Customer Reviews

Robert Goulet's Greatest Hits

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Anyone who was a fan of Massachusetts-born (November 26, 1933) Robert Goulet will tell you that he was always, first and foremost, an album-oriented vocalist with a love of Broadway musicals, as well as acting. Indeed, his big break - after starting his career while basing himself in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and being a mainstay on the CBC TV network for years - came when he landed the role of Sir Lancelot in Broadway's Camelot, earning him the 1962 Best New Artist Grammy.

But while there are plenty of CDs now on the market re-issuing his many theme-oriented albums, there are precious few presenting his legitimate hit singles for Columbia, even those blaring "Best Of" and, like this one, his "Greatest Hits." These, you will find, are mostly 10-12 track releases simply re-issuing earlier vinyl LPs, and even there they were taking considerable liberty with the word "hit" as most tracks - again such as in this volume - were never charted songs. At least not for Robert. As examples, This Is All I Ask was a 1963 charter for each of Burl Ives and Tony Bennett, Steve Alaimo had the hit version of Real Live Girl in 1965, The Impossible Dream, from Man Of La Mancha, was a hit for Jack Jones, while Autumn Leaves is best-remembered as a Rogers Williams instrumental.

And it's not as if Robert didn't, after all, have sufficient charters to fill out a multi-track CD, as he racked up 15 of them on either/both the Billboard Pop Hot 100 or the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts, as well as one that made the Billboard Christmas charts, from 1962 to 1969.

His hit-single debut wasn't exactly a stellar one as his rendition of the Anthony Newley tune What Kind Of Fool Am I? from the Broadway musical Stop The World - I Want To Get Off, struggled to a weak # 89 Hot 100 in October 1962 on Columbia 42519 b/w Where Do I Go From Here? - far behind the Sammy Davis, Jr. Top version. That original is here, but not the B-side. He then wouldn't make a chart appearance until late 1964, in the midst of the British Invasion, with My Love Forgive Me (Amore, Scusami), which rose to # 3 AC/# 16 Hot 100 in November on Columbia 43131 b/w I'd Rather Be Rich, which made it to # 131 Hot 100 Bubble Under status. Again, only the A-side is here.

In June 1965, his irregular singles work got him back on the charts when Summer Sounds peaked at # 14 AC/# 58 Hot 100 on Columbia 43301 b/w The More I See Of Mimi. Once more the B-side is omitted, but at least so far so good in terms of the hits. But this is where it falls apart, as nether side of his two-sided October 1965 entry, Come Back To Me, My Love (# 5 AC/# 118 Hot 100 Bubble Under) and On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (# 13 AC/# 119 Hot 100 Bubble Under) on Columbia 43394, are included. Nor, for that matter are any of his next 11 hits, all AC entries, or their flipsides (these I show in the Comments below where you may notice that another track presented here in a volume blaring "Greatest Hits" is Ciao, Compare - which was the uncharted B-side of his 1967 AC hit The World Of Clowns - which ISN'T here!).

A proper anthology of his "greatest hits" and their B-sides is long overdue, just over 4 years after his untimely death on October 30, 2007. This one has 3 hits and very good sound quality. Nothing more.

I have looked for this album ever since my 8-track was stolen in 1971. It is the only place I knew where I could find "Fortissimo." The recording is not digital quality, but I did not expect it. I bought one for myself and one for my brother.

This CD was a gift for my wife who was a great fan of
Goulet's. Made an excellent Christmas gift!