Why there’s a sudden interest in Henry Mancini ?

 

Italian/American composer Henry Mancini would have been a hundred years old last April 16. He was born in Ohio to a family of Italian immigrants on April 16, 1924. He died on June 14, 1994 from pancreatic cancer. Mancini grew up to become a conductor, arranger, flutist, pianist, concert performer and one of the greatest composers in the history of film music. Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses, Music from Peter Gunn, theme from ‘The Pink Panther,’ Once is Not Enough, Charade and so many others. No wonder a lot of people want to celebrate him. I do, too. STAR / File

SOUNDS FAMILIAR - Baby A. Gil - The Philippine Star 

July 6, 2024 | 12:00am

I initially found it strange that items about the Italian/American composer Henry Mancini were suddenly popping up online these past weeks when I thought there was no reason for them to do so. I love Mr. Mancini’s music very much but he had already passed away so what could be newsworthy about him?

It turned out that I was so wrong. The reason why media had developed a sudden interest in Mr. Mancini was because he would have been a hundred years old last April 16. He was born in Ohio to a family of Italian immigrants on April 16, 1924. He died on June 14, 1994 from pancreatic cancer. So that was why there was this concert at the Hollywood Bowl, a new tribute album and Michael Bublé is singing Moon River.

Mancini grew up to become a conductor, arranger, flutist, pianist, concert performer and one of the greatest composers in the history of film music. Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses, Music from Peter Gunn, theme from “The Pink Panther,” Once is Not Enough, Charade and so many others. No wonder a lot of people want to celebrate him. I do, too.

Mancini created pretty melodies. His works were nothing earthshaking but they were classy and made being lazy and listless, not only acceptable but utterly chic. What sort of image do you get when you hear Charade? Dinner on a boat sailing the River Seine. What about Speak Softly Love? I say fields and fields of sunflowers. What tune would you like playing in your head while walking the sidewalks of Manhattan? Once is Not Enough. And when you get to your destination at Tiffany’s? Of course, Moon River plays in your soundtrack.

There are more as I rediscovered while going over his bio for this piece. No wonder there was this pretty little tune The Sweetheart Tree at the end of “The Great Race.” It was by Mancini. Is there anything cuter than the Baby Elephant Walk from “Hatari.” He did the music for the most binged series of the ‘70s era “The Thornbirds.”  He worked on the music of “Me Natalie” with Rod McKuen, plus Moment to Moment, Dear Heart and who can dismiss one of my all-time favorites, the music of “Two for the Road” and its meaningful theme song.

Mancini also excelled as an arranger. His work on A Time for Us, the Nino Rota tune from “Romeo and Juliet” and Love Story by Francis Lai made the hit charts. He is credited with the clever use of Ravel’s Bolero in “10.” Remember Bo Derek and her corn rows rising out of the sea? And many more. Suffice to say, back in those days, the ‘70s and ‘80s eras, Mancini was the go-to guy if you wanted a movie score that was sentimental, sexy, trendy and which would become a hit.

Mancini recorded 90 albums during his lifetime. He was nominated 72 times at the Grammy Awards. He won 20 of them including Album of the Year for “The Music from Peter Gunn” in 1958, Best Instrumental Arrangement for A Time for Us, the love theme from “Romeo and Juliet” in 1969, then Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Moon River from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in 1961. He was nominated 18 times at the Academy Awards and won four times including Best Original Song for Moon River in 1961 and another Best Original Song again a year later for “Days of Wine and Roses.”

An interesting tribute album titled Henry Mancini, the 100th Sessions is set to drop soon. It is made up of new recordings of Mancini’s songs including Peter Gunn by Quincy Jones, John Williams, Herbie Hancock and Arturo Sandoval, the Moon River by Bublé and the theme from “The Pink Panther” by Lizzo and flutist James Galway, plus others.

