Billy May

Billy May (1916-2004) was a bandleader, composer, and arranger who spent nearly twenty years as staff conductor at Capitol Records. His orchestra and arrangements accompanied such varied artists as Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Andy Griffith, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Bozo the Clown, Jerry Colonna, and especially Stan Freberg. Several of his recordings were used on Sam and Friends.
May began as a trumpet player in the big band era, playing with Glenn Miller and others. He provided music for the radio series You Bet Your Life and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. His work with Capitol began in the 1940s, initially primarily for children's records featuring Bozo, Disney characters, Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes stars, and Woody Woodpecker. His own jazz records for Capitol included the colorfully named 1953 album Billy May's Bacchanalia! (depicting the bandleader as a wine drinking Roman emperor on the cover).
May, who had worked with Stan Freberg on some of those children's titles, first collaborated directly with him in 1953 on singles including "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and "Sh-Boom." He became Freberg's longtime musical director, including on radio's The Stan Freberg Show, the album The United States of America, Vol. 1 (with Paul Frees) and its belated 1996 sequel (with John Goodman), commercials, and television projects. Outside of Capitol and Freberg, May composed the theme songs for The Naked City and the TV version of The Green Hornet, as well as Batgirl's theme for the final season of Batman. In keeping with his big band history, he composed soundalikes for that era for the M*A*S*H episode "Your Hit Parade," in which Radar becomes the camp disc jockey.
==Recordings used on Sam and Friends==
:as orchestra leader/arranger; songwriting or musician credits when noted
*"Sunday Driving" (1950) with Jerry Lewis. Transcribed on August 18, 1955.Shemin, Craig. Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show. p. 249
*"I'm a Little Busybody" (1950) with Jerry Lewis. Same transcription date.ibid. p. 250
*"The Yellow Rose of Texas" (1955) with Stan Freberg. Transcribed on October 19. 1955.ibid. p. 260 
*"Silhouettes" with Andy Griffith, from Just for Laughs (1958). Transcribed on January 29, 1958ibid. p. 289.
*"Yosemite Sam" with Mel Blanc, co-written by May, from Bugs Bunny Sings (1950). Transcribed on July 28, 1958ibid. p. 292.
*"Sh-Boom" (1953) with Stan Freberg. Undated transcription.ibid. p.300
*"Banana Boat (Day-O" (1957) with Freberg. Undated.ibid. p.300
*"The Yellow Rose of Texas." November 24, 1958.ibid. p. 305 
*"Money" (1954) with Mel Blanc. December 9, 1958.ibid. p. 312 
*"Nuttin' for Christmas" (1955) with Stan Freberg. December 12, 1958.ibid. p. 314
*"The Night Before Christmas" (1955) with Stan Freberg. December 17, 1958.ibid. p. 316
*"The Quest for Bridey Hammerschlaugen" (1956) with Freberg and June Foray. January 28, 1959.ibid. p. 335 
*"Rock Around Stephen Foster" (1955) with Freberg. February 2, 1959.ibid. p. 336
*"The Great Pretender" (1956) with Freberg. February 5, 1959.ibid. p. 337
*"Sh-Boom." February 119, 1959.ibid. p.342 
*"Love Poems: Togetherness" (1959) by Andy Griffith, Billy May, and Barbara Edwards. February 27, 1959 episode.ibid. p. 345.
*"The Lone Psychiatrist" (1955) with Freberg. April 21, 1959.ibid. p. 364
*"Wun'erful, Wun'erful!" (1957) with Freberg. September 4, 1959.ibid. p. 391
*"Abe Snake for President" with Freberg. November 2, 1959.ibid. p. 404 
*"Love Poems: To the Lovely Juanita Beasley" (1959) with Andy Griffith; chimes by Billy May. December 9, 1959.ibid. p. 414.
*"The Old Payola Roll Blues (Like the Beginning)" with Freberg. January 13, 1960.ibid. p. 423.
==Sources==
 
==External links==
*Discogs.com listing
Category:Musical References