Percy Faith, 1944-1947: Fifteen Majestic and Decca classics!

 

Eight terrific (though not always terrific-sounding) Percy Faith Majestic reissues across two Royale EPs (to not have to spend money, Royale opted to use the same jacket photo for both sets), along with five terrific 1944-1946 sides ripped from Decca 78s in my collection.  I'd have included Stardust, but that side proved to be not restorable.  In fact, the mid-1940s Decca pressing quality was generally less than terrific, though I did manage more than adequate fidelity.  Only, however, after determining the right response curve, what with Google's AI giving me two answers (250Hz bass turner vs. 400Hz).  I went with the latter (400), and the results are pleasing.

Several of the Decca sides feature a rumba clave/Bo Diddley beat, including the two "Bolero Instrumental" selections: Negra Consentida (My Pet Brunette) and Stars in Your Eyes.  These are of the Bizet, not Ravel, type (not sure how Temptation, Tia Juana, and Nocha Caribe were designated, beat-wise, though the first sounds like a Bizet-style bolero).  Hopefully, my Decca rips sound cleaner than the less-than-excellent Royale remastering job on the 1947 Majestic set, which includes too much reverb and inflated bass (but is otherwise atypically decent for by Record Corp. of America standards).  It's a slight surprise to discover that early Percy Faith often happened in an Xavier-Cugat mode, though Faith's sound was a great deal more elegant (as much as I like Cugat).  It had to be elegant: It was mood music, after all.

My favorites are Dancing in the Dark, That Old Black Magic, Temptation, Embraceable You, I Love You, Stars in Your Eyes, and Amor.  And, listening to these, I came up with various phrases to describe Faith's style of orchestration: Fluttering, chromatic flute passages; inverted I-6/9 tonics; minor 9ths.  And lots of strings!  A highly-evolved mood music style for the mid-1940s.  Great music, if not always of the highest high fidelity.

DOWNLOAD: Percy Faith Royale Decca.zip

Begin the Beguine--Royale EP 119

Dancing in the Dark, same

That Old Black Magic, same

The Touch of Your Hand, same

All Through the Night--Royale EP 198

Tia Juana, same

Temptation, same

Noche Caribe, same

Embraceable You--Decca 23535, 1946

Long Ago (And Far Away)--Decca 23352, 1944

I Love You, same

Stars in Your Eyes--Decca 23445, 1945

Negra Consentida (My Pet Brunette), same

Amor--Deca 23244, 1944

Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year, same

Lee