Extolling the underrated Ernie de la Peña

 

SOUNDS FAMILIAR - Baby A. Gil - The Philippine Star 

March 16, 2024 | 12:00am

Ernie de la Peña was known in the music industry. He was one of the country’s top lyricists and producers. He was also an excellent vocal coach. He was literally a music factory. He wrote the lyrics to Rico J. Puno’s Kapalaran and Leah Navarro’s Ang Pag-ibig Kong Ito. Ernie also contributed to Didith Reyes’ Araw-Araw Gabi-Gabi. He was available for everybody, unknown newcomers then like Sharon Cuneta, Mahal Kita Mahal Mo Siya Mahal Niya ay Iba and Bibeth Orteza, Ang Pangarap Kong Asawa, legends like Sylvia La Torre, Huwag Kang Sumingit and Bobby Gonzales, Salidummay.

Singer and songwriter Ernie de la Peña was that rare kind of music worker. He composed and sang from the heart, but he was also aware of the prevailing demands of the music market. That was why producers enjoyed working with him. He gave them what they needed at the right time.

Everybody looked up to De la Peña or Mang Ernie, as he was known in the music industry. He was one of the country’s top lyricists and producers. He was also an excellent vocal coach. He was literally a music factory.

His output for Rico J. Puno was a fine example of his kind of practical genius. There was a need for that all-important second single for Rico, he wrote the lyrics to Kapalaran. They needed a competition song for Rico, he came up with Lupa. He also did Ang Tao’y Marupok, Bawal Na Pag-ibig, Ganyan Pala ang Magmahal and others.

Didith Reyes was venturing into her solo career and needed a song. Willy Cruz had a melody for a movie he was scoring. Mang Ernie finished the job with Araw-Araw Gabi-Gabi. Leah Navarro was heartbroken, so her producers thought a hit song might help ease her pain. So, Mang Ernie wrote Ang Pag-ibig Kong Ito. And Leah got her hit.

Back then when it was the custom of local producers to come up with Tagalog versions of current hits, Mang Ernie was the go-to guy. He was the one who turned Glen Campbell’s Rhinestone Cowboy into Kawawang Cowboy for Fred Panopio. That was also how I Know I Need to be in Love by The Carpenters became Dahil Sa Aking Pangarap for Nora Aunor.

Mang Ernie was also a singer. He was a veteran of fiesta entablados all over the country and made very good demos of original compositions. He recorded several albums as the tenor of the Filipinas Singers.

He also found huge success and his only brush with notoriety as half of the Ermar Duet. The other half was Mar Lopez. Their song Pinagbigyan and the album of the same title broke record sales back in the early ‘70s.

Aside from the songwriting and the singing, Mang Ernie was also the most reliable and most hardworking producer and vocal coach at the studio. He knew the correct inflection of a syllable on a note a hundred percent of the time. He was also patient and level-headed with the demands, tantrums of the assorted divas and divos he had to work with.

He steered the twisted Spanish cum Cebuano tongue of Pilita Corrales into straight Tagalog for Philippine Love Songs and brought her music glory. He put aspiring singer Victor Wood through every note of his recordings like I’m Sorry My Love and he became the jukebox king.

He was available for everybody, unknown newcomers then like Sharon Cuneta, Mahal Kita Mahal Mo Siya Mahal Niya ay Iba and Bibeth Orteza, Ang Pangarap Kong Asawa, legends like Sylvia La Torre, Huwag Kang Sumingit and Bobby Gonzales, Salidummay.

Even disco bands like VST&Co. came under Mang Ernie’s radar, “Tayo’y magsayawan, sumabay sa takbo ng tugtugan…” And talk about writing lyrics for a historical event, Magkaisa by Virna Lisa with music by Tito Sotto has words by Ernie de la Peña. “Magkaisa at mag-sama, kapit-kamay...”

Although he had retired from his job as producer and artist and repertoire manager at Vicor Music Corporation, Mang Ernie remained active in the business. He accepted writing assignments, guestings in various shows, judging music contests and other gigs.

Last March 12, Mang Ernie breathed his last after a long age-related illness. He was 92 years old. His was a life well-lived and original Filipino pop music owes him a debt that can never be repaid.