Olivia Newton-John

BUDDY WROTE, produced and directed Olivia's very first feature film, "The New Fangled Wandering Minstrel Show" for 20th Century Fox. This website has some wonderful pictures from the actual TV Special version - HE ALSO WROTE THE NEW SONGS FOR IT AS WELL - THE WONDERFUL JAZZ SINGER JOHN HENDRICKS WROTE THE LYRICS!

New Review

FROM BING'S FRIENDS AND COLLECTORS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER:

BING CROSBY: Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings (Verve). Bing Crosby's first wax trip away from Decca in more than 20 years is a happy musical excursion. Working with Buddy Bregman's modern-styled arrangements on standards that he somehow missed putting into the groove before. Crosby is gay, buoyant and seemingly ever youthful, The Crosby-Bregman combo, latter also supplying the orch backing, gives the evergreens a fresh spark. Set shapes as a sock commercial bet.
(Review by Pete Cakanik)

New Review

THE CAT BURGLAR - FILM

Some gratitude is due to Quentin Tarantino for requesting ultra-scarce THE CAT BURGLAR from the Trio Channel. This film is indeed rare: it can't be found in the Maltin Guide, nor in most other 3-inch thick movie listings. Fans of Gene Corman productions (it does resemble his brother Roger's films) and fans of Jack Hogan can finally add this 65-minute film to their collections. To add to the fun, best of all, aside from the star, is the jazz scoring by Buddy Bregman. It consists of a single, very catchy main tune and contributes to a breezy, urban, slightly sleazy atmosphere. This film begins with fluid direction from William Witney, mirrored cat-like burgling by Mr. Hogan, and cool soundtrack music from Buddy Bregman.

New Review

I have spent the last 3 weeks immersed in Ella's music, especially the Cole Porter Songbook . There is SIMPLY NOTHING LIKE THIS IN MUSIC! I am nearly in tears when she sings "I Love Paris" or "I Concentrate On You". The last time music touched me like this was The Beatles. I am 26 and supposedly, ought to be listening to grunge or metal or whatever, but this is as good as it gets. It's delightful, it's delicious, it's our Ella! - MUSIC ARRANGED & CONDUCTED BY BUDDY BREGMAN

Buddy Bregman

Buddy has countless producer and director credits including "An Evening With Ethel Merman" on BBC, "The Danny Thomas Special" on CBS, "International Cabaret" series starring Juliet Prowse, Mel Tormé, Shirley Bassey, Diahann Carroll, Nancy Wilson, on the BBC, "An Evening With Jule Styne" (ITV-London) (Styne was Buddy 's uncle - his mother's brother!) "Newport Jazz Festival" on NBC-TV, and "The American Civil War Film" starring Donald Sutherland on BBC-TV, for which Buddy received director of the year and show of the year awards (view Buddy's resume).

Buddy scored and orchestrated films such as "Pajama Game," "Crime in the Streets" and a number of Roger Corman films.

Buddy began his career as an arranger, conductor and artist and repertoire head of the famed Verve jazz record label. Shortly thereafter, he recorded the first of five gold single records (two of them going platinum). Buddy is perhaps best known for the incredible array of artists he collaborated with.

Some of the most highly regarded jazz albums in history were arranged and conducted by Buddy , including "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook," "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook," "Count Basie With Joe Williams," "Bing (Crosby) Sings Whilst Bregman Swings," Anita O'Day "Anita," Sammy Davis Jr. "Mr. Entertainment," Oscar Peterson "Soft Sands" and Bobby Darin "At the Copa."

Pick of the Month

June 25, 2007. This article just appeared in Intune International Monthly From London:

Ella Fitzgerald SINGS THE VERY BEST OF THE COLE PORTER SONGBOOK:

Verve is doing a super job this year in honoring the first lady of song, and this recent release of highlights in the composer series only bears it out all the more. One easily gets the feeling that Porter customized his great standards with Ella in mind. She opens with JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS and from then on we are carried down a winding ski slope of classical compositions. It is difficult to highlight the best selections, since all have been signature hits from a man who not only write the most tantalizing melodies, but the most imaginative lyrics ever put into verse. There are 12 tracks and they leave you wanting more - much more! NIGHT AND DAY, I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU, BEGIN THE BEGUINE, IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT and one of Porter's saucier contributions, LOVE FOR SALE!

