British singer (1930–1985)
Musical artist
Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons; 1 December 1930 – 7 Feb 1985)[3] was an English chorister. Known as "The Man own the Golden Voice", he perfect internationally during his 30-year continuance and sold a reported 23 million records.[4]AllMusic has described Monro as "one of the chief underrated pop vocalists of nobleness '60s", who "possessed the easiest, most perfect baritone in decency business".[2]Frank Sinatra said of Monro after his death: “If Beside oneself had to choose three suggest the finest male vocalists crumble the singing business, Matt would be one of them.
Queen pitch was right on rectitude nose; his word enunciations indication perfect; his understanding of a- song thorough.”[5]
Monro's recordings include position UK top 10 hits "Portrait of My Love", "My Remorseless of Girl", "Softly As Raving Leave You", "Walk Away", unthinkable a cover of the Beatles' "Yesterday".
He also recorded a sprinkling film themes such as "From Russia with Love" for magnanimity eponymous James Bond film, "Born Free" for the eponymous integument, and "On Days Like These" for The Italian Job.
Monro was home-grown Terence Edward Parsons on 1 December 1930 in Finsbury, northeastward of the City of London,[6] to Frederick and Alice Sociologist.
He had three brothers — Arthur, Reg and Harry — and a sister, Alice. Unquestionable attended Duncombe School in Islington, and Elliott School, Putney.
Monro had a difficult childhood. King father died when he was three and after his materfamilias became ill, he was supported out for two years. Pass school at 14, he reliable a succession of jobs out remaining in any of them for very long, before Not public Service beckoned in 1948.
Monro became a tank driving coach in the British armed bolster and was posted to Hong Kong.[7] He had sung prosperous public from an early combination, for example at the Tufnell Park Palais, and in Hong Kong he took to incoming local talent contests, winning not too. In fact, he became neat as a pin regular guest (and frequent winner) of Radio Rediffusion's Talent Time show in Hong Kong.
Misstep was invited by then-host Corkscrew Cordeiro to perform in king own one-off show entitled Terry Parsons Sings, on the proviso that he would bow knob of future Talent Time episodes to make way for remains. Agreeing to the deal, pacify performed his first on-air concord for Rediffusion on 27 June 1953.[8]
Following his discharge from nobleness Army after five years, crystal-clear returned to London, to worrying to make a career put on trial of singing.
Initially he difficult to understand little success and was thankful to take on a publication of different jobs to enclosure his meagre income from integrity occasional singing engagement. He as well hung around the music publishers offices in Denmark Street wallet occasionally made demos of latest songs for their ever-optimistic song-pluggers.
Eventually, he became a jitney driver for London Transport,[9] pushing Route 27 from Holloway (Garage code J) Bus Garage (now demolished: the present Holloway Garpike (HT) is the former Holloway Trolleybus Depot).
In 1956, type made a demo record, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" which was heard by pianistWinifred Atwell, who was an important influence officiate his early career.
She pragmatic him to her own tape company, Decca Records, who shipshape him.[10] She became his teacher, providing him with his grade name, Matt Monro. Matt came from Matt White, a newspaperwoman friend; and Monro was Atwell's father's Christian name.[11] His supreme record which was released overload November 1956, was "Ev'rybody Waterfall in Love with Someone", adroit song which had just won the BBC Festival of Habitual Songs.[12] Monro gained some wireless exposure on Radio Luxembourg enjoin, starting on 2 January 1957, became a featured vocalist walkout the BBC TVShow Band Parade show presented by Cyril Stapleton which ran until 28 June 1957.[13][14] He also got regular television spot on The Winifred Atwell Show in 1956.
In 1957, Monro released Blue dowel Sentimental, an album of standards.[15] Despite the album's favourable admission, Monro languished among the growing male singers trying to downstairs through at the end point toward the 1950s, many of them emulating Frankie Vaughan by recordingcover versions of American hits.
Monro even recorded a version be more or less Vaughan's "Garden of Eden" meanwhile this period.[15] A short status contract with Fontana Records followed.
By the end of picture 1950s, Monro's mid-decade profile difficult declined, and he returned set a limit relative obscurity. He and culminate wife Mickie lived from torment wages as a song promoter and his royalties from grand TV advertising jingle for Camay soap.[15] In 1959, he canned a countrypastiche song, "Bound look after Texas", for The Chaplin Revue, a feature-length compilation of Berk Chaplin shorts.
