[TR24][OF] Art Van Damme & The Singers Unlimited - Invitation - 1974/2014 (Mainstream Jazz, Vocal Jazz)

In the early 1970s, Oscar Peterson gave a demo tape to his friend and MPS label head Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. It contained a recording of a vocal quartet from Chicago, Singers Unlimited. Enthralled, the MPS chief spontaneously booked the group. For the three-man, one-woman choir, it was the beginning of a successful international career. In the following years, MPS produced no less than 15 albums for the vocal virtuosos. In June 1973, MPS engaged accordion virtuoso Art van Damme (1920-2010) for a session with SU. Seldom mentioned in todays jazz literature, he brought the accordion into jazz. For Invitation, van Damme wrote instrumental arrangements for a combo (with MPS house bassist Eberhard Weber and Swiss drummer Charly Antolini). Singers Unlimited were recorded using the then revolutionary multitrack technology; their production was one of the most expensive MPS recordings. On the other hand, with its swinging easy-listening sound, the album was also one of the companys best selling efforts.

Artist Biography by Rovi Staff
This vocal quartet originally started life as an extension of jazz band the Hi-Lo’s. From that prominent '50s band came Don Shelton, who decided to form Singers Unlimited after the Hi-Lo’s broke up in 1964. After retreating to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked on a series of television commercials, he enlisted fellow Hi-Lo’s veteran Gene Puerling of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to join him in the city in 1967. The group was formed along with Len Dresslar and Bonnie Herman, with the express intention of recording commercials in the doo wop/vocal group idiom. Shelton’s connections in the industry ensured the group was able to exploit the market successfully, and lucrative work rolled in. However, the 30-second snatches of songs hardly satisfied their artistic ambitions, and when they found themselves with studio time left over after one session, they recorded a take on the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill." Through visiting jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, the demo of the a cappella recording was passed to MPS Records in Germany. As a consequence, the Singers Unlimited, as the group had named themselves, found themselves with their own recording contract. An album of standards followed in 1972, with more John Lennon/Paul McCartney compositions, plus material plucked from Joni Mitchell's back catalog, all performed in a technically precise but spirited doo wop/a cappella idiom. While it hardly set the pop charts alight, the collection did receive one notable accolade, the German Record Grand Prix of 1973. A steady stream of albums were issued during the '70s to a loyal following.

foobar2000 1.3.9 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2017-11-28 15:04:02
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Analyzed: Art Van Damme & The Singers Unlimited / Invitation
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DR         Peak         RMS     Duration Track
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DR12      -2.38 dB   -18.55 dB      2:29 01-Spring Is Here
DR11      -1.65 dB   -16.72 dB      3:01 02-But Beautiful
DR11      -2.03 dB   -17.43 dB      4:20 03-We Could Be Flying
DR12      -1.10 dB   -17.01 dB      4:21 04-Violets For Your Furs
DR11      -3.05 dB   -16.46 dB      4:04 05-Invitation
DR11      -2.40 dB   -16.85 dB      2:21 06-Cherry
DR10      -1.61 dB   -16.68 dB      3:29 07-Ectasy
DR12      -1.18 dB   -16.63 dB      2:34 08-Let There Be Love
DR11      -2.95 dB   -17.44 dB      3:44 09-My One And Only Love
DR11      -2.64 dB   -17.94 dB      3:16 10-Wave
DR12      -4.72 dB   -19.41 dB      2:57 11-Good Bye
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Number of tracks:  11
Official DR value: DR11
Samplerate:        88200 Hz
Channels:          2
Bits per sample:   24
Bitrate:           2592 kbps
Codec:             FLAC
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