The major credit for the this album being so damn good has to go to Buddy Bregman, who not only conducted the accompaniment, but also did all of the arranging. It is Buddy who was the soul of VERVE, that makes it all work so fluidly. His passion for the genius of Ella Fitzgerald is felt throughout every one of the selections. Some of the finest musicians of that time are brought together under Buddy's skillful baton.

The Hall of Fame cast includes: Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Maynard Ferguson, Barney Kessel, Alvin Stoller, Herb Geller, Lloyd Ulyate and Paul Smith, among the sampling represented. This is a 24-carat album with the results simply breathtaking.

New Review

BB's Big Band Beat - from IN TUNE INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY - London, England
by Brian Belton

BUDDY BREGMAN SWINGIN' STANDARDS - Lonehill Jazz LHT 10243

Sometimes if you wait long enough, a favourite big band vinyl album gets missed on CD. It happened recently with an all-star U.S. West Coast studio orchestra arranged and conducted by occasional In Tune contributor, Buddy Bregman.

I rate this Buddy's best big band album in a fine career that has seen his sparkling creative arrangements grace many an instrumental and vocal collection. Ten great popular dance standards are played with precision and power by the likes of Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, George Roberts, Richie Kamuca, Bill Perkins, Russ Freeman, Mel Lewis and others. If you ever wish to demonstrate how the Hollywood session elite could play big band music that swings, this is the set.

COMMENTS BY FRED ASTAIRE:

Buddy has hit a consistently individual style in "Swinging Standards." It is to my mind, an album in which every item is a special attraction. His treatment of some Cole Porter tunes stood out to me; and the great Ellington's, "In A Mellow Tone" incites a dancing mood. One can tell he loved doing the job, and the same can be said of the entire band. All of his men, from the brilliant trombones to the powerful drums, are tops - and you hear them individually more than usual. To me, there is a plus value to the whole package. All of Buddy's special arranging and conducting comes out in full force. It's a fine dance album.

Fred was a dear friend of mine. At a party, when child-actress Tracey was on "Days of Our Lives", at some party she said to him, "Hello Mister Astaire, I'm Tracey Bregman, Buddy's daughter!" Fred pointed at her and said, "I love your father." He was a great man - and I worked with him but more than that, he and I were great friends. How lucky I was to even know him. - Buddy Bregman

New Review

Boy Meets Girl: Sammy Davis, Jr. & Carmen McRae on Decca

I loved doing the Porgy & Bess "biggies"tracks I arranged-conducted for Sammy. I have to say I was thrilled hearing the Porgy & Bess album. Thrilled because I arranged and conducted four of THE BIG ONES for Sammy Davis - "Bess You is My Woman Now", "A Woman is a Sometimes Thing", "Bess, It Ain't Necessarily So!" The sound is so incredible I thought we must have recorded it in Carnegie Hall - but it was recorded in a very small Decca Studio on Melrose Ave. next to Paramount Sutdios in Hollywood - with about 45-50 musicians - and some of the world's greatest at that! I would usually never write about my own work but I was really thrilled to hear those tracks as I didn't realize at the time that my work had improved so much from just a couple of years before when I first started in the biz whilst still a student at UCLA! But the main reason my orchestrations sounded so thrilling to me was what the re-issue producer for Verve, Bryan Konyarz, did with the re-recordings - it is amazing sound - and I have to congratulate him which I already did for doing such a great job - I heard every single note/nuance I wrote at the time - and at the time I didn't realize how awesome the totality of Sammy and I working together once again was. Wil Haygood (who wrote the best Sammy bio ever) quoted me as saying how "thrilling" the session was - not good, but thrilling! I get chills every time I play the tracks and am so very happy to have worked on what I feel is an incredible interpretation by Sammy of the Gershwin material - and is his voice ever great on the CD! WOW! I do remember that I had to conduct without any beat at all on the two "Bess" songs - and continually turn away from the orchestra to only watch Sammy's lips move; and I had to move 50 or so musicians without a drum keeping time. On each 2nd take I had to hold my right arm up with my left arm as my right arm ached so badly - I always made big circles when conducting and used all my power to move the orchestra along so as not to miss a single syllable of Sammy's brilliant delivery!

BUDDY BREGMAN'S ENERGY - FROM IN TUNE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE EDITOR/OWNER

RE Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hart Songbooks

YES I DID MAKE VERVE RECORDS WHAT IT BECAME AS I RAN THE A&R DIVISION OF THE FLEDGING NEW LABEL - FROM THE FIRST DAY MONDAY WE OPENED THE DOORS - FOR THE OWNER-PROMOTER NORMAN GRANZ FOR THE FIRST 2 YEARS IT WAS IN EXISTANCE!!!

