MAD Magazine-style parody from 1955

The April 1955 issue of the Charlton Comics answer to MAD magazine parodies Raymond Scott as "Raymond Scat," along with his NBC television co-stars, including Scott's wife, as "Dorothy Collars."

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Dorothy Collins: Experiment Songs

In 1961, veteran songwriters Hy Zaret and Lou Singer produced an entertaining and educational series of LPs entitled Ballads for the Age of Science. Marketed at curious youngsters, the songs explained nature, energy, motion, outer space, and weather in a variety of musical arrangements, delivered by folksingers Tom Glazer, Dottie Evans, and the husband-wife duo of Marais and Miranda.

One volume, Experiment Songs, was sung by Raymond Scott's then-wife, Dorothy Collins. In a warm, endearing voice, Collins sang about magnets, rainbows, planetary orbits, vibration, and minerals. To our ears, this is some of the most charming singing by Dorothy Collins ever captured on disc. She is accompanied by a small orchestra led by guitarist Tony Mottola (who formerly played with Raymond's big band).

The albums have long been out of print. However, earlier this year I came to an agreement with the late Hy Zaret's son Robert to reissue the series. Working with best-available source recordings, I digitally restored all six albums, which are now available at iTunes and elsewhere. We're hoping to reissue the series on vinyl at some point.

You can hear samples and purchase tracks (or the complete album) of Experiment Songs here.

"YOUR EASTER PARADE"

1956 newspaper:

"Bandleader Raymond Scott and his wife, singer Dorothy Collins, of television's 'Your Hit Parade' fame, give a preview of their Easter finery with their daughter, 2½ year-old Debbie, as they prepare in their Manhasset home to join tomorrow's Easter Parade in Nassau. The outlook is for sunny skies and mild weather tomorrow as thousands of Christians on Long Island prepare to attend special midnight and dawn services to celebrate the most joyous of all Christian holidays."

Happy day of technicolor hen-fruit

JOHN WILLIAMS: Watch Exclusive Video

Movie music maestro John Williams turns 80 years-old today. To celebrate, I'm releasing never-before-seen footage of Williams remembering Raymond Scott. This rough footage was shot by me, Jeff Winner, while Stan Warnow (Scott's son) and I interviewed John Williams at Tanglewood, in Massachusetts, on August 4th of 2008. Some of Stan's professional camera footage appears in the new feature-length, award-winning documentary film, "DECONSTRUCTING DAD," but this segment has never been seen before. Watch here <<<

From Wiki: John Williams was born on February 8, 1932 in Long Island, New York, the son of Esther and John Williams, Sr. (aka Johnny Williams). His father was a jazz percussionist who played with The Raymond Scott Quintette.

John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Home Alone, and the first three Harry Potter films. He has had a long association with director Steven Spielberg, composing the music for all but two of Spielberg's major feature films.

Other notable works by Williams include theme music for four Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, the NBC Nightly News, the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, the DreamWorks Pictures production logo, and the television series Lost in Space. Williams has also composed numerous classical concerti, and he served as the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993; he is now the orchestra's conductor laureate.

Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards. With 47 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most nominated person, after Walt Disney. John Williams was honored with the prestigious Richard Kirk award at the 1999 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004.

2 New Vinyl Album Reissues —Party Like It's 1959!

Good news for wax maniacs: to celebrate the 75th ANNIVERSARY of Raymond Scott's music, the Basta Audio-Visuals label (working with the RS Archives) has reissued a pair of classic Scott 1950s LPs in 180-gram 12" vinyl format. Both meticulously replicate the original artwork in every detail.

"THE UNEXPECTED" by Raymond Scott & The Secret Seven — While serving as an A&R director for Everest Records in 1958, Raymond Scott produced an album for singer Gloria Lynne. The LP's sidemen included many of the same session players on Scott's mysterious 1959 album, "THE UNEXPECTED" — performed by his all-star jazz-legend supergroup, The Secret Seven — whose identities remained confidential for decades. The secrecy extended to withholding the band member's names from the LP jacket, but as music historian Nat Hentoff wrote in the liner notes, "Jazz aficionados will instantly recognize the players." The members are now known to be Elvin Jones, "Wild" Bill Davis, Milt Hinton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Kenny Burrell, Eddie Costa, Sam "The Man" Taylor, and "Toots" Thielemans. NOTE: Basta's vinyl pressing is the extremely rare STEREO mix — the stereo version will not be issued on CD/digital-download. • Order: here <<< • Listen to a track from this album: "Waltz Of The Diddles" by Raymond Scott & The Secret 7

