In 2000, reissue giant Collectables took Percy Faith's 1954 Kismet release on Columbia and combined it with the standard-laden Music From Hollywood on one convenient disc.
Percy Faith was one of the most popular easy listening recording artists of the 1950s and '60s. Not only did he have a number of hit albums and singles under his own name, but Faith was responsible for arranging hits by Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, and Burl Ives, among others, as the musical director for Columbia Records in the '50s.

Collectables combined Percy Faith's interpretations of Lerner & Lowe's Camelot and My Fair Lady on one compact disc. The two albums make a perfect match, not only because they consist of music written by the same team, but because they capture Faith at his peak. He's well-suited to this style of music, turning the lovely songs into soothing easy listening recordings, which may be a little schmaltzy to some ears but should satisfy his fans just fine.

"Delicado" (1953) presents love songs from South America, "Amour, Amor, Amore" (1955) presents love songs from the Continent, and together they prove that Percy Faith's music is romantic in any language!
Percy Faith was one of the most popular easy listening recording artists of the 1950s and '60s. Not only did he have a number of hit albums and singles under his own name, but Faith was responsible for arranging hits by Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, and Burl Ives, among others, as the musical director for Columbia Records in the '50s.

This Collectables reissue combines two similar Percy Faith dates originally released on Columbia Records in the early '60s, House of Flowers and Adventure in the Sun. The big-band leader provides 24 elegant renditions of classic Broadway show tunes, including "House of Flowers," "What Is a Friend For?," "Tropical Merengue," "Carmellita," and "Tropic Holiday." Although not essential, this is a respectable two-fer that traditional pop fans should be aware of.

Two albums from the end of Percy Faith's recording career are paired together on this release. The first, Chinatown Featuring the Entertainer, from 1974, contains Faith's arrangements of popular film themes. The cumbersome title comes from a sudden last-minute revision that replaced one track on the album with "Theme From Chinatown." The original track, "Bend Me, Shape Me," is included here as a bonus track. Summer Place, from 1975, was Faith's last album, released a few months before his passing.

There is no doubting that Percy Faith was one of the great arrangers in contemporary American music, but the nice side of the two-fer Bon Voyage/Carefree is that it not only explores Faith's delightful arrangements, but also showcases his clever compositions. Of the two records, combined here on one CD, it is Carefree where the too often overlooked Percy Faith as composer is explored. Every song in this section is a soundtrack for happy walking through the park on a beautiful snowy day. The first section of the disc, the album Bon Voyage, is a bit more serious, with Faith's renditions of several complex and challenging themes by a slew of composers, but no less cinematic. In fact, the whole 68 minutes serve as a magical aural theme park perfect for conducting imaginary orchestras while driving to and from the grocery store. Bon Voyage/Carefree is a fun listen.

Originally released on Columbia, these two Percy Faith albums have been reissued for the first time on CD by Collectables. Zeroing in on two distinct mid-'60s music genres, Bim! Bam!! Boom!!! features an emphasis on Latin American dance rhythms, creating what the original liner notes boast as "a tropic holiday," while Theme From the "In" Crowd contains pop hits of the time, with compositions by Lennon & McCartney, Bacharach & David, and the theme to "Thunderball." Though not an essential collection by a long shot, this disc will provide kitschy moments for your next cocktail party.

This two-fer set combines the Percy Faith albums Country Bouquet and Disco Party on one compact disc. Both albums offer up what Faith's fans have come to expect: the Percy Faith Orchestra dishing out heady arrangements of popular songs of the time, with this set focusing on songs from the mid-'70s. It cannot be argued that Faith was less than a talented arranger; his subtlety and attention to detail are remarkable and rampant over the course of both of these recordings as he runs through hits such as Marty Robbins' "El Paso" and Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry," and while Country Bouquet is about as safe as any Percy Faith recording, on Disco Party Faith embraced a slightly more experimental edge by employing distorted electric guitars and analog synthesizers…

The Swing Low in Hi Fi/A Look at Monaco two-fer from Collectables features a pair of out of print LPs by Percy Faith, both originally issued on Columbia in 1956 and 1963, respectively. Highlights include orchestral versions of traditional spirituals, including "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Deep River," and "Go Down Moses," followed by an audio documentary on Monaco featuring narration by Princess Grace and, with the exception of "National Anthem," original music composed by Percy Faith and performed with Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte Carlo.

