Cha Cha! Billy May


Cha Cha! Billy May is a studio album released by Billy May in 1960 on Capitol LP record T1329 and ST1329. The album features instrumental Latin renderings of big band standards and theme songs of many top musical outfits. Many of the arrangements are done tonge-in-cheek, even Capitol's own publicity described "Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha" as "unforgivable". Further playfulness is revealed in the song "Good-Bye" in which May's arrangement references the Benny Goodman bandmembers' habit of singing "go to hell, go to hell" over the repeating riff. The album was recorded on October 1, 1959, at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. May's experience arranging and performing this album subsequently influenced his arrangements for the Frank Sinatra album Sinatra Swings.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "In a Mellow Tone-Cha-Cha" – associated with Duke Ellington/Count Basie
  2. "Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha" – associated with Pee [Wee Hunt]
  3. "Artistry in Rhythm-Cha-Cha" – Stan Kenton theme.
  4. "The [Poor People of Paris]-Cha-Cha" – associated with Les Baxter
  5. "Good-Bye-Cha-Cha" – Benny Goodman closing theme.
  6. "Leap Frog-Cha-Cha" – Les Brown theme.

    Side two

  7. "Flyin' Home-Cha-Cha" – associated with Lionel Hampton
  8. "Snowfall-Cha-Cha" – Claude Thornhill theme.
  9. "In the Mood-Cha-Cha" – associated with Glenn Miller.
  10. "I Remember-Cha-Cha"
  11. "Tuxedo Junction-Cha-Cha" – associated with Glenn Miller.
  12. "Bijou-Cha-Cha" - associated with Woody Herman