Jack K. Pleis (May 11, 1917 – December 5, 1990) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. He recorded on

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

in the 1950s, and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

in the 1960s. During the course of his career, Pleis worked with many artists, including

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

Earl Grant Earl Grant (January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1970) was an American pianist, organist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Career Grant was born in Idabel, Oklahoma. Though he would be known later for his keyboards and vocals, Grant also p ...

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...

, and Joe Williams. Between 1950 and 1976, more than 150 songs were arranged by Pleis. His surname is pronounced "Pleece" (to rhyme with "fleece").

Early life and education

Jack Pleis was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

on May 11, 1917. Starting at the age of four, he began his training in classical piano. He first performed in concert when he was seven. By the time he was eleven, he appeared on radio programs for children. Pleis enrolled in college intending to study medicine. To support his studies, he played piano in jazz and popular music bands. Eventually he left school and moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where he began his musical career.

Career

Early days

In New York, Pleis became successful as a pianist, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was one of

Jan Savitt Jan Savitt (born Jacob Savetnick; September 4, 1907 – October 4, 1948), known as "The Stokowski of Swing", from having played violin in Leopold Stokowski's orchestra, was an American bandleader, musical arranger, and violinist. Early life and ...

's ''Top Hatters'', playing piano and doing arrangements, a position he left in 1942 to enlist in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1947, the Jack Pleis Trio provided instrumental support for Larry Laurence (with

The Quintones The Quin-Tones were an American doo wop group from York, Pennsylvania, United States. They had one hit record, "Down the Aisle of Love" (1958). History The group's members all attended William Penn High School (York, Pennsylvania), and originall ...

providing vocal harmonies). By 1948, Pleis was working at the

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

studios on 24th Street, appearing on the cover of the January 1, 1949, issue of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' playing piano at the studio's holiday party. His orchestra backed

Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...

and Bobby Wayne on their 1949 single "Copper Canyon"/"'Way Back Home". Pleis was also part of the

Dixieland All-Stars Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

group which backed Brewer's breakout hit (and signature song) "

Music! Music! Music! "Music! Music! Music! (Put Another Nickel In)" is a popular song written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum and published in 1950. Background The first recording of the song was by Etienne Paree with Eddie "Piano" Miller, released by Rainbow Rec ...

" in late 1949.

London Records

Pleis joined the

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

(ASCAP) in 1950. He began work as arranger and composer at

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

under

Tutti Camarata Salvador "Tutti" Camarata (May 11, 1913 – April 13, 2005) was an American composer, arranger, trumpeter, and record producer. Also known as "Toots" Camarata. Early life and career Camarata, born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States, and s ...

. The orchestra backed Ralph Young on his 1950 London single "Please Treat Her Nicer"/"

I've Got the World on a String "I've Got The World on a String" is a 1932 popular jazz song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was written for the twenty-first edition of the Cotton Club series which opened on October 23, 1932, the first of the Co ...

", and Pleis released his own single "Ragging the Scale"/"Story of the Stars", the B-side of which ranked at number 10 on "The Disk Jockeys Pick" in ''Billboard''. In early May 1950, he accompanied his future wife, London recording artist

Eve Young Eva Nadauld (September 1, 1923 – November 3, 2010), known professionally as Eve Young early in her career, and later as Karen Chandler, was an American singer of popular music during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, best known for her 1952 hit, "Hol ...

, on a promotional tour prior to her opening show. Pleis released several more singles, "Time Alone (Can Heal a Broken Heart)"/"What is There to Say", "I'll Always Be in Love with You"/" Caravan", and "Le Petite Valse"/"Ragamuffin", and the orchestra backed

Snooky Lanson Roy Landman (March 27, 1914 – July 2, 1990),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 159. better known as Snooky Lanson, was an Ame ...

on his 1950 London single "You Wonderful You"/"Honestly I Love You". In June 1950, Pleis married Eve Young, and the March birth of their daughter Michelle was noted in an April 1951 ''Billboard''. The Orchestra backed Eve on her single "Just for Tonight"/"Would I Love You?" In 1952, Pleis and orchestra worked with

The Bell Sisters The Bell Sisters were an American singing duo, popular in the 1950s, consisting of the sisters Cynthia and Kay Strother, who adopted their mother's maiden name of Bell. History The sisters are the daughters of Eugene Rex Strother (1908–1988) and ...

and continued working with Teresa Brewer. Pleis left London Records, and Eve signed a new contract with

Coral Records Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer. Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head o ...

, recording under her new name,

Karen Chandler Eva Nadauld (September 1, 1923 – November 3, 2010), known professionally as Eve Young early in her career, and later as Karen Chandler, was an American singer of popular music during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, best known for her 1952 hit, "Hol ...

