The Ray Conniff Encyclopedia with its 408 pages
(searchable pdf-file, ca. 28 MB) provides a wealth of
information. The latest version is dated Nov. 12, 2024.
February 23, 2017:
An interview with Ray Conniff by Wink Martindale (about 40
minutes) can be downloaded as an audiobook by clicking on the
picture on the left. To me, it has been unknown so far. Enjoy!
Some statements by Ray concerning Johnny Mathis and his recording
of “The welfth of Never” are also included in another Wink Martindale
interview (36 min).
These audio books are available from Amazon worldwide.
April 1/4, 2017
May 4/5, 2017:
Available from April 7/14, 2017:
THE PERFECT ‘TEN’ CLASSICS / TV THEMES
as downloadable albums from Columbia/Legacy. “Classics” features ELEVEN tracks,
like the CD release on the Collectables label in 2008. “Excerpts from Beethoven’s
Moonlight Sonata” counts as a bonus track. In Europe, it replaced “Ravel’s Bolero”
because of copyright reasons when the album was released in Europe .
Other official releases from Columbia/Legacy include RHAPSODY IN RHYTHM,
CONCERT IN STEREO (LIVE AT THE SAHARA/TAHOE), CONCERT IN RHYTHM, VOL.
II, THE NASHVILLE CONNECTION (with bonus tracks) and DANCE THE BOP!*,
HOLLYWOOD IN RHYTHM* and AFTER THE LOVIN’* As for original albums with
original artwork, click here. (*To be released May 12)
July 1, 2017:
Ray Conniff Memorial Concert to feature 17-piece big band
ATTLEBORO — A free performance by a 17-piece big band, the
fabulous Dan Gabel and The Abletones, will climax a tribute to
the centennial of Attleboro music legend Ray Conniff on Sunday,
July 16 at Capron Park. More…
September 21, 2017:
Click here for a selection of full page advertisements for Ray Conniff’s records,
featured e.g. in Billboard and Cashbox.
On the left: One of the latest additions. Many more will be uploaded soon.
October 4, 2017:
NEW SUBPAGE: Promo material (flyers, leaflets, cards)
October 26, 2017:
November 6, 2017:
In order to pay homage to Ray on his 101st birthday, click here for a slide show of 101 album covers.
Click on the cover scan of Ray
Conniff’s 4th Christmas album to
listen to Christmas greetings from
Ray (recorded in 1962).
December 2, 2017:
Dutton Vocalion is now accepting pre-orders for two
more Ray Conniff SACDs (4 quad albums). Please
click on the cover scans for details.
For more information on SACDs
featuring both Stereo and Multi-
Channel sounds, please visit
Doug’s Ray Conniff Page at
www.rayconniff.info.
December 18, 2017:
Sony Mexico released a 3-CD set in their Tesoros de Colección series in November.
The 42 song set sells for about US $6 in Mexico:
CD1: 1 Besame Mucho 2 Lisbon Antigua 3 The Way You Look Tonight 4 The White Cliffs
of Dover 5 Say It with Music 6 Feelings 7 Frenesi 8 Love Me Tender 9 Someone 10
Patricia, It’s Patricia 11 Strange Music 12 Tammy 13 Moments To Remember 14 Don't
Cry for Me Argentina
CD2: 1 Brazil 2 Stranger in Paradise 3 The Poor People of Paris 4 Memories Are Made of
This 5 Memory 6 Paloma Blanca 7 Around the World 8 I've Got You Under My Skin
9 Early In The Morning 10 Lullaby of Birdland 11 Three Coins in the Fountain 12 's
Wonderful 13 All I Have To Do Is Dream 14 The Continental*
CD3: 1 Beyond the Sea 2 Tico-Tico 3 El Condor Pasa (If I Could) 4 Thanks for the
Memory 5 Spanish Eyes 6 As Time Goes By 7 Red Roses For A Blue Lady 8 Something
9 Jamaica Farewell 10 The Whiffenpoof Song 11 Leaving On A Jet Plane 12 Sing 13 Kiss
and Say Goodbye 14 September Song* (*not by Ray Conniff!)
For details please
click here.
January 8, 2018:
On January 7, 2018, Tamara Conniff published this sad news
on her Facebook page:
Johnny Mathis fans had to invest quite a
sum in a 68 CD set in December 2017.
