Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation – Soundtrack

In 1962 when the film was released, there was no soundtrack album. That would have to wait until 2003 when Intrada Special Collection Volume 11 was issued as a CD.

Intrada2

Henry Mancini composed and conducted all the music for the soundtrack, which included:

Main Title
A Month Off
Creampuff (Instrumental)
Up His Nose
Early to Rise
Roger and Peggy
Boompa
Night Night
B Cups and Braces
Yacht Club Hop
Side Winder
Hobb’s Bigtime Swingtime
Something for Lauri
Honest Joe
The Quiet Side
Rudders and Sails
All Clear
Pizza Heaven and Creampuff (vocals – Fabian and Lauri Peters; Johnny Mercer – lyrics)
Red Cap
Barn Swallow
About Last Night
Farewell to Vacation
Cast and End Title
Demo #1 Creampuff (Combo)(Bonus track)
Demo #2 Mr. Hobb’s Theme (Combo)(Bonus track)

The musician credits included:

Conductors: Henry Mancini, Andrew “Sonny” Olivera
Violins: Victor Arno, George Berres, Joachim Chassman, Kurt Dieterle, Adolph DiTullio, Nathan Kaproff, Louis Kauffman, Marvin Limonick, Paul Lowenkron, Erno Neufeld, Irma W. Neumann, Paul C. Shure
Violas: Myer Bello, Alvin Dinkin, Alex Neiman, Sven Reher
Celli: Naoum Benditzky, Joseph Coppin, Joseph DiTullio, Ossip Giskin
Bass: Meyer Rubin
Flutes: Ronald Langinger, Ted Nash
Clarinets: Russell Cheever, John E. Gates, Abe Most, William Ulyate
Tenor Sax: Plas Johnson
Oboes: Gene Cipriano, Gordon Pope
Bassoon: Don Christlieb
Horns: John “Jack” Cave, Vincent N. DeRosa, John Graas, William A. Hinshaw, Harry Schmidt
Trumpets: Herb Alpert, Frank Beach, W. Pete Candoli, John Clyman, Conrad Gozzo
Trombones: Clarence Pete Carpenter, Raymond W. Klein, Richard Nash, Lloyd E. Ulyate
Piano: Robert F. Brunner, L. Kaye Klassy, Ray Sherman, Urban Thielman
Guitars: Robert F. Bain, Al R. Hendrickson, Charles E. Hix, Barney Kessel, Alfred Viola
Harp: Anne Mason Stockton
Drums: Larry Bunker, Richard Cornell, Charles W. Flores, Shelly Manne, Hal Rees, Howard Roberts
Arranger: Jack J. Hayes
Also playing (instruments unknown) are: James H. Davids, Norm Efros, Michael L. Adams, Aristide G. Coccaro and Roy W. Parkinson

Herb Alpert was just a few months away from becoming an international recording star as the leader of the Tijuana Brass. The film was released in June and The Lonely Bull, the first hit, entered the charts in October. Alpert can also be seen in the film. He appears, uncredited, as a trumpet player in the dance band at the yacht club.

Guitarist Robert Bain had played guitar in episode #36, Silver Threads, of The Six Shooter. This Jimmy Stewart radio show aired June 3, 1954.

Another, slightly different soundtrack CD was issued in 2012 (Kritzerland KR 20022-8):

KL_HobbsCov600

This one also included the soundtrack for another Stewart film, Dear Brigitte. The Hobbs’ tracks included:

Main Title
A Month Off
Cream Puff
Up His Nose
Early to Rise
Roger and Peggy
Boompa/Night Night
Something for Lauri
Honest Joe/The Quiet Side
Rudders and Sails
All Clear/Red Cap
Barn Swallow
About Last Night
Farewell to Vacation
Cast and End Title

There also were several bonus tracks, including:

B Cups and Braces
Yacht Club Hop
Side Winder
Hobbs’ Bigtime Swing
Cream Puff (Combo Demo)
Mr. Hobbs’ Theme (Combo Demo)
Pizza Heaven/Cream Puff (Vocal: Fabian & Lauri Peters)

The two main songs from the soundtrack are spelled different on various releases (Cream Puff or Creampuff and Mr. Hobbs Theme or Mr. Hobbs’ Theme). The spellings used in this blog are the spellings used on the record labels.

Henry Mancini himself had recorded Mr. Hobbs Theme and released it on his 1963 album, Our Man in Hollywood:

Our Man in Hollywood.jacket

Our Man in Hollywood label

 

At the time of the film’s release, in the middle of 1962, there were also two singles issued which featured songs from the soundtrack. The first to be released was by Richie Allen:

Mr. Hobbs.Richie Allen

His version of the theme was reviewed in the May 19, 1962, edition of Billboard magazine:

Mr. Hobbs.Allan.BB.5.19.62

Allen, under his birth name of Richard Podolor, later became one of the best producers of rock and roll recordings. He produced most of the hits of Three Dog Night. He also worked with Iron Butterfly, The Blues Image, Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, Alice Cooper, Dwight Twilley, Steppenwolf and others.

The second single was by Sonny Lester and it featured two songs from the soundtrack:

Sonny Lester a

Sonny Lester b

Promo copies of this single were issued in a special sleeve which promoted the film and the fact that Henry Mancini had written the music:

Scan0001

Scan0002

The single was reviewed in the May 26, 1962, edition of Billboard:

Mr. Hobbs.BB.5.26.62

This ad for the single appeared in Billboard on June 9, 1962.

Mr. Hobbs.Mancini.BB.7.9.62Despite its proclamation, the single failed to chart in Billboard. It did however chart on the Music Vendor Going Up- Heading for the Top 100 chart. It entered that chart on June 30, 1962, topping out at #120 and remaining on the chart for three weeks.

Mr. Hobbs’ Theme:

Creampuff:

The sheet music for Mr. Hobbs Theme was also quite popular:

Mr. Hobbs.Sheet Music