. Her debut for Coral, backed by Pleis' orchestra, was the song "

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" is a song written by Harry Noble and originally performed by Karen Chandler in 1952. It has been re-recorded several times since then, the most notable covers being by Mel Carter in 1965 and Gloria Estefan in 1994. ...

," and it became an enormous hit. Selling over a million copies, it peaked at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' charts. In 1953, Pleis and orchestra backed her on her third Coral release, "I'd Love to Fall Asleep (And Wake Up in Your Arms)"/"Goodbye, Charlie, Goodbye".

Decca Records

In mid-1953 Pleis joined

under

Milt Gabler Milton Gabler (May 20, 1911 – July 20, 2001) was an American record producer, responsible for many innovations in the recording industry of the 20th century. These included being the first person to deal in record reissues, the first to sel ...

. Pleis and Orchestra released "The Eighteenth Variation"/"Mr. Peepers" under the Decca label. The orchestra backed Karen Chandler again on " Why?"/"Flash From the Blue". 1954 saw the release of the orchestra's Decca singles, "Frenchman in St. Louis"/"Pagan in Paris", "Ah Ri Rung", and "For Always"/"

Beyond the Blue Horizon ''Beyond the Blue Horizon'' is a 1971 studio album by American jazz guitarist George Benson. It was his first album released by CTI Records, CTI and included organist Clarence Palmer, drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionis ...

", and the orchestra backed

the Dinning Sisters The Dinning Sisters were an American sisters singing group, active from the late 1930s to 1955. They made a handful of film appearances and had several hit records at the height of their popularity in the late 1940s. The trio originally consiste ...

on "Steel Guitar Rag",

Eileen Barton Eileen Barton (November 24, 1924 – June 27, 2006) was an American singer best known for her 1950 hit song, "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake." Early years Barton was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her birthdate is often given as 1 ...

on "And Then", and

on her album ''A Bouquet of Hits''. 1955 saw Pleis scheduled to be profiled in the April issue of ''

The American Magazine ''The American Magazine'' was a periodical publication founded in June 1906, a continuation of failed publications purchased a few years earlier from publishing mogul Miriam Leslie. It succeeded ''Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' (1876–1904), ' ...

''. Pleis and His Orchestra began releasing singles of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film songs (also collected and released on the album ''Music from Disneyland''), and also released " Lies"/"

Hey There "Hey There" is a show tune from the musical play ''The Pajama Game,'' written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. It was published in 1954. It was introduced by John Raitt in the original production. In the show, Sid sings it to a recording device ...

" and "Pauline"/"

The Trouble With Harry ''The Trouble with Harry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1950 novel by Jack Trevor Story. It starred Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred N ...

", the title tune for

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's film, ''

The Trouble with Harry ''The Trouble with Harry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1950 novel by Jack Trevor Story. It starred Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred N ...

''. In 1956, Pleis and His Orchestra again backed Karen Chandler, this time on her first Decca release, and Pleis released another album, ''Strings and Things''. The orchestra backed Bobby Darrin on his single "

Rock Island Line "Rock Island Line" is an American folk song. Ostensibly about the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, it appeared as a folk song as early as 1929. The first recorded performance of "Rock Island Line" was by inmates of the Arkansas Cummins ...

"/"Timber". In October, Pleiss' song "Giant", theme of the film ''

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

'', debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at #93, peaking at #91 in December, and the song "I'll Always Be In Love With You" charted at #65, also in December. Pleis also produced

's album, ''

Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around ''Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around'' was Bing Crosby's fourth album for Decca and his fifth LP, recorded and originally released in 1956 on vinyl as Decca DL 8352. This was a concept album of sorts, as Bing covered some of his musi ...

''. 1957 saw the release of singles "(But As They Say) That's Life"/"Goodnight Waltz", "Search for Paradise"/"Serenade to Michelle", and "The Carefree Heart"/"Serenade in Soft Shoe", and the Orchestra backed

Georgie Shaw Georgie Shaw, born George Shoester (1930 - September 1, 2006) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an American popular musician. Biography Career Shaw recorded a song called " Let Me Go, Devil", written in 1953, which was about alcoholism. It was ...

on " One More Sunrise",

on "The Golden Key", and

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own ta ...

on "I'll Be Thinking of You". "(But As They Say) That's Life" charted at #69 in June 1957. In 1958, the Orchestra backed

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

on her album '' Mad About the Man'', as well as

Toni Arden Antoinette Ardizzone (February 15, 1924 – May 29, 2012), known professionally as Toni Arden, was an American traditional pop music singer. Family Arden was born in New York City. Her father, Phillip Ardizzone, was a singer with the Metropolit ...

