Customer Reviews

The Pop Hits Collection

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It's about time!! Legendary country singer Skeeter Davis was truly one of the trailblazing female vocalists in the 1960's, equal parts Kitty Wells and Connie Francis, she was at home on the pop charts as she was on the country charts. Skeeter is widely known for being one of the "big three" female country singers of the early 1960's (with Kitty Wells and Patsy Cline) but she was also a major crossover act on the pop charts, scoring nine pop chart hits in BILLBOARD. Although all of her recordings were produced in Nashville, many were as pop as anything being done at the time in Los Angeles or New York. A wonderful intrepeter of teen-girl angst (despite being thirtyish herself!) it's no wonder the likes of Carole King and other major pop writers wrote songs especially for this Grand Ole Opry icon.

THE POP HITS COLLECTION concentrates on what a wonderful pop singer Skeeter is in addition to her countrier recordings. True, most of the tracks here are album cuts and not bona fide "hits" but they are sensational and should have been hits had they found their way to 45 rpm. I have always loved "The Ladder of Success", "Easy To Love", and "I Can't See Me Without You", and it's great to here them again this time on CD. And some of the hits here (ironically country hits that didn't hit the pop charts for some reason - they are definately more pop) like "What Am I Gonna Do With You" and "Sunglasses" (the latter earning Skeeter one of her five Grammy nominations) have long been forgotten by all but the most die-hard Davis fans, so it's wonderful that these gems have resurfaced. The tracks here were all cut 1962-1967 which ironically cuts off Skeeter's early pop hits "My Last Date" and "I Can't Help You, I'm Falling Too" but since both of those are on the two other major Skeeter Davis CD compilations that's ok. I would have liked to have heard some of the post-1967 pop material Skeeter tackled brillantly on her later RCA albums (she was on the label through 1975) like her superb covers of "Both Sides Now", "Son of A Preacher Man", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Reason to Believe", and the Grammy-nominated "One Tin Solider". Just listen to her performance of Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him" here to see just how Skeeter can make a famous song her own with unique arrangement and heartfelt vocals. With the three dozen or so albums Skeeter recorded for RCA, there's plenty of wonderful stuff out there for an encore "Pop" CD but for now let's revel in this sensational package which may well be both the top vintage country and 60's pop CD of the year.

Skeeter could always hold her own with the pop crowd, and this nicely-packed 24 track CD proves it.

Of course you know "The End of The World" & "I Can't Stay Mad At You", and you maybe even remember Skeeter's cover of "Gonna Get Along Without You Now". These are the only the beginning.

The disc contains some of the best musical collisions of all time. When you slam the "Brill Building" sound into the "Nashville Sound", you get something really special. (No less than 5 of these tracks are honest-to-goodness Goffin/King tunes!)

This CD covers the years of 1963 through 1967. The CD runs the gammut from the cheery teenage pop of "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" (originally done by Little Eva) to '67's fantasticly mature-yet-breezy "What Does It Take (To Keep A Man Like You Satisfied), which was a Top 10 country hit that managed to bubble under the top 100 at #121.

THE CD also contains some first time stereo mixes of some of Skeeter's lost singles, including "Don't Anybody Need My Love". Originally a B-side, it's a song which I consider to probably be THE greatest 60's non-hit that there ever was. It's blatently obvious that Skeeter and producer Chet Atkins modeled the tune after "Home OF The Brave" by Bonnie & The Treasures, a Phil Spector associated tune. They even went so far as to copy the main hook from the song. However, IMHO they did Uncle Phil one better. The song just wails. It's as if they disassembled the Wall Of Sound and had it rebuilt right on Nashville's Music Row. Sonicly and musically, it's just perfect. Out of all the tracks presented here, it's the one which has the most timeless sound.

Other stellar tracks are the 6 cuts from the "Singin' In The Summer Sun" LP that are included here, including the mellow-and-wispy "Summer Sunshine", and a GREAT cover of Chad & Jeremy's "A Summer Song".

I've used enough adjectives to describe this one. You have to hear for yourself!

This cd/album "Skeeter Davis: the pop hits collection" is a really enjoyable collection of Skeeter Davis recordings. As the album title says, more "pop" than "country", if that distinction means anything to you.

Skeeter puts down the definitive version of "The End Of The World" (later covered by Herman's Hermits . . . and Nancy Sinatra . . . and so many others).

This collection contains one of my all time Skeeter songs, "I Can't Stay Mad At You" . . . it is so reminiscent of "the Neal Sadaka sound".

