By Jerry Pearce

“This album needs YOU!”

Nelson Riddle was a true pioneer. Besides creating several worthful instrumentals over the years, not to mention creating lavish orchestral backgrounds for singers with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald, Riddle was also the author and creator of a unique album project in 1959 that never seemed to make a dent in the record industry, but today is fondly remembered as one of the true precursors to the musical spectrum on known as karaoke.

Riddle himself spearheaded the project by approaching Capitol with a unique name premise: Riddle would enter the studio armed with twelve arrangements created for a singer, without the singer.

Although the Music Minus One company had been formed in New York in 1950 (later to become famous for practicing the project Riddle was creating) and Capitol had already experimented with the format on 1948 with Billy May and the album “Join The Band,” this was the first time a series of big band recordings were being created for the intent of singing along to the melody. Capitol agreed to the project, and armed with his favorite sidemen, including trombonist George Roberts, Riddle recorded twelve orchestral backgrounds to popular standards of the time, echoing his work with Cole, Fitzgerald, and Sinatra. Released on Capitol LP later in 1959, “Sing A Song With Riddle” was indeed, a one of a kind album.

Packaged complete with a gatefold jacket featuring musical lead sheets for each of the twelve selections, including Riddle’s tips for singers on how to tackle the arrangements vocally, the album didn’t seem to do well on the market. Besides another LP featuring arrangements of nursery rhymes (Hey Diddle Riddle!), Riddle would never again do such an album for the label. Part of the criticism that endures to this day is the fact that most of the arrangements were written in keys suitable for a female vocalist, notable on several of the tunes with keys so low even the finest bass baritone of a male would find it hard to make the proper notation.

The cover features a smiling exuberant Riddle standing in the Capitol studio with his arm raised in a directoral fashion, eyes focusing on an empty Capitol studio microphone intended for whatever vocalist would sing along to the recordings. The back features quotes from singers associated with Riddle talking up the album and Riddle’s talent, encouraging buyers to purchase and try it out.

Included in the program are beautifully orchestrated versions of “You Make Me Feel So Young,” “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” “Little White Lies,” “Darn That Dream,” and “Day In, Day Out,” among others. Riddle would later take his version of “Fools Rush In” from this album, raise the key up one step, employ some slightly different bridge instrumentation, and supply it to Frank Sinatra so Sinatra could cover the song in his 1960 Capitol release “Nice ‘n’ Easy.”

Oddly enough, the company that would follow in the footsteps of Riddle’s idea, Music Minus One, would employ, to great success, the orchestras of (including but not limited to) Jack Six, Bob Dorough, Bob Wilber, Al Raymond, Hod O’Brien and others to created live sound alike version of famous big band and jazz hits minus the vocalists to allow consumers to sing along at home or add their lyrics to the music in the studio. With this practice in place from the late 1950s into the 1990s, the company, and its subsidiary Pocket Songs, enjoyed much success, with listeners able to craft their own independent releases by adding vocals to the instruments. In the 1970s, Music Minus One, acquired the rights to “Sing A Song With Riddle,” updating the cover briefly by adding Music Minus One lettering over the original Capitol titles and giving the cover an eye catching refreshment by coloring the title letters.

With the dawn of the compact disc era, along with the digital ability of key transposition, Pocket Songs released tunes from the album under different titles, able to be used by both male (“Sinatra Meets Riddle”) and female vocalists (“Lush Big Band Sounds”).

Later, NRG Records released the album in its original form, paired with “Hey Diddle Riddle” featuring the original cover art and extensive liner notes detailing production along with the original notes and tips provided with the original LP. For those who have enjoyed the sound of Riddle’s work with Sinatra and others, this is an interesting release that delves into the brainchild behind Riddle’s distinctive sound.

Like the title says, if you know the tunes, sing along. 5/5.

Until next time, music lovers!

Jerry Pearce is an amateur singer in the vein of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Dick Haymes and has released two discs of standards music, Crossroads in 2010, and One Summer Night in 2016. Samples of his music can be heard on his YouTube Channel. To purchase his CDs use the form box below.

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