Customer Reviews

I'd Like to Teach the World

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some of you may remember the Hillside Singer's most famous hit "I'D Like To Teach The World To Sing", either as a hit that this group had, or the song that Coca Cola made famous as one of it's more lengdary jingles. As a Coke spot this song was used as a message of world peace both during the balance of the year and with a special commercial during the Chrristmas Season (all this world peace and no Miss America, go figure).

BUT, this vocal group could do much more. Many may connect folk songs with the 60's, but this genre continued through the early to mid 70's as well. Besides the title track, songs like The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down, and Kum Ba Ya allow their tight harmonies and emotions to shine.

Another intersting side note is the song "Were Together", this track wound up becoming one of McDonald's best known theme songs from the early 70's, and needless to say paired well with their most famous song beng a Coke jingle.

An important side note is that another group, The New Seekers, also recorded, "I'D Like To Teach The World To Sing" during the same time, AND also charted a hit with it, BUT, the most beloved version of this tracj, was the Hillside Singers version, an original NOT a copy.

When this first came out on LP, I was in my 20s and very much in to folk music. I just happened to buy this and played it to death. When I was depressed, the music made me feel good. The words had a message but didn't hit you over the head with it.
My LP player wore out so I started to look for the Hillside singers on tape. No luck and I felt like I had lost friends because I could no longer hear the music.
Over the years, I would search in stores and then the internet. I did find an old LP but I already had that but no way to play it.
I couple of months ago, I Googled "Hillside Singers" and nearly broke into tears when I found the LP was now a CD.
Oh happy day when the CD arrived. I am tempted to buy another as a backup.
I am much older now. I still like folk music and the Hillside singers still make me feel GOOD.
What more can I ask!

THIS CD IS WORTH EVERY CENT...BUT IF YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY THERE IS A MINOR BLIP UNDER THE FIRST WORD OF "I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING". IT'S MINOR SO BUY THIS CD ANYWAY.

JUST GOOD MUSIC DONE WELL.

I jumped at the chance to pick up this compilation CD of the Hillside Singers recordings, particularly to acquire their "Christmas Is" track and their "I'd Like To Teach the World to Sing" hit. Disappointingly, the latter is NOT the hit single version but a re-recording from some other time. Since I'm not familiar with all the other tracks I'm not sure how many other re-recordings they contain, but if would have been nice if the track(s) would have been identified as such.