Moments to Remember

"Moments to Remember" is a 1955 popular song recorded by Canadian quartet The Four Lads.[1][2] The song was originally written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman for Perry Como but was turned down by Como's management.[3] The Four Lads recorded it in June 1955 for Columbia Records as the B side to the single "Dream On, My Love."[4] Bernie Toorish of the Four Lads credited the enthusiastic endorsement of Cleveland radio DJ Bill Randle for increasing radio airtime play and popularizing the recording.[5] It eventually reached number 2 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 hit list (an early version of the Hot 100), sold 4 million copies and became the group's first gold record.

Besides the voices of the male quartet, the song also contains two uncredited female parts. According to the Four Lads' Frank Busseri, the introductory verse, ("January through December/We'll have moments to remember"), as well as the repeat of the Bridge section in harmony, ("When summer turns to winter",) were sung by Lois Winters of the Ray Charles Singers and the poetic spoken words in mid-song: ("A drive-in movie/Where we'd go/And somehow never watched the show/") were recited by Pat Kirby of the Steve Allen Tonight Show.[4]

Among the memories listed in the song included tearing down the goal post on New Year's Day, the quiet walks, the noisy fun, and the ballroom prize which they almost won. In the final stanza, they sing whenever they are separated from each other on the other days, that they will always remember those precious moments. All of those memories reflected the suburban lifestyle of the 1950s.

Other noted versions

  • Bing Crosby recorded the song on November 23, 1955 with Buddy Cole and His Orchestra.[6]
  • Louis Armstrong - a single release (1955).[7]
  • Ronnie Hilton with orchestra conducted by Frank Cordell recorded "Moments to Remember" in London on December 13, 1955 and released it on HMV POP-154 (78 rpm record) and HMV 7M 358 (single).
  • The American vocal group Deep River Boys Featuring Harry Douglas with Pete Brown's orchestra recorded it in Oslo on August 30, 1956. It was released on the 78 rpm record HMV AL 6037.
  • Keely Smith - for her album Because You're Mine (1962).[8]
  • The Bachelors - included in their album Presenting: The Bachelors (1964).[9]
  • The song was recorded by the Statler Brothers and The Vogues in 1969, inciting a minor cover remake battle against the Buddah Records version by the Smoke Ring. The Vogues version included an uncredited female voice who spoke the poetic words as part of the mini-poetic recitation in the middle of the song.
  • "Moments to Remember" was also included in the soundtrack to the 1990 off-Broadway musical Forever Plaid.
  • Barry Manilow recorded it for his 2006 album, The Greatest Songs of the Fifties.
  • Canadian singer Anne Murray recorded a cover of the song for her album Croonin' in 1993.
  • Sirius XM Satellite Radio formerly aired, from July 2006 through March 2009, a show on their '50s channel named after the song, and featured the song as part of its theme music. The show, hosted by Bob Moke, played popular pre-rock and roll songs in the early 1950s.
  • Released in 1995 by the Statler Brothers on the two-record set "The Statler Brothers Sing The Classics"; also featured on the 2002 CD & DVD "The Statler Brothers Farewell Concert"

References

  1. ↑ Younkman, Tim (10 April 2010). "There's an album for everything under the sun". The Bay City Times. Michigan Live LLC.
  2. ↑ QMI Agency. "Four Lads singer Codarini dies". jam.canoe.ca.
  3. ↑ Mitchell, Marilyn (March 20, 2013). "Frank Busseri and The Four Lads Moments to remember". Palm Desert Entertainer. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 Allen, Ronnie. "Frank Busseri". Ronnie Allen Podcast. Jersey Girls Sing. pp. 25:16–30:45. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  5. ↑ Adams, Deanna R. (2002). Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection. Kent State University Press. p. 14. ISBN 0873386914.
  6. ↑ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ "45cat.com". 45cat.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
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