Disk No. 67 (titled “Odds & Ends”) features
a previously unreleased version of "Tea-
cher, Teacher" with Ray Conniff, his Orche-
stra and Chorus. The version most of us
know was recorded with Ray Ellis and his
Orchestra.
January 21, 2018:
March 17, 2018:
LO CLÁSICO DE RAY CONNIFF
3 CD set, 60 tracks; Mexico 2018 (SKU: 7509979082206)
CD #1: Bésame Mucho / Brazil / Tico Tico / Too Young / Temptation / The Way You Look
Tonight / Tammy / Memories Are Made Of This / Green Eyes / That Old Feeling / As Time
Goes By / Young At Heart / Love Story / I Only Have Eyes For You / Young Love / I'm In
The Mood For Love / All The Things You Are / You'll Never Know / Softly As In A Morning
Sunrise / What The World Needs Now Is Love
CD #2: Stranger In Paradise / Say It With Music / Only You / Three Coins In Fountain / It's
Been A Long, Long Time / The Song from Moulin Rouge / Love Is A Many Splendored
Thing / I’ll Be Seeing You / You're The Cream Of My Coffee / April In Paris / Somewhere My Love / Sentimental
Journey / Dancing In The Dark / Night And Day / My Foolish Heart / Summertime / 's Wonderful / Greenfields /
These Foolish Things / Unchained Melody
CD #3: La Mer (Beyond The Sea) / I've Got You Under My Skin / The Continental / Around The World / The
Green Leaves Of Summer / It Had To Be You / Lovely To Look At / The Very Thought Of You / If I Loved You /
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes / I Hear A Rhapsody / Love Me Tender / Lullaby Of Birland / Lisboa Antigua / No Other
Love / Harbour Lights / Volare / Moonlight Serenade / Deep Purple / Say It Isn't So
June 9, 2018:
In early May I was granted permission by Tamara Conniff to
examine her dad‘s diaries and tons of material, such as
photographs, vídeos, audio tapes etc. All the information I
collected will gradually go into The Ray Conniff
Encyclopedia. Check it out often for updates, corrections,
modifications etc.
One of my findings was a 27 page promo set for Ray Conniff‘s 1963 West Coast
Tour. Click here or on the scan on the left to study it.
July 11, 2018:
A „West Coast
Convention“ in May
2018 in the garden of
Kevin and Tamara‘s
home.
November 29, 2018:
‘tis the season to be jolly with Ray Conniff‘s four Christmas albums Christmas with Conniff, We Wish You a
Merry Christmas, Ray Conniff‘s Christmas Album Here We Come A-Caroling (Note: all three can be
purchased in a 2 CD set titled The Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings) and ‘s Christmas.
December 12, 2018:
Dutton Vocalion has announced that they will be releasing The Happy Sound of Ray
Conniff and Love Story on a quadraphonic SACD in mid January 2019! You can pre-
order copies by clicking on the cover scan on the left.
•
Tamara Conniff will be doing a memorabilia exhibit of her dad’s photos, gold albums, trombone, Grammy,
etc. in Attleboro at the Arts Museum from 15th to 22nd February 2019.
•
And in May 2019, she will be presenting a music scholarship to a student at Attleboro High School in her
dad’s honor.
•
And… things are shaping up for a tour of The New Ray Conniff Orchestra and Singers, directed by Rick
Gerber, this spring. Rehearsals will start in January, and the opening night is planned for March 1. Watch
this space for more news about the tour.
•
The latest Grinch movie features Ray Conniff‘s rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas“, and the movie
Roma features Ray‘s rendition of “Those Were the Days“..
December 19, 2018 /
January 9, 2019:
February 2, 2019:
Three years have passed since the last Ray Conniff Fan Convention in Hamburg, Germany. Normally,
conventions took place every two years. Places where we gathered included Paris, Amsterdam, Chantilly,
London, Basle, Pratteln, Cardiff, Berlin, Essen, Brussels, Barcelona and Rome. Our dear friend Francis
Charrière, who organised the wonderful 2009 Convention in Chantilly and Paris, hinted to me he would be
ready and willing to organise another one. (Thanks, Francis!)
He suggested Lille, a beautiful town in the north of France, which is near the Belgian border, about 115 km
distant from Brussels. As it might be difficult to find a decent hotel for a large group there because of the
tercentennial festivities in Lille, he suggested Roubaix, another beautiful town, not far away from Lille for
accommodation. A one day trip to Lille would be included in the itinerary.
