Muzzy Marcellino (November 27, 1912 – June 11, 1997) was an American singer and musician, known primarily for his clear, melodious style of whistling. Marcellino's whistling was featured in many TV and movie soundtracks, such as The Mickey Mouse Club and Lassie. He was the uncle of Vince Guaraldi.
Born Maurice Marcellino, he actually studied both violin
and guitar while growing up in his hometown of San Francisco. He began his
career as a child singer with Phil Harris’ orchestra. Around 1932, he joined
the Lofner-Harris orchestra, which was the house band at San Francisco's classy
St. Francis Hotel. That same year he introduced “Willow Weep for Me” with the
Ted Fio Rito orchestra and joined that band in 1935.
He doubled up as guitarist and lead male vocalist. During
his six years with the band, he featured in a number of motion pictures,
including “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” and "Broadway Gondolier."
In 1938 he formed his own orchestra, which debuted at
Topsy's Restaurant in San Francisco and featured a young Gloria DeHaven on
vocals. The band was best known for Marcellino's own smooth baritone voice--his
whistling was, if anything, just a novelty tossed in from time to time. He
spent the next ten years playing West Coast venues.
In the late 1940's, he reduced the size of his band,
touring Reno and Las Vegas. Marcellino finally folded the band in 1948, when he
went to work on Dick Powell's radio show.
Later Marcellino was hired by
television personality Art Linkletter to lead a small on-air combo featured on
Linkletter's talk cum variety show, "House Party." He stayed as
musical director for 19 years, until Linkletter ended the show in 1969
following his daughter's suicide
1953 Muzzy with Hostess Helen
Parrish on "It's a Good Idea"
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Eventually, Marcellino's whistling talents became well
enough known among studio musical directors that he had a steady series of
studio jobs in addition to his work on "House Party." During the
heyday of Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" television series, Marcellino
collaborated with songwriter Jimmy Dodd on original musical numbers written for
the show. Disney also hired him to record the bird calls for the
legendary Tiki Room at Disneyland. Muzzy Marcellino released his debut album of whistling ballads, Birds of a Feather in 1958.
legendary Tiki Room at Disneyland. Muzzy Marcellino released his debut album of whistling ballads, Birds of a Feather in 1958.
Marcellino's strong yet mellifluous whistling was
employed to distinctive effect on hit recordings from the theme from The High
and the Mighty to Hugo Montenegro's cover of Morricone's theme to The Good, the
Bad, and the Ugly. Esquivel used Marcellino on his Stereo Action album,
Latin-esque and was struck by his very precise pitch. If you hear whistling
featured on a Hollywood studio recording from the 1950s or 1960s, chances are,
you're hearing Muzzy Marcellino.
The Reader's Digest set of six records called Gaslight
Musc Hall (1969) featured Marcellino whistling in the tune Whistling Rufus.
Performed by the Gaslight Novelty Orchestra and conducted by Heinie Beau.
Whistling Rufus was composed by Kerry Mills and as stated on the record
collection the jaunty Whistling Rufus came at a transitional point in his
career.
He died June 11, 1997 at his home in Sherman Oaks,
California, following a lengthy illness.
Here’s “Dancing In The Moonlight” by Ted Fiorito
Orchestra with Muzzy Marcellino on vocals.1934.
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For “Muzzy Marcellino, Russ Garcia And His Orchestra – Birds Of A Feather” go here:
https://ufile.io/6rj2m0vo
1 Street Scene
2 Pavanne
3 I'm On My Way
4 If I Had You
5 Four-Twenty A.M.
6 Willow Weep For Me
7 The Wedding Of The Painted Doll
8 Sunrise Serenade
9 Call Of The Birdwatchers
10 Whistler's Lullaby
11 On The Wing
12 The Whistler
There are very few fine whistling records. This is probably the best, and includes not just the Muzzy, the master whistler, but some killer arrangements by none other than Mr Outer Space, Russ Garcia.
Liberty Records, 1958.
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