'S Wonderful!
| 'S Wonderful! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 8, 1956 | |||
| Recorded | November 11, 1955 – June 18, 1956 | |||
| Genre | Pop, easy listening | |||
| Length | 30:21 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Mitch Miller | |||
| Ray Conniff chronology | ||||
| ||||
'S Wonderful! is a 1956 album by Ray Conniff, his orchestra and (wordless) chorus. It was his first album released under his name. The album was produced completely in mono by Mitch Miller at Columbia Records' 30th Street Studios in New York City.
Overview
The first track in the album, "'S Wonderful peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album reached No. 11 on the Billboard Top LPs.[1] The album did 1 position worse on Cash Box, peaking at No. 12, and it stayed on the chart for 38 weeks.[2]
Following the success, he recorded 3 more albums with " 'S " in their title, all reaching good positions on the charts.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
The Allmusic review by William Ruhlmann gave the album 4.5 stars stating "Conniff updated the big band sound to the '50s, retaining its danceable tempos and building upon the unison section innovations of Glenn Miller...Employing standards with familiar melodies, the imaginativeness of his work became all the more noticeable."[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "'S Wonderful" | George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin | 2:29 |
| 2. | "Dancing in the Dark" | Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz | 2:46 |
| 3. | "Speak Low" | Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash | 3:55 |
| 4. | "Wagon Wheels" | Billy Hill, Peter de Rose | 3:15 |
| 5. | "Sentimental Journey" | Les Brown, Ben Homer, Bud Green | 2:42 |
| 6. | "Begin the Beguine" | Cole Porter | 2:42 |
| 7. | "September Song" | Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson | 2:46 |
| 8. | "I Get a Kick out of You" | Cole Porter | 3:14 |
| 9. | "Stardust" | Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish | 2:18 |
| 10. | "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)" | Johnny Mercer | 2:55 |
| 11. | "Sometimes I'm Happy" | Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar | 3:02 |
| 12. | "That Old Black Magic" | Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer | 2:47 |
Recording dates
Recording dates based on Ray Conniff's diaries:
- November 11, 1955: Stardust/Begin the Beguine (to be released as a single first)
- March 26, 1956: Dancing in the Dark/That Old Black Magic
- June 15, 1956: September Song/Speak Low/I Get a Kick Out of You/Sometimes I'm Happy
- June 18, 1956: 'S Wonderful/Wagon Wheels/I'm an Old Cowhand/Sentimental Journey
Charts
| Chart (1956) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top LPs[1] | 11 |
| US Cashbox Top LPs[2] | 12 |
References
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top LPs, 1955–1996. Record Research. p. 35. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Hoffmann, Frank W. (1988). Cash Box Pop Albums Charts, 1955–1974. Scarecrow Press. p. 78. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
Ray Conniff's album entries and chart performance as listed on page 78.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "'S Wonderfull! Review". Allmusic. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "'S Wonderfull! Information". Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "'S Wonderfull! Information". iTunes. Retrieved May 1, 2011.