A quick survey among the usual participants revealed that the last weekend of October (October 25-27, that
is) would suit most of them. We expect fans from Switzerland, England, France, Germany, Belgium, The
Netherlands, Russia, The Philippines, and hopefully from other countries, too. Should YOU be interested in
participating, please send a short message to Francis Charrière so that we can count you in and inform you
about our plans, options, expenses etc.
For more information on the Ray
Conniff Memorabilia Exhibition at
the Attleboro Arts Museum, click
on Ray‘s picture on the left.
February 19, 2019:
Learn all about
A BACKSTAGE TOUR,
the exhibition at the Attleboro
Arts Museum on February 16 to
honour Attleboro‘s native son,
Ray Conniff, by clicking on
Tamara Conniff‘s picture on the
left. Doug Mitchell and his
daughter Jenna (pictured on
the right with Tamara) were
there and took many
photographs. More will be
added soon.
March 6/20, 2019:
March 14, 2019:
The 3 CD set “Don Cherry - Singles Collection 1950-59“ features some of Ray
Conniff‘s finest backings. Disc No. 3 includes 21 tracks arranged and backed by Ray
Conniff, his Orchestra and Chorus plus one of his arrangements. For track details
and other information click on the cover scan on the left.
April 20, 2019:
Re-released on May 24, 2019:
“EIGHT CLASSIC ALBUMS“ - a 4 CD set on the Reel to Reel Music label, featuring
the following albums:
IT‘S THE TALK OF THE TOWN, YOUNG AT HEART, SAY IT WITH
MUSIC, MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS, SOMEBODY LOVES ME,
‘S CONTINENTAL, SO MUCH IN LOVE and THE HAPPY BEAT.
These eight albums were released on a 4 CD set with the same title on
the Real Gone Music label in July 2013. See cover scan on the right.
The quadraphonic mixes of THE WAY WE WERE and HARMONY can be ordered
from Dutton Vocalion in the UK. Click on the cover scan for details.
This means, ten out of Ray‘s twelve quadraphonic albums are now available on the
Vocalion label. The remaining two qudraphonic albums are I Write the Songs and
Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.
September 6, 2019:
November 8, 2019:
November 8, 2019:
“EIGHT CLASSIC ALBUMS, VOL. 2“, a previously released 4 CD set, featuring
some of Ray Conniff‘s finest albums (inclusive of a delightful album he recorded with
singer Don Cherry) recorded between 1955 and 1962, has become available again
with a new cover on November 1, 2019, at a very low price.
The 2019 International Ray Conniff Fan Convention in Lille and
Rubaix (France) was a huge success thanks to organiser Francis
Charrière. People attending were from the USA, Russia, Poland,
The Philippines, Brazil, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium,
France, Germany and Switzerland. Ray Conniff would have been
very pleased with the big band who performed some of his
arrangements on Saturday night, October 26.
For Ray Conniff‘s complete Christmas greetings he taped for
Columbia Records, click here!
Click on the cover
scans for further
details.
March 27 /
September 2, 2020:
SWING COLLECTION
This is a 3 CD set featuring the
following albums:
•
Hollywood in Rhythm
•
Say It With Music
•
Dance the Bop!
BIG BAND SWING
This is a 2 CD set featuring the
albums
•
‘s Wonderful!
•
Christmas With Conniff
WINTER WONDERLAND features all tracks
from “Christmas With Conniff“.
November 9, 2020:
RAY CONNIFF - 114 Beautiful Melodies is the title of a 5 CD set available in the UK.
Click on the cover scan on the left for details. It features ten complete albums:
•
Broadway in Rhythm (12 tracks, 14 tunes)
•
Hollywood in Rhythm
•
It‘s the Talk of the Town
•
Young at Heart
•
Say It With Music
•
Memories Are Made of This
•
Somebody Loves Me
•
So Much in Love
•
‘s Continental
•
The Happy Beat
March 31, 2021,
April 15/20/28 /
May 15, 2021/
January 23, 2022 /
February 10, 2022:
Ray Conniff‘s second album “DANCE THE BOP“ was recorded in mono only, but thanks to DES*-technology
(*Digitally Extracted Stereo) quite a few tracks from this album are now available in glorious stereo. Click on the
scans on the left and below and enjoy! (Thanks to Bob Zwolinski, who produced two of them., others are by
Jacob6657 and Clemens.) Also, check YouTube and other channels for more.
www.rayconniff.com is written, designed, created, and
maintained by Manfred Thönicke in Hamburg, Germany.
