Thursday's Top Tune Throwback: 'Somewhere My Love" by the Ray Conniff Singers

Joseph Raymond Conniff left us in 2002, but he also left a musical legacy very few will ever match.
Ray Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger—and one of the most gifted in American history! Between 1957 and 1968, Conniff had 28 albums in America’s Top 40, with the most famous, “Somewhere My Love,” arriving in 1966.
Following WWII, Ray joined Artie Shaw’s big band and then affiliated with Mitch Miller. Later, as house arranger at Columbia Records, he worked with superstars the likes of Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, and Rosemary Clooney, plus a host of others. One footnote to his Hall of Fame-worthy career: He was the first popular American artist to record in Russia.
In 1959, Conniff formed The Ray Conniff Singers, a combination of 12 women and 13 men who would record some of the most beautiful sounds to ever grace the American landscape, not to mention the world’s. (Thanks to my new Alexa, a recent birthday gift, I’ve been “shuffling” songs by The Ray Conniff Singers daily.)
For today’s Top Tune Throwback, we’re showcasing “Somewhere My Love,” also known as “Lara’s Theme” from the movie classic, “Doctor Zhivago.” The lyrics were written by Maurice Jarre and Paul Francis Webster. The leitmotif for the motion picture, however, was written by Ray Davies of The Kinks fame. Next to the Beatles, the Kinks were my favorite group of all time, but that’s a story for another day!
“Doctor Zhivago” was released in 1965 and won an Academy Award for Best Original Music Score.

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.