Search - Nelson Riddle :: Sing a Song With Riddle / Hey Diddle Riddle

THE RHYTHMS OF RIDDLE....

Giovanni Marra | Lockport, IL | 07/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"eons before the craze of karaoke in homes, bars, etc. came his wonderful album of standards arranged by the greatest of them all, Nelson Riddle. While aspiring singers could only dream of ever 'working' with the Riddle orchestra, (some of which, like myself, were not even born during his reign over Hollywood

studios) this LP made it possible back in the late 50's when it was released. Mr. Riddle leads the band on SING A SONG OF RIDDLE, and as always, never intrudes on the vocalist while posting superior charts for even the most novice of singers. As observed in the liner notes, one is at once astonished at how well these "background tracks" stand on their own as danceable/listening pleasures. Particularly swinging are the old chestnut EVERYWHERE YOU GO and the Sinatra standard that Riddle charted for Ol' Blue Eyes some years earlier, YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG. The moving renditions of FOOLS RUSH IN and DARN THAT DREAM set a smoky, late night mood, but the ballad that really stands out here is the wonderful THE MORE I SEE YOU, immortalized by Nat "King" Cole, and hearing Mr. Riddle's treatment here makes one wonder what might have been if Cole had recorded it with him as he did most of his other classics. A wonderful album whether you're a singer, a swinger, or just one who appreciates music. Riddle was the best at his craft.

While this long out of print item is worth the price of admission alone, with help from DRG, EMI/Capitol, and especially the Riddle Family, (be sure to visit their website at nelsonriddlemusic.com) it has been paired with a rarity that was for some reason, never released until now. HEY DIDDLE RIDDLE was the working title of a collection of nursery rhyme songs rendered in the swinging Nelson Riddle way. Happily restored here in glorious remastered sound, we can swing our way through those Mother Goose tales of our youth. I love THE FARMER IN THE DELL and OH DEAR WHAT CAN THE MATTER BE. I can only imagine even the sometimes somber Mr. Riddle must have had fun with these, as can be heard in each arrangement. The boys in the band put in their best (as they always did, since Riddle expected no less) in spite of the light heartedness of the material at hand (which may be the reason Capitol deemed this project unreleaseable at the time?) With my best friends expecting twins in the fall of this year, I plan to have their mom start listening now (so the babies can hear it too, even before they arrive) At the very least, they'll have a love

of great music instilled in them....but more than likely will be a pair of real swingin' babies! Thanks once again to DRG for getting these two albums out there; hope they can continue the trend and get the rest of this truly magnificent master arranger's works out there for the masses to enjoy. (Plans are in the works for finally releasing on CD Riddle's work with Buddy DeFranco, CROSS COUNTRY SUITE after years of neglect)"

No lyrics enclosed?

Christine Cipperly | california | 11/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am very grateful to Putsypooh for including the fact that the songbook is not included with the CD. My parents had this LP when I was growing up and we really enjoyed singing the songs. When I was only about 7 years old, my parents would drag me out of bed to perform "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" I have those lyrics memorized, but would be lost on some of the others. After 50 years I wanted to share this experience with my kids and was excited to see that it is available, but am hesitant to order without the lyrics. I looked to see if it was available as separate sheet music, but no luck so far. I'd hate to have to order each song separately. What a bummer!"

A missing riddle

Putsypooh | California | 06/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I tend to agree with the comments and feelngs of Mr. Marra's review. Nelson Riddle has always been "Top Drawer," in my opinion. Virtually all of his albums are in my collection. Five stars for the CD which the first part is true to the older LP-- with one glaring omission: No included sheet music! How is one to "Sing a Song with Riddle" when there are no lyrics included to sing while one is following along with the no sheet music!? The LP included a small booklet with a separate page for each song. Even with the constricted space availble inside a CD's jewel case, it would seem to me an attempt should have been made. In my case, I can just go to the LP shelves and get the sheet music and sing a song, but what can anyone else do? Memorize the lyrics and phrasings? 'Tis a "riddle" how this essential addition was not included. I deduct one star for the oversight.

My particular CD also skipped and wouldn''t play after the first 10 seconds in the computer, but some light cleaning of the disk helped immeasurably. This is not usually a problem with Amazon."