Moon River - Music
Moon River by The Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission
Artist Biography For The Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission Are A Folk Band Featuring The Beautiful Mesmerizing Vocals Of Karen Peris And The Guitar Backing Of Her Husband Don Peris. Their Signature Style Is Dreamy Slow Songs With Beautiful Melodies. The Original Band Including Mike Bitts Bass And Steve Brown Drums Was Formed In Lancaster Pennsylvania In The Early 80s When The Members Met During A Catholic School Production Of Godspell. Although All Members Of The Band Have Contributed Musically Karen Peris Does Most Of The Group's Writing. Their Eponymous Debut Album Released In 1989 A&M Records Was Produced By Larry Klein Then-Husband Of Joni Mitchell And Recorded In The Couple’s Basement Recording Studio. The Album Peaked On The Billboard Charts At #167 In 1990 And The Album’s Second Track "Black Sheep Wall" Released As A Single In 1989 Peaked At #22 On Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. The Album’s Fifth Track "Clear To You" Was Used On The Soundtrack Of The Pilot Episode Of Beverly Hills 90210. Klein Also Produced Their 1991 Follow Up Umbrella. Their Third And Final A&M Album Glow Released In 1995 A&M Records Was Produced By Dennis Herring Who Had Previously Produced Two Records For Camper Van Beethoven. This Album Is A Departure From Klein's Heavier Production Style. Whereas The First Two Releases May Have Brought To Mind The Sundays And The Cocteau Twins With Their Moody Keyboards Herring's Lighter Touch Gave More Emphasis To The Group's Guitar Work And To Karen's Vocals And Lyrics. Glow Contains Songs That Appear On The Soundtracks Of The Films Empire Records And Dream For An Insomniac As Well As The Television Series Party Of Five. The Album’s Second Track Bright As Yellow Peaked On Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks At #33. In 1999 The Band Recorded For A New Label Badman. Additionally Drummer Steve Brown Left The Band To Pursue A Career As A Chef. On The Subsequent Album Birds Of My Neighborhood Brown Played Drums And Brushes On "Snow " But Otherwise The Group Became A Trio. Now Bereft Of Drums Their Sound Took An Even More Acoustic Direction. Some Songs Featured Just Don And Karen And A Few Such As "She May Turn Around " Featured Only Karen's Voice And Instrumentation. The 2000 Release Of Christ Is My Hope Featuring Religious Music That Had Inspired Them Over The Years Was Independently Released On Their Own Website. Small Planes Released In 2001 Featured Outtakes From Glow And Birds Of My Neighborhood. 2003's Befriended Was Their Next "regular" Album. In 2004 The Innocence Mission Released Now The Day Is Over A Collection Of Lullabies. Except For "My Love Goes With You " All Songs Are Cover Versions Such As A Stripped-Down Vocal And Piano Rendition Of Henry Mancini's Moon River The Innocence Mission's New Album We Walked In Song Was Released March 13 2007.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Moon River
The-Innocence-Mission - Now The Day Is Over
"Moon River" Is A Song Composed By Johnny Mercer Lyrics And Henry Mancini Music In 1961 For Whom It Won That Year's Academy Award For Best Original Song. It Is Most Well-Known For Being Sung In The Movie Breakfast At Tiffany's By Audrey Hepburn Although It Has Been Covered By Many Other Artists. It Became The Theme Song For Andy Williams Who First Recorded The Song In 1961 And Performed It At The Academy Awards Ceremonies In 1962. He Sang The First Eight Bars Of The Song At The Beginning Of His Television Show He Also Named His Production Company And Venue In Branson Missouri After Moon River. Williams' Version Was Vetoed By Cadence President Archie Bleyer Who Believed It Had Little Or No Appeal To Teenagers. Williams' Famous Version Never Charted Except As An LP Track Which He Recorded For Columbia In A Hit Album Of 1962. The Success Of The Song Was Responsible For Relaunching Mercer's Career As A Songwriter Which Had Stalled In The Mid-1950s Because Rock And Roll Replaced Jazz Standards As The Popular Music Of The Time. An Inlet Near Savannah Georgia Johnny Mercer's Hometown Was Named Moon River In Honor Of Him And This Song. The Popularity Of The Song Is Such That It Has Been Used As A Test Sample In A Study On People's Memories Of Popular Songs. The Original Version
