Number 92 - You'll See by Madonna
This section is about singers, not songwriters. So it is pretty short. There is just one Madonna album that both Alison and I love, and that is Something To Remember. A collection of great ballads, sung superbly and with great backing tracks. OK, Madonna is partly credited with writing the song, But I guess it was producer David Foster who really takes the credit.
Number 93 - Walk Away by Matt Monroe
Of all the great crooners, my favourite has to be Matt Monroe. For me, his voice imparts far more subtlety and emotion than Sinatra or all the other great singers. Terence Edward Parsons was born in 1930 and achieved fame in the 1960's, just at the time that british rock bands were taking off. He was a great friend of his first producer, George Martin, and "Portrait of my Love" reached number 3 in 1960, before Martin had even heard of The Beatles. My second favourite Matt Monroe song "Softly as I Leave You" followed in 1962 and the title song "From Russia With Love" the following year.
In 1964 he came second in the Eurovision Song Contest. But it was the sixth placed Austrian entry "Warum Nur Warum" that caught his ear. Matt's manager Don Black wrote the English lyrics and it became a hit, and my choice, "Walk Away". It is less powerful than, say, Sinatra's "My Way", but is sung in that typically understated and soft delivery that I prefer.
In 1964 he sang the title song to "Born Free" and the following year "Days Like These" for the opening scene to "The Italian Job". Matt toured extensively: 24,000 fans watched him in Manila in 1966 and he made fourteen tours of Australia. I didnt appreciate him at the height of his success, but now I certainly do.
Number 94 - Let There Be Love by Nat King Cole with George Shearing
Not one of my favourite singers, but this track is just awesome. The piano intro by Battersea born George Shearing is worth it's place alone. I dont think that the song alone is anything special, but the combination of Nat's voice and the George Shearing Quintet does hit the spot. It is an old standard, written by Ian Grant and Lionel Rand and published in 1940. The Nat King Cole version was released in 1961 and was a hit in the UK. There is an album featuring Nat and George, but nothing there matches this wonderful piece.
Number 95 - Lost by Michael Buble
I have to confess that I do not own a Michael Buble recording. So this is another one off. From his third album of mainly standards "Call Me Irresponsible", this song is writen by Michael with Jann Arden and Alan Chang. To me , this is a modern classic. And much better than his other new material such as "Everything" and "I just havent met you yet".
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