Open Fire, Two Guitars
| Open Fire, Two Guitars | ||||
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| Studio album by Johnny Mathis | ||||
| Released | 1959 | |||
| Recorded | January 1959 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 43:05 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Mitch Miller | |||
| Johnny Mathis chronology | ||||
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Open Fire, Two Guitars is the eighth album released by legendary singer Johnny Mathis. Of his recordings, it is his seventh original studio album (his fifth album was the compilation Johnny's Greatest Hits).
Overview
In a major departure from all his previous albums, Mathis sings with the backing of two guitars played by Al Caiola and Tony Mottola plus an upright bass (Frank Carroll on nine of the tracks, Milt Hinton the rest) for rhythmic support. This allows the purity, sensitivity and sheer beauty of the Mathis voice to shine through. The album is a testament to the stature of Mathis in 1959 that Columbia Records allowed him to make an album outside the proven formula of his previous albums as well as the courage of the artist in allowing his vocal instrument to be so completely exposed without the security of the full orchestra. Quite a feat for a 23-year-old singer with only two years of recording experience behind him. The result is an artistic triumph for Mathis and the album remains one of his most treasurable among his legion of fans.
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
Track listing
- "An Open Fire" - 3:52
- "Bye Bye Blackbird" - 4:07
- "In the Still of the Night" - 2:35
- "Embraceable You" - 3:28
- "I'll Be Seeing You" - 4:26
- "Tenderly" - 2:58
- "When I Fall in Love" - 4:31
- "I Concentrate on You" - 3:16
- "Please Be Kind" - 3:24
- "You'll Never Know" - 4:07
- "I'm Just a Boy in Love" - 2:44
- "My Funny Valentine" - 3:37
Billboard Album Chart
The album was yet another sales bonanza for Mathis peaking at #4 on the Billboard album chart in its original release despite the pared down backings.[1]
Highlights
As had been the case on a number of previous albums, the songs of Cole Porter are featured on this release ("In the Still of the Night" and "I Concentrate on You"). Mathis explores the work of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin with "Embraceable You" while dipping into the repertoire of his musical hero Nat King Cole with "When I Fall in Love". For the first time, Mathis interprets a song by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart giving a stunning performance of "My Funny Valentine". The album opens with "An Open Fire" from the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, known for their many hits songs including a number of classics written for Mathis' contemporary Elvis Presley.