Mercer And Mancini Wrote The Song For Audrey Hepburn To Fit Her Vocal Range. Initially The Lyrics Started "I'm Holly Like I Want To Be / Like Holly On A Tree Back Home..." However They Were Later Changed To Fit The Theme To The Movie Breakfast At Tiffany's. Although An Instrumental Version Is Played Over The Film's Opening Titles The Lyrics Are First Heard In A Scene Where Paul 'Fred' Varjak George Peppard Discovers Holly Golightly Hepburn Singing Them Accompanied By Her Guitar On The Fire-Escape Outside Their Apartments. There Was Much Behind-The-Scenes Consternation Which Erupted When A Paramount Pictures Executive Suggested Deleting The Song From The Film Immediately After A Very Successful San Francisco Preview. Hepburn's Reaction Has Been Described By Mancini And Others In Degrees Varying From Her Saying "over My Dead Body" To Her Using Somewhat More Colorful Language To Make The Same Point. Hepburn's Version Was Not Included In The Original Score Album To Breakfast At Tiffany's. Instead An Album Version Recorded By Mancini And His Chorus Was Released As A Single And Became A #11 Hit. In Different Versions Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult Contemporary Songs" Reported The Song As A #3 Or #1 Easy Listening Hit Due To Unpublished Charts In Billboard. Only Months After Hepburn's Death In 1993 Her Version Was Released On An Album Entitled Music From The Films Of Audrey Hepburn. Other Recordings
"Moon River" Was Released By South African Singer Danny Williams And Reached #1 In The UK. Shortly Thereafter Andy Williams Recorded The Song And Made It His Theme Song. It Was A Hit For Jerry Butler In 1961 Reaching #11 In The Billboard Charts. Other Artists That Have Covered The Song Are The Afghan Whigs Benny Anderssons Orkester Paul Anka Blake Louis Armstrong Vince Guaraldi Beru Revue Mary Black Sarah Brightman Liz Callaway Perry Como Ray Conniff Bobby Darin Ania Dąbrowska Dr. John Dump Billy Eckstine The Four Freshmen Connie Francis Bill Frisell Instrumental Emi Fujita Judy Garland Karel Gott Grant Green Instrumental Patty Griffin The Innocence Mission Although This Version Is Sometimes Incorrectly Cited As Being Performed By Milla Jovovich Bradley Joseph Instrumental Kim Yoo-Jin James Last Joey McIntyre Johnny Mathis Brad Mehldau Jane Monheit Morrissey Patsy Ann Noble Jim Reeves John Barrowman R.E.M. Mia Riddle Andrea Ross Frank Sinatra Barbra Streisand Sarah Vaughan Nan Vernon Kid Koala Westlife Victoria Williams The Divine Comedy And Tata Young. Mercer Himself Recorded The Song In 1974 For His Album Appropriately Named My Huckleberry Friend.
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Biography - The Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission Are A Folk Band Featuring The Beautiful Mesmerizing Vocals Of Karen Peris And The Guitar Backing Of Her Husband Don Peris. Their Signature Style Is Dreamy Slow Songs With Beautiful Melodies. The Original Band Including Mike Bitts Bass And Steve Brown Drums Was Formed In Lancaster Pennsylvania In The Early 80s When The Members Met During A Catholic School Production Of Godspell. Although All Members Of The Band Have Contributed Musically Karen Peris Does Most Of The Group's Writing. Their Eponymous Debut Album Released In 1989 A&M Records Was Produced By Larry Klein Then-Husband Of Joni Mitchell And Recorded In The Couple’s Basement Recording Studio. The Album Peaked On The Billboard Charts At #167 In 1990 And The Album’s Second Track "Black Sheep Wall" Released As A Single In 1989 Peaked At #22 On Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. The Album’s Fifth Track "Clear To You" Was Used On The Soundtrack Of The Pilot Episode Of Beverly Hills 90210. Klein Also Produced Their 1991 Follow Up Umbrella. Their Third And Final A&M Album Glow Released In 1995 A&M Records Was Produced By Dennis Herring Who Had Previously Produced Two Records For Camper Van Beethoven. This Album Is A Departure From Klein's Heavier Production Style. Whereas The First Two Releases May Have Brought To Mind The Sundays And The Cocteau Twins With Their Moody Keyboards Herring's Lighter Touch Gave More Emphasis To The Group's Guitar Work And To Karen's Vocals And Lyrics. Glow Contains Songs That Appear On The Soundtracks Of The Films Empire Records And Dream For An Insomniac As Well As The Television Series Party Of Five. The Album’s Second Track Bright As Yellow Peaked On Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks At #33. In 1999 The Band Recorded For A New Label Badman. Additionally Drummer Steve Brown Left The Band To Pursue A Career As A Chef. On The Subsequent Album Birds Of My Neighborhood Brown Played Drums And Brushes On "Snow " But Otherwise The Group Became A Trio. Now Bereft Of Drums Their Sound Took An Even More Acoustic Direction. Some Songs Featured Just Don And Karen And A Few Such As "She May Turn Around " Featured Only Karen's Voice And Instrumentation. The 2000 Release Of Christ Is My Hope Featuring Religious Music That Had Inspired Them Over The Years Was Independently Released On Their Own Website. Small Planes Released In 2001 Featured Outtakes From Glow And Birds Of My Neighborhood. 2003's Befriended Was Their Next "regular" Album. In 2004 The Innocence Mission Released Now The Day Is Over A Collection Of Lullabies. Except For "My Love Goes With You " All Songs Are Cover Versions Such As A Stripped-Down Vocal And Piano Rendition Of Henry Mancini's Moon River The Innocence Mission's New Album We Walked In Song Was Released March 13 2007.
