Jack Pleis was born in Philadelphia on May 11, 1917. Starting at the age of four, he began his training in classical piano. He first performed in concert when he was seven. By the time he was eleven, he appeared on radio programs for children.[3]
Pleis enrolled in college intending to study medicine. To support his studies, he played piano in jazz and popular music bands. Eventually he left school and moved to New York City, where he began his musical career.[3]
Career
Early days
In New York, Pleis became successful as a pianist, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was one of Jan Savitt's Top Hatters,[6] playing piano and doing arrangements,[7] a position he left in 1942 to enlist in the Army during World War II.[8] In 1947, the Jack Pleis Trio provided instrumental support for Larry Laurence (with The Quintones providing vocal harmonies).[9] By 1948, Pleis was working at the RCA Victor studios on 24th Street, appearing on the cover of the January 1, 1949, issue of Billboard playing piano at the studio's holiday party.[10] His orchestra backed Teresa Brewer and Bobby Wayne on their 1949 single "Copper Canyon"/"'Way Back Home".[11] Pleis was also part of the Dixieland All-Stars group[12] which backed Brewer's breakout hit (and signature song) "Music! Music! Music!" in late 1949.[13]
London Records
Pleis joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1950.[14] He began work as arranger and composer at London Records under Tutti Camarata.[15] The orchestra backed Ralph Young on his 1950 London single "Please Treat Her Nicer"/"I've Got the World on a String",[16] and Pleis released his own single "Ragging the Scale"/"Story of the Stars",[17] the B-side of which ranked at number 10 on "The Disk Jockeys Pick" in Billboard.[18] In early May 1950, he accompanied his future wife, London recording artist Eve Young, on a promotional tour prior to her opening show.[19] Pleis released several more singles, "Time Alone (Can Heal a Broken Heart)"/"What is There to Say",[20] "I'll Always Be in Love with You"/"Caravan",[21] and "Le Petite Valse"/"Ragamuffin", and the orchestra backed Snooky Lanson on his 1950 London single "You Wonderful You"/"Honestly I Love You".[22]
In June 1950, Pleis married Eve Young,[23][24] and the March birth of their daughter Michelle was noted in an April 1951 Billboard.[25] The Orchestra backed Eve on her single "Just for Tonight"/"Would I Love You?"[26] In 1952, Pleis and orchestra worked with The Bell Sisters[27] and continued working with Teresa Brewer.[28] Pleis left London Records,[29] and Eve signed a new contract with Coral Records, recording under her new name, Karen Chandler.[30] Her debut for Coral, backed by Pleis' orchestra, was the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," and it became an enormous hit. Selling over a million copies, it peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard charts. In 1953, Pleis and orchestra backed her on her third Coral release, "I'd Love to Fall Asleep (And Wake Up in Your Arms)"/"Goodbye, Charlie, Goodbye".[31]
Decca Records
In mid-1953 Pleis joined Decca Records under Milt Gabler.[29] Pleis and Orchestra released "The Eighteenth Variation"/"Mr. Peepers" under the Decca label.[32] The orchestra backed Karen Chandler again on "Why?"/"Flash From the Blue".[33] 1954 saw the release of the orchestra's Decca singles, "Frenchman in St. Louis"/"Pagan in Paris",[34] "Ah Ri Rung",[35] and "For Always"/"Beyond the Blue Horizon",[36] and the orchestra backed the Dinning Sisters on "Steel Guitar Rag",[37]Eileen Barton on "And Then",[38] and Teresa Brewer on her album A Bouquet of Hits.[39]
In 1956, Pleis and His Orchestra again backed Karen Chandler, this time on her first Decca release,[44] and Pleis released another album, Strings and Things.[45] The orchestra backed Bobby Darrin on his single "Rock Island Line"/"Timber".[46] In October, Pleiss' song "Giant", theme of the film Giant, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #93, peaking at #91 in December,[47] and the song "I'll Always Be In Love With You" charted at #65, also in December.[48] Pleis also produced Bing Crosby's album, Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around.[49]
