101 Strings

101 Strings Orchestra
Company type	Brand / Orchestra
Industry	Music, Easy listening
Founded	1957
Founder	David L. Miller
Defunct	1981
Fate	Brand sold to Al Sherman in 1964; current ownership by Countdown Media (BMG Rights Management)
Headquarters	Hamburg (original recordings), later Los Angeles (under Alshire), West Germany, United States
Key people	Wilhelm Stephan (conductor), David L. Miller (founder/producer), Al Sherman (owner from 1964)
Products	Over 150 easy listening symphonic albums
Parent	Countdown Media (current)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 101 Strings, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

101 Strings Orchestra emerged as a prominent easy listening symphonic music brand, delivering more than 150 albums from 1957 through the early 1980s. Renowned for its soothing, melodic arrangements centered around string instruments, the ensemble consisted of 124 string players conducted by Wilhelm Stephan. Their LP releases were promoted under the tagline "The Sound of Magnificence," featuring a unique cloud emblem alongside sepia-toned photographs of the orchestra.

Miller and rock and roll

Record industry figure David L. Miller rose to recognition by issuing early records of Bill Haley & His Comets (1952–1953) via his Essex label, playing a role in the foundation of rock and roll music.

Miller and 101 Strings

Building on the popularity of easy listening artists such as Mantovani and Jackie Gleason Presents, Miller arranged for the Northwest German Radio Orchestra from Hamburg, led by Wilhelm Stephan, to record in-house adaptations of well-known standards. The initial trio of 101 Strings albums launched in November 1957, followed by an additional twelve in 1958, frequently recycling tracks from earlier orchestras like the New World Orchestra and Rio Carnival Orchestra. Miller managed production and distribution through his own pressing plants and retail outlets, including grocery chains.

Principal arrangers Monty Kelly, Joseph Francis Kuhn, and Robert Lowden developed original works tailored to current chart-toppers to boost publishing income. Kelly’s expertise lay in Latin-themed travelogue pieces and later “Now Sound” styles after the British Invasion; Kuhn specialized in radio-friendly orchestral arrangements within the Pops genre; Lowden composed lounge-style ballads. Recordings from the early 1960s—including those credited to Cinema Sound Stage Orchestra and Zero Zero Seven Band—were extensively reissued throughout later years.

Sherman and 101 Strings

In 1964, Miller sold the brand to Al Sherman, a prosperous record label distributor who rebranded it as Alshire, based in Los Angeles, shifting recording sessions to London. Sherman maintained Miller’s involvement as a partner responsible for production and A&R. The Alshire period witnessed significant product line expansion, efforts to attract younger demographics, and from 1969 onward, gradual decline—though late-1970s releases under the 101 Strings name featured contributions from Les Baxter and Nelson Riddle. Production diminished notably after 1974. The last 101 Strings album appeared in January 1981—a tribute to John Lennon compiled from earlier Beatles tribute recordings (101 Strings play Hits written by The Beatles).

Numerous 101 Strings albums include orchestrated adaptations of contemporary pop hits and show tunes, while early Somerset releases explore exotica and lounge styles—examples include East of Suez (1959), In a Hawaiian Paradise (1960), and Songs of the Seasons in Japan (1964). Initial ventures into blending symphonic music with pop elements are evidenced by 101 Strings Play the Blues (1958) and Back Beat Symphony, featuring moody originals on Fly Me to the Moon (1961). Under Alshire, ‘Now Sound’ themed albums such as The Sounds and Songs of the Jet Set (1965), Sounds of Today (1967), and Astro-Sounds from Beyond the Year 2000 (1969) were produced; the latter has been frequently sampled by electronic music artists over ensuing decades.

Current ownership

Ownership of the 101 Strings brand currently resides with Countdown Media, which operates as a division of BMG Rights Management.

Sales

Throughout its 24-year span, the 101 Strings orchestra has sold in excess of 50 million records globally.

Chart hits

The ensemble secured five albums that charted in the UK, including one that reached the top position:

Gypsy Campfires (1958) peaked at #9
The Soul of Spain (1958) reached #17
Ferde Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite (1958) attained #10
Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane (1960) hit #1
Morning Noon and Night (1983) climbed to #32

Discography

This list covers original albums released between 1957 and 1981. Subsequent releases bearing the 101 Strings name consist of reissues, compilations, or licensed works and are not included.

101 Strings in a Symphony for Lovers (1957)
101 Strings Play the World's Great Standards (1957)
A Night in the Tropics (1957)
101 Strings Play the Blues (1958)
Gypsy Campfires (1958)
Award Winning Scores from the Silver Screen (1958)
Ferde Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite (1958)
The Glory of Christmas (1958)
101 Strings Play Hit American Waltzes (1958)
A Night in Vienna (1958)
Opera Without Words (1958)
Concerto Under the Stars (1958) (later reissued as Concertos for Lovers)
Soul of Music U.S.A. (1958)
The Soul of Spain (1958)
Russian Fireworks (1959)
East of Suez (1959)
Porgy and Bess (1959)
The Rivieras: 101 Strings on a Mediterranean Cruise (1959)
101 Years of Familiar Songs America Loves (1960)
25 Years of Show Hits (1960)
101 Strings in a Hawaiian Paradise (1960)
Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane (1960)
I Love Paris (1960)
Rhapsody (1960)
Soul of the Blues (1960)
Back Beat Symphony (1961)
Exodus and Other Great Movie Themes (1961)
Fly Me to the Moon (1961)
Smash Hits from The Music Man (1961)
The Stephen Foster Songbook (1961)
Italian Hits (1961)
Camelot (1962)
Inspiration and Meditation (1962)
The Soul of Mexico (1962)
With Love from London (1962)
Million Seller Hit Songs of the 60's (1963)
Invitation to Dreams (1964)
I Left My Heart in San Francisco (1964)
Series: Million Seller Hit Songs of the 30's, 40's, and 50's (mid-1960s; some reissued later with alterations)
Songs of the Seasons in Japan (1964)
Victor Young Leroy Anderson (1964)
The Sounds and Songs of the Jet Set (1965)
Paul Griffin Swings with 101 Strings (1965)
My Fair Lady (1965)
Fire and Romance of South America (1965)
Cole Porter (1965)
Concertos U.S.A. (1966)
The Best Loved Songs of Irving Berlin (1966)
Fiesta Español (1966)
Million Seller Hits from Mexico (1967)
Sounds of Today (1967)
Love is Blue (1967)
Million Seller Hits – Volumes 1-3 (1967)
Astro-Sounds from Beyond the Year 2000 (1968)
Valley of the Dolls and Other Academy Award Hits! (1968)
Million Seller Hits of Today (1968-69)
Million Seller Hits Arranged and Conducted by Les Baxter (1970)
Nelson Riddle Arranges and Conducts 101 Strings (1970)

... [Additional titles proceed similarly into the early 1970s] ...

Films

The soundtrack of the 101 Strings Orchestra was notably included in the 2002 movie Easy Listening.

External links