The Unique Sound of Berry Lipman

PARAMARIBO CLASSICS is the long overdue tribute to the swinging sound-genius Berry Lipman – one of Germany’s most successful heroes of groovy lounge-pop.
This CD features the best of his 60s and 70s recordings, mixing a touch of Herb Alpert and Burt Bacharach with a lot of jazz feeling and a knack for catchy compositions.
Including Lipman’s cult-hit "The Girls from Paramaribo” and 3 previously unreleased tracks, e.g.: a rare test-recording, sung by Lipman himself.

During many years successful composer and arranger Berry Lipman provided us with a string of exquisite Party albums, each bearing enticing Latin passions and an intoxicating Disco flair. When celebrating his 80th birthday in January 11, 2001, he looks back proudly upon more than 5000 recordings, many of them hits, from which his "Berry Lipman" recordings are only a small part.
Born as Friedel Berlipp he began his career in the age of seven with classical violin lessons and compositional studies. Although he lost two fingers of his hand in a war injury and had to switch from violin to guitar, he got his first professional engagement as a musician in 1945. He soon got the chance to arrange for several radio stations until the first recording company (Decca) called for his services. Three years later he became chief arranger, studio orchestra leader and house composer for EMI Germany, where he tailored hits for Gitte, Conny Froboess, Chris Howland, Lale Andersen, Cliff Richard and many others. When he moved on to Ariola in 1961, he added work with international artists such as Charles Aznavour, Dalida and Zarah Leander to his list of accomplishments. The German branch of Vogue offered him the position of production head in 1964, where he produced Petula Clark, Pat Boone, Billy Vaughn and JonnyTeupen, among others. At this time, his publisher came up with the idea for him to change his name to something more international sounding. Berry Lipman was born.
Since 1967, Berry Lipman has worked steadily as a freelance producer. With the singer James Lloyd he hit it big with an international number one song, "Keep On Smiling". In the same year, Lipman founded the Berry Lipman Orchestra, for which he created the so-called original "Berry Lipman Sound". The results were instant classics that, nowadays, in the age of the Easy Listening revival, still possess every nugget of the original charm.
The CD you hold in your hand is a long overdue tribute to his exciting years as a swinging, sports car-driving sound-master called Berry Lipman.

see also: Berry Lipman Orchestra - Star Maidens (OST)