Sing to Me, Mr. C.

AMG Review of Sing to Me, Mr. C.

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

With a weekly television show to host, Perry Como recorded less frequently than his fellow pop singers, averaging about an album of new material a year. But having skipped 1960 entirely, he picked up the pace in 1961, releasing For the Young at Heart early in the year and following in September with Sing to Me, Mr. C. The album was keyed to the TV program in much the same manner as his 1958 album Saturday Night with Mr. C. had been, as the host of what was now a Wednesday night show began both sides of the LP with his opening theme, "Sing to Me, Mr. C.," sung by the Ray Charles Singers, and ended with his closing theme, "You Are Never Far Away from Me." In between, he devoted the disc to six examples of the series' "medley time" segment, combining three vintage songs into each one for "18 of your all-time favorites," as the album cover proclaimed. Producers Hugo (Peretti) & Luigi (Creatore), handling their second Como assignment, used the same accompaniment as that on the show, guitarist Tony Mottola prominently featured, along with the hired musicians billed as the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra, many of whom had been backing Como for years. In truth, the medleys didn't make much sense lyrically or musically; basically, they were just three familiar songs performed together without a break. But when the songwriters included Irving Berlin, Lerner and Loewe, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, and with Como delivering typically assured performances, it was hard to complain, especially since the album ran a bit longer than most LPs of the day.