums in the American Top 40, the most famous one being Somewhere My Love (1966).[1] He topped the album list in Britain in 1969 with His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound,[1] an album which was originally published to promote his European tour (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) in 1969. He also was the first American popular artist to record in Russia—in 1974 he recorded Ray Conniff in Moscow with the help of a local choir.[1] His later albums like Exclusivamente Latino, Amor Amor, and Latinisimo made him very popular in Latin American countries, even more so after performing in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. In Brazil and Chile in the 1980s and 1990s, he was treated like a young pop superstar despite being in his seventies and eighties. He played live with his orchestra and eight-person chorus in large football stadiums as well as in Viña del Mar.

Conniff commented, "One time I was recording an album with Mitch Miller – we had a big band and a small choir. I decided to have the choir sing along with the big band using wordless lyrics. The women were doubled with the trumpets and the men were doubled with the trombones. In the booth Mitch was totally surprised and excited at how well it worked." Because of the success of his backing arrangements, and the new sound Conniff created, Miller allowed him to make his own record, and this became the successful ’s Wonderful!, a collection of standards that were recorded with an orchestra and a wordless singing chorus (four men, four women).[1] He released many more albums in the same vein, including ’s Marvelous (1957, gold album), ’s Awful Nice (1958), Concert in Rhythm (1958, gold album), Broadway in Rhythm (1958), Hollywood in Rhythm (1959), Concert in Rhythm, Vol. II (1960), Say It With Music (1960), Memories Are Made of This (1960, gold album), and ’s Continental (1962).[1] His second album was Dance the Bop! (1957). It was an experiment by one of the senior managers at Columbia to cash in on a new dance step, but from the outset, Conniff disliked it. When it sold poorly, he had it withdrawn.

The Ray Conniff Singers

File:Conniff IMG 4525.jpg
Conniff and his singers in 1958

In 1959, Conniff started The Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men) and released the album It's the Talk of the Town.[1] This group brought him his biggest hit: Somewhere My Love (1966). The lyrics of the album's title track were sung to the music of "Lara's Theme" from the film Doctor Zhivago, and it became a US top 10 single.[1]

The album reached the US top 20 and went platinum, and Conniff won a Grammy. The single and album also reached high positions in the international charts (including Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan), while the first of four Christmas albums by the Singers, Christmas with Conniff (1959) was also successful.

Nearly 50 years after its release, in 2004, Conniff was posthumously awarded a platinum album/CD. Other well-known releases by the Singers included Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album (1967), featuring the hit song "Pearly Shells," and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), which included Conniff's original composition "Someone", and remakes of such hits as "All I Have to Do is Dream", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", and "Something".

Musically different highlights in Conniff's career are two albums he produced in cooperation with Billy Butterfield, an old friend from earlier swing days. Conniff Meets Butterfield (1959) featured Butterfield's solo trumpet and a small rhythm group, and Just Kiddin' Around (after a Conniff original composition from the 1940s), released in 1963, which featured additional trombone solos by Ray himself. Both albums are pure light jazz and did not feature any vocals.

Later years

Conniff recorded in New York from 1955 to 1961, and mainly in Los Angeles from 1962 through 2000. Later in the 1960s he produced an average of one vocal and two instrumental albums a year.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 1979, Conniff was hired to re-arrange and record a new version of "Those Were The Days" and "Remembering You", the opening and closing themes to All in the Family for Carroll O'Connor's new spin-off, Archie Bunker's Place on CBS with a small ensemble, trombone solo, and honky-tonk piano. Conniff sold about 70 million albums worldwide, and continued recording and performing until his death in 2002.

Death

Ray Conniff died October 12, 2002, in Escondido, California after falling and hitting his head on a sink.[3][4][5] He is buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California with his grave marker bearing a musical score with the first four notes of "Somewhere My Love". Conniff was survived by his wife Vera (April 7, 1944 - January 7, 2018, buried in the same plot as Ray), daughter Tamara Conniff, son Jimmy Conniff (died 2015), and three grandchildren.

Legacy

In 2004, a memorial two-CD compilation set, The Essential Ray Conniff, was released, featuring many rare and previously unreleased tracks. The Singles Collection, Vol. 1 was released on the Collectables label in 2005, The Singles Collection, Vol. 2 in 2007, and Vol. 3 was released in 2009. These collections feature rare singles and previously unissued tracks. His music is also featured prominently in the movie There's Something About Mary.

In 2022, "Bah Bah Conniff Sprach (Zarathustra)", from Conniff's 1973 album You Are the Sunshine of My Life, was featured in a Salesforce television commercial starring Matthew McConaughey.

Ray Conniff Singers membership

In 1959, Conniff started The Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men).

From 1962 through 2001, membership in the Ray Conniff Singers included: Script error: No such module "Template wrapper".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Original albums

Ray Conniff was one of the most successful easy listening artists on the Billboard magazine album chart, placing 30 albums on their Billboard Hot 200 chart to 1973,[7] and many of them charted in the UK too.[8] The group went on to record over 90 albums.

