THE DYNAMIC DUO IN DERBYSHIRE (U.K.)
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Just For the Record:
 It was Decca records Executive Sonny Burke who invited JEFF CHANDLER into the recording studio to make a few demo discs, after he had written the theme tune to ‘Six Bridges to Cross’ (1956), after he had combined with Henry Mancini to sing the title song for the film ‘Foxfire’ (1955), in which he appeared with JANE RUSSELL. Jane was no amateur when it came to singing, as she had sung with a few bands previously. Just by chance they had taken along a portable tape recorder while filming in the Arizona Desert and Burke heard them singing together.
Many stars used their talent as a sideline, like TONY CURTIS. Universal International had their own voice coach named JOHNNIE SCOTT, and they worked together for six weeks. The result was a demo disc of two songs, ‘I’ve Got the Gypsy in My Soul’, and ‘First Thing You Know and You’re in Love’, both recorded with The Page Cavanaugh Trio.
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They Became Singers:
 Remember how JOSE FERRER’ and his wife of the time, ROSEMARY CLOONEY had a hit with the song ‘Woman’, and later JOSE went on to play the screen biography of SIGMUND ROMBERG in the successful musical ‘Deep in My Heart’, which was released on MGM Records.
When ERROL FLYNN came over to the United Kingdom to film ‘Lilacs in the Spring’ (55), with ANNA NEAGLE, he booked in at the Philips Recording Studio to record the song ‘Lily of Laguna’. Then we had Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons, neither were singers, but they got the parts in ‘Guys and Dolls’. KIRK DOUGLAS was in the film ‘Man Without a Star’ (56), and though FRANKIE LAINE sang the title song, Kirk later waxed ‘The Moon Grew Brighter and Brighter’, on the Brunswick label over here. He is also well known for his song ‘A whale of a Tale’ from WALT DISNEY’S ’20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
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Movie Studio to Recording studio:
 Columbia Records orchestra leader RAY MARTIN influenced GLYNIS JOHNS to sing on record, in a husky voiced version of ‘I Can’t Resist Men’, after hearing her sing in ‘Mad About Men’ (54). Let’s not forget former sex idol DIANA DORS who went on to become a highly successful cabaret artiste, and performer. Polygon Records enticed DIANE CILENTO to sing ‘A Fool and His Heart’, while making ‘The Woman for Joe’ (55), for The Rank Organisation. This same company also put ANTHONY STEEL under contract to record ‘Jambo – West of Zanzibar’ from the film of ‘West of Zanzibar’, which was the sequel to ‘Where No Vultures Fly’. Steel never got to sing on screen, and the film was banned by the Kenyan Government because of it’s Mau Mau theme.
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Johnnie the Voice Coach:
 JOHNNIE SCOTT became well known as a Coach and a Writer. At Twentieth Century Fox he coached DAN DAILEY and JUNE HAVER; while at Universal he worked with JANET LEIGH in ‘Walking My Baby Back Home’, and had a hit song with ‘Maybe It’s Because’. Other artists he worked with included MARLA POWERS, PIPER LAURIE, JULIE ADAMS, MAMIE VAN DOREN, and REX REASON. However there are some we might like to forget, like JERRY COLLANNA’S recordings of ‘Ebb Tide’ and ‘The Velvet Glove’’ but, it’s still sought by record collector’s the world over.
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How To Do IT!
 Screen tough guy ROBERT MITCHUM also made several successful albums and CDs; which are still available in music stores today. Of course some film stars who were not originally known as singers, still went on to record their voices on discs, simply by being taught the right way to put their voice over; classic examples of this being REX HARRISON, and RICHARD HARRIS. Stars worked by the following code, that a good disc could help a stars reputation… a poor one could hurt them on the screen as well as on wax!
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© Bernard Goodwin/Ernest Munson 2004-03-05
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