Frank Chacksfield was an English pianist, composer, arranger and conductor of light orchestral easy listening music, who was one of the British band leaders that led the development of the market for stereo long-playing albums of this style of music in the late 1950s and into the ‘60s and ‘70s. Having joined the BBC after serving in WWII, working as musical director for Henry Hall and Geraldo, he began recording under his own name in 1951 before the dawn of the vinyl LP era. This 57-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A&B sides of his singles on the Parlophone, Decca and London labels from this era as Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra and as Frank Chacksfield’s Tunesmiths, and it includes at least one side of just about all his releases from these years. It features all his UK and US chart entries, including the No. 2 hits “Terry’s Theme From Limelight” and “Ebb Tide”, and the Top 20 hits “Little Red Monkey” and “In Old Lisbon”, along with “Donkey Cart” and “On The Beach”. His style of music was hugely popular with the British public for many years and his fame spread across the Atlantic as well. This easy-on-the-ear collection is an enjoyable showcase for a particular and fondly-remembered strand of British popular music.

CD 1

1. LITTLE RED MONKEY Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths (Parlophone R3658) 1953

2. ROUNDABOUTS AND SWINGS Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths (Parlophone R3658) 1953

3. TERRY'S THEME FROM LIMELIGHT Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10106) 1953

4. LIMELIGHT 'INCIDENTAL MUSIC FROM THE FILM (BALLET INTRODUCTION, REUNION, THE WALTZ)' Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10106) 1953

5. EBB TIDE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10122) 1953

6. WALTZING BUGLE BOY Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10122) 1953

7. A GIRL CALLED LINDA Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10160) 1953

8. GOLDEN VIOLINS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10160) 1953

9. GOLDEN TANGO Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10181) 1953

10. DANCING PRINCESS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10181) 1953

11. SONG OF CANTERBURY Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10255) 1954

12. THE PIED PIPER Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10255) 1954

13. FLIRTATION WALTZ Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (London  1406) 1954

14. PRELUDE TO A MEMORY Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (London  1406) 1954

15. MISTY VALLEY Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10315) 1954

16. BLACK VELVET Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10315) 1954

17. SMILE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10354) 1954

18. PIPER IN THE HEATHER Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10354) 1954

19. FIDDLERS' BOOGIE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca 1439) 1954

20. PICNIC FOR STRINGS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (London 1439) 1954

21. SUR LE PAVE DE PARIS (PAVEMENTS OF PARIS) Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10387) 1954

22. LONELY NIGHTINGALE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10387) 1954

23. BLUE MIRAGE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10467) 1955

24. LADY FROM LUXEMBOURG Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10467) 1955

25. MY BARCAROLLE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10511) 1955

26. A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10553) 1955

27. SONG OF THE TREES Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10553) 1955

28. LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10639) 1955

29. THE SHIFTING, WHISPERING SANDS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10653) 1955

CD 2

1. COCKLESHELL HEROES Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10653) 1955

2. MADEMOISELLE DE PARIS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (London 1535) 1955

3. IN OLD LISBON (LISBOA ANTIGUA) Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10689) 1956

4. MEMORIES OF YOU Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10689) 1956

5. THE DONKEY CART Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10743) 1956

6. THE BANKS OF THE SEINE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10743) 1956

7. FANAGALO Frank Chacksfield And His Tunesmiths (Decca F10786) 1956

8. SOFT SUMMER BREEZE Frank Chacksfield And His Tunesmiths (Decca F10786) 1956

9. YOUR LOVE IS MY LOVE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10843) 1957

10. CATALAN SUNSHINE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10904) 1957

11. VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWER Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10904) 1957

12. SAHARA Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10928) 1957

13. KATSUMI THEME Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F10974) 1957

14. RODEO Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11027) 1957

15. LUXEMBOURG WALTZ Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11052) 1958

16. LOVE BY STARLIGHT Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11070) 1958

17. TAKE A GIANT STEP Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11168) 1959

18. ON THE BEACH Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11168) 1959

19. LOVE IS LIKE A VIOLIN Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11215) 1960

20. ANGELIQUE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11268) 1960

21. CAROLINE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11268) 1960

22. THE THEME FROM THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11278) 1960

23. MADELEINE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11278) 1960

24. THEME FROM "KING OF KINGS" Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11393) 1960

25. THEME FROM "FRANCIS OF ASSISI" Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11393) 1960

26. FACE TO FACE Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11439) 1962

27. THE SKY AT NIGHT (AT THE CASTLE GATE OP. 46) Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11439) 1962

28. ROMAN TANGO Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra (Decca F11480) 1962