Manfred's email: thoenicke@t-online.
Added April 15, 2021:
“Hand Around“; added
April 20, 2021: “Honky-
Tonk Rock Around“, added
April 28, 2021: “Just
Boppin‘“ (audio produced
by Jacob6657, video by
Clemens); added May 15:
“Walkin‘ and Whistlin‘“ and
“Monica Lewis‘
‘Somebody Else Will‘“ /
Click on the scans of the
other ones and enjoy!
July 2, 2021:
Attention, vinyl lovers: On July 30, 2021 a
compilation 12“ LP was released (at least in
Germany) with the title LATIN ROCK.
Originally, it was a 10“ LP with 8 tracks released
in Japan. The 12“ LP features 18 tracks from
Ray‘s early albums. For details click on the
scan on the right. Available from e.g. jpc.de and
amazon.de.
Released Sept.
24, 2021:
An Lp titled
THE BEST OF
RAY CONNIFF
THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL RAY CONNIFF FAN CONVENTION
took place in Munich, Germany, from September 2 to 4. Fans from Brazil,
the USA, the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands and
Germany gathered to celebrate the music of Ray Conniff.
September 14, 2022:
February 18, 2023:
THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF RAY CONNIFF – COMPARATIVE
LISTENING, THE GREAT ARRANGERS: RAY CONNIFF
FREE ONLINE MASTER CLASS
on Saturday, March 18, 2023 (18h00 Central European Time).
Registered persons will get a link by email two hours before the
event. Duration: 90 minutes
For details, click on the photograph on the left.
June 29 /
October 16, 2023:
Released on September 1, 2023 on the German ZYX Records label
a CD titled WHITE CHRISTMAS, featuring all tracks from Ray Conniff‘s first Christmas
album CHRISTMAS WITH CONNIFF.
October 5, 2024:
Join us for a special screening of A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story at the
GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, celebrating the legacy of one of American
music’s most innovative arrangers. The event will feature a panel discussion with
Tamara Conniff, Ray Conniff’s daughter, and a distinguished music executive who
has held leadership roles at Roc Nation, AMR Songs, and was the first female
Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine. Joining her will be the film’s director, Jonathan
McHugh, who brings his extensive experience producing films about pop culture
icons like Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, and Snoop Dogg. The discussion will be
moderated by Schyler O'Neal, Sr. Manager of Education and Community
Engagement at the GRAMMY Museum. The evening will also include a live
performance by students from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, paying tribute to
Conniff’s enduring impact on modern music. This special program is made possible
thanks to the generous support of the Ray & Vera Conniff Foundation.
This is the website that has collected decades of information about Ray Conniff's extraordinary
and long career. Here you will find details about his recordings, musicians and singers he worked
with and much more.
My weekly radio show on Humboldt 101 always
features the music of Ray Conniff. Tune in Sundays at
9 a.m. Pacific Time (18:00 in Germany).
Ray Conniff's timeless We Wish You A Merry Christmas has been the holiday soundtrack for generations of
families. This beloved platinum chart-topping holiday classic is on 180 gram vinyl (Del Ray Records DR10034),
and remastered for superior quality. This is a must-have for collectors! Includes: Ring Christmas Bells, The
Twelve Days of Christmas, Deck The Halls, The Little Drummer Boy, We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
November 16, 2024:
November 16, 2024:
The world premiere of the documentary A LIFE IN RHYTHM: THE RAY CONNIFF STORY took place at the Woodstock Film Festival on
October 18. Following the screening the Q&A was moderated by BMI’s Vice President, Creative, Film, TV & Visual Media; Tracy Mcknight
featuring the films New Yorker born and bred director Jonathan McHugh, producer and Ray Conniff’s daughter Tamara and the films
Woodstock based composer David Kitay. After the brief Q&A, local orchestral musicians/singers from the Woodstock community and Bard
College performed a short set of Ray Conniff’s classic arrangements music directed and conducted by Kitay. The show closed with New
York City based DJ Javi performing a brief set of remixed versions of Ray's songs that have been sampled by new artists as well as
featured in films & TV commercials as well. The set closed with an original DJ Javi remix world premiered that night! This show is a perfect
musical combination of the best of music of the 50’s- 70’s (when Ray topped the charts and sold millions of albums) updated into the
contemporary music of 2024. Jonathan McHugh’s documentary A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story chronicles the life and legacy of
Ray Conniff. From his beginnings as a trombonist/arranger during the heyday of swing working with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby and Artie
Shaw to his acclaim as the leader of his own orchestra and chorus, Grammy winner Ray Conniff is among the few musicians to have had a
successful career that spanned 65 years. He recorded over 100 studio albums, selling over 70 million copies, and created the “Ray Conniff
Sound” by being the first to use voices to double as instruments on his recordings. Through personal interviews and vibrant performances,
this is a heartfelt tribute to an international musical legend whose melodies continue to inspire.
