Customer Reviews

Big Twenty: All the UK Top 40 Hits 1961-73

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Gene Pitney had many hits in both Britain and America, not always with the same songs. There is a double-CD that includes all his hits in both countries together with a selection of with album tracks and B-sides, but this collection focuses exclusively on his British hit singles - all twenty of them up to 1973. It does not include Blue angel (a minor 1974 hit) or the new version of Something's gotten hold of my heart (with Marc Almond) that gave Gene his only number one hit - somewhat belatedly - in 1989.

I'm gonna be strong, Twenty four hours from Tulsa, That girl belongs to yesterday, I must be seeing things, Looking through the eyes of love, Princess in rags, Backstage, Nobody needs your love, Just one smile and the original solo version of Something's gotten hold of my heart all made the UK top ten - none of the other tracks came close although Somewhere in the country just made the top twenty.

If you just want Gene's UK hits in their original form - no album tracks, no B-sides, no American-only hits, no Marc Almond - this is the compilation to buy.

As another reviewer suggested, this is unlikely to appeal to Americans but may appeal to expatriates who lived in sixties Britain but now live in America. There's a lot of Brits living in America and I guess that's why it's available here.

I count FIVE USA hits. You'll find the other USA hits on another compilation. Steer clear unless you're a Pitney freak.