Nelson Riddle

It wasn’t until I bought this CD in an Oxfam shop in Henley-On-Thames that I appreciated just what a musical leviathan Nelson Riddle was, what a legacy he has left and not all of it was as a result of his collaborative work with Frank Sinatra.

Nelson Riddle was born in the town of Oradell in New Jersey on 1st June 1921. His father was musical and so it wasn’t an unnatural progression for young Nelson to take piano lessons. In his teens he took up the trombone graduating from classroom to bands such as Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby. It was while he was a trombonist with Charlie Spivak’s band that he started writing arrangements while still playing the trombone.

His big band career was interrupted by World War II. After being demobilised in 1945 he attended a course to learn about arranging and conducting. With that additional and formalised knowledge, he secured a role at NBC as a staff arranger before moving to Capitol Records.

There he wrote the original arrangements for “Ballerina”, “Mona Lisa” and “Unforgettable” which were all massive successes for Nat King Cole sealing his position in the pantheon of popular and swing era singers. For his contribution to those successes Riddle was paid $50 in total and without any terms and conditions about repeat fees.

In 1953 he teamed up with Frank Sinatra creating a unique and subtly recognisable arrangements that definitely had his creative imprint on them. Songs such as “You Make Me Feel so Young”, “Fly Me to The Moon”, “I’ve got the world on a string” (the first Sinatra and Riddle collaboration) and “For All We Know”.

These arrangements are recognisable as they all have, what I would call “sharp” drumming with a strong use of the bass drum. The other dominant solo instrument that Riddle used in his arrangements was the bass trombone. Not surprising he should favour this instrument as it was the one he made a with before the war. Overlying these are the violins which provide a richness and a depth that complemented Sinatra’s voice.

Other artists he worked with during this period were Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin (Volare), Johnny Matthis, Rosemary Clooney and Peggy Lee.

On this album there are twenty two tracks that nelson Riddle wrote the arrangements for. These range from the well known such as “Makin Whoopee”, “Witchcraft” and “September in the Rain”. One surprise arrangement is “Moon River” originally written and arranged by Henry Mancini, which was made famous by the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” released in 1961.

For those of a certain age there is the theme for “The Untouchables” which Riddle wrote for the TV series that first aired in April 1966. Then there is the theme from “The Dick Van Dyke Show” written by Earl Hagen starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore about a script writer in Hollywood. I remember that series as I used to watch it when I was very young and thought “Writing? That’s a cool way to make a living”. Who ever said TV doesn’t influence people. And, for anyone who loves driving the open highway in a convertible on a warm day there is the theme from the TV series “Route 66” which Nelson Riddle wrote.

“Route 66” helped us cover the one hundred or so miles from Henley-On-Thames to home here in Ringwood in Hampshire. Sadly we weren’t in a convertible on a perfect English summer's day.

His career had a revival and rejuvenation in the 1980’s when he was approached by Linda Ronstadt’s manager to work with her. Between them they created three Platinum award winning albums.

Sadly, those successes with Linda Ronstadt were his last as he passed away in 1984 at the comparatively young age of 64 from heart and kidney failure brought about by cirrhosis.