’S WONDERFUL!
The Ray Conniff Page
This is the website that has collected decades of
information about Ray Conniff's extraordinary and
long career. Here you will find details about his
recordings, musicians and singers he worked with
and much more.
The Ray Conniff Encyclopedia with its 408
pages (pdf-file, ca. 28 MB) provides a wealth of
information.
The latest version is dated November 12, 2024.
Feb. 23,2017: An interview with Ray Conniff
by Wink Martindale (about 40 minutes) can be
downloaded as an audiobook by clicking on the
picture on the left. To me, it has been unknown
so far. Enjoy!
Some statements by Ray concerning Johnny
Mathis and his recording of “The welfth of
Never” are also included in another Wink
Martindale interview (36 min).
These audio books are available from Amazon
worldwide.
Available from April 7/14, 2017: THE PERFECT
‘TEN’ CLASSICS / TV THEMES as
downloadable albums from Columbia/Legacy.
“Classics” featurs ELEVEN tracks, like the CD
release on the Collectables label in 2008.
“Excerpts from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata”
counts as a bonus track. In Europe, it replaced
“Ravel’s Bolero” because of copyright reasons
when the album was released in Europe .
Other recent official releases from
Columbia/Legacy include RHAPSODY IN
RHYTHM, CONCERT IN STEREO (LIVE AT
THE SAHARA/TAHOE), CONCERT IN
RHYTHM VOL. II, THE NASHVILLE
CONNECTION (with bonus tracks),
HOLLYWOOD IN RHYTHM, AFTER THE
LOVIN’ and DANCE THE BOP! As for original
albums with original artwork, click here.
July 1, 2017:
Ray Conniff Memorial Concert
to feature 17-piece big band
ATTLEBORO — A free performance by a 17-piece big
band, the fabulous Dan Gabel and The Abletones, will
climax a tribute to the centennial of Attleboro music
legend Ray Conniff on Sunday, July 16 at Capron Park.
More…
September 21, 2017:
Click here for a selection of full page
advertisements for Ray Conniff’s records,
featured e.g. in Billboard and Cashbox.
On the right: One of the latest additions.
October 4, 2017: NEW SUBPAGE: Promo material (flyers, leaflets,
cards)
Click on the cover scan of Ray Conniff’s
4th Christmas album to listen to Christmas
greetings from Ray (recorded in 1962).
December 2, 2017:
Dutton Vocalion is now accepting pre-orders for two more Ray
Conniff SACDs (4 quad albums). Please click on the cover scans
for details.
December 18, 2017:
Some fans received
their copies which
they had ordered two
weeks ago.
For more information on
SACDs featuring both
Stereo and Multi-
Channel sounds, please
visit Doug’s Ray Conniff
Page at
www.rayconniff.info.
Sony Mexico released a 3-CD set in their Tesoros de
Colección series. The 42 song set sells for about US $6 in
Mexico:
CD1: 1 Besame Mucho 2 Lisbon Antigua 3 The Way You
Look Tonight 4 The White Cliffs of Dover 5 Say It with
Music 6 Feelings 7 Frenesi 8 Love Me Tender 9 Someone
10 Patricia, It’s Patricia 11 Strange Music 12 Tammy 13
Moments To Remember 14 Don't Cry for Me Argentina
CD2: 1 Brazil 2 Stranger in Paradise 3 The Poor People of Paris 4 Memories
Are Made of This 5 Memory 6 Paloma Blanca 7 Around the World 8 I've Got
You Under My Skin 9 Early In The Morning 10 Lullaby of Birdland 11 Three
Coins in the Fountain 12 's Wonderful 13 All I Have To Do Is Dream 14 The
Continental CD3: 1 Beyond the Sea 2 Tico-Tico 3 El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
4 Thanks for the Memory 5 Spanish Eyes 6 As Time Goes By 7 Red Roses
For A Blue Lady 8 Something 9 Jamaica Farewell 10 The Whiffenpoof Song
11 Leaving On A Jet Plane 12 Sing 13 Kiss and Say Goodbye 14 September
Song
(Item added December 18, 2017)
On January 7, 2018, Tamara Conniff published this sad news on her Facebook
page:
January 21, 2018:
Johnny Mathis fans had to
invest quite a sum in a 68
CD set in December 2017.
