The 101 Strings Orchestra was a highly successful easy-listening ensemble, renowned for its lush, melodic sound and a discography exceeding 150 albums. Launched in 1957 by record mogul David L. Miller under Somerset Records, it capitalized on the mood music trend, featuring arrangements by Monty Kelly, Joseph Kuhn, and Robert Lowden.
Initially recorded by the Northwest German Radio Orchestra in Hamburg under Wilhelm Stephan, the group’s trademark was its rich string focus, promoted with the slogan “The Sound of Magnificence.” Early releases like The Soul of Spain (1958) blended exotica and lounge styles.
In 1964, Miller sold the franchise to Al Sherman, who rebranded it as Alshire and shifted recording to London. The orchestra adapted to pop trends with albums like Astro-Sounds from Beyond the Year 2000 (1969), later sampled by electronic artists.
Selling over 50 million records worldwide, it achieved five UK chart hits, including a number one. The original run ended in 1981, but the “New 101 Strings Orchestra” revived the name in the late 1990s for modern recordings. Its legacy lies in its timeless, soothing orchestral sound.
168 recordings by 101 Strings you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
A Cockney In Love • A Foggy Day • A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody • A Woman Is A Sometime Thing • Affair In Aruba • Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life • Aisle Talk • All The Way • Almost Like Being In Love • Aura Lee (Love Me Tender) • Bahia de Acapulco • Be Mine Tonight • Because Of You • Between The Acts • Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered • Bittersweet • Blue Grass On Fire • Blue Twilight • Blues For Nat • Blues Pizzicato • Bouquet Of Roses • But Not Too Much • Call Me Irresponsible • Cameo • Camptown Races • Cha Cha Italiano • Climb Ev’ry Mountain from ”The Sound Of Music” • Cold, Cold Heart • Come Fly With Me • Dear Starling • Dorinda • Evening Star • Exotic Nights • Fiesta en Cuernavaca • Fifi • Fish And Chips • Flirt • For Cher • Georgie Girl • Getting To Know You from ”The King And I” • Give My Regards To Broadway • Guadalajara • Gypsy Song #4 • Half As Much • Hano, Hano • Harbour Lights • Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue) • Headin’ Home • I Enjoy Being A Girl from ”Flower Drum Song” • I Love You Truly • I Want To Hold Your Hand • If Ever I Would Leave You • In Love Again • In Old New York • Indian Summer • It Ain’t Necessarily So • I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm • I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face • Jambalaya (On The Bayou) • Jungle Romance • Kaw-Liga • Kiss Me Again • Lady Love • Lake Shore Drive • Lana’s Theme • Lazy Bones • Let’s Take An Old Fashioned Walk • Lonesome Freight • Love At First Sight • Love Is Worth Waiting For • Lover’s Rhapsody • Maria, Maria • Mayfair Walk • Meandering • Melody Of Love • Memories Are Made Of This • Mona Lisa • Monaco • Montemarte • Moonbeams • Moonlight And You • Moonlight Becomes You • Moonlight In Vermont • Moonlight Love • Moonlight On The Taj Mahal • My Old Kentucy Home • My Valley • Nancy’s Song • ‘Neath Azure Skies • Night In Buenos Aires • Night Of Love • Noche de Ronda • Noche en Majorca • Oh, Lady Be Good • Once Upon A Love • Opening Night • Orchids In The Moonlight • Our Love Was Young • Paradise • Pastel Petticoats • Peter Gunn Theme • Pizzicato For The King • Polynesian Fever • Portrait Of You • Puerto Vallerta • Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day) • Put Your Head On My Shoulder • Quando, Quando, Quando • Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head • Red Sails In The Sunset • Remember • Rhapsody In Blue • Rolling Home • Romantic Nights • Rose Marie • Run-A-Way Heart • Scarborough Fair • Seas Of Samoa • Second Time Around • She’s A Lady Through And Through • Sleepy Lagoon • So Late • So Rare • Someday • Someone To Watch Over Me • Sophisticated Lady • South Seas Serenade • Spanish Flea • St Tropez In June • Standing Room Only • Stars And Stripes Forever • Strolling Through The Park-Mary • Summer Of ’42 • Summertime • Sunday In Seville • Sweets For My Sweet • Taps For The Fallen Brave • Tara’s Theme • Tenderly • Tennesse Waltz • Thank Heaven For Little Girls • The Breeze And I • The Girl From Ipanema • The Happy Hobo • The Impossible Dream • The Lady Said Yes • The Moon Was Yellow • The Night Is Young And You’re So Beautiful • The Shadow Of Your Smile • The Thunderer • The Way We Were • The Way You Look Tonight • Theme from ”Sherman’s Heroes” • They Call The Wind Maria • Till • Tina’s Waltz • Too Young • Torchlight • Vaya Con Dios • Wabash Cannonball • Wait For Me • Washington Post March • Weekend Pass • When I Fall In Love • White Tie And Tails • Wonderful Seasons Of Love • You Belong To My Heart • Your Cheatin’ Heart •
