Army Band scores hit CD, sales to build museum

Army News Service ^ | July 27, 2004 | Courtney Hickson

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 

Army Band scores hit CD, sales to build museum

By Courtney Hickson

WASHINGTON (Army News Service July 27, 2004) -- The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) has a chart-topping CD; "Hero for Today" has reached number nine on the Billboard Top Classical Albums.

For the week of July 8 the CD by the Army Band and Chorus was ranked number nine, but this is not the first time this CD has been on the charts. When it debuted Hero for Today came onto the charts at number 15 the week of June 26. There have been 7,500 CDs sold so far according to David A. Sellers director of marketing at Altissimo! Records.

Hero for Today is a joint effort between Altissimo! Records and the Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American Soldier.

A part of the proceeds from Hero for Today will be donated to the Army Historical Foundation.

Director of Marketing for the Army Historical Foundation David Lewis said the foundation began talks with the Army Band Alumni Association to look at a way to bring Army Band music to the market. The Army Historical Foundation licensed its name and logo to Altissimo! Records and will receive a part of the royalties. The money will go to building the National Museum of the United States Army.

Lewis said this project is a “win-win” situation for all parties involved. He said it allows for the foundation to get its name and purpose out to the public. He also said in order for the museum to be built, the foundation needs to raise more then $200 million the Army has already budgeted for $90 million in addition to land and infrastructure support. The museum is on schedule to be completed in 2009, according to Lewis.

The CD has a mix of patriot songs including: Heroic Fanfare, Hymn To The Fallen (From Saving Private Ryan), A Hero For Today, Battle Hymn Of The Republic, America The Beautiful, God Bless The U.S.A., Here's To America, The Last Full Measure Of Devotion, We Were There, This Is My Country, Ragged Old Flag, The Flag Still Flies High, God Bless America, The Armed Service Medley, The Stars And Stripes Forever and the song Duty, Honor, Country

Altissimo! Records also had A Patriotic Salute to the Military Family on the Billboard’s Classical Charts. It is a combination of songs from all of the armed services.

The music the Army band produces is available for anyone to release because it is public property. The president and CEO of Altissimo! Records, Al McCree, who is retired from the Air Force, has a relationship with all of the armed forces.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

"This is a dramatic time in our history," says SGM Michael Dudley, "and we wanted to make sure people don¹t forget."

~*~

Hero for Today

1. Heroic Fanfare. Fanfares at diplomatic functions normally last no more than 15 to 20 seconds; this composition (by SFC Paul Murtha), performed by the US Army Herald Trumpets, is over a minute, and a prelude to the patriotic pieces which follow.

2. Hymn To The Fallen. The John Williams piece is from Saving Private Ryan (a film which proves that great filmmaking doesn¹t necessarily mean a great film), and has become an "automatic" on many compilations of military music CD¹s. To anyone who has been to Normandy, I defy them to listen to this piece and not recall the immaculate lawns and the perfect rows of white crosses in the French cemeteries.

3. A Hero For Today. The title track is sung by former Broadway performer SSG Steve Kramer.

4. Battle Hymn of the Republic. Flawless rendition of Julia W. Howe poem set to John Brown¹s Body. Bit slow-paced, but perfect example why the US Army Band and Chorus has been described as "rehearsing well, and doing nothing half-way." Can¹t help but think this selection might have been better if recorded in front of a live audience.

5. America The Beautiful. Performed by the US Army Brass Quintet (two trumpets, one tuba, one French horn, and one trombone - in case you¹re like me and had no clue), this rendition is so well done that it¹s not likely the author of the poem, Katherine Lee Bates, would mind the missing lyrics - none needed!

6. God Bless The U.S.A. Lee Greenwood¹s 1985 hit made it to the top of the charts again after 09/11, and Greenwood performs this "Unofficial Anthem" at many military ceremonies. This version is sung by SSG Alec Maley, and no complaints from this end!

7. Here¹s To America. The first of two selections on the CD written by SFC Lou Durham. The Rowan University graduate, who enlisted at 31, writes and arranges many patriotic pieces. "I try to be upbeat and give a patriotic message," says Durham. "I have no political message, and just try to make people feel good." Durham got the idea while sitting in a lounge and overhearing someone toast: "Here¹s To America!"

8. The Last Full Measure of Devotion. Song title taken from Lincoln¹s Gettysburg Address. My wife is taking her citizenship test this year, and I made her sit down to listen - and think all who come to America should be made to do likewise. Oh, yeah. MSG Robert Pettilo has got a voice!

