Strict Tempo Dancing [Box set]

Victor Silvester was probably the most-reknowned ballroom music artist of his generation. Even during the 1960s, the total album sales of his career exceeded those of the Beatles.

Most of the Victor Silvester tracks in this collection are taken from sessions he did towards the end of his career in the 1970s when under contract to the famous PIE label in the UK. The quality of the sound is therefore much better and more listenable than many of his earlier recordings. The beautifully smooth interaction of the musicians and Victor's precise sense of rhythm make dancing to these tracks a pleasure, but they are also good enough to listen to simply as instrumentals in their own right. Many dull, tacky imitations of his easy-listening style have since tarnished the reputation of this genre, but Victor Silvester really is the original and best.

This is a re-release of collection previously available on the Castle label (cat. no. MBSCD405). The first three CDs of the set are by the Victor Silvester Orchestra, the fourth is by Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra.

Track listing as follows:-

DISK ONE

1. You're Dancing On My Heart

2. You're Dancing On My Heart (2)

3. Born Free

4. Second Time Around

5. Stars In My Eyes

6. Lovely Lady

7. Look Of Love (Rumba)

8. South Of The Border (Rumba)

9. Call Me

10. Guantanamera

11. Love Me Tonight

12. Pepita

13. Whistler And His Dog

14. Skirl O' The Pipes (Gay Gordons)

15. I'd Rather Charleston (Charleston)

16. Eton Boating Song

17. Glamourous Nights

18. Ob La Di Ob La Da

19. Rio Rita (Paso Doble)

20. In The Summertime (Modern Beat)

21. Joanna

22. Acapulco 1922

23. Tijuana Taxi

24. Yeh Yeh (Twist)

25. Mr Amigo

DISK TWO

26. Walk In The Black Forest

27. Gentle On My Mind

28. Witchcraft

29. Honey Honey

30. Best Of Everything

31. Valentina

32. Shadow Waltz

33. Desert Song

34. Poem

35. Goin' Out Of My Head

36. Spinning Wheel

37. Knees Up Mother Brown

38. Sugar Sugar (Modern Beat)

39. Young Gifted And Black (Modern Beat)

40. Gimme Dat Ding (Modern Beat)

41. Quando Quando Quando (Tell Me When) (Rumba)

42. How Insensitive

43. Coffee Shop

44. Be In (Hare Krishna) (Samba)

45. Flor Del Alma

46. So What's New

47. Mexican Shuffle

48. Baby Face (Dixie Land)

49. Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue (Dixie Land)

50. March Of The Mods

DISK THREE

51. Save Your Kisses For Me

52. Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree

53. Whispering

54. Cabaret

55. Yes Sir That's My Baby

56. Lullaby Of Broadway

57. Red Roses For A Blue Lady

58. From This Moment On

59. Stella By Starlight

60. As Time Goes By

61. Someone To Watch Over Me

62. Way We Were

63. Stars Fell On Alabama

64. They Long To Be Close To You

65. Poor Butterfly

66. Always Has Always Will

67. Glamourous Night

68. Indiscreet

69. Liebestraume

70. Remember (You Forgot To Remember)

71. What'll I Do All Alone

72. Look To The Rainbow

DISK FOUR (Cyril Stapleton)

73. Somewhere My Love

74. Everyone's Gone To The Moon

75. It's Wonderful

76. Hello Dolly

77. Yesterday

78. Michelle

79. Tango De Perlas

80. Love Of The Loved

81. Tears

82. Lollipops And Roses

83. Bill And Bob

84. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (Quicks

85. Shadow Of Your Smile

86. I Wish You Love (Rumba)

87. Softly In My Dreams (Rumba)

88. Sucu Sucu

89. Jacamer

90. Green Green Grass Of Home

91. Therese

92. March Of The Tijuana (Paso Doble)

93. Spanish Gipsy Dance (Paso Doble)

94. Carnival (Rumba)

95. Querida (Rumba)

96. Nowhere Man

97. Time Flies

98. Spanish Flea

I bought this item with the intention of running a "Strictly Come Dancing" type of dance for a local social occasion.
However, the way the tracks have been recorded it would need selected tracks to be recorded from these CDs to blank CDs in order to get an acceptable mix.
For example, disc 3 starts with 8 quicksteps followed by 7 slow foxtrots followed by 6 waltzs.
The other discs have a better, but not great, distribution of tracks.
I would be able to record a suitable mix but how many other people could ?
It would be interesting to know exactly what kind of buyer this item was aimed at