Enduring Classic Holiday Albums from Placido Domingo, John Denver and Harry Belafonte Had One Common Visionary Behind the Scenes -- Legendary Music Producer Milt Okun

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Three of the most classic, beautiful and expertly produced Christmas albums "Christmas with Placido Domingo," John Denver's GOLD "Rocky Mountain Christmas," and Harry Belafonte's "To Wish You A Merry Christmas," share one common creative force - legendary music producer Milt Okun. Okun helped infuse each album with a magic that decades later continues to entrance audiences around the world. He shares stories behind producing these and others in his memoir "Along the Cherry Lane." Available on Amazon, the book makes a thoughtful gift for music lovers this holiday season.

Undisputedly lauded as the man who ensured that John Denver became a household name with such hits as "Rocky Mountain High" and "Sunshine on My Shoulders," Okun also produced and arranged Denver's "Christmas" album and collaborated with Denver on two albums with the Muppets. "Christmas Together" went PLATINUM and GOLD. Okun also served as executive producer for "Rocky Mountain Holiday." It was after this collaboration that a critic famously wrote, "Of all major producers, Milt Okun has the widest range – from Placido Domingo to the Muppets."

Okun also had a hand in creating The Brothers Four's "Merry Christmas" as the arranger, musical director and producer and Odetta's "Christmas Spirituals" as arranger and conductor.

In looking back at his more than 50 years in the music industry and his collaborations with hundreds of artists, one of his most fulfilling experiences, which he details in the book, was working with Placido Domingo. (Interview with Milt Okun available here)

Okun vividly recalls pursuing Domingo for five years to engage him in a project, and how quickly that one project (Domingo's crossover hit "Perhaps Love") led into one of the most memorable projects of his career – "Christmas with Placido Domingo." "Just as we sat down to work out the keys for the songs, Placido said 'Milton, I've always wanted to do a Christmas album. Are you free in April to come to Vienna and record it?' I remember thinking, 'five years to do the first album and five minutes to get the second album.' "

Okun said the experience in Vienna and the album continue to stand out as favorites. "Domingo's carol singing is extraordinarily beautiful and powerful. There's one song that's so brilliant and on the whole Christmas album he colors the words with such power and beauty. I still enjoy listening to that album now."

In "Along the Cherry Lane," composer Lee Holdridge commented that Okun was thrilled by the experience with Domingo because it was "making music at the highest level." Okun agreed. "We did most of the recording in London when Placido was performing at Covent Garden, and after the performance when he was warmed up, he came to the studio with friends and relatives and there were 30 to 40 people in the control room. I had trouble turning around," Okun laughed. "It was very exciting and beautiful. He was so quick and expert that there was no problem with time. He can do as many takes as you needed and everyone was almost perfect."

In the book, Domingo is quoted as saying he had met Okun many times before they worked together. "He was at so many performances all over the world – in Vienna, in Los Angeles, in Paris, in London. So I knew how much he loves opera, but his love for music in general is not confined to only one thing. Milton was really the reason I started doing something different, crossing over with 'Perhaps Love,' which was the very first thing we did together."

Not surprising, in his memoir Okun ranks Domingo first in a list of four of his of favorite singers. The other three in order are Eleanor Steber, Leonard Warren and Lauritz Melchior.

SOURCE Milt Okun