Tea for Two Cha Chas

by Warren Covington, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

Overview

After Tommy Dorsey passed away in November 1956, trombonist Warren Covington assumed leadership of the Dorsey band, and continued making records for Decca on the LP format. Dorsey's final releases were the long-playing Decca albums In a Sentimental Mood and a sampling of musical comedy hits by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz. Tea for Two Cha Chas, which was Covington's first essay at the helm of the Dorsey group, outsold the earlier albums and achieved enormous popularity as the best-selling Dorsey LP of them all. While this may seem at first like a suspiciously kitschy attempt to cash in on the Caribbean dance trend instigated by Xavier Cugat, Desi Arnaz, and Edmundo Ros, it is clear why the record-buying public responded so well, as the easygoing arrangements and a playlist peppered with familiar airs like "Dinah" and "Dardanella" made it ideal background music for patio barbecues and cocktail parties across the land. Even if the rather stilted vocals on "I Want to Be Happy Cha Cha" sound slightly demented, "Tea for Two Cha Chas" is a fabulous period piece which should be championed as essential equipment for any retro-cocktail gathering. Sepia's zesty reissue of this important, campy cultural artifact adds another dozen tracks from Covington's 1960 follow-up LP, More Tea for Two Cha Chas, which is distinguished by the inclusion of "An Occasional Man," immortalized one year later by sultry Julie London on her Liberty album "Whatever Julie Wants." Covington's concession to current developments in pop culture is evidenced by the addition of a twangy electric guitar on "Tea for Two Cha Cha No. 2." ~ arwulf arwulf

Product Details

Release Date:	03/09/2010
Label:	Sepia Records
UPC:	5055122111429
Rank:	64531

Tracks

1. Tea for Two Cha Cha
2. Por Favor [Please]
3. Patricia
4. I Still Get Jealous [Cha Cha]
5. Corazon de Melon
6. Dardanella [Cha Cha]
7. Rico Vacilon
8. I Want to Be Happy Cha Cha
9. Together 1-2-3
10. Trumpet Cha Cha Cha
11. Dinah [Cha Cha]
12. Cha Cha For Gia
13. Tea for Two Cha Cha No. 2
14. An Occasional Man
15. Santa Isabel de las Lajas
16. Dream
17. Everybody's Cha Cha
18. Santiago de Cuba
19. Sweet and Gentle [Me Lo Dijo Adela]
20. Nunca
21. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
22. Silencio
23. The Sheik of Araby [Cha Cha]
24. Esto Es Felicidad

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Warren Covington   Primary Artist,Director,Trombone,Featured Artist
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra   Primary Artist
Rolf Kuehn   Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Jack Six   Bass
Robert Tillotson   Trumpet
Paul A. Perman Jr.   Trumpet
Lawrence J. Boyle   Trombone
Hal Turner   Piano
David J. Ecker   Trombone
Lester Perry   Sax (Tenor)
John Frosk   Trumpet
Teddy Sommer   Drums
Joe Lopes   Sax (Alto)
Gene Allen   Sax (Baritone)

Technical Credits

Joe Sherman   Composer
Warren Covington   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Jule Styne   Composer
Perez Prado   Composer
Ramon Cabrera   Composer
Noel Sherman   Composer
Robin Cherry   Remastering
Harry Akst   Composer
Al Castellanos   Composer
Guty Cardenas   Composer
Henry Mancini   Composer
Ted Koehler   Composer
Beny More   Composer
Rosendo Ruiz Jr.   Composer
Christopher Popa   Liner Notes,Photo Courtesy
Billy Mure   Composer