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"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is most well-known for being sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists.
It became the theme song for Andy Williams, who first recorded the song in 1961 and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremonies in 1962. He sang the first eight bars of the song at the beginning of his television show; he also named his production company and venue in Branson, Missouri after Moon River. Williams' version was vetoed by Cadence president Archie Bleyer, who believed it had little or no appeal to teenagers. Williams' famous version never charted, except as an LP track, which he recorded for Columbia in a hit album of 1962.
The success of the song was responsible for relaunching Mercer's career as a songwriter, which had stalled in the mid-1950s because rock and roll replaced jazz standards as the popular music of the time. An inlet near Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer's hometown, was named Moon River in honor of him and this song. The popularity of the song is such that it has been used as a test sample in a study on people's memories of popular songs.
The original version
Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for Audrey Hepburn to fit her vocal range. Initially the lyrics started, "I'm Holly, like I want to be / like Holly on a tree back home...", however they were later changed to fit the theme to the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Although an instrumental version is played over the film's opening titles, the lyrics are first heard in a scene where Paul 'Fred' Varjak (George Peppard) discovers Holly Golightly (Hepburn) singing them, accompanied by her guitar, on the fire-escape outside their apartments.
There was much behind-the-scenes consternation which erupted when a Paramount Pictures executive suggested deleting the song from the film immediately after a very successful San Francisco preview. Hepburn's reaction has been described by Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying "over my dead body" to her using somewhat more colorful language to make the same point.
Hepburn's version was not included in the original score album to Breakfast at Tiffany's. Instead, an album version recorded by Mancini and his chorus was released as a single and became a #11 hit. In different versions, Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs" reported the song as a #3 or #1 easy listening hit, due to unpublished charts in Billboard. Only months after Hepburn's death in 1993, her version was released on an album entitled Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn.
Other recordings
"Moon River" was released by South African singer Danny Williams, and reached #1 in the UK. Shortly thereafter, Andy Williams recorded the song and made it his theme song. It was a hit for Jerry Butler in 1961, reaching #11 in the Billboard charts. Other artists that have covered the song are The Afghan Whigs, Benny Anderssons Orkester, Paul Anka, Blake, Louis Armstrong, Vince Guaraldi, Beru Revue, Mary Black, Sarah Brightman, Liz Callaway, Perry Como, Ray Conniff, Bobby Darin, Ania Dąbrowska, Dr. John, Dump, Billy Eckstine, The Four Freshmen, Connie Francis, Bill Frisell (instrumental), Emi Fujita, Judy Garland, Karel Gott, Grant Green (instrumental), Patty Griffin, The Innocence Mission (although this version is sometimes incorrectly cited as being performed by Milla Jovovich), Bradley Joseph (instrumental), Kim Yoo-jin, James Last, Joey McIntyre, Johnny Mathis, Brad Mehldau, Jane Monheit, Morrissey, Patsy Ann Noble, Jim Reeves, John Barrowman, R.E.M., Mia Riddle, Andrea Ross, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Nan Vernon, Kid Koala, Westlife, Victoria Williams, The Divine Comedy, and Tata Young.
Mercer himself recorded the song in 1974 for his album (appropriately named) My Huckleberry Friend.
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