By request, The Biggest Hits of '58, Vol. 2. And I'm surprised to see that I have yet to post Volume 1. That's interesting. Anyway, a thrift gift from Diane (Thanks, Diane!) in glorious monoaural. And I'm guessing that the source material, as with the 1959 edition of this series, is Synthetic Plastics Co. (SPC). I suppose that, by now, I've gotten over my shock that RCA would turn to SPC for its fake-hit "RCA Camden Rockers" material--but, then again, why not? And the RCA Camden pressing quality is superior to the SPC singles and LPs, so...
And, as musicman1979 noted, this LP's fake-hit version of Near You doesn't follow from the 1958 Roger Williams hit, but is actually "the charting version by society pianist Larry Green and his Orchestra that RCA released a decade earlier to compete with Francis Craig's original hit recording on Bullet Records." Green's version peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts in 1947. Green's track is identified as such on the label, which was nice of RCA. The reissue quality is excellent.
Maybe I'll feel motivated to track down the fake names behind the SPC releases at some point, but not right now. Blame it on the pollen, the current levels of which have me doped out. My weather app announces high pollen for tomorrow, but my sinuses tell me we're already there.
These fakes are more than acceptable, except for the hilariously inept copy of the Big Bopper's Chantilly Lace. It makes J.P. Richardson (the Bopper) sound like Bobby Darin.
Despite an attractive layout--and, especially, the cool-looking period jukebox--this cover violates the make-the-title-big-and-obvious rule. Of "The Biggest Hits of '58, Vol. 2," the eye (without close-focusing) only catches the "'58" portion, with "The Biggest Hits of..." in the smallest font RCA could manage. Meanwhile, the qualifying "Vol. 2" is placed topside in faint font. Was this some kind of tax dodge which involved hiding most of the main caption?
And, as ever, ten tracks are all we get $1.98 Camden list price. On the other hand, we do get "Plus Fidelity" (aka, "Plus-Fidelity"). I'm not sure what that means, but I'm sure it's better than "Minus Fidelity."
DOWNLOAD: The Biggest Hits of '58, Vol. 2--The RCA Camden Rockers, Larry Green and His Orchestra, 1958.
Volare
Everybody Loves a Lover
Call Me
Tea for Two Cha Cha
Bird Dog
Are You Really Mine
Chantilly Lace
The End
Near You--Larry Green and His Orchestra, 1947
Patricia
Lee
7 comments:
I suppose it made sense to attribute these cuts to the "RCA Camden Rockers," but only a few of these songs are rock 'n' roll.
Buster,
I noticed that curious detail! It's kind of hard to rock the "Tea for Two Cha Cha"...
The SPC version of "The End", was credited to Richard Deane on the lone SPC fake hits 45 I have in my collection. However, this version sounds more like it came from Ultraphonic than SPC. BTW, the original warbler of "The End", Earl Grant, performed "My Prayer" and "Tonight You Belong To Me", with some help from Van Alexander and his orchestra, in Volume Two of the Biggest Hits of '56.
This version of "Tea For Two Cha Cha" is truer to the original Warren Covington original, however, the clarinet solo sounds like it is in playing in the style of late-'60's Benny Goodman. Very good, despite some clunker notes, however, I do think the Ultraphonic version is so much better.
if that's the singer who warbled on the Phil Phillips "Sea of Love" fake, he shows off a different side of his range on his cover of Johnny Mathis' "Call Me." It is good ballad interpretation without directly aping Mathis' style, yet it is just as good as Johnny's.
Whoever is singing "Everybody Loves A Lover" is doing an excellent job aping Doris Day's vocal style. She does it so good, non-discerning listeners might actually think it's her! Only the instrumentation doesn't quite nail the superb sound of the orchestra Frank DeVol gave Doris on the original hit recording.
"Bird Dog" sounds like two middle-age hillbillies singing the Everly Brothers. With those voices, you ALMOST expect a mandolin to show up in the instrumentation and the song going bluegrass at any minute!
The singer on "Are You Really Mine" actually sounds more like Jimmie Rodgers than the one who croons the "Bimbombay" fake on Tops/Golden Tone. Again, a very nice cover version of the tune.
The version of "Patricia" is actually slightly funkier than the #1 Perez Prado version that RCA Camden's parent company, RCA Victor, released in 1958. The band does a good job re-creating Prado's style without directly aping it, however, the organ strays from the beaten path of the Prado recording and throws in some original licks of it's own.
This version of "Chantilly Lace" is almost laughable! What farm did SPC pluck this singer out of to record this? The only positive thing I can say about it is that it is more melodic than the Big Bopper original.
"Volare" here copies the #1 Dominico Modnugo original instead of the #12 mostly English recording by Dean Martin. The singer does a good job, however, he sounds a LOT older than Modnugo probably was when he recorded his version. Aside from a clinker note from the organ, this is mostly a pretty unique take on the Dominico Modnugo original. At least the singer knows his Italian. He doesn't sing the "yucky-poi Blu" lines that Dominico sang in the original.
Lastly, great classy cover recording of "Near You", which, at 11 years old, probably sounded dated to 1958 ears who bought this record. It almost has a Lawrence Welk sound and feel to it. Mr. Green also cut some waltz records with the Three Suns in the early-'50's.
Mostly excellent collection of fake hits! Your copy is so much better than the one I had, which was so scratchy I wound up purging it; the scratches at times were louder than the music! Mostly a slam-dunk home run here. 3 out of 5 stars from me.
A couple of other ones that I hope to one day see the light of day on this blog is that Halo Records Cha Cha Cha album you posted a few days ago on Brand X Records and Willie The Rock Knox Plays Ragtime Piano on Waldorf Music Hall if the vinyl survived a trip to your garbage can! LOL!!
Wow, I have Vol. 1 for '58, and could have sent it. But I thought you posted it already.
Diane,
I'm almost sure I have it already, but... I'd better check. I could be remembering a past instance of having owned it!
Diane,
Yes, I've got it. Not a very exciting line-up. I.e., a lack of rock and roll titles!
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