Music Review: Johnny Mathis - Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
Published November 19, 2006
Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration, a soon to be released offering from Columbia/Legacy is part of a larger effort that's been put together to commemorate the long and notable career of Johnny Mathis. It joins the already released A 50th Anniversary Christmas Celebration, and both tie in with an upcoming PBS special.
The album is a compilation of recordings generated during the course of his long career, which means, of course, the Johnny Mathis of 2006 will inevitably be compared to his youthful self in terms of quality of voice. It's a valid approach since this is, after all, a 50 year commemorative album, and it gives fans a chance to revisit his sound in different eras.
Not surprisingly, among the songs on this album are some that also appeared on Johnny's Greatest Hits, which he released in 1958. In retrospect, that might have seemed a surprising step for so young an artist, but by then he had the hits to back it up. After being discovered and helped along by Mitch Miller (yes, the sing-along guy), who acted as producer for many of his early recordings, he had generated a number of best-sellers by that time. That 1958 album is said to have
been the first "greatest hits" collection ever generated by any artist, and it remained on the Billboard charts for a record 490 weeks.
Among those early hits were "Chances Are," "It's Not For Me To Say," and "Wonderful, Wonderful." Those songs and others from that same era are part of this new 50th Anniversary album. These recordings from the late 1950s, in most cases backed by Ray Coniff and his orchestra (and in all cases sung by Johnny in his full, youthful, vibrant voice) will reacquaint you with many of those tunes and how he warbled them. His distinctive vibrato and styling are impossible to mistake for anyone else.
I found it a little surprising that the first dozen or so songs were all from the late 1950s, and then the rest are from 1986 or later - a gap of over 25 years. Mathis was active during that period, but was shifting genres and looking for new avenues. He also began doing a number of duets, including one that became a big hit, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," with Deniece Williams. None of that period is covered on this album. Instead, it picks up again with an older Mathis, starting with "True Love," where he's backed up by Henry Mancini, and continuing on through his collaboration with Sergio Mendes, "So Many Stars," both recorded in the late 1980s.
The Big Geez is a retiree who takes time off from trimming ear hair to write about music -- sometimes doing conventional reviews, but often just sharing his opinions about how something resonates with his memories and those of his generation. You can read more of his faux pearls of wisdom at the Geezer Music Club.
- Music Review: Johnny Mathis - Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
- Published: November 19, 2006
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Writer: Big Geez
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Thanks for the comment and your thoughts about Johnny. Always good to hear insights from a knowledgeable and devoted fan.
The recording of OVER THE RAINBOW which Johnny made with Ray Charles was the last recording Ray did...done two weeks before his death. Johnny was surprised he would record it 'live' in the studio because he thought Ray would record his own 'track' at his own time and convenience as most duets were done and he was thrilled that Ray thought enough of recording with him that he would do it LIVE. Ray also requested that OVER THER RAINBOW with Johnny Mathis be played at his funeral. It was.
Thanks for the info, Tom. It makes it a little more special and I think I'll listen to it with a new perspective.
There was a song done with just Johnny and a guitarist. The last word of each verse was "Please, Be There" Anyone know where to find it?
Jim - The name of the song is "99 Miles from LA" and it is available on many Mathis CDs.
On a TV interview, Mathis said he did one-night play dates and got very lonely. Anyway, he said he did a certain number (a large amount) in a row. Does anyone have that number, that info? thanks, Nadine
hey thanks, ive been searching forever trying to find 99 Miles from LA!!!!!
Happy Birthday, Johnny!! September 30
Today is my birthday too. Hope you have a great one!!
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Thanks for your review of my favorite singer's latest album. I agree with your comments regarding song selection. I think Johnny is too close to the forest to see the trees, sometimes. Nevertheless, he is remarkable and his record of album sales proves it. He has sold more albums than any other living singer and with modre than 180 million sold, ranks behind Elvis and Sinatra of the top album seller. He has also never stopped touring in those 50 years which may account for his ability to still please audiences. I have heard Andy Williams and Tony Bennett and they should give it up! If you want to hear two great albums by Johnny that will really grow on you, listen to "On Broadway" and "Is'nt It Romantic", both released during the last few years. Johnny is also one of the rare pop singers that took voice lessons. He had seven years of voice lessons from a female opera singer/teacher and he attributes his longevity, voice wise, to the training she provided. He is also the number one seller of Christmas albums of all time, antoher remarkable achievement. The guy is humble and shy which is why not a lot of people realize his many accomplishments. He's the best!