Hollyridge Strings - Play Instrumental Versions of Hits Made Famous by Elvis Presley

The Hollyridge Strings knocked off all three of the biggest artists of the rock era by 1965, ending with Elvis Presley and his large catalog of hits (all of which were immediately familiar to most of the country, if not the world). Arranger Stu Phillips had many good ideas about how to interpret these rock or pop nuggets into an orchestral context, but the song selection leaves much to be desired. As often happened with records of this type, the rule seems to be choosing songs with pep, presumably to match the energy with which pop music was making orchestral fare seem passé. Read More