Eddie Calvert

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Albert Edward "Eddie" Calvert (15 March 1922 – 7 August 1978) was an English trumpeter, who enjoyed his greatest successes in the 1950s. Calvert had his first United Kingdom number one single in 1954, with the instrumental "Oh, Mein Papa".

Calvert was born in Preston, Lancashire, England,[3] and grew up in a family where the music of his local brass band featured highly. He was soon able to play a variety of instruments, and he was most accomplished on the trumpet.  After the Second World War he graduated from playing as an amateur in brass bands to professional engagements with popular dance orchestras of the day, including Geraldo's plus Billy Ternent,  and he soon became renowned for the virtuosity of his performances. Following his exposure on television with the Stanley Black Orchestra, an enthusiastic announcer introduced him as the 'Man with the Golden Trumpet' – an apt description that remained with him for the rest of his musical career.

Calvert's style was unusually individualistic, and he became a familiar musician on BBC Radio and TV during the 1950s. He first recorded for Melodisc c. 1949–1951 before he started to record for EMI's Columbia label and his records included two UK number ones, "Oh Mein Papa" and, more than a year later, "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White". He was the first British instrumentalist to achieve two number ones. "Oh Mein Papa" which also sold well in the United States, topped the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks (then a UK chart record), and he received the first gold disc awarded for a UK instrumental track.

Further chart entries were "John and Julie", taken from the soundtrack of the film John and Juliet, and "Mandy", his last major hit. Other recordings included "Stranger in Paradise" (1955), "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1956) and "Jealousy" (1960). Calvert co-wrote the song "My Son, My Son", which was a hit for Vera Lynn in 1954. In spite of being an instrumental, his theme music for the film The Man with the Golden Arm was banned by the BBC "due to its connection with a film about drugs".

In 1960 he was invited by orchestra leader, Norrie Paramor and their mutual friends Ruby Murray and Michael Holliday to record an extended-play single with four tracks. Calvert played Silent Night and on another track he, Murray and Holliday teamed up in a version of Good Luck, Good Health, God Bless You. The single, released by Columbia Records achieved some success in Britain but was more popular in Australia and South Africa.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TcLdJlA0Nc

"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" or "Cerezo Rosa" or "Ciliegi Rosa" or "Gummy Mambo", is the English version of "Cerisiers Roses et Pommiers Blancs", a popular song with music by Louiguy written in 1950. French lyrics to the song by Jacques Larue and English lyrics by Mack David both exist, and recordings of both have been quite popular. However, Perez Prado's recording of the song as an instrumental with his orchestra featuring trumpeter Billy Regis,  whose trumpet sound would slide down and up before the melody would resume, was the most popular version in 1955, reaching number one for 10 weeks on the Billboard chart.

It became a gold record. Perez had first covered this title for the movie Underwater! (1955), where Jane Russell can be seen dancing to the song.  Billboard ranked this version as the No. 1 song of 1955.  The most popular vocal version in the U.S. was by Alan Dale, reaching No. 14 on the chart in 1955.

In the United Kingdom, two versions of the song went to number one in 1955. The first was the version by Perez Prado, which reached number one for two weeks.  Less than a month later, a version by the British trumpeter Eddie Calvert reached number one for four weeks.