and also backed

The Four Aces The Four Aces are an American male traditional pop quartet popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling songs include " Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", " Three Coins in the Fou ...

on their album ''Swingin Aces''. He produced the

Kalin Twins The Kalin Twins (born February 16, 1934), also known as Hal and Herbie, were an American pop singing, songwriting and recording duo, formed in 1958 by twin brothers Harold Kalin and Herbert Kalin. The duo is best remembered for their number one ...

song " When", which spent five weeks at No. 1 on the UK charts. In 1960, Pleis conducted for The Castilians' album, ''Valentino Tangos''. Pleis and Orchestra backed

on a dozen tracks for Decca, including "

What Kind of Fool Am I? "What Kind of Fool Am I?" is a popular song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and published in 1962. It was introduced by Anthony Newley in the musical ''Stop the World – I Want to Get Off''. It comes at the end of Act Two to close ...

" (which won the

Grammy Award for Song of the Year The Grammy Award for Song of the Year is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. The Song of the Year award is one of the four most prestigious categories at ...

in 1963), " The Lady Is a Tramp", "

I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" is a popular song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ted Koehler, published in 1932 for the Broadway show ''Earl Carroll's Vanities'' (1932). The song has become a jazz and blues standard. Popular recordin ...

", "

Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" (also written as "Do Nothin' Til You Hear from Me") is a song with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Bob Russell. It originated as a 1940 instrumental ("Concerto for Cootie") that was designed to highlight t ...

", " I Got a Woman", "

There Is No Greater Love "There Is No Greater Love" is a 1936 jazz standard composed by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Marty Symes. It was the last hit song for Jones's orchestra before the bandleader turned the orchestra over to Woody Herman, beginning the latter's 50-year c ...

", "

Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" is a 1929 song written by Andy Razaf and Don Redman. It was recorded by the Redman-led McKinney's Cotton Pickers on Victor on November 5, 1929 as "Gee, Ain't I Good to You." King Cole Trio recording Nat King ...

", "

This Little Girl of Mine "This Little Girl of Mine" is a rhythm and blues single written and released as a single by Ray Charles in 1955 on the Atlantic label. "This Little Girl of Mine" played off "This Little Light of Mine", much like the previous " I Got a Woman" an ...

", "

Till Then image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...

", and "

Mess Around The "Mess Around" is a song written by Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder and then-vice-president of Atlantic Records, under the pseudonym of A. Nugetre, or "Nuggy". It was performed by Ray Charles, and was one of Charles's first hits. Origins and comp ...

Columbia Records

The 1960s brought a move to

. In 1961, Pleis and Orchestra backed Brazilian singer

Maysa Matarazzo Maysa Figueira Monjardim (June 6, 1936 – January 22, 1977), better known as Maysa Matarazzo, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter, performer and actress. She is also associated with Bossa nova music but is widely known as a torch song (''fossa' ...

on her album '' Maysa Sings Songs Before Dawn'', he conducted for Billy Butterfield's album, ''The Golden Horn'', and arranged several of the tracks on

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

's album, ''Soft Vibes Soaring Strings''. Pleis also produced

Les Elgart Lester Elliott Elgart (August 3, 1917 – July 29, 1995) was an American swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter. Early Years Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Elgart grew up in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey with his brother Larry. They were exposed to ...

's album, ''"It's De-Lovely" For Dancing and Listening'', and released an EP, ''Medley from The Musical "Through The Years"'', and an LP, ''Stage Left, Stage Right''. In 1963, he conducted for

Peter Nero Peter Nero (born Bernard Nierow, May 22, 1934) is an American pianist and pops conductor. He directed the Philly Pops from 1979 to 2013, and has earned two Grammy Awards. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, as Bernard Nierow, he started ...

's album, ''Born Free'', and Pleis and Orchestra backed

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

on her single, "One Summer Love"/"How Much Do I Love You?".

Film and television scores

Pleis and His Orchestra performed the songs "Strange Feelings" and "The Blues I Got Comin' Tomorrow" for the soundtrack of the 1961 film, ''Force of Impulse''. Pleis composed and conducted the music for the 1964 film, ''

Diary of a Bachelor ''Diary of a Bachelor'' is a 1964 American comedy film directed by Sandy Howard and starring William Traylor, Joe Silver and Dagne Crane. Synopsis Joanne, a young bride-to-be, has found the diary of her intended, Skip O'Hara, a man notorious for ...

''. He also composed music for the television shows ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempte ...

'' (1966), ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (1967), ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'' (1967–1969), and ''

Dusty's Trail ''Dusty's Trail'' is an American Western/ comedy series starring Bob Denver and Forrest Tucker that aired in syndication from September 1973 to March 1974. The series is a western-themed reworking of Denver's previous series '' Gilligan's Island'' ...

