The George Hamilton Collection 1956-62

George Hamilton IV was a country singer and musician who started his professional life a teen idol pop singer with the 1956 Top 10 hit with his debut single “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” on the small Colonial label, immediately signing to ABC-Paramount for whom he had further hits as his style moved towards a blend of pop, country and rockabilly, as he had further notable hits including the Top 10 “Why Don’t They Understand” and “I Know Where I’m Going”, both of which also made the UK charts. By the end of the ‘50s he had become totally identified with country, moving to Nashville and becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and his hits after 1960 were almost all in the country charts, where he continued to have chart entries through to the late ‘70s. This great-value 58-track 2-CD set comprises almost all the A & B sides of his singles during this era for Colonial, ABC-Paramount and RCA, to whom he moved in 1961, plus selected titles from his albums for ABC “On Campus” and “Sing Me A Sad Song (Tribute To Hank Williams)” and his first RCA album “To You And Yours (From Me And Mine)”. It naturally features all his fourteen pop, country and UK chart entries from these years, including, as well as those noted above, the Top 10 country hits “Before This Day Ends”, “Three Steps To The Phone” and “If You Don't Know, I Ain’t Gonna Tell You”. It’s a comprehensive overview of the key formative years of his career, and an intriguing insight into his musical development during this time, as well as being an entertaining showcase for his distinctive talent.