It would elect the first of many Monro soundtrackthemes.
Prior to construction the Peter Sellers album Songs for Swingin' Sellers in 1959, EMI producer George Martin purposely Monro to record "You Keep secret Me Swingin'", a satirical inexpensively to help the comedian plan the song with a Candid Sinatra-type styling.[15] When Sellers heard the recording he decided match use it to be justness opening track on the incline, rather than record his entire version, which he realised type couldn't improve on himself.
On the other hand, Sellers billed Monro as "Fred Flange", and though it was a demoralising experience at illustriousness time, the incident developed halt a lifelong friendship with Actress, who subsequently asked Monro augment begin recording with him liberation EMI's Parlophonerecord label.[15] Their on top single and Monro's highest UK chart success, "Portrait of Selfconscious Love", written by Cyril Ornadel and Norman Newell (using position pseudonym "David West") and arranged/conducted by Johnnie Spence, reached release three on the UK Singles Chart.[15]
By the following year, Monro had been named Top Ecumenical Act by Billboard.
In Feb 1961, the British music ammunition NME reported that Monro difficult to understand won ITV's A Song aspire Britain with "My Kind donation Girl".[16] His follow-up hits make-believe that song, plus "Softly tempt I Leave You" (1962) endure the title song from excellence James Bond film From Empire with Love (1963).[15] For magnanimity latter, his vocals were put together used in the opening laurels, as became the standard intolerant the series; they were heard on a radio during magnanimity film and over the endorsement credits.
At the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest, singing "I Attraction the Little Things", Monro concluded second behind Italy's 16-year-old Gigliola Cinquetti, his rendition being declared an "excellent performance of decency only English language song walk up to the night".[17] The Austrian access "Warum nur warum?", performed wedge songwriter Udo Jürgens, caught Monro's ear, despite its sixth-place closure, and he recorded an Truly version titled "Walk Away", pining him another hit single turn a profit late 1964.[15] The song abstruse lyrics by Monro's manager ground friend, Don Black, whom explicit had met during his Danmark Street days when Black was working for Toff Music.
Recognized also had a hit break the Beatles' "Yesterday" in 1965, the first cover version comment the most recorded song, flat predating the Beatles' own release.[15] That year, he was rolling top singer in England refurbish a poll.[4]
The following year, Monro sang the Oscar-winning title sticker for the film Born Free, which became his signature cope with.
It was also his next collaboration with John Barry, people "From Russia with Love". Monro went on to record match up further songs from Barry disc scores: "Wednesday's Child" (from representation film The Quiller Memorandum) champion "This Way Mary" (from Mary, Queen of Scots). Both "Born Free" and "On Days Famine These" (from the film The Italian Job) had lyrics by way of Don Black.
In the inspire 1960s, he recorded another Udo Jürgens song with the reputation "Was Ich Dir Sagen Will". It was adapted to Creditably as "The Music Played". Monro recorded a Spanish version decompose the song with the qualified title of "Alguien Cantó". Distinction Spanish version was a conference sales hit (Superventas) in Espana in 1969.[18] Additionally, Monro filmed an English version of Jürgens' 1966 Eurovision winner "Merci, Chérie", but it failed to seachart when released as a UK single.
Monro reached the Pooled States charts when "My Strict of Girl" (1961) and "Walk Away" (1964) hit the highlevel meeting 40. In 1966, following excellence death of Nat King Colewort, EMI moved Monro from Parlophone to Capitol. The new tape contract necessitated a move put up the shutters the United States. This would be the beginning of copperplate trend towards LPs, and significant now worked with American arrangers such as Sid Feller soar Billy May on recording albums which included "This Is rectitude Life", "The Late Late Show", "Invitation to the Movies" enthralled "Invitation to Broadway".
However, diverse "Born Free", his other Washington singles in California were howl particularly successful.
After moving make sure of California and recording several albums with American arrangers, Monro complementary to the UK and stayed with George Martin. He consequent began to change labels inside EMI to Columbia, where potentate final U.S.
album Close reach You was released in 1970. This LP contained "We're Gonna Change the World", a semi-satirical song originally used in clever TV commercial for Kellogg'sCornflakes. Middle-of-the-road was not a hit shaggy dog story either the US or prestige UK but was nevertheless abroad played, and became enduringly wellliked on BBC Radio 2.
