Henry Mancini Vinyl, CD & Tape 10 Items

In a career spanning over four decades, composer, conductor and arranger Enrico “Henry” Mancini (1924-1994) won numerous Academy and Grammy awards for his scores to well-known films and television series, including The Pink Panther, Hatari!, Two For The Road, Wait Until Dark, Peter Gunn, and of course, 1961’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s (which alone won five Grammys and two Oscars)! The Breakfast At Tiffany’s soundtrack is probably best remembered for Audrey Hepburn’s legendary performance of Mancini’s “Moon River” (lyrics by Johnny Mercer), which won an Academy Award for Best Song that year. “Moon River” went on to become one of the best loved songs of all time, but it first made its appearance here, in Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

A picture disc vinyl edition of Henry Mancini's famous score to the 1961 movie starring Audrey Hepburn.

Henry Mancini composed and conducted the score for the 1966 film Arabesque, starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren. The soundtrack album contains nine instrumental pieces, including "The Zoo Chase" in three parts and a vocal version of "We've Loved Before" performed by a mixed chorus.

Film director Stanley Donen had been charmed by Henry Mancini's song "Baby Elephant Walk" from the film Hatari!, so he contacted Mancini from London to tell him about his current picture. Donen had directed several famous musical films throughout the 1950s and he now intended to put his own slant on a Hitchcock-like thriller and he wanted a strong melody in the background score.The title track "Charade" is a sad, lonely Parisian waltz. It was nominated that year for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Henry Mancini produced the score for the Howard Hawks-directed, John Wayne-starring safari comedyHatari!which included the well-known "Baby Elephant Walk". This is at first a fun blend of jazz and Afro-exotica, jungle drums mixed with a classic bop combo. Elsewhere, however, the soundtrack opts for some pleasant, but very Western jazz, only stopping for the African instrument-sampler "The Sounds of Hatari," which features some nice treated piano.

In a career spanning over four decades, composer, conductor and arranger Enrico “Henry” Mancini (1924-1994) won numerous Academy and Grammy awards for his scores to well-known films and television series, including The Pink Panther, Hatari!, Two For The Road, Wait Until Dark, Peter Gunn, and of course, 1961’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s (which alone won five Grammys and two Oscars)! The Breakfast At Tiffany’s soundtrack is probably best remembered for Audrey Hepburn’s legendary performance of Mancini’s “Moon River” (lyrics by Johnny Mercer), which won an Academy Award for Best Song that year. “Moon River” went on to become one of the best loved songs of all time, but it first made its appearance here, in Breakfast At Tiffany’s. Limited edition of 500 copies.

Limited edition for Record Store Day 2014