Lionel Newman

Following his success with The Adventures in Paradise series, 20th Century Fox musical director Lionel Newman supplied the music for Exciting Hong Kong. Both series were on ABC-TV and featured top music. Hong Kong features these additional arrangers: Billy May, whose "Honorable Hong Kong Rock" is covered; Earle Hagen, whose I Spy is well known; Frank Comstock, famous for a landmark space album; Marty Paich; Herb Spencer; and Warren Baker. (Since it is spelled "Baker" twice, it can be assumed that it is not Warren Barker, the musical director and exotica arranger for Warner Bros.) The music is comparable to Axel Stordahl's exotica, in which dramatic orchestra music gets a somewhat quirky, exotic makeover. "Honorable Hong Kong Rock" is the standout; May repeats the arrangement from his and Charlie Barnet's album (as the Out-Islanders) titled Polynesian Fantasy. "Chinese Cha Cha" reprises it. ~ Tony Wilds, All Music Guide