Customer Reviews

Al Hirt - RCA Victor: Greatest Hits

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If you're looking for an album containing the 18 hit singles he had for RCA Victor from 1964 to 1969 - keep looking! This one, despite the title of "Greatest Hits," contains exactly one - and it also happens to be his first. Java, on RCA Victor 8280, made it to # 1 Adult Contemporary (AC) and # 4 Billboard Pop Hot 100 early in 1964 - right in the midst of the opening rounds of the British Invasion - b/w I Can't Get Started.

But not only is that B-side missing here, so is every other one that backed his other 17 hits, not to mention the hit sides themselves. I would surely like to know how producer Steven Gates figures these other 17 tracks constitute his "greatest hits."

For the record, Al put 9 on the Hot 100, including the hard-to-find Christmas tune, Hooray For Santa Claus (# 6 Billboard Christmas charts in 1964 b/w White Christmas), all of which (except Hooray For Santa Claus) also made the AC charts. Another nine scored only as AC hits, including five that also made the Hot 100 "Bubble Under" listings: The Arena (# 28 AC/# 129 b/w Yesterday in February 1966); Music To Watch Girls By (# 31 AC/# 119 b/w His Girl in February 1967); Puppet On A String (# 18 AC/# 129 b/w Big Honey in June 1967); We Can Fly/Up Up And Away (# 23 AC/# 129 in The Glory Of Love in May 1968); and If (# 16 AC/# 116 b/w Penny Arcade in February 1969, and his final hit single).

While all 17 AC charters made it into the Top 40 there, including five Top 10's, his best on the Hot 100 was Java, followed by Cotton Candy (# 15 in May 1964 as well as # 3 AC b/w Walkin' (a # 103 "Bubble Under") and Sugar Lips (# 30 as well as # 3 AC b/w Poupée Brisée (Broken Doll).

Not a bad collection of some of his many album cuts, but in no way do they fit the generally-accepted definition of "greatest hits." The sound quality is excellent, and with the insert is a re-listing of the tracks showing recording dates (but nothing in the way of the albums they came out on, and when. There is also a single page of background notes written by Emily King which does nothing to explain the misnomer when it comes to the album's title.

My favourites are Java, I'm Movin' On and Girl from Ipanema. There are some other nice ones not included such as Pink Confetti, Cotton Candy etc. but overall a good album to "test the waters".

A true virtuoso..... His recording of "Java" was just an attempt to "commercialize" his great talent.... (after all ... a guy has to eat...).
True... Al didn't have many "Hits"... but to me... anything he plays is a hit....

"JAVA" made a big hit in the same way in Japan. Al Hirt is popular in not only U.S.A. but also Japan.
I like "Fly me to the moon", "The girl from Ipanema", "If you go away", "When the saints go marching in" in this album in particular.
His musicality and technique are splendid.
This is a good album.