Moments to Remember

"Moments to Remember" is a 1955 popular song about nostalgia[1] recorded by Canadian quartet The Four Lads.[2][3] The song was originally written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman for Perry Como but was turned down by Como's management.[4]

"Moments to Remember"
Single by The Four Lads
B-side	"Dream On, My Love, Dream On"
Released	July 18, 1955
Recorded	1955
Genre	Popular music
Length	3:10
Label	Columbia
Composer(s)	Robert Allen, Al Stillman
Producer(s)	Ray Ellis
The Four Lads singles chronology
"Too Much! Baby, Baby" (1955) "Moments to Remember" (1955) "I Heard the Angels Singing" (1955)

The Four Lads recording

The Four Lads recorded it in June 1955 for Columbia Records as the B side to the single "Dream On, My Love."[5] Bernie Toorish of the Four Lads credited the enthusiastic endorsement of Cleveland radio DJ Bill Randle for increasing radio airtime play and popularizing the recording.[6] It eventually reached number 2 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 hit list (an early version of the Hot 100), sold 4 million copies and became the group's first gold record.

Besides the voices of the male quartet, the song also contains two uncredited female parts. According to the Four Lads' Frank Busseri, the introductory verse, ("January through December/We'll have moments to remember"), as well as the repeat of the Bridge section in harmony, ("When summer turns to winter",) were sung by Lois Winters of the Ray Charles Singers and the poetic spoken words in mid-song: ("A drive-in movie/Where we'd go/And somehow never watched the show/") were recited by Pat Kirby who at that time was a singer on Steve Allen's television show Tonight!.[5]

Other noted versions

• Bing Crosby recorded the song on November 23, 1955, with Buddy Cole and His Orchestra.[7]
• Louis Armstrong - a single release (1955).[8]
• Ronnie Hilton with orchestra conducted by Frank Cordell recorded "Moments to Remember" in London on December 13, 1955, and released it on HMV POP-154 (78 rpm record) and HMV 7M 358 (single).
• The American vocal group Deep River Boys Featuring Harry Douglas with Pete Brown's orchestra recorded it in Oslo on August 30, 1956. It was released on the 78 rpm record HMV AL 6037.
• The song was recorded by both the Statler Brothers and the Vogues in 1969, inciting a minor cover remake battle against the Buddah Records version by the Smoke Ring.
• The Norman Luboff Choir - On the album "Moments to Remember" - 1960
• The musical Forever Plaid includes their cover of the song.

Popular Culture

• Sirius XM Satellite Radio formerly aired, from July 2006 through March 2009, a show on their '50s channel named after the song, and featured the song as part of its theme music.

References

1. Browne, Ray Broadus; Ambrosetti, Ronald J. (1993). Continuities in Popular Culture: The Present in the Past & the Past in the Present and Future. ISBN 9780879725938.
2. Younkman, Tim (10 April 2010). "There's an album for everything under the sun". The Bay City Times. Michigan Live LLC.
3. QMI Agency. "Four Lads singer Codarini dies". jam.canoe.ca.
4. Mitchell, Marilyn (March 20, 2013). "Frank Busseri and The Four Lads Moments to remember". Palm Desert Entertainer. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
5. Allen, Ronnie. "Frank Busseri". Ronnie Allen Podcast. Jersey Girls Sing. pp. 25:16–30:45. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
6. Adams, Deanna R. (2002). Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection. Kent State University Press. p. 14. ISBN 0873386914.
7. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
8. "45cat.com". 45cat.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.