Matt Monro discography
| Matt Monro discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 22 |
| EPs | 8 |
| Live albums | 5 |
| Compilation albums | 23 |
| Singles | 60 |
| Spanish-language singles | 8 |
The discography of English singer Matt Monro consists of 22 studio albums, five live albums, 23 compilation albums, eight extended plays, and 68 singles. He released 18 studio albums in English prior to his death in 1985, with his first, Blue and Sentimental, released in 1957. A posthumous album was released in 1995 consisting of duets recorded by Monro's son Matt Monro Jnr combined with his father's voice, entitled Matt Sings Monro. Monro also released three albums of recordings in Spanish; his first was Alguien cantó in 1969; his second, released a year later, was an adaption of his English album Close to You, entitled Todos hablan cantado en castellano; and his third was Un toque de distinción, released in 1982. In total, 60 singles sung in English were released by Monro as well as eight sung in Spanish.
Most of Monro's recordings were produced or overseen by George Martin. Unlike his contemporaries, Monro recorded very few Tin Pan Alley standards during his career (the exception was Matt Monro Sings Hoagy Carmichael, one of his most highly regarded albums).[1] Instead, he and Martin searched for material written by promising newcomers and commissioned English lyrics for dramatic melodies written by European composers.
Monro also covered many of the most popular stage and screen songs of the 1950s and 1960s. Over the years, his recordings featured arrangements by Sid Feller, Billy May, John Barry, Buddy Bregman, Kenny Clayton and Colin Keyes, and Martin himself. He also had a long and fruitful musical partnership with British arranger Johnnie Spence. Monro also teamed up with American star arrangers Nelson Riddle and Billy May and leading British bandleader Ted Heath, for concerts broadcast by the BBC.
In 1973, Monro released a vocal version of the popular Van der Valk television series theme, "Eye Level", titled "And You Smiled", with lyrics written by Melvyn Taggart. It was his final hit. In 1977, he recorded the Don Black penned, "If I Never Sing Another Song", which became a latter-day standard among his contemporaries, its lyrics referring to the "heyday" of fan mail, awards, and other trappings of celebrity that had faded for them.
In 1979, Monro recorded his final studio album, the third all-Spanish album, produced by Leonardo Schultz and Gary Mason. Schultz and Mason hoped to capitalise on the success of the earlier hit song "Alguien cantó", which Leonardo Schultz had adapted to Spanish. The album, entitled Un toque de distinción, was recorded in George Martin's Air London Studios as well as in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York, and was eventually released in 1982. The album was a critical success and was a hit in various Latin American countries. The song "Volveré alguna vez" from the album made it on to the singles chart, and was subsequently sung by José Feliciano and became a hit.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2][3] |
SPA [4] |
US [5] | ||
| Blue and Sentimental | — | — | — | |
| Love Is the Same Anywhere |
|
— | — | 87 |
| Matt Monro Sings Hoagy Carmichael |
|
— | — | — |
| From Russia with Love |
|
— | — | — |
| Walk Away |
|
— | — | 126 |
| I Have Dreamed |
|
20 | — | — |
| All My Loving |
|
— | — | — |
| Yesterday |
|
— | — | — |
| This Is the Life! |
|
25 | — | — |
| Here's to My Lady |
|
— | — | — |
| Born Free – Invitation to the Movies |
|
30 | — | 86 |
| These Years |
|
— | — | — |
| Invitation to Broadway |
|
— | — | — |
| The Late Late Show |
|
— | — | — |
| Alguien cantó |
|
— | 2 | — |
| Close to You |
|
— | — | — |
| For the Present | — | — | — | |
| The Other Side of the Stars |
|
— | — | — |
| The Long and Winding Road |
|
— | — | — |
| If I Never Sing Another Song |
|
— | — | — |
| Un toque de distinción |
|
— | — | — |
| Matt Sings Monro |
|
104 | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Matt Sings Nelson Swings |
|
| Live in Australia |
|
| Yesterday – The Legendary Manila Concerts |
|
| Matt at the BBC |
|
| Operation Santa Claus: Live in Hong Kong, 1962 |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] |
US R&B [7] |
US Gospel [7] |
CAN [8] | |||
| Hits of Yesterday |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| The Very Best of Matt Monro |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Heartbreakers – 20 Golden Greats from Matt Monro |
|
5 | — | — | — |
|
| More Heartbreakers – 18 Golden Love Songs from Matt Monro |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Softly As I Leave You |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
| This Is... |
|
83 | — | — | — |
|
| Complete Heartbreakers – 38 Golden Greats from Matt Monro |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
| Songs of Love |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
| The Singer's Singer |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| The Collection |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
| The Ultimate Matt Monro |
|
7 | — | — | — |
|
| The Rare Munro |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| From Matt with Love |
|
30 | — | — | — | |
| The Complete Singles Collection |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| The Greatest |
|
28 | — | — | — | |
