Feature: “G’Bye Now
One day in the early 40’s, Ray saw a publicity item stating that Olsen & Johnson, then one of the most powerful acts in show business, were looking for new songs for their hit show “Hellzapoppin’”. Unfortunately, that PR item was only true inside the mind of the misguided publicity hack that planted it. But, […]
Feature: “Mister Ed”
Mister Ed, a TV show starring a fictional talking horse, first aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961 and then on CBS from October 1, 1961 to February 6, 1966. The theme song was written by the songwriting team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and sung by Livingston. After using only […]
Feature: “Tammy”
TAMMY was written by Livingston and Evans for the film, TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR, starring Debbie Reynolds, Walter Brennan, and Leslie Nielsen. The film was not an immediate success. However, after the title song, as recorded by Debbie Reynolds, was released and became the biggest hit of 1957, staying number 1 for 10 weeks, Universal […]
Feature: ‘Round And ‘Round The Christmas Tree
Tis’ the Season To prepare to be Jolly! From the purveyor of Christmas for over 75 years, Bing Crosby, comes “‘Round and ‘Round the Christmas Tree”, written by one of Hollywood’s greatest songwriting teams, Livingston & Evans. By the way, after Bob Hope, Bing Crosby was the first to record another Christmas standard written by […]
Feature: Jon Weber Plays Livingston & Evans
Jon Weber is a New York City and Chicago-based jazz pianist and composer (born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1961) whose compositions and performances have met critical and popular acclaim in many countries around the world. Largely self-taught, Weber has perfect pitch and remarkable melodic recall. He serves as host of Piano Jazz with Jon Weber […]
Feature: “Bonanza”
“Bonanza” remains one of the longest running U.S. Network TV Shows in history, running 14 years from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. The theme song is now recognized as the quintessential western theme song around the world. Also, “BONANZA” is noted as the personification of “good luck”, “fair weather”, “prosperity” and all that […]
Feature: Doris Day Sings “Que Sera Sera”
There was a Livingston & Evans song in “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (directed in 1955 by Alfred Hitchcock) that Doris Day really liked and which she recorded (“We’ll Love Again”). However, she refused to record QUE SERA SERA because she thought it was a children’s song. But this was the important song in […]