'' (1973–1974).

Later career

Pleis arranged the songs on side one of

Johnny Hartman John Maurice Hartman (July 3, 1923 – September 15, 1983) was an American jazz singer who specialized in ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. Hartman is best remembered for hi ...

's 1967 album, ''I Love Everybody'', including " If I Had You", "

I Cover the Waterfront ''I Cover the Waterfront'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code romantic drama film directed by James Cruze and starring Ben Lyon, Claudette Colbert, Ernest Torrence, and Hobart Cavanaugh. Based on the book, by Max Miller, a reporter for the San Die ...

", and "

For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad. There are differing accounts of ...

". Under the moniker The Sound of Our Times, Pleis co-produced and penned two songs for the 1967 easy listening, psychedelic instrumental LP ''Music of the Flower Children''. Pleis produced several of

's albums, '' Belafonte by Request'' (1970), ''

The Warm Touch ''The Warm Touch'' is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Records in 1971. Allmusic entry for ''The Warm Touch''Retrieved November 2009. Track listing # "Something in the Way She Moves" (James Taylor) – 3:10 # "Circle 'Round the Sun" ( ...

'' (1971), and ''

Calypso Carnival ''Calypso Carnival'' is a studio album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Records in 1971. Allmusic entry for ''Calypso Carnival''Retrieved November 2009. This was Belafonte's fifth and final Calypso album. Track listing # "Don't Stop the Car ...

'' (1971). Pleis also produced several of Jack Jones' albums, ''A Jack Jones Christmas'' (1969), ''A Time for Us'' (1970), and ''Christmas With Jack Jones'' (1973). He produced

Hugo Montenegro Hugo Mario Montenegro (September 2, 1925 – February 6, 1981) was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best-known work is interpretations of the music from Spaghetti Westerns, especially his cover version of Ennio M ...

's album, ''Colours Of Love'' (1970). In 1976, Pleis put out what would be the last album released under his own name, ''I Play the Songs the Whole World Sings'', on

Ranwood Records Ranwood Records was an American record label started in 1968 by Randy Wood (after he left Dot Records) and Lawrence Welk. Lawrence Welk owned all of the recordings that he released on Dot as they were produced and manufactured by Teleklew Produc ...

Private life and death

Pleis was married to singer

. He died on December 5, 1990, in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

, at the age of 73, and is survived by his children Michelle Pleis Stirber, Jason Pleis, and Damon Pleis.

Charted hits

* "Giant", ''Billboard'' Hot 100, #93 (10/20/1956), #91 (12/29/1956) * "I'll Always Be In Love With You", ''Billboard'' Hot 100, #65 (12/08/1956) * "(But As They Say) That's Life", ''Billboard'' Hot 100, #69 (6/17/1957)

Selected discography

Albums

''Music from Disneyland''

;

''Broadway Goes Hollywood''

;

''Strings and Things''

;

''Serenades to Remember''

;

''50 Memorable Melodies In Hi-Fi''

;

''Music for Two Sleepy People''

;

''Medley from The Musical "Through The Years"''

;

''Stage Left, Stage Right''

;

''I Play the Songs the Whole World Sings''

;

With Jan Savitt & the Top Hatters

With the Henri René Orchestra

*'' RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt'' (RCA, 1953) *'' That Bad Eartha (EP)'' (RCA, 1954) *'' Down To Eartha'' (RCA, 1955) *'' That Bad Eartha (LP)'' (RCA, 1956) *'' Thursday's Child'' (RCA, 1957)

Notes

References

External links

Jack Pleis Orchestra Collection
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

Jack Pleis - Discography
at 45cat.com * * * *
Jack Pleis recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. * ;Media * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pleis, Jack 1917 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American pianists American jazz pianists American male composers American male jazz musicians American male pianists American pop pianists Columbia Records artists Decca Records artists Jazz musicians from New York (state) Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania London Records artists Musicians from New York City Musicians from Philadelphia Record producers from New York (state) Record producers from Pennsylvania

Early life and education

Career

Early days

London Records

Decca Records

Columbia Records

Film and television scores

Later career

Private life and death

Charted hits

Selected discography

Albums

''Music from Disneyland''

''Broadway Goes Hollywood''

''Strings and Things''

''Serenades to Remember''

''50 Memorable Melodies In Hi-Fi''

''Music for Two Sleepy People''

''Medley from The Musical "Through The Years"''

''Stage Left, Stage Right''

''I Play the Songs the Whole World Sings''

With Jan Savitt & the Top Hatters

With the Henri René Orchestra

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links