| Words and Music |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Matt Uncovered – The Rarer Monro |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Alternate Munro |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| The Rarities Collection |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| The George Martin Years |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| That Old Feeling – The Complete Recordings 1955–1962 |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Stranger in Paradise – The Lost New York Sessions |
|
8 | — | — | — | |
| Matt Monro – The Complete EMI Recordings 1971–1984 |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
EPs
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [11] | ||
| Matt Monro |
|
— |
| Matt's Kind of Music |
|
— |
| The Monro Style |
|
— |
| From Russia with Love |
|
— |
| A Song for Europe |
|
16 |
| Walk Away |
|
— |
| Somewhere |
|
19 |
| I Have Dreamed |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | UK Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] |
AUS [12] |
IRE [13][14] |
NZ [15] |
SA [16] |
US [17] |
US AC [18] | |||
| "Ev'rybody Falls in Love with Someone" b/w "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" |
1956 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "The Garden of Eden" b/w "Love Me Do" |
1957 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "My House Is Your House (Mi casa su casa)" b/w "The Bean Song (Which Way to Boston)" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "A Story of Ireland" b/w "Another Time Another Place" |
1958 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Prisoner of Love" b/w "Have Guitar, Will Travel" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love Walked In" b/w "I'll Know Her" |
1960 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Portrait of My Love" b/w "You're the Top of My Hit Parade" |
3 | 93 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | ||
| "The Ghost of Your Past" b/w "Quite Suddenly" |
1961 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "My Kind of Girl" b/w "This Time" |
5 | 29 | 5 | 5 | — | 18 | 6 | ||
| "Can This Be Love" b/w "Why Not Now" |
24 | — | — | — | — | — 92 |
— | ||
| "Gonna Build a Mountain" b/w "I'll Dream of You" |
44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single
Love Is the Same Anywhere | |
| "The Thing About Love" [A] b/w "I'll Dream of You" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Love Is the Same Anywhere | |
| "Softly as I Leave You" b/w "Is There Anything I Can Do" |
1962 | 10 | — | 9 | — | — | 116 | — | Non-album singles |
| "When Love Comes Along" b/w "Tahiti" |
46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "My Love and Devotion" b/w "By the Way" |
29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "One Day" b/w "I've Got Love" |
1963 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "The Girl I Love" b/w "Leave Me Now" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "From Russia with Love" b/w "Here and Now" |
20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | From Russia with Love (soundtrack)
I Have Dreamed | |
| "I Love the Little Things" b/w "It's Funny How You Know" |
1964 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "I Love You Too" b/w "Somewhere" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Walk Away" b/w "Around the World" |
4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | — | 23 | 5 | ||
| "For Mama" b/w "Going Places" |
23 | — | — | — | — | 135 | — | ||
| "Without You" b/w "Start Living" |
1965 | 37 | 73 | — | — | — | 101 | — | Non-album single
I Have Dreamed |
| "Before You Go" b/w "And Roses and Roses" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Yesterday" b/w "Just Yesterday (Mine Your Love Was Mine)" |
8 | 98 | 8 | — | 11 | — | — | ||
| "Beyond the Hill" b/w "How Do You Do" |
1966 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Born Free" b/w "Other People" |
— | 4 | — | — | 5 | 126 | 35 | Born Free (soundtrack)
Non-album track | |
| "Honey on the Vine" b/w "My Best Girl" |
53[19] | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | This Is the Life! | |
| "Wednesday's Child" b/w "When You Become a Man" |
— | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | Born Free – Invitation to the Movies
Non-album track | |
| "Where in the World" b/w "The Lady Smiles" |
1967 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — 11 |
Non-album single |
| "What to Do?" b/w "These Years" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | These Years | |
| "Pretty Polly" b/w "Release Me" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | A Matter of Innocence (soundtrack)
These Years | |
| "Fourth Blue Monday" [B] b/w "Only the Night Wind Knows" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "One Day Soon" b/w "Yours Alone (Ce soir ou jamais)" |
1968 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "The Music Played" b/w "All That Remains" |
— | 25 | — | — | — | — | 15 | ||
| "The Impossible Dream" b/w "Come Back to Me" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Invitation to Broadway | |
| "When Joanna Loved Me" [C] b/w "Real Live Girl" |
1969 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Here's to My Lady |
| "All of a Sudden" b/w "That's the Way It Goes" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Try to Remember" [D] b/w "Love Song" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Southern Star" b/w "When I Fall in Love" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Southern Star (soundtrack)
The Late Late Show | |
| "On Days Like These" b/w "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Italian Job (soundtrack)
This Is the Life! | |
| "Just a Heartbreak Ago" b/w "Picking Up the Pieces" |
