Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy listening" or "mood music" format. Faith became a staple of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Though his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, Faith refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1501 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
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His recording of "Theme from A Summer Place" was the biggest selling single of 1960 in America.
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One of the most popular composer/arrnger/conductors of the so-called "Golden Age of Mood Music," his best-selling albums from more than two decades on Columbia records include "Amour, Amor, Amore," "Themes for Young Lovers," "Music from 'My Fair Lady,'" "The Columbia Album of Victor Herbert," "The Beatles Album," "Held Over," "Bouquet," "Tara's Theme from 'Gone With the Wind,'" "Joy," "The Music of Christmas," "Latin Themes for Young Lovers," "Bim! Bam!! Boom!!!," "Today's Themes for Young Lovers," "Summer Place '76," and, perhaps inevitably, "Percy Faith's Greatest Hits."
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His recording of "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" (Columbia: 1960) spent seventeen weeks on the American pop charts beginning in January, 1960, including nine weeks at number one, making it the biggest-selling instrumental hit of the rock era to date. The single ultimately won a Gold Record, the R.I.A.A. standard up until 1976, for more than one million copies sold.
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Rose Red
2002
TV Mini-Series conductor - 3 episodes
A Man of No Importance
1994
conductor: "Theme for Young Lovers" - uncredited
The Virginian
1962-1970
TV Series composer - 225 episodes
Charlie Bubbles
1967
composer: stock music - uncredited
Signpost to Murder
1964
orchestrator - uncredited
I'd Rather Be Rich
1964
conductor / orchestrator
Tammy and the Doctor
1963
composer: stock music - uncredited
Love Me or Leave Me
1955
song arranger: Doris Day / song conductor: Doris Day
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Bi no tsubo
2013
TV Series 1 episode
Beautiful Creatures
2013
performer: "Theme From 'A Summer Place'"
Dark Shadows
2012
performer: "Theme from a Summer Place"
An Education
2009
performer: "Theme from 'A Summer Place'"
Cheap
2005
performer: "Theme from A Summer Place"
History Detectives
2005
TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode
The Sopranos
2002
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Ocean's Eleven
2001
writer: "Theme For Young Lovers"
The Others
2000
TV Series 1 episode
Reindeer Games
2000
performer: "Little Drummer Boy"
Con Air
1997
performer: "Theme From 'A Summer Place'" instrumental
A Man of No Importance
1994
performer: "Theme For Young Lovers", "Till" / writer: "Theme For Young Lovers"
Fallen Angels
1993
TV Series writer - 1 episode
JFK
1991
writer: "Maybe September"
Not Without My Daughter
1991
performer: "Joy to the World" - uncredited
Batman
1989
performer: "Theme From A Summer Place"
Trading Hearts
1988
writer: "My Heart Cries Out For You"
My American Cousin
1985
arranger: "Theme from 'A Summer Place'"
Blue Money
1985
TV Movie writer: "Tara's Theme"
The Likes of Louise
1974
writer: "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" - uncredited
$950,000
