The Essential Tony Hatch & His Orchestra: Grooves, Hits and Themes

RELEASE
May 27, 2003
LABEL
Castle Pulse
GENRES
Easy Listening, Soundtracks, Orchestral Pop, TV Music, AM Pop

Album Review

This bargain-priced triple-CD set shows off most of composer/arranger/producer Tony Hatch's strengths -- which include a lot of great records cut with the Searchers, Petula Clark, Jackie Trent, et al. -- and some of his weaknesses as well. The first disc, "The Tony Hatch Orchestra and Sound," is neither better nor worse than any of those better-known instrumental records conducted and arranged by George Martin, though "TV Themes" has its inventive moments. The best part of this set is "The Songs of Tony Hatch," which has to work hard to avoid being a Petula Clark best-of and does succeed at that, with good sides by Mark Wynter, the Montanas, et al. for diversity. Both it and the soundtrack volume are a lot of fun, and this is an interesting assembly of performing talent.
Bruce Eder, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Music to Watch Girls By
  2. Call Me
  3. Wives and Lovers
  4. Joanna
  5. Light My Fire
  6. Theme from Bedazzled
  7. Up, Up and Away
  8. Birds
  9. Love Is Blue
  10. Forget Him
  11. I Know a Place
  12. A Man and a Woman
  13. While the City Sleeps
  14. Crosstown Commuter
  15. Beautiful in the Rain
  16. Soul Coaxing
  17. Sound of the Seventies
  18. An Occasional Man
  19. Where Are You Now
  20. Finito
  21. Downtown
  22. Sugar and Spice
  23. You're the One
  24. Call Me
  25. 7:10 from Suburbia
  26. Major to Minor
  27. Don't Sleep in the Subway
  28. You've Gotta Be Loved
  29. The Weaver
  30. I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
  31. Where Are You Now (My Love)
  32. Look for a Star
  33. Lonely Without You
  34. Goodbye Mr. Chips
  35. The Two of Us
  36. You Made Me What I Am
  37. My Love
  38. Messing About on the River
  39. Trinity Street
  40. The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener
  41. Crossroads Theme
  42. The Champions
  43. Man Alive
  44. Sportsnight
  45. Ben Casey
  46. The Doctors
  47. Hadleigh
  48. Emmerdale Farm
  49. Perry Mason Theme
  50. Ghost Squad
  51. Theme from Who-Dun-It
  52. Memories of Summer [Love Story Theme]
  53. Out of This World
  54. Mr. and Mrs. (Be Nice to Each Other)
  55. Eye Level (Van Der Valk Theme)
  56. The Naked City
  57. Theme from M*A*S*H
  58. The Odd Couple
  59. You're a Star (New Faces)
  60. Theme from the Dick Powell Show