I Can See Clearly Now / Harmony

by Ray Conniff

I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING OVER 30 YEARS TO FIND "HARMONY". I REMEMBER SINGING THIS SONG IN AN ALL-CITY CHOIR OF 5th & 6th GRADERS WHEN I WAS IN 6th GRADE IN NEBRASKA. I LOVED THIS SONG BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER WHO WROTE OR RECORDED THIS SONG. BUT I KNEW THE FIRST THREE LINES OF THE BEGINNING LYRICS. I AM SO HAPPY THAT I'VE FINALLY FOUND A RECORDING OF IT! THAT SONG IS SO PROFOUND NOW AS IT WAS THEN (1976). I ALSO LOVE THE SONG "HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW". THAT SONG MADE ME CRY BECAUSE WE ALL LOSE SOMEONE WE LOVE...WHETHER THRU DEATH OR BREAK-UP. I LOVE YOU, RAY CONNIFF!

Folks, these are two very special LPs now available for the first time on CD. Let's start w/See Clearly Now....That piano rhythm that Ray created I Can See Clearly Now is "outta this world.." This is "clearly" an instance where this version KNOCKS the original Johnny Nash version outta the "ballpark..." Other stand-outs are Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California" which is so electric and PERFECT...Pay close attention to Mac Davis' I BELIEVE IN MUSIC because it is what Ray Conniff music is all about......and listen to the tenderness of Austin Robert's "Something's Wrong With Me" with Ron Hicklin's & the Bahler Brothers vocal arrangements... Now, let's talk about Harmony...Came out in the winter of '73 when I was "9" years old and my dad got me this LP for Christmas...What a beautiful album! Harmony is by FAR, one of the most gorgeous and most appropriate SONGS for a CONNIFF flavored arrangement. Sonny Rollin's YOUNG LOVE is given this outstanding Conniff interpretation and Lobo's How Can I Tell Her is simply outta here! But the three GEMS on this LP are Dawn's Gypsy Rose which showcases Ray Conniff's Dixieland flavored arrangement! The Carpenter's YESTERDAY ONCE MORE is down in Conniff history as a legendary arrangement, performed in Conniff concerts everywhere and the closing SONG, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow which was PENNED by Ray Conniff and EXPRESSES by far our truly heartfelt sentiments about our love for Ray Conniff......It is one of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear......It will bring out sentiments in you, that you never KNEW you had........Conniff the GENIUS once again showcases his god given talents and we have two OUTSTANDING LPS on CD given to us by COLLECTIBLES.........Go COLLECTIBLES go!!!!!! 10 THUMBS UP!

It is always good to see reviews from people around the world who appreciate truly great music. We all agree that the songs on these two CDs are among best recordings Ray conniff ever produced, and to say that this is a high-quality collection is a collosal understatement. The Conniff renditions are actually better than the original recordings by other artists, as is always the case.

"I Can See Clearly Now" and "Harmony" are among the best things Ray conniff ever produced. With singers like Jackie Ward and the Bahler Brothers, an impeccable repertoire and the magic Conniff touch, the result could not be nothing but SUPERB. Ray's own composition "Here today and gone tomorrow" (from "Harmony") express what every Conniff fan felt when he passed away. A MUST for any record collection!!

These LP's released on 1973 were two great hits performed by the new Conniff singers, introducing a new way of interpretation. Lovely songs such as "I Can See Clearly Now", "Ben", "The Morning After", "If I Could Reach You" and the title song "Harmony" are here with the marvelous Conniff's touch. As a matter of fact, the right pair's LP should be "I Can See Clearly Now" and the superb "You're The Sunshine Of My Life', released the same year, too. I hope Collectable Records will be remember releasing this title very soon...
I believe this is a must-have Ray Conniff's CD. You should try it...

Carlos Emmerich
(S?o Paulo, Brazil)