favorite instrumentals

[mikee]

Stranger on the Shore

A beautiful 1962 instrumental by England's Acker Bilk.  He wrote "Stranger on the Shore" for a British television serial series.  His clarinet was backed by the Leon Young String Chorale. The single was not only a big hit in England but on the American charts as well. Bilk was the first British musician to reach the number one position on the U.S.  Billboard charts.  "Stranger on the Shore" was later on the soundtrack to Sweet Dreams, the film biography of country music legend Patsy Cline.  Bilk is considered a first rate player and an innovator (he is said to be the originator of 'Hyung-Tiger' playing). He is now semi-retired but still appears with Chris Barber and Kenny Ball as the 3B's. 

It's funny because you hear that the time between Buddy Holly's death (Feb. 1959) and when the Beatles appeared on Ed  Sullivan (Feb. 1964) was a down and benign period for popular music.  The reality is though that the American pop charts and radio playlists were open to just about anything, in just about any style during this time.  All it had to be was good.  An amazing variety of diverse music charted during this period.  Now days any song that is differs from narrowly defined sound and image criteria has almost no chance.