REVIEW: Matt Monro – The Lost New York Sessions

REVIEW: Matt Monro – The Lost New York Sessions

You’ve heard the well told story of The Beatles Let It Be sessions, with the band on another golden streak recording immaculate songs before the tracks were sent to the prestigious production talents of Phil Spector who added layer upon layer of orchestrated and choral overdubs, much to the frustrations of Paul McCartney. It was only years later that the original recordings were officially released. A similar forlorn tale can be told regarding the lofty vocally talented Matt Monro.

The Lost New York Sessions released via Capitol/UMe have been kept under lock and key in the Capitol vaults since the original recording sessions before being chopped and changed with added arrangements, brass and strings which formed 1967’s Invitation To Broadway. Fast forward to March 13th 2020 these original recordings are set to finally get the exposure that should have been their back in the 60’s, plus importantly these tracks are what Monro wanted his audience to hear.

Stranger In Paradise gets things underway, with its familiar stunning outburst of vocal from Monro, equally divine is I’ll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her, which makes way for the salsa sway of The Sweetest Sounds. Put On A Happy Face is taken from the musical Bye Bye Birdie before Sunrise, Sunset delivers a decisive melody. Disc 2 features a newly conceived best of featuring the fabulous incomparable talents of Monro. From Russia With Love, Born Free, Wednesday’s Child, If I Never Sing Another Song plus And You Smiled all feature plus the English version of the no 1 smash hit Alguien Canto.  

Branded the vocalist’s vocalist, of all the singers in and amongst the exciting new beat generation which included the aforementioned McCartney and The Love Affair’s Steve Ellis, Monro’s voice was deeply admired by these and many more household names as was he produced by the lofty talents of John Barry, Quincy Jones and Henry Mancini, the list could go on. This new collection of sumptuous archive recordings should introduce a new eager audience queuing to behold the man simply known as The Cockney Frank Sinatra.

The Lost New York Sessions can be purchased via the following link