Customer Reviews

Good Morning Starshine: The Best of Oliver

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William Oliver Swofford had a short but infectious hit-making career, which has had an impact on society even recently, as Good Morning Starshine continues to be used in various marketing ads.

His three top 40 hits, Good Morning Starshine, Jean and Sunday Mornin' are here, along with a spattering of other singles (including some that he recorded for United Artists), and some rareties (including a song he recorded with Lesley Gore under the artist name Billy and Sue).

The sound quality is top notch, as should be expected with any Taragon label release, and Sunday Mornin' (released on cd for the first time, i believe) is presented here in a brand new first time stereo mix. I think that Taragon could've thrown on a few more tracks and included some of Oliver's B-sides, but to get his 3 hits in one place, in superb sound (the other two top 40 hits have never sounded better), makes the cd worth getting anyhow. You can't miss with this one.

great collection of his short career, but the original sole three albums deserve to be reissued- that would be the real tribute to Oliver.

I barely remember much about this 'vocal pop' artist. Born as William Oliver Swafford, 1945-2000. He passed on from cancer at the age of 54. This is a twelve track collection of his better material. Looks like he had three albums put out. What I do recall is his 1970 hit "Good Morning,Starshine". Other tunes on this CD worth mentioning are "Sunday Morning", "I Can Remember", his Gordon Lightfoot song "Early Morning Rain" and Dylan's cover of "Walkin' Down The Line". A nice easy listening pick.

I saw Oliver once in a small venue and forget that serious image of a guy named Oliver singing Jean. His real name was Bill Swofford and Bill was a really funny guy. Everyone in the audience really enjoyed his performance and there was just something about his delivery. And he had a very good voice. I remember a local radio DJ making an on air comment about how much he enjoyed seeing Oliver in concert as well.

I wore out my vynl copies of my Oliver albums out in the early seventies, and was thrilled to get this cd! It's a walk down Memory Lane and my idealistic youth.

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

To fully appreciate the everlasting mark Oliver's "Good Morning Starshine" (Although he is not the composer) has left in the listeners ears the song is crafted with such precision that if the rest of the CD were blank this is a must own.

"Good Morning Starshine" rightly opens the Greatest Hits package. A timeless song that had wide scale appeal from the fan of Top 40 Radio to the listener of Album Rock, the 3:39 have no imperfections only brilliance.

Oliver has more in his arsenal than being a one hit wonder. "Jean" would have been a quality song for any performer with a certain vocal quality but Oliver's delivery of the lyrics brings it to the next level. The first two tunes show the wide range of his vocal strengths.

If the song "Come Softly To Me" sounds familiar it was a hit for the "Fleetwoods." Lesley Gore and Oliver have a brilliant duet found here.

"Early Mornin' Rain" originally penned by standout Gordon Lightfoot, is given a great treatment by Oliver. He captures the folk inflection needed to make the lyrics believable but enhances the rendition with strings in the background.

"Walkin' Down The Line" has Oliver cover Dylan. It isn't only that he attempted the superlative composition but delivers with an emphatic vocal.

Oliver's career wasn't only interpreting the work of others. He wrote songs as well and you can experience those on the Greatest Hits.

With remastered sound and a chance to enjoy "Good Morning Starshine" without clicks and pops why don't we all purchase this before the early morning rain falls.


Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

If you like that early 70's sound and songs such as Good Morning Starshine, you will enjoy this cd. I had Oliver's albums and so was familiar with most of these songs and I was very pleased to have them all together on a cd. This one is strictly a matter of musical taste. If you like his voice and 70's music you will love it.

I have always loved that song and another on here called JEAN JEAN. It is old but I like it so much. I looked for it for so long and finally found it.

I had the pleasure of hearing Oliver at a piano bar in an El Paso, Texas hotel. He was great there, great for many years over the air, and great still -- on this disc.

I first discovered Oliver in early 1970 with the album Good Morning Starshine. It included Jean and Good Morning Starshine, but also other wonderfsul songs, inlcuding Both Sides Now, In my Life, Who will Buy, Where is Love and Ruby Tuesday. Now that is the album that should have been made into a CD. Until it does I will be just have to be happy with my old 33 1/# album.