Pipeorgan Presentations - Music From The Movies

Don Thompson
Plays
Music From The Movies
On The
Nethercutt Collection
Mighty Wurlitzer

Available on CD
CD $17

UK Customers Only (PPD): CD 12 GBP

To hear samples of the tracks on this cd, click on the track names below.
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THE ARTIST
Don Thompson was born in Northern England. While at Cambridge University he discovered a theatre organ in the Victoria Cinema and on November 11, 1953, made his first public appearance as a theatre organist in a movie house. Having obtained his degree in English he then went to Oxford for a further degree in Jurisprudence, but despite his parents’ hopes for his future, immediately on leaving Oxford he began work as an organist. By this time, with only a couple of exceptions, the concept of the organ interlude in the movie theatre as a means of paid employment for musicians was history, but Don did manage to get in on the end of this tradition and played for the movies at the Odeon Astoria Brixton, London, and at Odeon, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. In 1967 he was appointed organist to the largest theatre in the Middle East, the Cinema Byblos in Beirut and played the Hammond organ for the premieres and runs of such movies as “Camelot” and “Dr. Zhivago.” Alarmed by the worsening political situation in Lebanon he moved to the US a year later in1968 and rapidly became one of the most popular organists on the West Coast. He toured in concert coast-to-coast every year and produced over 40 LP albums. Simultaneously with this he became a leading figure in the “pipe organ in the pizza parlor” concept and spent seventeen years playing for the pasta chompers in California and Toronto. At the time of this recording, in the mid eighties, he was also resident organist at the mighty Wurlitzer in the magnificent art deco Oakland Paramount. The initial pressing of this CD sold out almost immediately after its release in 1989 and it was not renewed until the present release which has been digitally re-mastered using current techniques that were not available in 1989

SAN SYLMAR
In Sylmar, a northern suburb of Los Angeles, stands a tall peach-colored tower which houses the collection of the late J. B. Nethercutt, the owner of Merle Norman Cosmetics. A magnificent showroom on the first floor and a warehouse across the street house his collection of antique automobiles, all tastefully displayed. On the top floor is “Cloud Nine,” an immense living/dining room which houses no fewer than four grand pianos, several other automatic instruments and a fine four-manual Wurlitzer which is renowned for its tonal perfection. One of the pianos is playable from the organ console and it is heard a number of times in this recording. Mr Nethercutt graciously encouraged us to record the instrument and placed his staff at our disposal, for which we were extremely grateful.

THE MUSIC
At the time of this recording many of these movies were still current and being shown nation-wide. It is interesting to note how many of these themes have stood the test of time and are still popular, so many years later. “Gone with the Wind” is arguably the most famous movie of all time so it is fitting that this program should begin with music from that classic. The GWTW suite contains, in addition to the beloved main title theme, other pieces used in the soundtrack, including Mammy’s Theme, Bonnie’s Theme, Dixie, Shenandoah and the Battle Hymn, all of which are heard at one stage or another in the course of the action. The organ admirably re-creates the massive lush strings of the movie soundtrack. “The Godfather” excerpt features the wedding tarantella in addition to the famous love theme. Henry Mancini is one of the best known popular composers in America and three of his themes are featured on this recording, “Charade,” “Moon River” and “The Pink Panther.” “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” comes from a little known movie, “On Your Toes.” It also appears in “Words and Music,” the technicolor biography of Rogers and Hart in which the ballet was danced by Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen. The songs ”Picnic” and “Moonglow” have the same chord sequence and so the two tunes are combined on this recording with Don Thompson playing both piano and organ simultaneously, Finally, “The Warsaw Concerto” is the theme from a well-known British World War Two movie called “Dangerous Moonlight” and this became a classic in the British concert field for some years and also features piano and organ together.