Customer Reviews

Jukebox Hits of 1968, Vol. 1

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I've listened to several albums in this series, and each is a blast from the past that retains the memories fully intact. That is to say, all tracks are the original hit recordings by the original artists, and with fidelity that is as fresh as if the music was recorded yesterday. There have been a number of compilations that, unless you really look for the fine print on the cover, misleads you into thinking you're getting the originals when you're really getting re-recorded versions by either the original artist or a member of the original group. Not so here. Each track is the real deal. There are many albums in this series, and all just as wonderful as this one. So if you're the oldies purist that I am, don't hesitate to add this series to your collection.

Chances are, if you have reached this volume you were searching either under the generic title Jukebox or, perhaps, for a specific song which brought you here. Either way you have reached one in a series that began in 1991 and which covers every year from 1950 to 1969. Under the Jukebox search, Amazon lists only some of the many volumes produced for CD by JEZEBEL and Double D Entertainment 1992 based in Canada, mixed with others not related to the series but with "Jukebox" as part of the title. This particular series is distinguished by the various vintage models of Wurlitzer jukeboxes on the cover.

The earlier releases contain neither liner notes nor discographies, and while some for the mid- to late 1960s do have minimal text included, this unfortunately is not one of them. The contents, all original hit renditions with adequate sound quality (except for hapless "only pristine will do" audiophiles), range from easy- to relatively easy-to-find, to the following which I consider to be in the difficult-to-find category: the full 7:21 hit version of MacArthur Park (# 2 Billboard Pop Hot 100/# 10 Adult Contemporary (AC) in late summer) by the late Richard Harris - Dumbledore to the younger set; Hold Me Tight by Johnny Nash (# 5 Hot 100/# 20 AC/# 21 R&B in November); Reach Out Of The Darkness by Friend And Lover (# 10 Hot 100 in June); Henson Cargill's original Skip A Rope (# 1 Country for 5 weeks/# 25 Hot 100 early in 1968 - far too many remakes of this on the market]; Ame Caline (Soul Coaxing), one of Raymond Lefevere's memorable instrumentals from that period (# 4 AC/# 37 Hot 100 in March/April); Mr. Businessman by funnyman Ray Stevens who departs from his usual high jinks to deliver a biting, social commentary (# 28 Hot 100 in August); and Strawberry Shortcake by Jay & The Techniques (# 39 Hot 100 in February).

As an observation, Amazon and its customers would be much better served if this and the others they currently have in stock were collected together under the generic title Jukebox Hits in the same manner as those from Stardust of Canada under Treasured Tunes, Ace Records' The Golden Age Of American Rock 'N' Roll, or Eric's Hard To Find 45s on CD. Perhaps, too, they could seek out supplies of those volumes currently not stocked because, believe me, this is a good source for some hard-to-find selections.