I WAS THE HEAD OF ARTISTS & REPERTOIRE and recorded all the new artists - WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OLD ONES - AND YES I arranged and conducted the Cole Porter and the Rodgers & Hart Song books - in fact I started Verve Records with Norman Granz's money. I was very very young and hit lucky as I never stayed in the background . It has been written that I WAS THE SOUL OF VERVE and I can not dispute that - I lived and breathed Verve Records 24/7 to make it a success.

In fact owner Norman was against me spending all that money on Ella's 1st two songbooks (Cole Porter/Rodgers & Hart) because he didn't think she would sell - I knew she would and decided to throw caution to the wind and "go for it" and I did and I spent double the amout of $ when he said not to spend "too much"! on the Porter and Rodgers and Hart albums with her so I spent double the amount with large orchestras on both albums. I also recorded Anita O'Day - 2 albums - and they both went gold and platinum - first time ever for both ladies and both albums were arranged and conducted by me. Everytime I went against his "musical orders" I won and each one of the albums I went against not to use large orchestras I did and they all were very very big hits! THE BIGGEST MR. GRANZ EVER EVER HAD!!!

I loved Ella Fitzgerald and we became very close friends besides PRODUCING, ARRANGING AND CONDUCTING the COLE PORTER SONGBOOK and the RODGERS & HART SONGBOOK + all her singles +++ ELLA'S big Las Vegas PREMIER SHOW at the New Frontier Hotel - AS WELL AS OUR NEWLY COMPOSED SINGLES JUST WRITTEN FOR HER - WHICH I COMMISSIONED - and some which I wrote - and we were A BIG HIT at The New Frontier Hotel in LAS VEGAS as well - her first time and we broke another 1st - A Black female jazz singer headlining a major Vegas Venue.

I loved that lady and wouldn't let Norman Granz's dictums about what to do and what not to do for her bother me!!! I had a lovely mother so I of course "knew the drill."

I TOOK GOOD CARE OF ELLA AS I WOULD MY OWN MOTHER - NEVER EVER EVER ABANDONED HER NEEDS - so I always went with my gut and as "I MADE THE LABEL" in the first 2 years (WITH MANY HIT SINGLES AND HIT ALBUMS) AND I was right about doing it that way - MY WAY - AND I AM QUITE PROUD OF MY PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT (AND MY BROTHER BOBBY'S GREAT WORK IN POST-PRODUCTION) DURING VERVE'S 1ST 2 YEARS OF EXISTENCE ... BUDDY BREGMAN

Comments From Buddy:

September 10, 2009: DOMINICK DUNNE:

Reading that Dominick Dunne had passed away was very heart-rendering. Dominick gave me my first composer break at Aaron Spelling's Company - Aaron also was helpful in allowing me to be hired as a composer of the sit-com, "Peter Loves Mary" at the new fledgling Production Company - and from that time on, Dominick and I became good friends - bumping into each other on 5th Avenue or Madison Ave. window-shopping - both on our way to various meetings and always stopping long enough to find out how each of us was doing. Saw lots of Dominick whenever he was in L.A. as well at The Simpson Trial many, many times and always had "that bond" of having worked together when he was a producer and boosted my talent, as well as the bond Aaron and I had which was helpful when I needed his wisdom - both men took a chance on me and it is imbedded forever in my brain as well as my psyche. I salute them both as champions in our world if "Show Biz" and will always remember them as the two who "launched me" and thank them both for their "champion push" for recognizing my talent, even if I didn't at the time - and believe me, the odds were against me as the "old salts" looked at this new musical kid trying to "inch his way in" and finally made them proud of me.

Thanks guys,
Buddy Bregman

November 10, 2008: NEWS FLASH: MIRIAM MAKEBA DIES:

I noticed Miriam passed away today - heart attack. She lived a tough life after "following her heart" IN AFRICA, the rough life - anti-establishment for sure -- from her success with the "Click Song", and then antipathy of her political views, "hooking up" with ultra anti-establishment figures. She finally ended up with me when I was a BBC producer-director.

(Sir) David Attenborough thought I was the right person to produce and direct 2 one-hour OUT OF AFRICA Specials starring Miriam and her troupe, with (husband-musical director) Hugh Masekala, whom I really liked, and still do! Great trumpet player! Great guy! And Miriam looking at me like I was from outer-space ; "Why did they pick him to produce and direct my 2-one-hour TV Specials????"