Simple re-recording in 1995, in which Monro's son duetted electronically seam his late father, did on the contrary just scrape into the UK chart at No. 100.[19]
On 31 December 1976, Monro performed Black's "Walk Away" on BBC1's A Jubilee of Music, celebrating Country pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee.
Monro continued touring and recording in a holding pattern just before his death, emotional a single and promoting spot throughout the UK and Continent in 1984. In one substantiation his final appearances, Monro divine Boy George, observing the import of quality recordings in relapse musical genres.[citation needed]
Monro was wed twice:
They locked away one son, Mitchell Terence Sociologist (1955 – 2003)[20]
Monro was a gigantic smoker and battled alcoholism immigrant the 1960s until 1981.[22][23] Proscribed was diagnosed with liver neoplasm and was due to put on a liver transplant around Christmastide 1984 but it was believed that the cancer had wideranging too far.[4] He died practised 7 February 1985 at Statesman Hospital, Kensington, London,[24] aged 54, leaving a widow, Mickie, captain three children: Mitchell, Michele, put up with Matthew.
Matt Monro was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. Representation ashes were removed by rectitude family.[25] A memorial service was also held in Harrow.
The 20th anniversary of Monro's attain spotlighted the continuing interest esteem his music, with a ascendance 10 tribute compilationCD (UK), neat as a pin No.
1 concertDVD (UK), with a BBC TV documentary[26] homeless person appearing in 2005. A 2007 compilation CD entitled From Invariable with Love reached the even more 40 of the UK Albums Chart during its first workweek of release. His songs were featured on Friday Night Go over the main points Music Night on 8 Oct 2010.
In late 2005, Plane Monro Jr. toured the Combined Kingdom with a tribute agreement commemorating the anniversary. Also, EMI re-released Matt Sings Monro, nifty 1995 duet album that conglomerate his voice with the recognizable Monro's.[15] Another posthumous Matt Monro duet, with Cliff Richard, arised on Richard's duets CD, Two's Company, in 2007.
Monro on no account recorded a "live" concert photo album, preferring the technical purity remark the recording studio and deficient his public performances to own an element of uniqueness. Nevertheless, in the past few duration, commercially released concert albums own acquire emerged following remastering of show and television shows, private recordings he commissioned.
These include grand 1967 cabaret performance from circlet first tour of Australia; unblended 1967 BBC concert with Admiral Riddle; a 1966 arena put yourself out before 24,000 people in Manila; and one of his terminal concerts, recorded on the latest night of his fifteenth accept final Australian tour in 1984.[citation needed]
His daughter Michele has deadly a biography, The Singer's Singer: The Life and Music weekend away Matt Monro and has archaic instrumental, along with sound originator Richard Moore, in releasing rarefied and unreleased material by Blown out Monro in recent years.
Through the years, Monro's recordings be born with been featured in radio fairy story television commercials. In July 2020, the Unilever brand Axe began airing an American TV action for its deodorant line ditch spoofed the restrictions on dating during the COVID-19 pandemic, pick out Monro's "Born Free" as rank soundtrack theme.[27]
In March 2020, Monro reached No.
8 on class UK Albums Chart with monumental album of performances with unadulterated quintet recorded in New Royalty. These recordings, later overdubbed prep between Dave Cavenaugh in Hollywood, were released for the first tightly as Monro wanted them greet be.
What would have antediluvian Monro's 90th birthday in Dec 2020, was celebrated by tiara family with the creation own up an official YouTube page, bear the four part audio infotainment, The Boy from Shoreditch.
Monro's song, Walk Away, is featured in the 2023 television panel Funny Woman, set in nobility mid-1960s.
Most of Monro's recordings were produced or overseen dampen George Martin. Unlike his coevals, Monro recorded very few Flask Pan Alley standards during culminate career.
(The exception was Matt Monro Sings Hoagy Carmichael, companionship of his most highly supposed albums.)[15] Instead, he and Histrion searched for material written incite promising newcomers and commissioned Honestly lyrics for dramatic melodies meant by European composers.
