Complete Peter Gunn

This two disc set is a reminder of how great Mancini was. His score for this ground breaking TV show is one of the best charts for big band jazz ever, on a par with Neal Hefty. Disc One contains the original soundtrack recordings. I was suspicious at first because these are in stereo, but I did some research and found there was a stereo release in 1959. The original release was in 1956 and was in mono. Apparently the master tapes were in stereo, but stereo had not yet been introduced to the public.Disc Two is a later recording done by other musicians but using the original arrangements. The solos are similar but not copies. Unfortunately there is not a personnel list on either. Disc One had some of the greatest Southern California players, that's for sure. The personnel list on Disc Two is probably different but excellent. Disc Two also has four alternative versions of the main theme by Duane Eddy, King Curits, Mundell Low, and Buddy Morrow.If you like melodic, harmonic, swinging jazz, all done in good taste, this is for you. Note: the discs come from the U.K. and the cover art are does not match the original.

I watched Peter Gunn on TV when I was in college from 1957 to 1961. I don't remember the exact years that the show aired, but it was greatly enhanced by theme music by Henry Mancini. I loved that music and still do. This is a 2 CD set. The first CD is supposed to be actual music from the series, and that's what it sounded like to me after all these years. The second CD sounds like riffs on the original score and also sounds wonderful. I recommend this highly. It is jazz at its best and proves Henry Mancini is a genius. The musicians also are outstanding.

The liner notes are in error regarding disc 1. Tracks 1-12 are from Music From Peter Gunn, and tracks 13-24 are from More Music From Peter Gunn, the order being the same as on the original LP's. The notes regarding disc 2 I have to take at face value, as I do not have those LP's: Tracks 1-10 from Peter Gunn by Ted Nash and Maxwell Davis, tracks 11-21 from More Peter Gunn by Pete Candoli and tracks 22-25 are variations of the title theme by Duane Eddy, King Curtis, Mundell Lowe and Buddy Morrow.I wouldn't call this "complete", as the 2nd disc could have been the Mancini soundtrack to the 1967 Gunn film instead.

First of all, this was Henry Mancini's first major entry onto the stage (aside from his previous movie film scoring), and without his music the series would have fallen short. The collection is absolutely great, and every time I watch an old episode of the series, my ears perk up when I hear a chart that was written to be the musical interpretation of a certain character or scene. This collection is a must for anyone's collection of TV and movie music, or as a Mancini collector.

Truly complete, this 2-disc set is absolutely the definitive collection of great original* music from a classic, so very cool show - one that certainly did pack quite a bit of 'noir' into those 30 minutes! The music fit the iconic television series perfectly, and vice-versa. One would be hard-pressed to find a better collection, of that timeless jazzy Gunn sound, and there is 2.5+ hours of it, which should satisfy any PG music craving - bon appetite! *By Henry 'Pink Panther' Mancini

The first disc is the perfect rendition of the original LP I had as a teenager. Been trying to find it for years. Only reason for only 4 stars Is second disc in one I've heard before which in my opinion corrupts the beauty of the first disc's renditions which were sacred to me. They are not terrible, just take away from my memories...personal, I guess.

If you like Henry Mancini and you grew up watching Peter Gunn reruns then you'll like this collection. Since it is two different previously released soundtrack albums there is a lot of repetition, but you don't have to listen to all of it. Pick the tracks you like the most as a playlist and just listen to those.

If you're like me, you fell in love with the original music conducted by Mancini with all it's nuance - the specific solos and particular orchestration - THIS IS NOT THAT SOUNDTRACK and you will be disappointed. Since no musicians are credited here, I'm not sure what this is. The scores were closely followed, but solos are different, and some selections are played faster than the original cuts. Generally, the same instruments were used, but this is some kind of remake. The sound quality varies from one track to another. The trumpet sections on some cuts are almost unlistenable they are so shrill. Get the originals, not this thing.

die Titel am Ende der zweiten das bekannte Thema brilliant variieren, brilliantissime übrigens : Zuerst war das Plakat, dann leuchtete das Plakat von hinten, dann fing das beleuchtete Plakat an, sich zu bewegen, und dann war Werbung nicht mehr ausreichend interessant, sondern wurde durch die kleinen Filme unterbrochen, die den Betrachter aber nicht von der Röhre weglassen durften : Leute wie Peter Gunn und Johnny Staccato - und die Crime Music Scene - unterhielten und hielten die Hausfrau vor dem kleinen Leuchtkasten - bis zur nächsten Werbung. Die Version des Titelthema's, die noch hinzuzufügen wäre, als Weiterentwicklung der Duane Eddy Interpretation, ist von Poison Ivy/Cramps , aber schon King Curtis grossartige Adaptation schlägt in den Bann; und mit dem Booklet und seinen Informationen über Musiker und Produzenten, über Jazz an West und East Coast und Bands und ihre Besetzungen in den frühen Jahren - den 4oern und 5oern, kann man eine tolle Zeitreise in die Zeit unternehmen, als die Farbe noch in der eigenen Vorstellung zum Schwarz/Weiß hinzugefügt werden mußte . Absolut empfehlenswert -

Being a big fan of both Henry Mancini and his music for PETER GUNN, I thought it would be great to have the two original albums he recorded for RCA together on one CD. I did my research, checking out track titles etc., and having been satisfied that these were indeed the original recordings, I placed my order, although somewhat surprised at the very cheap price.I should have known better, for although handsomely packaged, with a full length picture of a young Mancini on the cover box, as soon as I put the disc on, I knew something wasn't right - all the tracks are recorded in MONO! I already have stereo copies of both originals on vinyl, as well as subsequent CDs from RCA/BMG of these classic tracks, digitally remastered in stunning stereophonic sound. This recent disc contains no mention of RCA, or any of the original recording sessions, or the personnel, all of which are a feature of previous re-issues.The sleeve-note is simply a well-informed potted history of Mancini's career but refers hardly at all to the music actually on the disc. It is produced by Delta Leisure Group and if you want to really enjoy this music to its most rewarding capacity, I suggest avoiding this issue and seek out the original separate discs that are still available with a little hunting around.