The Great Years
1964 greatest hits album by Johnny Mathis
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Billboard positive[ 2]
The Great Years is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records in July 1964.[ 2] Billboard magazine described the two-LP set, which included chart hits and album tracks, as "the best of Mathis".[ 2]
The album made its first appearance on Billboard' s Top LP's chart the following month, in the issue dated August 1, and peaked at number 88 over the course of 10 weeks.[ 3]
Reception
Billboard opined that "Mathis fans should scream with delight upon discovering this 2-LP package."[ 2]
Track listing
Side one
"Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) " (Bart Howard ) – 3:54
"Street of Dreams " (Victor Young , Sam M. Lewis ) – 2:17
"Wonderful! Wonderful! " (Sherman Edwards , Ben Raleigh) – 2:50
"It's Not for Me to Say " from Lizzie (Robert Allen , Al Stillman ) – 3:05
rec. 9/20/56, rel. 2/25/57;[ 5] Most Played by Jockeys: #5[ 6]
"Chances Are " (Robert Allen, Al Stillman) – 3:03
rec. 6/16/57, rel. 8/12/57;[ 5] Most Played by Jockeys: #1 (1 week)[ 6]
"The Twelfth of Never " (Jerry Livingston , Paul Francis Webster ) – 2:28
rec. 6/16/57, rel. 8/12/57;[ 5] B-side of "Chances Are"; Most Played by Jockeys: #9[ 6]
Personnel
George Avakian – producer (tracks 1, 2)[ 7]
Al Ham – producer (tracks 3–6)[A]
Mitch Miller – producer (tracks 3–6)[ 8] [ 9]
A The labels on the singles of these tracks did not provide producer credits, but some CD compilations have. While all of these compilations acknowledge Mitch Miller as a producer on the tracks noted, the ones that credit Al Ham as an additional producer on certain songs disagree on which ones those are. The 2006 collection Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration only recognizes Ham as producer on "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "It's Not for Me to Say"[ 9] but the 2004 collection The Essential Johnny Mathis also credits him in this capacity on "Chances Are" and "The Twelfth of Never".[ 8]
Side two
"A Certain Smile " from A Certain Smile (Sammy Fain , Paul Francis Webster) – 2:47
"Deep River " (traditional) – 2:51
"Can't Get Out of This Mood " from Seven Days' Leave (Frank Loesser , Jimmy McHugh ) – 3:08
"Misty " (Johnny Burke , Erroll Garner ) – 3:34
rec. 4/21/59[ 11] for his album Heavenly ; single rel. 9/59; Billboard Hot 100: #12[ 6]
"Small World" from Gypsy (Stephen Sondheim , Jule Styne ) – 3:18
rec. 4/29/59, rel. 5/25/59;[ 5] Billboard Hot 100: #20[ 6]
"When I Fall in Love " (Edward Heyman , Victor Young ) – 4:31
Personnel
Side three
"Maria " from West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein , Stephen Sondheim ) – 3:48
rec. 11/6/59[ 11] for his album Faithfully ; single rel. 5/60; Billboard Hot 100: #78;[ 6] single rel. 11/61; Billboard Hot 100: #88[ 6]
"Tonight " from West Side Story (Bernstein, Sondheim) – 3:12
"How to Handle a Woman" from Camelot (Alan Jay Lerner , Frederick Loewe ) – 3:02
rec. 10/27/60, rel. 11/7/60;[ 5] Billboard Hot 100: #64[ 6]
"Stairway to the Stars " (Matty Malneck , Mitchell Parish , Frank Signorelli ) – 4:51
"Love Look Away" from Flower Drum Song (Oscar Hammerstein II , Richard Rodgers ) – 3:28
"Sweet Thursday" (Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster) – 2:30
rec. 10/9/61, rel. 12/29/61;[ 5] Billboard Hot 100: #99[ 6]
Personnel
Mitch Miller – producer (tracks 1–2,[ 11] 3[ 5] )
Irving Townsend – producer (tracks 4–5,[ 11] 6[ 5] )
Side four
"Stella by Starlight " (Ned Washington , Victor Young ) – 3:33
"Unaccustomed As I Am" (Ray Ellis, Al Stillman) – 2:55
rec. 3/4/61, rel. 4/27/62;[ 5] non-charting B-side
"Gina " (Leon Carr , Paul Vance ) – 2:46
"What Will Mary Say " (Eddie Snyder , Paul Vance ) – 3:09
rec. 8/9/62, rel. 1/4/63;[ 5] Billboard Hot 100: #9[ 6] Easy Listening: #3[ 14]
"Every Step of the Way" (Robert Allen, Al Stillman) – 3:21
rec. 5/31/60, rel. 5/7/63;[ 5] Billboard Hot 100: #30[ 6] Easy Listening: #10[ 14]
"September Song " from Knickerbocker Holiday (Maxwell Anderson , Kurt Weill ) – 4:07
Personnel
Ernie Altschuler – producer (tracks 1,[ 15] 3–4,[ 5] 6[ 16] )
Frank DeVol – producer (track 2)[ 5]
Mitch Miller – producer (track 5)[ 5]
Personnel
References
^ "The Great Years - Johnny Mathis" . allmusic.com . All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 18 November 2016 .
^ a b c d "Albums Reviews". Billboard . 1964-07-11. p. 27.
^ Whitburn 2010 , p. 504.
^ a b (1996) Johnny Mathis [Columbia/Legacy] by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment CK 64890.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r (2015) The Singles by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records 88875120552.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Whitburn 2009 , p. 628.
^ (1956) Johnny Mathis by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CL 887.
^ a b c d (2004) The Essential Johnny Mathis by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records C2K-63562.
^ a b c d (2006) Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony BMG Music Entertainment 82876 88583 2.
^ a b (1996) Good Night, Dear Lord by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records CK 64891
^ a b c d e f g (1993) The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records C4K-48932.
^ (1999) Open Fire, Two Guitars by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records CK 65862.
^ a b (1996) I'll Buy You a Star [Columbia/Legacy] by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment CK 64892.
^ a b c Whitburn 2007 , p. 178.
^ (1962) Rapture by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 8715.
^ (1963) Romantically by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 8898.
^ (1964) The Great Years by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records C2S 834.
Bibliography
Whitburn, Joel (2007), Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006 , Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-169-1
Whitburn, Joel (2009), Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2008 , Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201802
Whitburn, Joel (2010), Joel Whitburn Presents Top Pop Albums, Seventh Edition , Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-183-7
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