Disk No. 67 (titled “Odds &
Ends”) features a
previously unreleased
version of "Teacher,
Teacher" with Ray Conniff,
his Orchestra and Chorus.
The version most of us
know was recorded with
Ray Ellis and his
Orchestra.
LO CLÁSICO DE RAY CONNIFF
3 CD set, 60 tracks; Mexico 2018 (SKU:
7509979082206)
CD #1: Bésame Mucho / Brazil / Tico Tico / Too Young /
Temptation / The Way You Look Tonight / Tammy /
Memories Are Made Of This / Green Eyes / That Old
Feeling / As Time Goes By / Young At Heart / Love Story
/ I Only Have Eyes For You / Young Love / I'm In The
Mood For Love / All The Things You Are / You'll Never Know / Softly As In A
Morning Sunrise / What The World Needs Now Is Love
CD #2: Stranger In Paradise / Say It With Music / Only You / Three Coins In
Fountain / It's Been A Long, Long Time / The Song from Moulin Rouge / Love
Is A Many Splendored Thing / I’ll Be Seeing You / You're The Cream Of My
Coffee / April In Paris / Somewhere My Love / Sentimental Journey / Dancing
In The Dark / Night And Day / My Foolish Heart / Summertime / 's Wonderful /
Greenfields / These Foolish Things / Unchained Melody
CD #3: La Mer (Beyond The Sea) / I've Got You Under My Skin / The
Continental / Around The World / The Green Leaves Of Summer / It Had To Be
You / Lovely To Look At / The Very Thought Of You / If I Loved You / Smoke
Gets In Your Eyes / I Hear A Rhapsody / Love Me Tender / Lullaby Of Birland /
Lisboa Antigua / No Other Love / Harbour Lights / Volare / Moonlight Serenade
/ Deep Purple / Say It Isn't So
(Item added March 17, 2018)
June 9, 2018: In early May I was granted permission by Tamara Conniff to
examine her dad‘s diaries and tons of material, such as photographs, vídeos,
audio tapes etc. All the information I collected will gradually go into The Ray
Conniff Encyclopedia. Check it out often for updates, corrections, modifications
etc.
A West Coast
Convention
in May 2018
July 11, 2018:
One of my findings was a 27 page promo set for
Ray Conniff‘s 1963 West Coast Tour. Click here
or on the scan on the left to study it.
Click on Ray‘s picture on the right to listen to Christmas
greetings from Ray and the Singers (1962).
‘tis the season to be jolly with Ray Conniff‘s four
Christmas albums Christmas with Conniff, We
Wish You a Merry Christmas, Ray Conniff‘s
Christmas Album Here We Come A-Caroling (Note:
all three can be purchased in a 2 CD set titled The
Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings) and
‘s Christmas.
December 12, 2018:
Dutton Vocalion has announced that they will be
releasing The Happy Sound of Ray Conniff and
Love Story on a quadraphonic SACD in mid
January 2019! You can pre-order copies by clicking
on the cover scan on the left.
December 19, 2018 / January 9, 2019:
•
Tamara Conniff will be doing a memorabilia exhibit of her dad’s photos, gold
albums, trombone, Grammy, etc. in Attleboro at the Arts Museum from 15th
to 22nd February 2019.
•
And in May 2019, she will be presenting a music scholarship to a student at
Attleboro High School in her dad’s honor.
•
And… things are shaping up for a tour of The New Ray Conniff Orchestra and
Singers, directed by Rick Gerber, this spring. Rehearsals will start in January,
and the opening night is planned for March 1. Watch this space for more news
about the tour.
•
The latest Grinch movie features Ray Conniff‘s rendition of The Twelve
Days of Christmas. The movie Roma features Ray‘s Those Were the
Days.
