"Moon River" might be Henry Mancini's biggest hit, but it was Mancini's score for Blake Edwards's 1964 farce THE PINK PANTHER that introduced his music to generations of children; the haunting, jazzy main theme was used in dozens of cartoon shorts that were broadcast on television for years. Aside from that familiar tune, the majority of this soundtrack consists of swinging-'60s jazzy pop exotica with a Continental flair and a sly sense of humor, most notably the madcap "Shades of Sennett." You also get one of Mancini's finest pop songs, "It Had Better Be Tonight," here in both an instrumental and a vocal version, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. (Sadly, the version in Italian sung in the film by Capucine has never been on any of the soundtrack releases.) This reissue also includes four tracks from 1974's RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER.

Original score composed by Henry Mancini.
Producer: Joe Reisman.
Reissue producer: Rob Santos.
Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center Of The World, Hollywood, California.
Originally released on RCA (2795). Includes reissue liner notes by Michael Hill.
Digitally remastered by Elliott Federman (SAJE Sound, New York, New York).

Format: Vinyl Genre: Jazz Soundtrack

TRACKS

Side: 1
1 The Pink Panther Theme
2 It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio stasera)
3 Royal Blue
4 Champagne and Quail
5 The Village Inn
6 It Had Better Be Tonight

Side: 2
1 It Had Better Be Tonight (Vocal)
2 Cortina
3 The Lonely Princess
4 Something for Sellers
5 Piano and Strings
6 Shades of Sennett