Also a classic track here is "Sunglasses".

Skeeter delivers a really soft and evocative rendition of Peter and Gordon's "A Summer Song". . . it takes you back to the days of the "british invasion" and all that "late night transistor radio listening" . . . summer nights, sitting on the porch, searching the radio dial for distant stations and hearing "this" song and all it evokes and all the nostalgia for warm summer nights.

"If I had Wheels" . . . truly Skeeter's own . . . but it sosunds so very much like something Nancy Sinatra might have recorded back in 1965/66 when Lee Hazlewood wrote and produced for her. Skeeter was 'hep' and 'gear' and this song proves it.

Skeeter is not in the best of health these days, and I hope she is feeling better. I hope she gets back to performing once again. This cd shows why she has made a mark and a lasting contibution to America's music world . . . not just to country, but to "all" of our music. Nothing is neater than "Skeeter"! :)

Skeeter Davis's pithy, ne'er-do-well vocals enhance just about any song given to her, and that includes a lot of cover tunes since Davis wasn't primarily a songwriter. The fact that she makes the songs her own says a lot about her vocalizing style, which when put to a sad song about lost love comes out warmly melancholy(never bitter). "Essential Skeeter Davis" is probably the better buy, yet this one does have "Sun Glasses", "What Am I Going To Do With You(Hey Baby)" and "Don't Let Me Stand in Your Way"--rare singles that are wonderful to have on disc.

We love this CD. My husband and I are great fans of Skeeter. Great songs sung in Skeeter style. Excellent.

Skeeter is best remembered for End of the world, an extremely sad song that almost topped the pop charts in America and also made number eighteen in Britain, where a cover by Sonia also peaked at eighteen over twenty years later. This track appears on just about every compilation of Skeeter's music, so it is the other tracks that are the main interest here. The compiler has included a few of Skeeter's own hits but has mainly focused on her covers of songs that were successful for others in the American pop charts.

Silver threads and golden needles was original recorded by Wanda Jackson, but became a top twenty hit for British folk-pop group the Springfields, who recorded it after hearing Skeeter's version. I will follow him was originally a French instrumental. With vocals added and titled Chariot, it became a million-seller for Petula Clark in France. She recorded the English version (I will follow him), but it was Little Peggy March who had the big hit, topping the American charts and also charting in Britain. Petula's version topped the chart in Singapore. Gonna get along without ya now was an American hit for Teresa Brewer, but was later covered by Patience and Prudence who also had a hit with it. Viola Wills had a UK hit with it in the seventies.

Other notable covers here include Keep your hands off my baby (Little Eva), Sunglasses (Sandy Posey - a UK hit for Tracey Ullman in the eighties), Under the boardwalk (Drifters) and Remember walking in the sand (Shangri-Las).

This is a fascinating collection that demonstrates Skeeter's versatility, but if you're looking for Skeeter's own hits, Essential Skeeter Davis is the strongest collection of those.

very enjoyable 1950,s early 1960,s pop hit collection. its got cant stay mad at you, end of the world, gonna get along with out you know now. she did a good job on cover songs, such as i will follow him. of her last songson the cd. i liked a summer song. light and breezy, very sixtys. made you think you were out for a walk on a very beautiful day.

This is one of my best oldies album in my collection. Having been lured into Skeeter's music from the fantastic "End of the World" I thought I might try a whole collection. What a treat and a real find! If you like smart early 1960's pop you must run to add this to your collection. She sings a lot of music that became higher charter hits for others, but frankly she needed a more agressive producer to make these chart higher on her own! Catchy
and strong vocals that have Skeeter's unsurpassed honesty and warmth. One of my favorites "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" is so well orchestrated and catchy, it perfectly represents the time it was released.
It Pop charted at #48 yet Leslie Gore, another of my favorites with similar vocal style, always charted higher. Go figure! Great liner notes along with 24 great songs makes this a must have for any fan of innocent , honest and yes fun music of that time period. Skeeter was one of a kind. Your turn to find out now!

I bought this music CD for the songs: Sunglasses, The End Of The World, I'm Saving My Love, I Can't Stay Mad At You, Gonna Get Along Without You Now. I ended up with extraneous good songs: Silver Threads And Golden Needles, I Will Follow Him, My Sweet Loving Man, Ladder Of Success, A Summer Song, and, If I Had Wheels. It is a must have CD for any music library.

Bought this cd for mum, remembered she listened to skeeter davis when i was a kid. She loved it and was surprised that i found her this great collection...thank you mamzon for having vintage music...helped me put a smile on her face...