Lew Davies (25 September 1911 - 11 December 1968) was an American bandleader, composer and arranger, long associated with Enoch Light's Command Records.
Davies was born Lewis A. Davies in 1911 at Ashland, Kentucky.
He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and later studied composition
with the noted teacher, Tibor Serly. He began arranging for dance bands in 1928
including the Tommy Tucker band and also worked in radio as well.
A half-hour musical variety radio program, It’s Wheeling
Steel debuted over WWVA in Wheeling on November 8, 1936. Conceived and produced
by the Wheeling Steel Corporation’s advertising director, John L. Grimes, the
program’s purpose was to promote public relations and serve as a vehicle for
advertising the corporation’s products. The program’s content consisted of
light classics, popular songs, and show tunes, performed by The Steelmakers
Orchestra, which consisted of local musicians, as well as an assortment of
amateur ‘‘headliner’’ performers, all of whom were drawn from the corporation’s
extended family of employees.
John L, Grimes with Lew Davies |
World War II, the show supported the war effort by encouraging listeners to buy bonds. One program, broadcast from West Virginia University’s field house, generated $663,000 for the “Buy a Bomber”
campaign.
The program was at the height of its popularity when it was
discontinued in 1944, primarily due to Grimes’s declining health. Davies found
employment wrighting arrangements for Perry Como’s “Chesterfield Hour” which
was broadcast live from the New Yorks fancy Chesterfield Club.
When the club closed Davies was hired by bandleader and
recording industry mogul, Enoch Light in the late 1950s and soon became Light's
primary arranger he arranged for Command stars Tony Mattola, Dr. Severinson and
others. Many of the early Command
releases include one or two original compositions by Davies, and the label
released five albums under his own name. He also snuck in one album for
Columbia, but is only credited in passing in the liner notes.
recordings from the stereo showcase period.
There's almost no trace left of Lew Davies except for his
arrangements on the "Persuasive Percussion" series and most of the
rest of Command's records. Enoch Light certainly contributed the inspiration
and technical genius behind the Command style, but Davies, not Light, receives
the arranger credit on the majority of Command's releases.
Lew Davies died in New York City, New York 11 December 1968
(Edited from Spaceagepop and Wheeling Heritage.org)
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For “Lew Davies & His Orchestra - ''Strange Interlude'' (1961) go here:
https://www.upload.ee/files/10522225/Lew_Davies-Strange__Interlude.rar.html
01. Riders In The Sky
02. Strange Interlude
03. In A Mist
04. Gone With The Wind
05. Wild Goose
06. Intermezzo
07. Old Devil Moon
08. Ebb Tide
09. The Riddle Song
10. The Witching Hour
11. Laura
12. Spellbound
Credits:
Bass – Bob Haggart, Jack Lesberg
Cimbalom – Michael Szittai
Design – S. Neil Fujita
Drums – George Devens, Phil Kraus
French Horn – Paul Faulise, Tony Miranda
Guitar – Tony Mottola
Reeds – Al Klink, Ezelle Watson, Phil Bodner, Stanley Webb
Synthesizer [Ondioline] – Sy Mann
Theremin – Paul Lippman, Walter Sear
Trombone – Bobby Byrne, Dick Hixon, Urbie Green
Originated and Produced by Enoch Light
Thanks to Vinyl Revival for original post.
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