101 Strings
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With a discography exceeding a hundred albums and a creative lifetime of roughly thirty years, 101 Strings was an umbrella term for budget pop’s most successful ‘easy listening’ organization. Their LPs were individualized by the slogan ‘The Sound of Magnificence,’ puffy cloud logo and sepia-toned photo of the orchestra.
‘Exploitation market’ record label mogul David L. Miller (born circa 1912 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) came to prominence by releasing the first Bill Haley & the Comets’ records in 1952-’53 on his own Essex label (followed by Trans-World, then Somerset). In this capacity Miller played a role in the creation of rock & roll.
Following the rise of ‘mood music’ practitioners Mantovani and ‘Jackie Gleason Presents,’ Miller, possessed of shrewd investment acumen, subcontracted the (non-union) Hamburg Orchestra to play in-house arrangements of popular standards. The first 101 Strings album was released in late 1957; an astounding 24 titles were released in ’58 (many of which featured recycled material from earlier albums attributed to the New World Orchestra, Rio Carnival Orchestra, etc.). These records were pressed by Miller’s own plants and released through his own distribution channels (such as grocery stores), thus ensuring Somerset’s ability to undersell all competitors.
His core staff arrangers were Monty Kelly, Joseph Kuhn and Robert Lowden. All three proved adept at penning ‘sound-alike’ original compositions Miller placed on 101 Strings albums to provide additional publishing revenues. This body of ‘filler material’ (freed from the circumscriptions of hit songwriting) provides 101 Strings their belated artistic legitimacy.
Kelly’s earliest successes were Latin and Spanish travelogues (such as the Soul of Spain series) although, following the British Invasion, he became 101 Strings’ ‘Now Sound’ specialist. Kuhn concentrated on radio-friendly quasi-standards in the ‘Pops’ orchestral manner (“Blues Pizzicato,” etc.) which provided Somerset its initial catalog of originals. Lowden penned ‘dreamy’ cocktail ballads of high aesthetic merit (such as “Blue Twilight”). Their body of early ‘60s work would be ‘recycled’ throughout the next twenty years.
In 1964, Miller sold the franchise to Al Sherman, former Zeigfeld Follies lyricist, who renamed the label Alshire (based in LA, California) and moved recording to London. Sherman, who retained Miller as a partner to oversee production and A&R, was even more ruthless about exploiting market share than his mentor. Although early Alshire productions exhibited restless creativity (Concertos U.S.A. features 12 custom classical pieces to represent American cities), the Alshire era is characterized by aggressive expansion of product, wild attempts to woo the ‘now generation’ and, beginning in 1969, eventual stagnation (although significant late efforts by Les Baxter and Nelson Riddle were released under the 101 moniker in 1970). Output decreased from ’74 on; a ‘tribute’ to John Lennon (comprised of earlier Beatle ‘tribute’ material) in January 1981 marks the final 101 Strings effort.
Although many 101 Strings albums are indifferently orchestrated versions of disposable pop hits and overworked show tunes, the early Somerset material rates high in the ‘exotica’ and lounge genre. Songs of the Seasons In Japan, Hawaiian Paradise and East of Suez are three such notable albums. 101 Strings Play The Blues and Back Beat Symphony comprise essential early experiments in symphonic-pop hybridization, while Fly Me To The Moon contains five noir-ish originals worthy of serious examination. Alshire releases include ‘Now Sound’ classics such as Jet Set, Sounds of Today and the universally sampled Astro-Sounds from Beyond the Year 2000.
The Alshire catalog was sold to Madacy, Inc. in the 1990s and, under the direction of Greg Sims, a ‘New 101 Strings Orchestra’ began releasing a series of CDs (including a two-volume Beatles set). Although 101 Strings compilations were reissued on CD during the ‘lounge revival,’ the new label failed to understand or exploit the post-modern sensibilities of their potential new audience. Few 101 Strings LPs have been released in their original form and many of the more striking originals have not been digitized. Classic 101 Strings material proliferates through collectors’ markets.
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