<templatestyles src="Col-begin/styles.css"/>

Hit records

Year Single Chart positions
US
[11][12] 		US AC
[13] 		CB
[14]
1957 "''S Wonderful" 73 — —
1960 "Midnight Lace-Part 1" 92 — 89
1964 "Blue Moon" 119 — —
"Invisible Tears" 57 10 50
"If I Knew Then" 126 — —
1965 "Happiness Is" — 26 —
1966 "Somewhere My Love" 9 1 11
"Lookin' For Love" 94 2 —
1967 "Wednesday's Child" — 29 —
"Cabaret" 118 13 —
"'17'" — 15 —
"Wonderful Season of Summer" — 14 —
"Moonlight Brings Memories" — 24 —
"One Paddle, Two Paddle" — 25 —
1968 "Winds of Change" — 7 —
"We're a Home" — 23 —
"Sounds of Silence" — 34 —
"Look Homeward Angel" — 12 —
1969 "I've Got My Eyes On You" — 23 —
1971 "Loss of Love" — 35 —
1973 "Harmony" — 23 —
1977 "Rain On" — 48 —

Spinoffs

A special version of the song "Happiness Is" was recorded for use in a TV commercial for Kent cigarettes, prior to the ban on TV advertising of tobacco products.

Holiday 100 chart entries

Since many radio stations in the US adopt a format change to Christmas music each December, many holiday hits have an annual spike in popularity during the last few weeks of the year and are retired once the season is over.[15] In December 2011, Billboard began a Holiday Songs chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as the Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay, and sales data",[16] and in 2013 the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in the Holiday 100.[17] Two recordings by Conniff and The Singers have made appearances on the Holiday 100 and are noted below according to the holiday season in which they charted there.

Title Holiday season peak chart positions Album
2015 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022
"Ring Christmas Bells" 60[18] 92[19] 97[20] 84[21] — 92[22] We Wish You a Merry Christmas
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" — — 49[23] 63[24] 83[25] —

Songs composed by Conniff

  • "I Don't Love Nobody but You" (1956)
  • "Unwanted Heart" (1956)
  • "A Girl Without a Fella" (1956)
  • "Please Write While I'm Away" (1956)
  • "Love Her in the Morning" (1956)
  • "No Wedding Today" (1956; under pseudonym, "Engberg")
  • "There's a Place Called Heaven" (1956; under pseudonym, "Engberg")
  • "Three Way Love" (1957)
  • "Walkin' and Whistlin" (1957)
  • "Grown Up Tears" (1957)
  • "Steel Guitar Rock" (1957)
  • LP Dance the Bop! (1957; all titles)
  • "Ann's Theme" (1957; under pseudonym, "Engberg")
  • "(If 'n' You Don't) Somebody Else Will" (1957)
  • "Just a Beginner in Love" (1957)
  • "Window Shopping" (1957)
  • "Soliloquy of a Fool" (1957; co-written)
  • "When We're All Through School" (1957)
  • "Make It Baby" (1957/58)
  • "Let's Walk" (1957/58)
  • "Lonely for a Letter" (1958)
  • "Early Evening (Theme from the Ray Conniff Suite)" (1958)
  • "Let's Be Grown Up Too" (1958)
  • "Pacific Sunset" (1958)
  • "A Love is Born" (1959)
  • "Stay" (1959; co-written)
  • "Will You Love Me" (1959; co-written)
  • "African Safari" (1961)
  • "To my Love" (1962)
  • "Just Kiddin' Around" (1963; composed in the 1930s)
  • "Scarlet" (1963)
  • "Love Has No Rules" (1963)
  • "The Real Meaning of Christmas" (1965)
  • "Midsummer in Sweden" (1966)
  • "The Power of Love" (1969)
  • "Everybody Knows" (1970)
  • "Someone" (1970)
  • "With Every Beat of My Heart" (1971)
  • "A Man Without a Vision" (1972; co-written with Robert Pickett and Fred Sadoff)
  • "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" (1973)
  • "Frost Festival" (1973)
  • "Ecstasy" (1974)
  • "Ray Conniff in Moscow" (1974)
  • "I Need You Baby" (1975)
  • "Love Theme from an X-Rated Movie", also titled "Duck Walk" and "Love Dance" (1975)
  • "Vera's Theme" (1976)
  • "Dama Latina" (1977)
  • "The 23rd Psalm" (1979)
  • "Exclusivamente Latino" (1980)
  • "Fantastico" (1983; co-written)
  • "Supersonico" (1984)
  • "Campeones" ("The Champions") (1985)
  • "I Can Do All Things (Through Christ Which Strengthenth Me)" (1986)
  • "Tamara's Boogie" (1996)
  • "Turn to the Right" (1996)

See also

References

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External links

Template:Archival records

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