•
February 19, 2019:
Learn all about
A BACKSTAGE TOUR,
the exhibition at the Attleboro Arts Museum
on February 16 to honour Attleboro‘s
native son, Ray Conniff, by clicking on
Tamara Conniff‘s picture on the left.
Doug Mitchell and his daughter Jenna
were there and took many photographs.
More will be added soon.
Re: Ray Conniff Fan Convention in Lille/Roubaix
For first information such as scheduled events, how to get there, expenses etc.
click here (March 4, 2019).
Detailled information No. 2 uploaded March 20, 2019.
March 14, 2019:
The 3 CD set “Don Cherry - Singles Collection
1950-59“ features some of Ray Conniff‘s finest
backings. Disc No. 3 includes 21 tracks arranged and
backed by Ray Conniff, his Orchestra and Chorus plus
one of his arrangements. For track details and other
information click on the cover scan on the left.
April 20, 2019
Re-released on May 24, 2019:
“EIGHT CLASSIC ALBUMS“ - a 4 CD set on the Reel
to Reel Music label, featuring the following albums:
IT‘S THE TALK OF THE TOWN, YOUNG AT HEART,
SAY IT WITH MUSIC, MEMORIES ARE MADE OF
THIS, SOMEBODY LOVES ME, ‘S CONTINENTAL, SO
MUCH IN LOVE and THE HAPPY BEAT.
These eight albums were released on a 4 CD set with
the same title on the Real Gone Music label in July 2013. See
cover scan on the right.
July 25, 2019:
The quadraphonic mixes of THE WAY WE WERE and
HARMONY can now be ordered at Dutton Vocalion.
Click on the cover scan for details.
This means, ten out of Ray‘s twelve quadraphonic
albums are now available on the Vocalion label. The
remaining two qudraphonic albums are I Write the
Songs and Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong
Song.
November 8, 2019:
“EIGHT CLASSIC ALBUMS, VOL. 2“, a previously
released 4 CD set, featuring some of Ray Conniff‘s
finest albums (inclusive of a delightful album he
recorded with singer Don Cherry) recorded between
1955 and 1962, has become available again with a new
cover on November 1, 2019, at a very low price.
The 2019 International Ray Conniff Fan
Convention in Lille and Rubaix (France) was a
huge success thanks to organiser Francis
Charrière. People attending were from the USA,
Russia, Poland, The Philippines, Brazil, United
Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Germany and Switzerland. Ray Conniff would
have been very pleased with the big band who performed some of his
arrangements on Saturday night, October 26.
BIG BAND SWING
This is a 2 CD set featuring the
albums: ‘s Wonderful! and
Christmas With Conniff.
Click on the cover scans for
further details.
SWING COLLECTION
This is a 3 CD set featuring the following albums:
Hollywood in Rhythm, Say It With Music, and Dance the
Bop!
Added
March 27 /
September 2,
2020:
CHRISTMAS WITH CONNIFF is available on a CD
titled WINTER WONDERLAND.
RAY CONNIFF - 114 Beautiful Melodies is the title of
a 5 CD set available in the UK. Click on the cover
scan on the right for details. It features ten complete
albums.
March 31, 2021 / April 15 and 20, 2021 / January 23 and Feb. 10, 2022:
Ray Conniff‘s second album “DANCE THE BOP“ was recorded in mono only,
but thanks to DES*-technology (*Digitally Extracted Stereo) quie a few tracks
from this album are now available in glorious stereo. Click on the scans below
and enjoy! (Thanks to Bob Zwolinski, who produced two of them.)
Added April 15, 2021: “Hand Around“ (audio: Jacob6657; video: Clemens)
www.rayconniff.com is written, designed, created, and
maintained by Manfred Thönicke in Hamburg, Germany.
Send a message by clicking on the email symbol below:
Added April 15, 2021: “Hand Around“; added April
20, 2021: “Honky-Tonk Rock Around“, added April
28: “Just Boppin‘“)
(audio produced by Jacob6657,
video by Clemens), added January 23, 2022:
“Three-Way Love“ (by Bob Zwolinski)
July 2, 2021:
Attention, vinyl lovers: On July 30, 2021 a compilation 12“
:LP was released (at least in Germany) with the title
LATIN ROCK. Originally, it was a 10“ LP with 8 tracks
released in Japan. The 12“ LP features 18 tracks from
Ray‘s early albums. For details click on the scan on the
right. Available from e.g. jpc.de and amazon.de.
