The Hits Collection 1947-61

Frankie Laine was one of the most popular singing stars of the post-war era, with a career in the singles chart that lasted over two decades. He was one of the many stars to emerge from the USA’s Italian-American community, but he was very different from his peers, with a clarion voice and emotionally charged style which set him apart from the crooners who were his contemporaries. He was hugely versatile, starting as an R&B-influenced jazz singer, but becoming popular performing in a variety of styles, from ballads, western-themed material (especially movie songs), country, middle-of-the-road pop and other genres. He had a long career, from his first concerts with a marathon dance troupe in 1930, through to his final performance in 2005, but his first hit came in 1947, after which he racked up a string of chart entries through to 1969. This great-value 79-track 3-CD collection brings together every Billboard Top 100, Cash Box Top 20 and UK Top 50 chart hit which he achieved through until 1961, by which time he had had his last Top 20 US hit – it includes the hits he had performing duets with artists like Jo Stafford, Doris Day, and Johnnie Ray. He enjoyed huge popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, with No.1s in both the USA and UK, and the collection features many landmark classics, including the No. 1 hits “That Lucky Old Sun”, “Mule Train”, “The Cry of the Wild Goose”, “I Believe”, “Hey Joe”, “Answer Me” and “A Woman in Love”. It’s a great showcase for a unique and distinctive vocal stylist.