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Did They Mention the Music?: The Autobiography of Henry Mancini

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As I have been an avid fan of Mr. Mancini's work for many years, I was eagerly awaiting the publication of this new extended edition of his autobiography. I wasn't disappointed!!
While co-written with jazz author Gene Lees, Henry's voice comes shining through as readers gain insight into the life of this remarkable man: his humble roots, his quirky sense of humour, his respect for those who worked for him, and the music that made him famous.

From a musical standpoint, this book is incredible! I strongly recommend having a lot of his music on hand as you read. Playing his music softly in the background while I read this book allowed me to listen with new ears. As he explains his rationale for the way his songs are written, the instruments he used, and how they reflect the movies they were used for, you'll want to have the music available to you so you can really hear what he is talking about.

Henry Mancini was truly one of a kind, and after reading this book, I can certainly agree with Gene Lees when he writes of Henry, "The world is a better place because he lived in it, but a smaller place because he left it."

This is one of the most insightful, informative and readable autobiographies I've ever read. Don't hesitate for a second to buy this book!

I'm a pianist from LA (born n raised) who occasionally teaches piano lessons. Strangely enough, TV star Tony Danza took lessons from me. One day he came over and saw Mancini's autobiography on my coffee table. He chuckled and said, satirically "did they mention the music.. he he." Nothing more was said about it. But I thought it was appropriate that the star of the satire comedy, Taxi got a rare dose of musicians' humor, for a change.

I hold no contention with other reviewers in that the book is 90% light in nature, even though the title indicates a different attitude lies underneath. It should come as no surprise that musicians are underrated in our society. Not pop-music (Rock musicians), but musicians who learn how to play instruments and read music well enough to be hired to play on movies, obsolete as that may have become during the past couple of decades. It is rare, for example, to see such musicians' names listed in popular movie credits. While in the same movie, credits are given to chauffeurs and Crafts Service Union workers (the people who clean up the paper cups after lunch on the set). Apparently those unions were traditionally more powerful than the musician's union was. That is what Mancini is telling us with the title. It is also a statement about the neglect of awards shows, such as the Academy Awards, to mention the music as an integral part of a popular movie. This is especially ironic and neglectful when one considers that, without music, most movies would be boring and not entertaining.

The reason for this, is because producers don't want to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, in terms of how boring a movie scene often is without the music sprucing it up. Much, therefore relies on the quality of music in filmmaking. Yet, it doesn't behoove a director, movie star, producer etc to admit that fact in public, and thereby admit that the film isn't good without the background music saving it from being boring. This secret dichotomy, between dramatists and musicians doesn't stop with only movies. It goes back to all theater. Indeed, all dramatists have always held a tenuous, ill respected relationship with all musicians who they, nonetheless have always relied upon to make their productions more entertaining.

Again, it should come as no surprise that musicians generally aren't respected in human societies. If we look back in history, the subjugated mistreatment of musicians is common knowledge. A recently published music history textbook, for example, gives an account of wages typically received by musicians at 17th century opera houses. The musicians in the orchestra received less than the janitor. In honest retrospect, however, that seems fair. Since the janitor provides a service that is more realistically valued than music. What we should learn from this, is that music is generally too difficult for most people to understand. Despite the popularity of certain kinds of music, that better musicians might rightfully describe as "cheaply created," music is a specialized art form. Reserved, in terms of truly understanding it, for educated musicians or, otherwise those (such as child savants) with a natural, innate understanding of its oddly ethereal aspects.

What is important to realize about this subject, is that there is a general lie spread around in modern times, about musicians. Namely, that musicians do receive a high level of respect. This lie is superficially generated by music industry businessmen, promoters who are selling records and performances of commercial pop-music. Often, ironically, this popular styled music (Rock) that such businessmen are selling has less musicianship in it than one might expect. This is because audiences and listeners of recorded music are generally not aware of quality music and are, therefore easily tricked. Another word for that kind of accumulated human behavior is "idiocracy." It prevails in our music culture, regardless of so called "indie" recording artists.

