RAY CONNIFF The Happy Beat Of Ray Conniff Vinyl Record LP Hallmark 1974 Stereo SHM 874 UK Reissue

Ray Conniff - The Happy Beat of Ray Conniff, his Orchestra and Chorus
(UK Stereo Reissue Pressing with Dark Blue/Silver Hallmark Label. Housed in Front Laminated Picture Sleeve. A1/B1 Matrix)

Format: Vinyl Record - LP Album (33 rpm)
Country: UK
Year: 1974
Label: Hallmark
Catalogue No. SHM 874

Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, stamped): SHM•874•A1 
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, stamped): SHM•874•B1

Condition: EX-/EX (Sleeve and vinyl are in excellent clean condition. The sleeve has a small laminate crease next to the opening edge. There is some faint wear around the side-a spindle hole)

Track Listing:
1.Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)
2. Gigi
3. Yellow Rose
4. Wheel Of Fortune
5. The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)
6. Mack The Knife (A Theme From "The Threepenny Opera")
7. I'll Walk Alone
8. Never On Sunday
9. Chanson D'Amour (Song Of Love)
10. Blueberry Hill
11. Cry
12. My Prayer

This 1974 British pressing brings together a vibrant selection of instrumentals from the acclaimed American bandleader, offering a delightfully upbeat take on mid-century popular music. Originally tracked in the studio during the closing months of 1962, the material made its initial commercial appearance in early 1963 under the title The Happy Beat. This reissue edition arrived on British high streets over a decade later as an affordable alternative, curated specifically for the early-to-mid seventies budget market by Hallmark Records. The arrangements masterfully combine a rhythmic brass section with wordless vocal harmonies, injecting fresh energy into familiar show tunes, traditional melodies, and chart favourites like "Volare", "Gigi", "Mack The Knife", and "Blueberry Hill".

The engineering traits of this vintage platter anchor its manufacturing schedule precisely to the year 1974. The vinyl is finished with the characteristic dark blue and silver Hallmark paper labels that defined the company's output during this specific retail era. Crate-diggers checking the dead wax will find the cleanest possible A1 and B1 matrix identifiers stamped directly into the runout grooves, confirming that this record was pressed using the very first set of master lacquers generated for this specific mid-seventies catalogue number.

The cosmetic state of this archive piece has been meticulously appraised to provide a completely transparent summary for collectors. The outer sleeve secures an Excellent Minus grade; the front-laminated picture sleeve retains a stunning high-gloss finish, with the only notable imperfection being a minor laminate crease running parallel to the right-hand opening edge. The vinyl record itself achieves a superior Excellent grade. The playing surfaces look beautifully bright and well-preserved, showing only a touch of faint surface wear centreed around the Side A spindle hole from previous use. Turntable users can look forward to a beautifully defined and clean analogue performance across all twelve tracks.