1957 saw the release of singles "(But As They Say) That's Life"/"Goodnight Waltz",[50] "Search for Paradise"/"Serenade to Michelle",[51] and "The Carefree Heart"/"Serenade in Soft Shoe",[52] and the Orchestra backed Georgie Shaw on "One More Sunrise", Sammy Davis Jr. on "The Golden Key",[53] and Merv Griffin on "I'll Be Thinking of You".[54] "(But As They Say) That's Life" charted at #69 in June 1957.[55]
The 1960s brought a move to Columbia Records. In 1961, Pleis and Orchestra backed Brazilian singer Maysa Matarazzo on her album Maysa Sings Songs Before Dawn,[62] he conducted for Billy Butterfield's album, The Golden Horn,[63] and arranged several of the tracks on Lionel Hampton's album, Soft Vibes Soaring Strings.[64] Pleis also produced Les Elgart's album, "It's De-Lovely" For Dancing and Listening,[65] and released an EP, Medley from The Musical "Through The Years", and an LP, Stage Left, Stage Right. In 1963, he conducted for Peter Nero's album, Born Free,[63] and Pleis and Orchestra backed Liza Minnelli on her single, "One Summer Love"/"How Much Do I Love You?".[66]
Film and television scores
Pleis and His Orchestra performed the songs "Strange Feelings" and "The Blues I Got Comin' Tomorrow" for the soundtrack of the 1961 film, Force of Impulse.[67] Pleis composed and conducted the music for the 1964 film, Diary of a Bachelor.[68] He also composed music for the television shows Family Affair (1966), Gunsmoke (1967), The Wild Wild West (1967–1969), and Dusty's Trail (1973–1974).[1]
Under the moniker The Sounds of Our Times, Pleis co-produced and penned two songs for the 1967 easy listening, psychedelic instrumental LP Music of the Flower Children.[70]
^"Carmen McRae Issues". CarmenMcRaeDiscography.com. August 22, 2006. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
^ abcMusiker, Naomi; Musiker, Reuben (2014). "Pleis, Jack". Conductors and Composers of Popular Orchestral Music: A Biographical and Discographical Sourcebook. Routledge. ISBN9781135917708.
^Popa, Christopher (September 2007). "Jan Savitt: 'The Swing-Happy Years'". Big Band Library. The tunes recorded in 1941 included a number of classical pieces, such as Prelude to Carmen, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, In the Hall of the Mountain King, and La Cinquantaine, each arranged by Jack Pleis.
^"News Notes". Billboard. February 21, 1942. p. 61.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. July 5, 1947. p. 131.
^"Front cover". Billboard. January 1, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. December 17, 1949. p. 93.
^American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (1966). "Pleis, Jack K.: composer, conductor". The ASCAP biographical dictionary of composers, authors and publishers (3rd ed.). New York: Lynn Farnol Group, Inc.
^"Camarata, Lewis Set Up London's New A&R Policy". Billboard. March 4, 1950. p. 15.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. March 18, 1950. p. 117.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. March 25, 1950. p. 34.
^"The Disk Jockeys Pick". Billboard. April 15, 1950. p. 50.
^"Music—As Written". Billboard. May 13, 1950. p. 20.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. September 30, 1950. p. 99.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. November 25, 1950. p. 32.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. August 26, 1950. pp. 33, 94.
^"Lovely Idaho Star Weds Executive Of Music Company". The Salt Lake Tribune. July 30, 1950. p. 20.
^"Music as Written". Billboard. December 2, 1950. p. 14.
^"Music as Written". Billboard. April 28, 1951. p. 18.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. January 27, 1951. p. 31.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. October 4, 1952. p. 44.
^"Record Reviews". Billboard. November 1, 1952. p. 38.
^ ab"Decca Adds Jack Pleis to A & R Unit". Billboard. June 20, 1953. p. 25.
^Neto, Lira (2007). Maysa: só numa multidão de amores (in Portuguese). Editora Globo. p. 156. ISBN9788525043030.
^ abBerger, Edward; Chevan, David; Carter, Benny (1993). Bassically Speaking: An Oral History of George Duvivier. Scarecrow Press. pp. 311, 338. ISBN0810826917.