Music for a Private Eye
| Music for a Private Eye | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by Ralph Marterie | |
| Released | 1959 |
| Studio | United Recording Studios, Hollywood, California |
| Genre | Big band, Pop, Theme music |
| Length | 28:05 |
| Label | Mercury |
Music for a Private Eye is an LP of twelve musical themes from popular television programs of the late 1950s performed by bandleader Ralph Marterie, billed as "Ralph Marterie and his Marlboro men."[a] It capitalized on the growing popularity of television theme songs, focusing on crime and mystery programs.
Origin and concept
Mercury Records' West Coast artist and repertoire director Pete Rugolo collaborated with engineer Bill Putnam to produce Music for a Private Eye, the first Mercury recording at Putnam's United Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.[1] Ralph Marterie led the orchestra in arrangements by Rugolo and veteran jazz musician and music arranger Skip Martin.
Reception
In its June 1960, issue, Hifi/Stereo Review complimented the band's "clean, crisp, frequently hard-swinging interpretations of some of the more staple thematic fare of TV's back alley dramas." The interest level of the album was rated "Approaching saturation point."[2]
Noting that Marterie was known for his big-band dance albums, reviewer Greg Adams concluded that Music for a Private Eye "is a very well-recorded stereo album that makes one wish that Marterie had strayed from his dance band format more often and recorded other thematic albums.[3]
Reissues
In 1963, four years after its initial release, Music for a Private Eye was reissued on Mercury's budget Wing label.[4]
In 2016, Blue Moon Jazz released a CD that combined Music for a Private Eye with Ralph Marterie's 1959 release, Big Band Man.
Personnel
Trumpets
- Ray Linn
- Don Fagerquist
- Joe Triscari
- Uan Rasey
Trombones
- Frank Rosolino
- Bob Fitzpatrick
- Tommy Pederson
Bass Trombone
- George Roberts
Alto Saxes
- Bud Shank
- Paul Horn
Tenor Saxes
- Bob Cooper
- Gus Bivona
Baritone Sax
- Dale Issenhuth
Piano
- Jimmy Rowles
Guitar
- Al Viola
Bass
- Joe Mondragon
Drums
- Irv Kluger
Percussion
- Lou Singer
Track listing
| Track | Title | Composers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "M Squad" | Count Basie | 2:44 |
| 2 | "Perry Mason" | Fred Steiner | 2:56 |
| 3 | "Richard Diamond" | Pete Rugolo | 2:35 |
| 4 | "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" | Stanley Wilson | 2:30 |
| 5 | "The Thin Man" | Pete Rugolo, Sammy Cahn | 2:44 |
| 6 | "77 Sunset Strip" | Jerry Livingston, Mack David | 2:38 |
| 7 | "Private Eyeball" | Peter Hanson, Pete Rugolo | 3:25 |
| 8 | "The D.A.'s Man" | Frank Comstock | 2:57 |
| 9 | "Riff Blues" | Dave Kahn, Melvin Lenard | 3:14 |
| 10 | "Peter Gunn" | Henry Mancini | 2:22 |
Notes
- ^ Naming the orchestra as the "Marlboro men" may be an allusion to a cigarette brand, since the album cover art depicts Marterie smoking a cigarette.
References
- ^ Pete Rugolo (1959). Music for a Private Eye (LP record). Chicago, IL: Mercury Records.
- ^ Stanley Green (June 1960). "HiFi/Stereo / Entertainment". HiFi/Stereo Review. New York, NY. p. 86 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Greg Adams. "Music for a Private Eye Review". AllMusic.com. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Music for a Private Eye (Swinging Themes of Famous TV Whodunits) (LP). Wing Records. 1960. Retrieved 2026-02-11.