Moonlight Serenade: Stage Door Reissues Max Bygraves' "Discolongamax"

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Tomorrow, Stage Door Records delivers perhaps the most unexpected reissue of the year - and almost certainly the campiest! Fans of kitsch (and you know who you are!) will doubtless find much to enjoy in Stage Door's CD premiere of Discolongamax from the late British entertainer Max Bygraves (1922-2012). This marks the third release in the label's Pop series, following an expanded album from The Nolans and the television-themed Crossroads Wedding Party.

Cast album connoisseurs might know Bygraves best as Hubie Cram in the original West End production of the musical Do Re Mi, admirably filling the shoes of Broadway's Phil Silvers. Still others around the world might know him for his association with Judy Garland. After supporting her on the bill at the London Palladium in 1951, the superstar invited him to New York to fill the same role that year in her shows at the Palace on Broadway. U.K. readers, though, will undoubtedly know Bygraves and his long, successful career. A multi-talented comedian, singer, and all-around variety performer whose career began onstage in variety and on radio, he charted ten singles on the U.K. Singles Chart between 1952 and 1960, most of which were novelty songs. One was "You Need Hands," which he wrote under the pseudonym of Roy Irwin. Eydie Gorme would later score a No. 11 Pop hit with the song in the United States. Bygraves appeared in films and on television, wrote a novel (The Milkman's on His Way) and in 1982, was made an OBE (Order of the British Empire). He hosted the U.K. version of Family Feud, entitled Family Fortunes, between 1983 and 1985; in 1989, he charted his final hit with a rendition of Irving Berlin's timeless "White Christmas." The beloved entertainer continued to release albums into the 1990s.

Discolongamax was part of Bygraves' long-running series of LPs that began with 1971's Sing Along with Max and continued with entries dedicated to party songs (Singalongapartysong), Christmas music (Singalongaxmas), showtunes (Singalongabroadway), movie themes (Singalongamovies), Latin music (Viva! Congalongamax), and more. By 1979, with more than 20 sing-along-styled albums and collections released, a disco release would have seemed de rigeur for the personable singer with the smooth and resonant voice. Max didn't disappoint. Stage Door shares a quote from him upon the album's original release: "I firmly believe people of my age can enjoy disco as much as the kids. The songs are all good strong melodies that seem to lend themselves to the disco treatment. I just hope that the folk who buy the album will feel like a bit of a dancealong too."

Produced by Terry Brown and arranged by veteran Frank Barber, Discolongamax primarily drew on the classic standards favored by Bygraves and his audience, including "Autumn Leaves," "Moonlight Serenade," and "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey," with detours to classic Broadway (My Fair Lady's music hall-flavored "Get Me to the Church on Time"), contemporary pop (Morris Albert's once-ubiquitous "Feelings"), and Bygraves' own back catalogue ("You Need Hands," "Love Is a Song," "Tulips from Amsterdam"). While Barber dutifully provided orchestral disco backings for most of the tunes - with able vocal support from The Ladybirds - a handful of songs aren't really disco-fied at all, merely given a fashionable modern gloss. These more relaxed tunes include "You Need Hands," "Autumn Leaves," "Moonlight Serenade," and "Feelings." Bygraves is at his most over-the-top on "Bill Bailey" while Barber evokes The Wiz favorite "Ease on Down the Road" on "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me."

If there's a well-worn copy of The Ethel Merman Disco Album on your LP or CD shelf - or Up the Yellow Brick Road is your favorite Salsoul Orchestra album - then this one's for you! Get your dancing shoes on: Discolongamax (complete with newly modified cover artwork and an insert with liner notes) is available on Friday from Stage Door Records. You'll find the track listing and order links below.

Max Bygraves, Discolongamax (Pye LP ZCN 110, 1979 - reissued Stage Door Pop STAGE 9102, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Stage Door)

Get Me to the Church on Time
How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm
You Need Hands
Autumn Leaves
Moonlight Serenade
Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey
Ma! (He's Making Eyes at Me)
My Mammy
Tulips from Amsterdam
Love is a Song
Somebody Stole My Gal
Feelings

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.