Read this book for whatever reason you like. But know now that this local LA musician relished, for example Mancini's satirical account of the "salt mines." How the composer's team at Universal Studios described their working conditions during the 1950s, when the studio was churning out a Western every month. As Henry stated, the pressure to produce incidental music quickly for these productions caused composers to steal classical music and rearrange it, thereby cutting down on composing time. (Composing orchestral music is very tedious and time consuming.) This explains why I would be watching TV during the 60s, when many B movies were syndicated for television release, and a cowboy would be riding his horse in a boring shot while the music behind such scenes was obviously rearranged classical music and completely out of context.

ANYONE who loves Mancini music really needs to read this autobiography. For as much of a celebrity as he was, he always seemed to appreciate - and to be somewhat amazed by - his success. Pictures always add to biographies and this one is no exception. This is a quick and easy read and I hated to put it down between reading "spells". If I had begun it on a Saturday morning, I would have read it straight through and been done Saturday afternoon. Thoroughly and enjoyably readable - great biogrpahy of one of our best modern composers.

Being a fan to the late great Henry Mancini really touchs me inside and out. Mancini was to all of us the real epitome and Mount Rushmore of doing scores for film and television which follow the careers of John Williams (who m else worked with Mancini for sometime), Quincy Jones, etc. Each and every chapter on this book deals with everything was Mancini was doing ahead of this time from beginning and up to the end. Plus the Postscript dealing with the last years of Mancini's life and how and why the cancer really took his life in June 1994. To this day, he encourage everyone to take care of their health as always.

He seems to worked with everyone from filmaker Blake Edwards, Johnny Mercer, Steve Allen, Doc Severinsen, Buddy Brisbois, The Beatles, actresses like Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn, etc. This man had it all from musician, arranger, composer, and conductor plus written books on scores and stuff like Sounds and Scores : A Practical Guide to Professional Orchestration and Case History of a Film Score: The Thorn Birds.

I hope to fans of great music like this man here recommend other people like John Williams, Quincy Jones, Bill Conti, and others whom had great success of doing scores for television and film.

When this book was first published Henry Mancini was in his mid-sixties, and probably had no inkling of the cancer that would take his life some five years later. As a consequence, Mancini seems to have had no axe to grind here, nor a desire to write an epitaph. Instead, this book appears to be a sincere attempt to chronicle the life and career of a successful composer, conductor, and musician.
Mr. Mancini shows an effective prose writing style here, giving clear descriptions of people and events, including amusing or significant sidelights when they serve to enhance the narrative, and always remaining interesting. It is possible that a reader who is not already a fan of this man or his music would find this book compelling reading--and might even become a fan, or at least want to explore some of the music after reading it.
Throughout the book, Mancini is modest about his own talents and accomplishments, while giving ample credit and praise to others with whom he worked throughout his career. Regarding his own ascendancy to the upper reaches of fame and fortune, Mancini suggests that he was just lucky in some instances: Glenn Miller took him under his wing during his World War II service; he just happened to run into Blake Edwards ("Peter Gunn") at Universal Studios when his contract there had lapsed. Lucky, perhaps, but Mancini attended the prestigious Juilliard music school, and evidently possessed the fortuitous qualities of ambition and an ability to work well with others which, combined with talent, often lead to impressive levels of success.
Along with a detailed chronicle of his career, Mancini reveals much about himself, sparing no discussion of his own flaws as he sees them; discussing his family, he shows himself as a loving husband and proud father. Overall, this seems as honest and balanced an autobiography as one might ever find, and the author deserves credit for the labors that must have gone into creating such a work. And he provides a great service to the reader by not only sharing the details of his life and experiences, but also by relating some distinctly helpful tips for others who may have the desire to work in Hollywood and/or the music business.
"Did They Mention the Music?" serves as both a personal memoir, and as a portrait of the entertainment business in America in the 1950s and 60s (without the nastiness one often finds in such accounts). If you enjoy reading, read this because it is a good book. If you enjoy Mancini, read it just because.