''Right Now!'' is a 1966

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...

. Columbia followed up Tormé's 1965 album of

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

with "an obvious bid to sell records by putting Tormé's voice on pre-sold hits of the mid-'60s." "The Velvet Fog's" descent on contemporary middle-of-the-road top-40 melodies from Paul Simon and the Bacharach-David catalogue leads some to emphasize the commercialism of the project and file this period of Tormé's career in the

lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The ra ...

section of records stores, as evidenced by his appearances on compilations like the Ultra Lounge series. However, music critic Will Friedwald makes a strong case that the work of Tormé and arranger

Mort Garson Morton Sanford Garson (20 July 1924 – 4 January 2008) was a Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and pioneer of electronic music. He is best known for his albums in the 1960s and 1970s, such as '' Mother Earth's Plantasia'' (1976). He also ...

elevated the project above "an album of straight " covers"." Will Friedwald's liner notes from the 1997 CD reissue of Right Now! In 1997, ''Right Now!'' was reissued on CD with previously unreleased bonus tracks and liner notes.

Track listing

#" Comin' Home Baby" ( Bob Dorough, Ben Tucker) – 3:21 #" Homeward Bound" (

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

) – 2:33 #" My Little Red Book" (

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

) – 2:40 #" Walk on By" (Bacharach, David) – 2:56 #" If I Had a Hammer" ( Lee Hays,

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

) – 3:05 #" Strangers in the Night" ( Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton, Eddie Snyder) – 2:41 #"

Better Use Your Head "Better Use Your Head" is a song and single by American R&B group, Little Anthony & The Imperials written by Teddy Randazzo, who also produced it, and his wife Victoria Pike. Credits: The Imperials * "Little Anthony" Gourdine (lead) * Clare ...

" (Vargus Pike, Teddy Randazzo) – 2:52 #"Time" (Michael Merchant) – 3:40 #" Secret Agent Man" ( Steve Barri, Sloan) – 2:35 #" Pretty Flamingo" (

Mark Barkan Marcus Barkan (July 4, 1934 – May 8, 2020) was an American songwriter and record producer. He was also a Music director, musical director for the television show ''The Banana Splits, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour'', which aired between Sept ...

) – 2:27 #"

Red Rubber Ball "Red Rubber Ball" is a pop music, pop song written by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel, sound recording and reproduction, recorded by The Cyrkle, whose version reached 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' ...

" (Simon,

Bruce Woodley Bruce William Woodley (born 25 July 1942) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was a founding member of the successful folk-pop group the Seekers, and co-composer of the songs " I Am Australian," "Red Rubber Ball," and Simon & G ...

) – 2:36

Bonus tracks 1997 Columbia records reissue

#" All That Jazz" (B. Carter, A. Stillman) – 2:10 - arranged & conducted by Mort Garson, rec. 18 Apr 1966, from the 1966 film A Man Called Adam, single #4-43677, rel. 6 Jun 1966 #" You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (P. Donaggio, V. Pollavincini, V. Wickhams, S. Napier-Bell) – 2:32 - arranged & conducted by Mort Garson, rec. 10 Jun 1966, previously unreleased #"Dominique's Discotheque" (R. Straigis, H. Linsley, B. Ross) - 2:56 - arranged & conducted by Shorty Rogers, rec. 28 Jan 1966, single #4-43550 rel. 14 Mar 1966 #" The Power of Love" (

Delaney Bramlett Delaine Alvin "Delaney" Bramlett (July 1, 1939 – December 27, 2008) was an American singer and guitarist. He was best known for his musical partnership with his wife Bonnie Bramlett in the band Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, which included a ...

, Joey Cooper) - 2:29 - arranged & conducted by Shorty Rogers, rec. 28 Jan 1966, single #4-43550 rel. 14 Mar 1966 #"Lover's Roulette" (P.R. Arenas, C. Edmonds, J. Thompson) - 2:34 - arranged & conducted by Ernie Freeman, rec 27 Apr 1967, single #4-44180, 7 Jun 1967 #"Ciao Baby" - 2:05 - arranged & conducted by Ernie Freeman, rec 27 Apr 1967, previously unreleased #"Molly Marlene" (T. Thornton) - 2:14 - arranged & conducted by Ernie Freeman, rec 27 Apr 1967, previously unreleased #"The King" - 1:58 - arranged & conducted by Ernie Freeman, rec 27 Apr 1967, previously unreleased #"Lima Lady" (M. Curtis, J. Meyer) - 2:24 - arranged & conducted by Arnold Goland, rec 17 Nov 1967, single #4-44399, 5 Dec 1967 #" Wait Until Dark" ( Henry Mancini, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) - 2:40 - arranged & conducted by Arnold Goland, rec 17 Nov 1967, single #4-44399, 5 Dec 1967 #"Only When I'm Lonely" - 2:57 - arranged & conducted by Arnold Goland, rec 17 Nov 1967, previously unreleased

Personnel

- vocal, drums *

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early life Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 — a ...

- guitar *James Getzoff, Robert Barene, Henry Ross, Marshall Sosson, Sidney Sharp, Arnold Belnick, Nathan Ross, Harry Bluestone - violin *Myron Sadler, Joseph DiFiore - viola *Armand Karpoff, Frederick Seykora - cello *Michael Melvoin - piano *Gary Coleman - vibraphone * Jim Gordon - drums * Al McKibbon - Bass guitar

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Right Now! (Mel Torme album) 1966 albums Mel Tormé albums Columbia Records albums