1970 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "We're Gonna Change the World Again" b/w "You're Closer to Me" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | We're Gonna Change the World
Non-album track | |
| "If There Ever Is a Next Time" b/w "You've Made Me So Very Happy" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | We're Gonna Change the World | |
| "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" [E] b/w "We're Gonna Change the World" |
— | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Isn't It a Pity" b/w "Mama Packed a Picnic Tea" |
1971 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "This Way Mary" b/w "Wish Now Was Then" |
1972 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sarah's Coming Home" b/w "Only Friends" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | For the Present
Non-album track | |
| "Curiouser and Curiouser" b/w "The Me I Never Knew" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | For the Present | |
| "I Am in Life" b/w "I Am" |
1973 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single
For the Present |
| "And You Smiled" b/w "There Ya Go" |
28 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Darling Come Home Soon" b/w "How Could I Ever Leave You" |
1974 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "You and Me Against the World" b/w "So Little Time" |
1975 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Long and Winding Road
Non-album track |
| "All the Wishing in the World" b/w "You're Sensational" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "The Little Things" b/w "By Her Side" |
1976 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "If I Never Sing Another Song" b/w "We're Gonna Change the World" |
1979 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | If I Never Sing Another Song
We're Gonna Change the World |
| "Warsaw Concerto Theme from "The Sea Wolves": The Precious Moments" b/w "May Each Day" |
1980 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Sea Wolves (soundtrack)
If I Never Sing Another Song |
| "Diana" b/w "Beyond the Hill" |
1981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "You Bring Out the Best in Me" b/w "Don't Want to Run Your Life" |
1984 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "We're Gonna Change the World" (all tracks with Matt Monro Jnr) b/w "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother" / "Born Free" |
1995 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Matt Sings Monro |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Spanish-language singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| SPA [4] | ||
| "Alguien cantó" ("The Music Played") b/w "De repente un día" ("One Day Soon") |
1968 | 4 |
| "Todo pasara" ("Everything Will Happen") b/w "Lo que quedó" ("All That Remains") |
1969 | 3 |
| "No puedo quitar mis ojos de ti" ("Can't Take My Eyes Off You") b/w "Nacida libre" ("Born Free") |
3 | |
| "Que tonto fui" b/w "En días como estos" ("On Days Like These") |
13 | |
| "Sueño imposible" ("The Impossible Dream") b/w "Los dos" ("Two People") |
1970 | — |
| "A mi manera" ("My Way") b/w "Ven mi amor" ("Wednesday's Child") |
— | |
| "Amor háblame dulcemente" ("Love Theme from The Godfather") b/w "Los dos" ("Two People") |
1972 | — |
| "Volveré alguna vez" b/w "Con mi canción" ("I Write the Songs") |
1982 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||
Notes
- ^ "The Thing About Love" was only released as a single in Canada.
- ^ "Fourth Blue Monday" was only released as a single in the US, Canada and Belgium.
- ^ "When Joanna Loved Me" was only released as a single in several territories, including the US, Canada, Australia and the Philippines.
- ^ "Try to Remember" was only released as a single in the US and Canada.
- ^ "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" was only released as a single in several territories including Australia, Hong Kong and Belgium.
References
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 315/6. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X.
- ^ a b c "MATT MONRO". Official Charts. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: M - My Vitriol". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ a b Salaverri, Fernando (2015). Sólo éxitos 1959–2012 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 978-84-8048-866-2.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955–1996. Record Research. p. 538. ISBN 0898201179.
- ^ "Matt Monro Is Performer With Great Many Talents" (PDF). Billboard. 12 November 1966. p. 6. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Billy Preston | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "CAN Charts > Billy Preston". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "British album certifications – Matt Monro". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 October 2025. Select albums in the Format field. Type Matt Monro in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "none" (PDF). Music Week. 1 March 1980. p. 7. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ "Wayback Machine". www.everyhit.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
- ^ Chart positions up to 1964 are from the Evening Herald.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "flavour of new zealand - search lever". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (M)". www.rock.co.za. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 586. ISBN 978-0-89820-205-2.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Adult Songs: 1961-2006. Record Research. p. 194.
- ^ "Up and Coming" (PDF). Record Mirror. 2 July 1966. p. 11. Retrieved 8 October 2025.