Gene Pitney - Young and Warm and Wonderful/Just One Smile

30 top rock'n'roll tracks from the vaults of Pye Records,all digitally remastered & taken from 1956-1965. Includescuts by Dennis Lotis, Eric Delaney Band, Lonnie Donegan,John Fraser, Ray Ellington, Marion Ryan, Johnnie Lee, DavyJones and other top British pop stars of the day. Doubleslimline jewel case. 1998 Sequel release. The full title is'Wild Eyes And Tender Lips'. Album Description

Two gems from 1967

As far as hits were concerned, 1967 was not a great year for Gene, but several albums were released. Two of them are paired for this twofer.

The first 12 tracks originally made up the album Young warm and wonderful, a collection of standards from the Great American Songbook. As my interest in the songs of that era has increased, so I appreciate this set more than I did when I originally bought it.

Among the songs are covers of songs that were once hits for Peggy Lee (Golden earrings), Jo Stafford (Serenade of the bells), Percy Faith (Where is your heart, the song from Moulin Rouge), Kay Kyser (On a slow boat to China), Margaret Whiting (Far away places), Rosemary Clooney (Hey there), Till the end of time (Perry Como), Bing Crosby (I'll be seeing you) and Fats Waller (Two sleepy people).

South of the border, a song I associate with Gene Autry was actually a bigger hit for both Shep Fields (who took it to number one) and Guy Lombardo (who had a top ten hit with this it). Gene Autry's version just failed to make the top ten.

The remainder of this set is devoted to the Just one smile album, which was released with some different tracks in Britain and America. All tracks that appeared on either version can be found here, plus a couple of B-sides that did not appear on any original album.

The title track had originally been released on an earlier album in 1965, but was released as a single in 1967, providing him with a minor American hit and a British top ten hit. Most of the other songs were new recordings (and not covers) though The rising tide of love was also from 1965. Cold light of day was a minor UK hit that bubbled under in America.

Gene Pitney's committed fans will buy this anyway. Fans of the Great American Songbook will find the first 12 tracks interesting, but will also need to love sixties music to enjoy the rest of this CD. Sixties fans looking for hits will not find many here. While this does not contain any of Gene's important recordings, it is entertaining - and isn't that what music is supposed to be? March 16, 2003

I can't believe I found this

We had the album when I was a kid and I can't
believe I finally found the cd. What could be
better than THE VOICE doing Slow Boat and
I'll be Seeing You. I can't wait to
hear them again..... October 9, 2002

Warm and Wonderful review

Again, Gene Pitney has the ability to sing anything and make it sound good. I love the music from the 40's and 50's and if Mr. Pitney is singing, it can be from any decade and he would make it sound better. On a slow boat to China, I'll be seeing You and Till the end of Time are great! They are all good but these 3 are my favorites. Gene Pitney is by far one of the most prolific singers of all time. I thank him for his music. July 4, 2001

If you love his voice, you'll LOVE this CD

"Young & Warm & Wonderful" is nothing less than a perfect showcase for Gene Pitney's gorgeous and amazingly expressive voice. Why no singles ever came from this LP I'll never know, since it is breathtaking from start to finish. Perhaps the fact that it was a compilation of current standards, from the lovely title cut to "Where Is Your Heart" to "I'll Be Seeing You" drew it away from top-40 radio, but then, whose idea was it to have him record a batch of great, timeless songs perfectly suited to his artistry and then not market it?? I was a fan then, and I can tell you there are half a dozen ballads on this album that would have turned me into pudding at the age of 16. (They do a nice job of it now!)

Other standouts are "Silver Bracelets," "Hey There," and a power-belter of a "Till The End Of Time," proving that Gene was (and is) a truly accomplished singer who had the pipes for anything from pop to opera! You'll be picking yourself up off the floor in awe, I assure you.

The second of the included albums, "Just One Smile," features the heartbreaking and beautiful title song (an early Randy Newman composition), as well as "In Love Again," one of his Italian hits. (Gene Pitney was a HUGE Continental 60s pop hero after the British Invasion dried up his US market.) There's also "24 Sycamore," a fine Brit hit of similar vintage, and a number of tunes like "Where Did the Magic Go" and "In the Cold Light of Day" that virtually encapsulate the transition of pop music in the mid-60s. Mr. Pitney does credit to them, too.

My bottom line: The album "Young and Warm and Wonderful" has been underappreciated for decades. The song "Just One Smile" alone is worth additional expense, but you are fortunate that this two-album collection is a bargain at the cost of one CD! By the way, Gene Pitney has a thriving, ongoing international career, and I'd personally love it if America saw a renaissance of appreciation for him and his great, versatile catalog. I promise you that if you are a fan of Gene Pitney, or romantically inclined period, you will NEED this CD in your collection. Go with confidence and don't hesitate. April 10, 2001

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