Hits of '53: Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes

A Revolution In Music Was On The Horizon

In terms of music fans whose memories of the hits from this era are confined primarily to those that made the U.S. Billboard national charts, this has to be the weakest entry in an otherwise fantastic the series, complete with perfect sound reproduction, liner notes that actually inform you, and discographies of the contents. But even at that, it isn't bad by any means, and you also have to keep in mind the primary target audience of ASV Living Era, which was based in Great Britain.

For example, the hit version of Answer Me, My Love in North America was by Nat "King" Cole, and it reached # 6 in May 1954 - not 1953. David Whitfield's rendition, although excellent in its own right, never charted here. Also, Guy Mitchell's She Wears Red Feathers was a pretty minor # 19 here, while Look At That Girl never charted. As for Kay Starr's Comes A-Long A-Love, that was a # 9 hit, but in November 1952 in North America.

As with 1951, there were relatively few # 1 hits this year as the Top 5 accounted for 45 weeks at that position. Leading the way was the top song for the year, Les Paul & Mary Ford's Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You) which spent 11 weeks there, followed by the 10 weeks of the # 2 song for the year, The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?) by Percy Faith & His Orchestra and vocal by Felicia Sanders. Then came You, You, You by The Ames Brothers, Rags To Riches by Tony Bennett (with Percy Faith's orchestra), and The Doggie In The Window by Patti Page, each 8 weeks at # 1. Only that latter is not included in this set. Also left out is Stan Freberg's novelty # 1, St. George And The Dragonet, a comical take-off on Dragnet.

There were ten # 2 hits that year and four # 3s, and here you get all but four: Tell Me You're Mine by The Gaylords and Eh, Cumpari by Julius LaRosa (the subject of a stunning on-the-air firing by that egomaniac Arthur Godfrey), both # 2s, and Ruby by Richard Hayman & His Orchestra and Say You're Mine Again by Perry Como, both # 3s.

This style of music, with vocalists as the featured performers and big bands/orchestras in a secondary role only had a short time to go as already a new sound was being delivered by the likes of Bill Haley & His Comets, Fats Domino, The Drifters, Clovers, Moonglows, Ivory Joe Hunter, Joe Turner, Little Richard, etc., and with a young man named Elvis Presley cutting his first record (My Happiness) at a small studio in Memphis as a present for his mother. We'd be hearing more from him in 1954.

Although not the strongest of entries in the series, this is still worthy of a purchase. And, as I said in each of the other reviews, once they're sold out that's it as Universal Music Group has bought out ASV and has discontinued their oldies lines. June 13, 2008

HITS OF '53: DON'T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYES

The cd arrived in excellent condition and is great. August 12, 2005

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