Joy/Day by Day pairs two Percy Faith albums recorded for Columbia in 1972. Joy throws some timely oddities into Faith's patented Broadway interpretations, including Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft." Day by Day follows the same pattern, but without the contemporary reach of Joy.

Passport To Romance (1956). Come aboard the S.S. Percy Faith for a simulated cruise to the romantic and exotic sites of Europe via Passport to Romance and its 12 orchestral pop instrumentals. Faith, our musical tour guide, leads us through the bright, enticing scenery of the Old World, pointing out tourist attractions with one hand while conducting his orchestra with the other. You'll see the "Heart of Paris," see "The Portuguese Washerwomen" at work, and enjoy a fine "Madeira." Passport to Romance was Faith's first charting album, and made use of the extended format to create a theme of travel in music, which later became a hallmark of 101 Strings albums. Faith's orchestrations are cheerful and varied, evoking sunny days and happy times; the music conjures film images of cafés, gondola rides, and tango dancers…

This two-fer from Collectables features a pair of out-of-print Percy Faith LPs, Subways Are for Sleeping and Do I Hear a Waltz, originally issued in 1961 and 1965, respectively. The flowing combination of these Broadway scores, by Jule Styne and Rodgers/Sondheim, provide a continuity that can sometimes be jarring when combined on two-fers. Highlights of the 24 tracks include "Who Knows What Might Have Been?," "I Said It and I'm Glad," "Someone Like You," and "A Perfectly Lovely Couple." This is an enjoyable and recommended reissue from the massive Percy Faith catalog originally released on Columbia Records.

This Percy Faith two-fer combining the albums Great Folk Themes and American Serenade works well on one disc, providing pleasant, easy listening versions of folk and country themes. This is an interesting combination of albums that investigate traditional folk themes, including "Home on the Range," "Sloop John B.," and "Michael Row the Boat," with tunes written by Bob Dylan, Hoyt Axton, and Duke Ellington. These LPs were originally released on Columbia Records and had been out of print until Collectables reissued them in 2002.

Percy Faith made some excellent albums containing orchestral instrumental treatments of the music from Broadway shows in the 1950s, and here are two of them on one CD. Both were highly ambitious projects for their composers, George Gershwin and Frank Loesser, respectively. Porgy & Bess, of course, was Gershwin's "folk opera," a commercial disappointment in 1935 that grew in stature until, when a film version was released in 1959, the record stores were swamped with recordings of it. Faith matched the ambitions of the score, employing two large orchestras and some notable soloists. Faith brought something of a swing sensibility to his arrangements, but he preserved those gorgeous Gershwin melodies and gave a feel of the passion and tragedy of the story…

In 2003 Collectables doubled up two mid-'50s Mitch Miller albums on one CD. It's So Peaceful in the Country was released in 1956 and features Miller teaming up with fellow smoothie Percy Faith on a selection of standards like "Darn That Dream" and "Moonlight Becomes You," as well as some that never quite reached standardhood, like "I'll Be Around" and "Love Among the Young." All the songs are bathed in strings and have pretty standard elevator-lite arrangements – very pretty and very boring. The second album collected here, 1956's European Holiday, is of more interest as it features vocals, less treacly arrangements, and a fun theme: a European holiday, believe it or not. The first side of the album has Jerry Vale, Jill Corey, and the Michael Stewart Chorus on vocals, and while none of them will give Ella or Carmen any pause, they still are fun and tuneful vocalists…