The Golden Age of American Popular Music, Vol. 1

by N/A

Overview

Although Ace's extensive Golden Age series is the best such series of compilations ever undertaken for the golden age of rock & roll (covering approximately the mid-'50s to just before the Beatles had their first U.S. hit), this is weaker and more ill-defined than any previous volume. According to the blurb on the back cover, these 28 tracks are "mainstream American popular music that transcended rock'n'roll and the British Invasion," though the verb "transcended" seems ill-fitting here. More accurately, these are chart pop hits -- some big, some only reaching the bottom half of the Top 100 -- from 1956-1964 that were only tenuously related to early rock & roll, and were so quaint in style that they'd be totally washed out to sea by the British Invasion. These aren't non-rock-related "pop" hits, however, in the sense that Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin's were; by and large, they have some links to rock & roll and the teen audience, if only faint ones. So you get hits by also-ran teen idols (Tony Orlando's "Bless You," Paul Petersen's "My Dad"); forgotten hits by celebrities more known for acting than singing (Petersen, Anthony Perkins); pop balladeers who nonetheless crossed over to teen-oriented radio (Johnny Mathis, with "It's Not for Me to Say"); and harmony groups and solo singers with the mildest of R&B doo wop influences. Truth be told, it's pretty wimpy stuff for the most part; when the Tempos' "See You in September" and Gene McDaniels' "Tower of Strength" stand out as by far the most memorable, forceful tunes, you know you're not exactly dealing with hard-hitting rock & roll, even of the poppiest sort. To its credit, this compilation does include numerous chart hits that aren't commonplace on CD anthologies (or oldies radio), Billy Grammer's "Gotta Travel On" and the Rover Boys' "Graduation Day" (which charted one place higher than the Four Freshmen's much more famous version) being among the most well-known such items. The annotation, as is customary for Ace, is thorough and informed as well. In general, though, it (perhaps unintentionally) summarizes the limpest, most forgettable pop to hit the radio during the golden age of rock & roll, and epitomizes the worst of the kind of music that drove many young adults away from rock & roll until the British Invasion, folk-rock, and soul lured them back in. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	07/25/2006
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667019323
Rank:	73289

Tracks

1. 26 Miles (Santa Catalina)  - Bruce Belland  -  Four Preps  - Glen A. Larson
2. Bless You  - Barry Mann  - Tony Orlando  - Cynthia Weil
3. Gotta Travel On  - Paul Clayton  - Billy Grammer
4. Hey-Da-Da-Dow
5. My Lucky Love  -  Bluenotes  - Doug Franklin  - Joe Tanner
6. My Dad  - Barry Mann  - Paul Petersen  - Cynthia Weil
7. See You in September  - Sherman Edwards  -  Tempos  - Sid Wayne
8. Red Roses for a Blue Lady  - Roy Bennett  - Vic Dana  - Sid Tepper
9. My Own True Love  - Mack David  -  Duprees  - Max Steiner
10. Just as Much as Ever  - Bob Beckham  - Larry Coleman
11. Graduation Day  - Billy Albert  -  Rover Boys  - Joe Sherman  - Noel Sherman
12. Moonlight Serenade  - Mitchell Parish  -  Rivieras
13. Leave Me Alone (Let Me Cry)  - Marion Smith
14. Hey! Little Girl
15. Teasin'  - Irving Fields  -  Quaker City Boys
16. Just Like in the Movies  - Bernie Lowe  - Kal Mann  -  Upbeats
17. (There Was A) Tall Oak Tree  - Dorsey Burnette
18. Forever  - Buddy Killen  -  Little Dippers
19. Wishing for Your Love  -  Voxpoppers
20. As If I Didn't Know  - David Scott  - Adam Wade
21. City of Angels  -  Highlights  - Frank Pizani
22. What Is Love?  -  Playmates  - Lee Pockriss  - Paul Vance
23. Moonlight Swim  - Sylvia Dee  - Tony Perkins  - Ben Weisman
24. Things  - Bobby Darin
25. It's Not for Me to Say  - Johnny Mathis
26. Tower of Strength  - Burt Bacharach  - Bob Hilliard  - Gene McDaniels
27. In the Misty Moonlight  - Cindy Walker  - Jerry Wallace
28. The End  - Earl Grant  - Jimmy Krondes

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rover Boys   Primary Artist
Johnny Mathis   Primary Artist
The Voxpoppers   Primary Artist
Adam Wade   Primary Artist
The Bluenotes   Primary Artist
The Four Preps   Primary Artist
Earl Grant   Primary Artist
The Playmates   Primary Artist
The Highlights   Primary Artist
The Tempos   Primary Artist
Doug Franklin   Primary Artist
Quaker City Boys   Primary Artist
Billy Albert   Primary Artist
Upbeats   Primary Artist
Frank Pizani   Primary Artist
The Rivieras   Primary Artist
Bob Beckham   Primary Artist
Tony Perkins   Primary Artist
Tony Orlando   Primary Artist
Paul Petersen   Primary Artist
Bobby Darin   Primary Artist
Billy Grammer   Primary Artist
The Little Dippers   Primary Artist
The Duprees   Primary Artist
Dorsey Burnette   Primary Artist
Gene McDaniels   Primary Artist
Vic Dana   Primary Artist
Jerry Wallace   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Rob Finnis   Photo Courtesy,Liner Notes,Memorabilia
Marion Smith   Composer
Jerry Wallace   Performer
Kal Mann   Composer
Noel Sherman   Composer
Duncan Cowell   Mastering
Mitchell Parish   Composer
Brian Gari   Liner Notes
Buddy Killen   Composer
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Max Steiner   Composer
Sylvia Dee   Composer
Irving Fields   Composer
Barry Mann   Composer
Earl Grant   Performer
Roy Bennett   Composer
Joe Tanner   Composer
Sherman Edwards & Donald Meyer   Composer
Frank Pisani   Memorabilia,Photo Courtesy
Jools DeVere   Layout Design
Barrie Smith   Cover Art
Barry Weinstein   Memorabilia,Photo Courtesy
Jon Broven   Memorabilia,Photo Courtesy
Bruce Belland   Composer
Frank Pizani   Performer
Jimmy Krondes   Composer
Glen A. Larson   Composer
Donn McLaughlin   Memorabilia,Photo Courtesy
Bob Beckham   Performer
Tony Orlando   Performer
Trevor Churchill   Memorabilia,Photo Courtesy
Paul Clayton   Composer
Paul Petersen   Performer
Paul Vance   Composer
Sid Tepper   Composer
Sid Wayne   Composer
Bernie Lowe   Composer
Bob Hilliard   Composer
Bobby Darin   Composer,Performer
Billy Grammer   Performer
Larry Coleman   Composer
Cindy Walker   Composer
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Tony Rounce   Memorabilia,Photo Courtesy
Ben Weisman   Composer
Dorsey Burnette   Composer,Performer
Mack David   Composer
David Scott   Composer
Gene McDaniels   Performer
Joe Sherman   Composer
Lee Pockriss   Composer