Customer Reviews

Best of Jack Scott (1957 - 1960)

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At one point several years ago, Jack Scott was one of the few artists of any consequence from the rock and roll era that I did not own a collection of. "The Best of Jack Scott (1957-1960) from Canada's Stardust label gives you a pretty complete look at the somewhat brief but successful chart career of this talented singer/songwriter/guitarist. In fact all 16 of his charted singles appear here along with 8 other tracks. Both his first hit "Leroy" and "Geraldine" are fine examples of the rockabilly sound. But Jack Scott also dabbled in other sounds like country and western, ballads and even doo wop. In fact 2 of his biggest hits "My True Love" as well as his classic "What In The World's Come Over You" would remind you more of doo wop than anything else. Jack Scott often utilized the considerable talents of the French-Canadian vocal group The Chantones as a backup group and they certainly enhanced the sound on a number of his recordings. The sound quality is wonderful and all appear to be the original Carlton and Top Rank recordings. The disappointing thing about this collection is the rather feeble attempt at liner notes. Why even bother? You might think that a Canadian record label might put a bit more effort into a disc by a Canadian born artist. Nevertheless, I am finding that the more I play "The Best of Jack Scott (1957-1960) the more I enjoy. Serious collectors of early rock and roll would do well to add this disc of hard-to-find tunes to their collection before it disappears forever. Highly recommended!

Out of the many CD's that I have purchased over the years, this is one that I keep handy as I play it at least once or twice a week.The songs are all excellent.Jack's vocals are top notch and
the musicians put out rhythm and blues/rock sounds that are phenominal to say the least.This is one great album.

This 1995 CD comes from the Canadian-based Stardust Productions who also give you the excellent multi-volume series Treasured Tunes and Vintage Instrumentals. There are two pages of liner notes included (author unknown) concerning Jack Scafone, born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on January 24, 1938 and who moved across the river to the Hazel Park neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan with his family at age 10.

After a brief 1957 stint with ABC-Paramount which saw two singles released in 1957, neither of which charted, Jack hooked up with the much smaller Carlton label and, in 1958/59, turned out nine Billboard Pop Hot 100 singles, two of which crossed over to the R&B charts. He then moved to another small operation, Top Rank, where he cranked out seven more Hot 100 charters from 1959 to 1961, including two more R&B cross-overs, and then joined the major player, Capitol, producing his final three in 1961. On all his hits in this period he was backed by the French-Canadian vocal group, The Chantones. His last hit came in 1974 for Dot Records when You're Just Gettin' Better was a minor Country entry at # 92 in July b/w As You Take A Walk Through My Mind.

This CD, however, gives you ALL of his major and minor hits for the Carlton and Top Rank labels from 1958 to 1961. I repeat the contents here to indicate which are in stereo (denoted *) and their performances on the charts, if any:

Baby, She's Gone - ABC/Paramount 9818 April 1957 b/w You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar - omitted here, and Two-Timin' Woman - ABC/Paramount 986- Nov. 1957 b/w I Need Your Love - also omitted here;

My True Love - Carlton 462-A - # 3 Billboard Pop Top 100/# 5 R&B July 1957; Leroy - Carlton 462-B - # 11 Pop/# 5 R&B "follow-along; * With Your Love - Carlton 483-A - # 28 Pop October 1958; Geraldine - Carlton 483-B - # 96 Pop Oct 1958; * Goodbye Baby - Carlton 493-A - # 8 Pop Dec 1958/Jan 1959[ * Save My Soul - Carlton 493-B - # 73 Pop Dec 1958/Jan 1959; I Never Felt Like This - - Carlton 504-A - # 78 Pop April 1959; Bella - Carlton 504-B; * The Way I Walk - Carlton 514-A - 35 Pop July 1959; * Midgie - Carlton 514-B; There Comes A Time - Carlton 519-A, - # 71 Pop October 1959; Baby Marie - Carlton 519-B;

* What In The World's Come Over You? - Top Rank 2028-A - # 5 Pop/# 7 R&B February 1960; * Baby, Baby - Top Rank 2028-B; * Burning Bridges - Top Rank 2041-A - # 3 Pop/# 5 R&B May 1960 (not the same song as The Mike Curb Generation 1971 hit); * Oh Little One - Top Rank 2041-B - # 34 Pop May 1960; * It Only Happened Yesterday - Top Rank 2055-A - # 38 Pop August 1960; * Cool Water - Top Rank 2055-B - # 85 Pop august 1960; * Patsy - Top Rank 2075-A - # 65 Pop October 1960 (the flip, Old Time Religion, is not here); and Is There Something On Your Mind? - Top Rank 2093-A - # 89 Pop January 1961 (its flip, Found A Woman, is also omitted).

Track 23 is the 1957 demo of Leroy, then titled Greaseball, while track 24 is an alternate stereo take on 1958's Geraldine.

The 1961 Capitol hits excluded are: A Little Feeling (Called Love) - a # 91 Hot 100 in May b/w Now That I - Capitol 4554; My Dream Come True - a # 83 Hot 100 in August b/w Strange Desire - Capitol 4597; and Steps 1 And 2 - a # 86 Hot 100 in November b/w One Of These Days - Capitol 4637. Again, he was backed by The Chantones on these three hits.

Well worth a listen.