"THIS TIME WITH STRINGS" by Raymond Scott & His Orchestra — Scott musically re-invents his compositions for full-orchestra and strings on this 1957 album. RS favorites like "Powerhouse," "The Toy Trumpet," and "Twilight in Turkey" are retooled for expanded setting — but that's not all. "There are many of the Quintette things in this LP," said the composer in the original liner notes. "Also things for dance band, material written for Broadway, the movie screen, and some of my recent writing. Indeed, a potpourri, given Hi-Fidelity dressing, and a certain vividness in string treatment." The album was recorded in glorious monophonic sound, which is retained on the vinyl. No artificial processing. Crank up the Hi-Fi! • Order: here <<< • Listen to a track from this album: "The Toy Trumpet" by Raymond Scott & His Orchestra

Demotivational Poster

“A motivational poster is commonly designed for use in schools and offices. This kind of poster has been repeatedly parodied, and parody motivational posters have become an Internet meme.”

The mischief-makers responsible for "I Can Has Cheezburger?," "FAIL Blog," and other popular comedy sites, have published this on their VeryDemotivational.com:

Selected comments:

"It’s Raymond Scott, Not Hausmann"

"OMG! He’s tormenting Dorothy Collins!"

"They were married. Doesn’t that go with the territory?"

"I believe this Raymond Scott and he produced many of the beats off of loneytunes. Also if this is the track I Think he is doing it is light works, search it. Its a hell of a track."

• SEE ALSO: "Urban Dictionary"

Dorothy Collins website launched

Dorothy Collins (1926-1994) was a singer, an actress, a broadway star, and she was also the second Mrs. Raymond Scott. Together the couple owned and operated a record label, released countless songs, and during the 1950s they appeared on TV to millions every week on NBC's Your Hit Parade. Dorothy's daughters, Deborah, Elizabeth, and Melissa, have created an excellent new site dedicated to their mother's multifaceted career:

• RememberingDorothyCollins.com

Never Love A Stranger

Twenty years after Raymond Scott's brief stint appearing on-camera in Hollywood films with his Quintette, he was still occasionally scoring movie soundtracks. Here's the opening theme from 1958's NEVER LOVE A STRANGER, starring John Drew Barrymore, & Steve McQueen, sung by Scott's 2nd wife, Dorothy Collins: YouTube

Holiday Greetings from the Hit Parade Gang

Raymond and his Your Hit Parade costars insist the Christmas tree isn't the only thing in your house that should light up this holiday season. May Santa bring you a car-sized carton of Luckies.

Ironically, Scott did not smoke. But he probably didn't object to getting paid for endorsing the show's sponsor. Here's a video of Dorothy Collins singing holiday praises for the brand.

Merry Christmas & Happy Smoking!

One of Raymond Scott's earliest and most-successful commercial jingles was "Be Happy, Go Lucky" for Lucky Strike cigarettes. A special Christmas modification was made to the tune for the 1950s TV show, YOUR HIT PARADE. Watch here as YHP star (and Scott's second wife) Dorothy Collins explains the virtues of gifting your loved ones tobacco. Then check-out more Raymond Scott videos on our YouTube Channel. 

P.S. An interesting aside: the holiday version of the carton's packaging was crafted by another influential Raymond, the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewry.

tenor man's headache

Les Deutsch writes:

We have scheduled a full-blown Raymond Scott tribute concert for the evening of Monday, May 18 at 8:00 in Caltech's Dabney Hall. This will feature "The Caltech Jazz Quintette" with vocal guest star Kjerstin Williams. We will perform about a dozen Scott Quintette tunes – from both versions of his Quintette. This will include several charts written to feature Dorothy Collins with the Q. I'll be playing piano (the easiest part!). My tenor man is already complaining.

Jingle Workshop for hire

Paper 9" x 12" insert, included with promo-only LP, The Jingle Workshop Invites You To Listen To "Demo-A," a non-electronic "collection of jingles and musical commercials composed and musically produced by Raymond Scott" (ca. mid-1950s). Faded felt-tip line art per the original. If interested in having Scott record for you a charming jingle, contact Chuck Barclay at PLaza-7-5685.

The Quintet Redux

The first CD to kick off the Raymond Scott centennial is the spooky-titled Ectoplasm. This album spotlights Scott's second six-man "quintet," whose brief existence spanned less than a year (late 1948-mid-1949). Unlike the 1937-'39 RSQ, this sextet didn't create music destined for cartoons. But if you like cartoonish art, the package (released on Basta) boasts an adapted 1951 illustration by legendary LP cover artist Jim Flora.