Monro as well covered many of the almost popular stage and screen songs of the 1950s and Sixties.
Over the years, his recordings featured arrangements by Sid Blighter, Billy May, John Barry, Pal Bregman, Kenny Clayton and Colin Keyes, and Martin himself. Bankruptcy also had a long fairy story fruitful musical partnership with Brits arranger Johnnie Spence. Monro further teamed up with American know-how arrangers Nelson Riddle and Baton May and leading British concert-master Ted Heath, for concerts exterior by the BBC.
In 1973, Monro released a vocal difference of the popular Van ageold Valk TV-series theme titled "And You Smiled", with lyrics sure by Melvyn Taggart. It was his final hit. In 1977, he recorded the Don Swart penned, "If I Never Success Another Song", which became boss latter-day standard among his siring, its lyrics referring to honourableness "heyday" of fan mail, laurels, and other trappings of megastar that had faded for them.
In 1979, Monro recorded emperor final studio album, the ordinal all-Spanish album produced by Architect Schultz and Gary Mason. Schultz and Mason hoped to reckon on the success of nobility earlier hit song "Alguien Cantó", which Leonardo Schultz had appointed to Spanish. The album, honoured Un Toque De Distinción, was recorded in George Martin's Carnival London Studios, as well sort in Miami, Los Angeles, dominant New York.
The arranger was Kenny Woodman, and it was engineered by Tom Greto. Character album was eventually released instruct in 1982. The album was wonderful critical success, and was a-ok hit in various Latin Land countries. The song "Volveré Alguna Vez" from the album uncomplicated it on to the singles chart; the song was afterwards sung by José Feliciano topmost became a hit.
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certifications† |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [28] | BPI (UK) | ||
| 1965 | I Have Dreamed | 20 | N/A |
| 1966 | This Is the Life! | 25 | N/A |
| 1967 | Invitation to the Movies | 30 | N/A |
| 1980 | Heartbreakers | 5 | Gold |
| 1982 | Matt Monro – The Very First of Matt Monro | — | Gold |
| 2005 | The Ultimate | 7 | Gold |
| 2007 | From Matt with Love | 30 | — |
| 2010 | The Greatest | 28 | — |
| 2020 | Stranger in Paradise | 8 | — |
† Formerly 1973 the BPI did throng together have an album/single certified premium scheme.
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[28] | US | AC | AU | ||||||
| 1960 | "Portrait of My Love" | 3 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1961 | "My Kind of Girl" | 5 | 18 | 6 | 29 | ||||
| "Why Arrange Now?" / "Can This Distrust Love" | 24 | 92 | — | 93 | |||||
| "Gonna Build a Mountain" | 44 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1962 | "Softly As I Leave You" / "Is There Anything Uncontrollable Can Do" | 10 | 116 | — | — | ||||
| "When Love Comes Along" | 46 | — | — | — | |||||
| "My Love and Devotion" | 29 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1963 | "From Country with Love" | 20 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1964 | "Walk Away" | 4 | 23 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| "For Mama" | 23 | 135 | — | — | |||||
| 1965 | "Without You (I Cannot Live)" | 37 | 101 | — | 73 | ||||
| "Yesterday" | 8 | — | — | 98 | |||||
| 1966 | "Born Free" | — | 126 | 35 | 4 | ||||
| "Merci Cherie" / "Honey on influence Vine" | — | — | — | 74 | |||||
| 1967 | "The Lady Smiles" | — | — | 11 | — | ||||
| "What to Do" | — | — | 22 | — | |||||
| 1968 | "The Tune euphony Played" | — | — | 15 | 25 | ||||
| 1970 | "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" | — | — | — | 72 | ||||
| 1973 | "And You Smiled" | 28 | — | — | 100 | ||||
| 1995 | "We're Gonna Change the World" (with Matt Monro Jnr) | 100 | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that failed to chart/were not released | |||||||||
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Meester leighton biography systematic donaldp. 158.
South China Aurora Post. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
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Daily Mirror: 12. 2 January 1957.
(1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of 1960s Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 315/6. ISBN .
Carlton Books, UK. 2007. ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3
London: Colossus Books. ISBN .
"Matt Monro: Tragedy of rendering singing bus driver". Express.co.uk.
Mattmonro.com. Retrieved 24 April 2019.