John Gary - Spanish Moonlight '1967

Tracks list

Not long after John Garys fifth album hit the record industry trade
papers’ best-selling charts, RCA Victor Vice-President Steve Sholes
suggested John make an LP of Irish tunes. All five of the albums, as John Gary
fans know, had been collections of beautiful, well-known standard songs with an
occasional new composition thrown in There had at no time been any self-imposed
barriers or limitations, ethnic or otherwise, on the repertoire to be presented.
Nevertheless. Steve’s idea was accepted by John with great enthusiasm,
and in his usual fashion he worked diligently with arranger Marty Gold on the
twelve Irish songs finally selected. It’s now record history that A
Little Bit of Heaven was, and is, just as successful a John Gary album as any of
his other best sellers
When it came time to plan his twelfth album. John himself suggested that he felt
he was ready to undertake an LP of Latin songs As his manager, and a very active
participant in the planning of anything to do with John’s professional
career, 1 must admit here-although 1 never admitted it to him—that I was
a little more concerned about the Latin album than I had been about the Irish
album
There was no doubt in my mind that with his Gaelic origins and his Irish heart,
John would be able to make one of the finest albums of Irish songs ever recorded
But I did wonder, since he does not speak Spanish, whether John would be able to
achieve the same heights with a Latin album including many songs which he would
sing in a language completely foreign to him
I should have known better In working with him for four years, I have seen John
tackle one difficult assignment after another. His preparation for any task is
so intense, so painstaking, that he never fails to deliver a truly perfect job.
Spanish Moonlight is no exception. The album literally sings for itself. You may
be startled to hear the ease with which John sings the Spanish lyrics in Yours
(Quiereme Mucho), La Malaguena, Guantanamera, Love Me with All Your Heart
(Cuanilo Calienta el Sol), Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu, Paloma, Spanish Moonlight and You
Belong to My Heart. In Yours, for example, which is a most intimate and exciting
love song, John sings the lyric in Spanish with the same vibrant emotion, the
same burning passion, as he sings the portion in English You would swear he had
been speaking— and singing—Spanish all his life.
Similarly, after reading the brief philosophical introduction to Guan-tanamcra
in English—I want to share my fate with the poor people of the world . .
.—John sings the song in a Spanish that tells the story, whether or not
you understand the language.
Of course. I should tell you the secret of how John achieved this feat For some
six weeks before he recorded the album, he worked with his wife. Lois, and her
brother Robert on Spanish as a language and, in particular. on the lyrics of the
songs he was to do. Both Lois and Robert grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and
speak Spanish well. And both of them were present at every recording session
during the making of this album, checking Johns Spanish
As I listened to the recording of Spanish Moonlight again and again, in getting
ready to write these notes, it struck me that there was one more reason why
Spanish Moonlight may come to be regarded as John Gary’s greatest album
to date, even more appealing and artistically rewarding than A Little Bit of
Heaven. So many great Latin songs seem to be created for singers with a wide
range—and John’s range is three octaves, as his fans know. In
Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu, Paloma and Granada, to cite just two examples, John
demonstrates his virtuosity in wide-range vocalizing, hitting and holding high
notes few other popular singers in America would care to tackle
In Paloma he climbs unbelievably from key to key until you feel it is impossible
for him to hit the note. But he docs—and with a purity and clarity and
intensity that suits the melody, the lyric and the arrangement.
His performance in Granada is virtually a masterpiece, demonstrating a breath
control, a gift of phrasing, an ability to hit and sustain high notes that must
be heard to be believed. I feel this is one of the most dramatic interpretations
of a popular song I have ever heard. Marty Gold’s arrangement is
colorful, marked with great fire and passion, and John’s vocal matches
the arrangement, phrase for phrase.
Of course Marty Gold’s arrangements are a great factor in making this
another superb John Gary album. Enough cannot be said of them But in the final
analysis, it is John’s impeccable performance which, in my opinion, makes
this his finest album to date.
It’s so good, I’m afraid some people are going to think Irishman
John is really a Latin.

Joseph Csida

 Tracklist:
01 - John Gary - La Malaguena (3:25)
02 - John Gary - Your (Quiereme Mucho) (2:34)
03 - John Gary - Poinciana (2:59)
04 - John Gary - Made For Each Other (2:17)
05 - John Gary - You Belong To My Heart (3:36)
06 - John Gary - Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu, Paloma (3:07)
07 - John Gary - Guantanamera (3:12)
08 - John Gary - Granada (3:16)
09 - John Gary - Maria Elena (2:43)
10 - John Gary - Spanish Moonlight (2:53)
11 - John Gary - Without You (2:15)
12 - John Gary - Love Me With All Your Heart (2:15)

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