The arrangements sound like classic Scott, without a nostalgic aping of the first RSQ. Call it "parlor jazz," or "chamber swing"—it's breezy and cerebral, laced with Scott's trademark wit and sophistication. Like the charter RSQ, the redux version is complex and hyperactive, with an undercurrent of wry mischief, befitting the band's namesake. There's swirling horns, muted trumpet, and daredevil tempos. As ever, Scott maintained his penchant for musical vignettes: besides the invocational title track, the album includes "Snake Woman," "Bird Life in the Bronx," "Curley Cue," and "Dedicatory Piece to the Crew and Passengers of the First Experimental Rocket Express to the Moon." Got a short attention span? Lucky you: the album has 34 tracks, many of which zoom by in less than two minutes. Also featured on several tracks: crooning, theremin-like wordless vocals by Dorothy Collins.

Audio samples can be heard at RaymondScott.com.

Update 26 FEB: Now available in the iTunes Music Store.

At home with Raymond and Dorothy

Grainy Library of Congress reference copy of contact sheet chronicling Scott demonstrating one of his electronic gizmos to then-wife, singer Dorothy Collins, at their Long Island home. Year unknown, but likely mid-1950s. Judging from the slanted ceiling, the monstrous machine appears to be installed in their attic. Whether it was built or hauled up there is an intriguing question. The device could be an early version of the Electronium, Scott's "instantaneous composition-performance machine" which he developed in the 1960s. Whatever it is, the magnificent instrument no longer exists.
 
Addendum (28 July 07) Jeff Winner of RaymondScott.com adds: I included another (presumably earlier) version of this device on page 23 of the book accompanying the Manhattan Research CDs. Same room, same piano bench, same shirt & haircut. I have another pic of this instrument, but neither RS nor DC are in the frame. I've been hoping that sooner or later we'd find a photo of this device with some info written on the back, or a caption in an old magazine that would explain more detail, but I've had no luck in that department. Yet.

Body language

This 1957 LP contained ten recordings made in 1949 by the second Raymond Scott Quintet. Originally released on privately pressed ten-inch 78 rpm discs, the tracks were nicely remastered for the age of microgroove hi-fi.

Five Scott originals (Bird Life in the Bronx, Street Corner in Paris, Ectoplasm, Snake Woman, and Dedicatory Piece to the Crew and Passengers of the First Experimental Rocket Express to the Moon) share platter space with five serenades by Dorothy Collins. It was a strange juxtaposition of lightweight '50s chick-pop and cerebral chamber-jazz.

Collins was Scott's protégée and first sang with his orchestra in 1944 at age 16. Both commenced seven-year star turns on TV's Your Hit Parade in 1950, and they exchanged wedding vows in 1952. The LP cover photo (by Burt Owen) appears contemporaneous with the album release. The often-stormy marriage ended in a 1964 divorce.

In this 1957 photo, for an album on which they are musically paired, husband and wife sit comfortably, holding hands—at arm's length. In the foreground, she gets the fruit, he gets the ashtray.

The Raymond Scott Quintet, 1948-49

Coming later this year on Basta Audio-Visuals:

Ectoplasm: The Raymond Scott Quintet (1948-49)
Recordings by Six—and Sometimes Seven—Musicians

Featuring Raymond Scott, Dorothy Collins, Jerry Winner, Dick Mains,
Joe Palmer, Irving Manning, and 18-year-old drummer Kenny Johns.

RSQ drummer Kenny Johns

It's a different band than the original 1937-39 RSQ, but trademark Scott quirks abound: wit, sophistication, and a touch of eccentricity. Although rowdy bebop was the rage in those days, Scott preferred a more sculpted, controlled approach—jazz with a pop sensibility. His arrangements were spiced with unpredictable twists and his players crafted sharp, tasteful solos. The RSQ was complex and hyperactive, with an undercurrent of wry mischief, befitting the band's namesake.

Projected CD tracks include the following Scott originals:

"Ectoplasm"
"Street Corner in Paris"
"Snake Woman"
"Bird Life in the Bronx"
"Happy Farmer"
"Good Listening (Theme)"
"Blizzard Wit"
"Curley Cue"
"The Penguin"
"Question Mark (?)"

... along with parlor-jazz arrangements of the light classics "Humoresque" and "Song of India," and over a dozen idiosyncratic Scott arrangements of Tin Pan Alley wunderwerks. Also making its CD debut, Raymond goes lunar with the visionary opus:

"Dedicatory Piece to the Crew and Passengers of
the First Experimental Rocket Express to the Moon"

Remember: it ain't cartoon-jazz. But stay tooned.