9. We Were There. Great sing-along piece sung by SSG Henry Fiske.

10. Duty, Honor, Country. First of two selections by MSG Michael Dudley. Adapted from General Douglas MacArthur¹s speech at West Point on May 12, 1962. Terrific narration; would have fit perfectly in the old Victory At Sea series.

11. This Is My Country. Written in 1940 by Al Jacobs and Don Raye, this patriotic tune became a 1942 hit by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians. Find me someone who didn¹t sing this song while in elementary school!

12. Ragged Old Flag. Written by Johnny Cash, this is my second favorite piece on the CD. Great touch using Shenandoah in background, and as great as SGM Dudley¹s performance is, it¹s too bad that Johnny Cash couldn¹t narrate this with the Army Band.

13. The Flag Still Flies High. The second of SFC Durham selections. He said he likes to write music which makes people feel good. Well, Sarge, this piece does!

14. God Bless America. This Irving Berlin song sat in his desk for twenty years before taking it out in 1938; it¹s tough to be objective here, as God Bless America is one of my all-time favorites. Kate Smith was the first artist to perform the song. Did SFC Robert MacDonald ever worry about listeners comparing his version to Kate¹s? "I hope not. Kate Smith had a legendary interpretation of it." The North Carolina native gets two thumbs-up from this reviewer. The Philadelphia Flyers hockey club adopted this song in 1969, and whenever playing the recording (prior to this season), the Flyers are 66-17-03!

15. The Armed Services Medley. The compilation is played at many events and is a staple on holidays.

Coast Guard, Semper Paratus (Always Ready). Composed by Capt. Francis Sattus ban Boskerk in 1925 while stationed in Alaska. Words have changed over the years to "keep from getting out of date."

Air Force, The Air Force Song. In 1938 Liberty Magazine sponsored a contest for an official Army Air Corps song. Out of 700 submissions, Robert Crawford¹s entry Off We Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder, was chosen. First performed at the Cleveland Air Race in 1939, the song was name the "official" Air Force song in 1947.

Navy, Anchors Aweigh. Penned in 1906 by Midshipmen Charles Zimmerman and Alfred Miles as a march to play at football games. The unmistakable tune is now accepted as the official song of the U.S. Navy.

Marines, The Marines¹ Hymn. The music was scored in 1868 by Jacques Offenbach, and the earliest record of the lyrics was back in 1918. Marines snap to attention whenever it is played, and brag about they have a "hymn, not a song." A reminder: their "hymn" originated as an opera!

Army, The Army Goes Rolling Along. Edmund Gruber, a West Point graduate, wrote the song in 1918. Originally titled "The Caisson Song", he was helped with the lyrics by first-graders (it shows). Gruber was a field artillery officer - and an instructor in equitation (?).

16. The Stars And Stripes Forever. In 1987 this was designated as the national march of the United States. John Philip Sousa was the Britney Spears of his day, taking his Marine Band on tour and made its first recordings in 1890. Not to be forgotten was the Marine Band was a "marching" band; Sousa loved a huge ensemble, and fans lining the streets could hear them coming from blocks away!

 ~ Military Music.com

[gilliam]

here is their site:
http://www.army.mil/armyband/

[RightWingMama]

I will be ordering this. Thanks.

[mollynme]

Thanks - I just ordered two!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The United States Army Band

                                           

 For the troops, ping!

[VOA]

I'll be ordering as well.

But there are two additions that would probably make this "#1 with a bullet"
as they used to say in the music bidness.

1. "Strong To Save": the acapella rendition at Nixon's funeral by the four member group
(The Sea Chanters?) was great
2. Mansions of The Lord: from the movie "We Were Soldiers" and the recessional at Reagan's
funeral in D.C.

I hope others chime in and give any music-bidness folks some good ideas
about "Heroe For Today: Volume II".

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, gilliam. (^:

[Dante3]

Great songs.

[Winfield]

Everybody.....please join me in encouraging the RNC to use this music at the convention, instead of "Black-eyed Pea", et.al. <info@rnc.org

[Flora McDonald]

Thanks for the ping! This one is bookmarked and I can't wait to order the CD!

[windchime]

This is terrific!

[alfa6]

Thanks for the post RG

Hey No. 4 thought you might be interested in this, if double pinged sorry about that :-) it's late.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[texasflower]

They probably will not use that kind of music.

At the rally this morning they were using country songs ("Only in America" was one of them)

I have never heard them use much in the way of rock.

[condi2008]

Mansions of the Lord BUMP.

I'll have to look up The Sea Chanters.

[Dante3]

I agree.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[blackie]

Good guys at work ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[talleyman]

Bump!