August 6, 2021:
Released Sept. 24: An LP titled
THE BEST OF RAY CONNIFF
THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL RAY CONNIFF
FAN CONVENTION
took place in Munich, Germany, from
September 2 to 4. Fans from Brazil, the USA,
the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, The
Netherlands and Germany gathered to
celebrate the music of Ray Conniff.
February 18, 2023:
THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF RAY
CONNIFF – COMPARATIVE LISTENING,
THE GREAT ARRANGERS: RAY
CONNIFF
FREE ONLINE MASTER CLASS
on Saturday, March 18, 2023 (18h00
Central European Time). Registered
persons will get a link by email two hours
before the event. Duration: 90 minutes
For details, click on the photograph on
the right.
June 29 / October 16, 2023:
Released on September 1, 2023 on the German ZYX
Records label a CD titled WHITE CHRISTMAS,
featuring all tracks from Ray Conniff‘s first Christmas
album CHRISTMAS WITH CONNIFF.
October 5, 2024:
My weekly radio show on Humboldt 101
always features the music of Ray Conniff. Tune
in Sundays at 9 a.m. Pacific Time (18:00 in
Germany).
Ray Conniff's timeless We Wish You A Merry
Christmas has been the holiday soundtrack for
generations of families. This beloved platinum chart-
topping holiday classic is on 180 gram vinyl (Del Ray
Records DR10034), and remastered for superior
quality. This is a must-have for collectors! Includes:
Ring Christmas Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas,
Deck The Halls, The Little Drummer Boy, We Wish You
A Merry Christmas.
November 16, 2024:
November 16, 2024:
The world premiere of the documentary A LIFE IN RHYTHM: THE RAY
CONNIFF STORY took place at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 18.
Following the screening the Q&A was moderated by BMI’s Vice President,
Creative, Film, TV & Visual Media; Tracy Mcknight featuring the films New
Yorker born and bred director Jonathan McHugh, producer and Ray Conniff’s
daughter Tamara and the films Woodstock based composer David Kitay. After
the brief Q&A, local orchestral musicians/singers from the Woodstock
community and Bard College performed a short set of Ray Conniff’s classic
arrangements music directed and conducted by Kitay. The show closed with
New York City based DJ Javi performing a brief set of remixed versions of
Ray's songs that have been sampled by new artists as well as featured in films
& TV commercials as well. The set closed with an original DJ Javi remix world
premiered that night! This show is a perfect musical combination of the best of
music of the 50’s- 70’s (when Ray topped the charts and sold millions of
albums) updated into the contemporary music of 2024. Jonathan McHugh’s
documentary A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story chronicles the life and
legacy of Ray Conniff. From his beginnings as a trombonist/arranger during the
heyday of swing working with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby and Artie Shaw to
his acclaim as the leader of his own orchestra and chorus, Grammy winner
Ray Conniff is among the few musicians to have had a successful career that
spanned 65 years. He recorded over 100 studio albums, selling over 70 million
copies, and created the “Ray Conniff Sound” by being the first to use voices to
double as instruments on his recordings. Through personal interviews and
vibrant performances, this is a heartfelt tribute to an international musical
legend whose melodies continue to inspire.
Join us for a special screening of A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story
at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, celebrating the legacy of one of
American music’s most innovative arrangers. The event will feature a panel
discussion with Tamara Conniff, Ray Conniff’s daughter, and a distinguished
music executive who has held leadership roles at Roc Nation, AMR Songs,
and was the first female Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine. Joining her
will be the film’s director, Jonathan McHugh, who brings his extensive
experience producing films about pop culture icons like Justin Bieber, Britney
Spears, and Snoop Dogg. The discussion will be moderated by Schyler
O'Neal, Sr. Manager of Education and Community Engagement at the
GRAMMY Museum. The evening will also include a live performance by
students from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, paying tribute to Conniff’s
enduring impact on modern music. This special program is made possible
thanks to the generous support of the Ray & Vera Conniff Foundation.
’S WONDERFUL! The Ray Conniff Page
www.rayconniff.com
is written, designed,
created, and
maintained by
Manfred Thönicke
in Hamburg, Germany.
Send a message by
clicking on the email
symbol below:
