The Singers Unlimited were a logical extension of
the Hi-Lo's.
Gene Puerling and
Don Shelton were both members of
the Hi-Lo's and, after the group broke up,
Puerling became a greatly in-demand arranger. In 1967
Puerling,
Shelton, Len Dresslar, and
Bonnie Herman came together to form
the Singers Unlimited. They were a very unusual vocal group because
Puerling wrote complex arrangements for the singers that utilized extensive multi-track recording. Rather than sounding like four voices, they often sounded like 16 or more, forming a dense choir. The group never performed live in clubs and concerts and was purely a studio group, recording 14 albums during 1971-1981.
Oscar Peterson heard some of their work and recommended them to the MPS label. In 1971 his trio with bassist
George Mraz (who at the time was known as Jiri Mraz) and drummer
Louis Hayes recorded with
the Singers Unlimited, or at least laid down tracks for the vocalists to overdub over. Most of the selections on
In Tune are ballads with spots for
Peterson to solo, although the voices naturally dominate. Among the more worthy performances are "The Gentle Rain," "The Shadow of Your Smile," and the "Sesame Street" theme. While
In Tune is a minor entry in the extensive discography of
Oscar Peterson, it is considered an early milestone for
the Singers Unlimited. ~ Scott Yanow