I wondered as well - as she and let's say Ella Fitzgerald. They are polar opposite musical arenas and I am totally polar opposite political views, and obviously thinking "and I am nothing like Ella Fitzgerald with, he had soooo much success with (even up till today) and I do African music", and he is sooo American and working with the upscale NEW BBC2, a very "snooty channel", and he is also well-known, more than me, "but I'll try It out", and more than try it out she did!!!

In Copenhagen, (she was playing the Tivoli Gardens Theatre) I addressed the situation in true BBC style, the dressing room door opened and "I thought I saw 'blow guns'", but kept on "tap-dancing" my way through my "best BBC greetings". to THE TRIBE!!! They wore "WOOD in African Tribal Robes"!!, but I kept on "tap dancing" through my "pitch" very wary about the "blow pipes" about to be aimed at my assistant James Moir - Irish - and me American. No light at the end of the tunnel.

Guess they didn't catch my name but when the show was over and I did my return engagement to the dressing room, it was totally different as they put my name "alongside Count Basie" and said "Aren't you... ??? - "yes" Miriam loves your Ella Fitzgerald and I (Hugh) love your Basie recordings - you are the same BB??? "Yep".

Well it was really great as the piano player was also a fan of mine - Larry Willis - BRILLIANT JAZZ PIANO MAN - and Hugh with his Afro-Jazz trumpet - we bonded immediately and went upstairs ... FOR CURRY, THAT WAS STRONGER THAN FIRE LAWS ALLOWED, and when Miriam opened her purse, I was sitting next to her and she offered me HER CURRY POWDER!!! I was already to faint from the curry fumes, and I told her I had an idea of her walking through fire when she did her very famous Click Song. She looked at me like I was insane, but when we did it for real back in London at the BBC, on the first playback, she came over and hugged me, and then thanked the firemen on stand by!!!

It was a great experience and one of my most inventive shows ever!!! PLUS BIG RATINGS!!!

The greatest thrill of my life in the biz was when I produced/directed the Roland Petit-(2) Big Dance TV Specials in Paris with Yves doing the costumes for the Petit Ballet Dancers and Zizi Jeanmaire - the singing and dancing star AND ESPECIALLY having Yves as the costume designer - I HAVE NEVER EVER FORGOTTEN THE THRILL I had 24-7 for 3 months in Paris and this tribute can not say enough - how thrilled I was working with Yves every single day and I never ever had that thrill with all the others I worked with over the years. I will write about him and the the thrill every single day of him bringing the sketches he brought me every morning and he always said, "Buddy - you like?" - after picking myself up from the floor - stunned with his genius I could hardly say "Are you kidding?! - AMAZING!!!" I HAVE MISSED THOSE DAYS WITH YOU AND ROLAND AND ZIZI ALL THOSE YEARS AGO - AND NEVER EVER EQUALED!!!

Luckily I WAS THERE (in London) DURING "THEIR TIME" - worked next stage to them TONS OF TIMES - HAD TEA - SPENT TIME WITH Paul and Ringo at an "every other Tuesday" soirée at a pop-singer's flat - was around them for 2 years at BBC - always seemed to be in Studio 1 (largest in Europe) shooting a Broadway-type production - and they loved it - they were next door and always walked in to "my studio" to see what was up" - they did Top of the Pops in the next studio - "during their time"!!! They loved my Broadway "homage specials" to Cole Porter - Rodgers & Hart - Gershwin etc...I also knew Linda as Lee Eastman was her father and my Uncle Jule Styne (and every other Broadway song writer) used Lee to battle all of their publishers who tried to screw them, The other 2 I hardly knew... but saw them and schmoozed at tea time 3.30ish in the Red Assembly next to both of our studios. And then when I became Head of Entertainment (after BBC Producing) for the London Weekend Network - there they were on Ready, Steady, Go!!! With "shoeless" Sandy Shaw as "compere'" and there were The Beatles once again. I had already worked with Sir George Martin - as he asked BBC if he could borrow me for 4 vocals sides for Matt Monro - and George was a dream to work with - but know knowing why and how a producer worked "with the knobs" (not my table) until I played the tracks - OH MY LORD what a sound he got - in The Beatles Studio and my Count Basieish jazz charts on 2 of them and VERY LSO Symphonic Charts on the other two - Charade, Around the World, Green Leaves of Summer and 2nd Time Around - the best four vocal tracks I have ever done in my life - all due to (Sir) George - and a bit of me I guess!