Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Ray Evans' home is for sale for $9,950,000

Besides all the big hits mentioned on the LA Times story below, Ray Evans and his longtime musical partner Jay Livingston collaborated with some Brazilian composers, most notably Moacir Santos and Egberto Gismonti.
For Moacir, they wrote the English lyrics to such songs as "Kathy" (the Portuguese lyrics are by Yana Purim, premiered on her debut album which I produced), "Luanne", "What's My Name" and "April Child".
For Egberto Gismonti, they contributed the excellent English lyrics, full of cosmic references typical of the early 70s, to "O Sonho", which became known in the USA as "Moon Dreams". Livingston & Evans' outer space poem was recorded twice by Flora Purim, firstly in 1971 for Airto's album "Seeds on the Ground" (btw, one of Flora's best recordings ever, including a revolutionary vocal improvisation and featuring Hermeto Pascoal on the Fender Rhodes), and a couple of years later for her own debut LP, "Butterfly Dreams".
Curiously, on "Seeds on the Ground", Gismonti's name was omitted by Buddah Records on the credits of the original LP release, but the label ammended the mistake in subsequent reissues.
Now, guess if Santos or Gismonti ever bought houses of 9,950,000 dollars...?
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http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/hotprop/la-hmw-hotpropevans14-2008oct14,0,1813293.story

Hot Property: Late Songwriter Ray Evans' Beverly Hills Home Is for Sale for $9,995,000
by Ann Brenoff
Los Angeles Times, October 14, 2008


The Beverly Hills estate of three-time Oscar-winning songwriter Ray Evans is listed for sale at $9,995,000.

Evans, who with his partner Jay Livingston penned "Que Sera, Sera," "Silver Bells" and "Buttons and Bows," died at age 92 in February 2007. He lived in this house for more than 50 years.

The midcentury modern house and separate guesthouse with a pool sit on almost 4 acres. The main house has 12-foot ceilings and views to the ocean. There are four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The square footage is 3,500, according to public records.

Evans and Livingston won best-song Oscars for "Buttons and Bows" from the 1948 Bob Hope film "The Paleface"; "Mona Lisa," a No. 1 hit for Nat King Cole; and "Que Sera, Sera," which became Doris Day's signature song.

Susan Smith of Hilton and Hyland, Beverly Hills, has the listing.

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