Mannheim Steamroller released the seventh album in their Fresh Aire series, Fresh Aire 7, in November 1990. It reached #77 on the Billboard album charts but on February 25, 1992, Chip Davis brought home the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.
Louis "Chip" Davis, Jr., born September 5, 1947 in Hamler, Ohio, is the founder of the new age group Mannheim Steamroller. He studied music at the University of Michigan and worked with an ad agency in Omaha, Nebraska where he co-invented the fictional character C. W. McCall. Remember Convoy?
Davis founded Mannheim Steamroller in 1974 to concentrate on fusing modern music and classical music techniques. He released Fresh Aire in 1975. In 1984, he released Mannheim Steamroller Christmas and changed the face of holiday music forever.
I was introduced to Mannheim Steamroller at a Kappa Kappa Psi keg party, where Mere Image from Fresh Aire III was playing. Fraternity bro Tammy Stewart told me about the group and so I went looking for their albums. I couldn't find Fresh Aire III so I bought Fresh Aire IV which featured one of my favorite songs of all time, Dancing Flames.
Convoy, by C. W. McCall (Bill Fries and Chip Davis [of Mannheim Steamroller fame]), about a trucker who goes on a nation-wide rampage, reached #1 on both the country and pop charts January 10, 1976.
Convoy was made popular because of the trucking/CB mania that America was enjoying during the mid-70s. It's this kind of fun that made the 1970's one of the best decades. The website history.com introduces its article on the song that claims it celebrates the "exploits of a rebellious trucker with a reckless disregard for human life and highway safety codes".
Judgmental much? Name a current tune that has this much excitement without bad language and/or sex.
Although it was a flash-in-the-pan, it inspired Sam Peckinpah's movie Convoy. Rolling Stone magazine listed the song as 98th among the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
Mannheim Steamroller released their first new age album ever, Fresh Aire I, January 1, 1975. Look what they started! Fresh Aire I is based on the season of spring, and the three following albums would be based on the rest of the seasons.
Mannheim Steamroller, new age super group, released the seventh album in their Fresh Aire series, Fresh Aire 7 (how appropo). All the tracks on the album are based on the number 7.
It won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 1991.
Mannheim Steamroller released their seventh studio album, Fresh Aire VI, September 15, 1986. Like the Alan Parsons Projects, Mannheim Steamroller based their albums on different themes or concepts. Fresh Aire VI is based on Greek mythology.
It reached #155 on the Billboard charts, their first album to appear on the chart.
Mannheim Steamroller released Fresh Aire 8, the final album in their Fresh Aire series, August 22, 2000. Chip Davis composed all the songs, which are based on the topic of infinity.
Here is the video for "Leonardo (The Infinite Thinker)":
Mannheim Steamroller released "Yellowstone: The Music of Nature" November 14, 1989. The music honors the beautiful flora and fauna of Yellowstone National Park. It contains pieces from previous Mannheim Steamroller albums but also classics from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and selections from the Grand Canyon Suite (another magnificent National Park).
The last of the great Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums, Christmas Song, was released October 9, 2007. They released Christmasville a year later, but most songs lacked the Mannheim Steamroller sound and the album had NONE of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas magic.
Christmas Song featured an old classic Masters In The Hall but some new tracks, Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue and Above the Northern Lights.
Awesome performance of Masters In This Hall but the Turtle Creek Chorale still did it better. :)
Mannheim Steamroller released their first album of Halloween music, Halloween September 23, 2003. True to the Mannheim sound, this album does for Halloween what it did for Christmas!
Listen to "Toccata in De Mole", a pumped up version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in Bb minor.
Mannheim Steamroller released its second album of spooky holiday music, Halloween Monster Mix, September 21, 2004. It contains some eerie arrangements of classic music pieces such as In the Hall of the Mountain King, Night on Bald Mountain and my favorite, The Sorcerer's Apprentice (listen below). It also features Crystal from Fresh Aire IV.
Halloween Monster Mix was released just two days shy of the anniversary of the first album of spooky favorites, Halloween, which was released in 2003.
My most favorite Christmas album and one of my favorite albums of all time, Christmas, was released September 15, 1984. I wore out the vinyl so I had to buy the CD. Now it's in my iTunes and I listen to it several times between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
September 1, 1979, Mannheim Steamroller released Fresh Aire III, its third studio album. This album represented 'summer' since the first four Fresh Aire albums were based on each of the seasons.
I was introduced to Mannheim Steamroller while at SWOSU. This album was playing during a Kappa Kappa Psi keg party and I heard Mere Image. A member gave me all the info about the group and I've been a huge fan ever since.
It was a little early for Christmas but Mannheim Steamroller released their second Christmas album and tenth studio album, A Fresh Aire Christmas on August 15, 1988. It's one of the top selling Christmas albums of all time, surpassing its predecessor, released 4 years before. Personally, it's one of my favorite albums ever, Christmas or not. I bought it during an incredibly depressed period in my life and listening to it reminds me of that sad time, but it also helps bring me back up and celebrate the best time of the year.
I sang Mannheim Steamroller's arrangement of Veni Veni with the Turtle Creek Chorale back in Dallas. It's stunning!
Mannheim Steamroller released "To Russia With Love" on July 27, 1994. It is a mix of Mannheim Steamroller tunes and Russian music such asTroika from Lieutenant Kizheh and The Great Gate of Kiev. Among the Mannheim songs is my favorite - Dancing Flame. It first appeared on Fresh Aire IV, but they remixed it for this album. Listen to this and dance like no one is watching. Dance even if someone is.
Mannheim Steamroller released their album with their renditions of songs from Disney movies March 16, 1999. It's interesting to hear familiar songs with the Mannheim sound. Listen to "Reflection" from Mulan and you'll see what I mean.
Mannheim Steamroller released "Fresh Aire IV" December 15, 1981. It was the first album I bought from them after hearing a selection from Fresh Aire III, "Mere Image", the previous fall at a fraternity keg party (it was a music fraternity!). I couldn't find III so I settled for IV and consider it one of the best purchases I've ever made. Despite the fact that I do not like the last two tracks after "Dancing Flames" my all-time favorite non-Christmas song.
After the devastating fires in Yellowstone National Park in 1988, Chip Davis wanted to honor the beauty of the park and help maintain its loveliness for future generations. Mannheim Steamroller released "Yellowstone: The Music of Nature" November 14. 1989. A portion of the proceeds from this album go to the recovery and maintenance of Yellowstone.
