Running Bear

Johnny Preston | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bear Family
• ASIN: B000001AW8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Charming Billy

2. Running Bear

3. Cradle of Love

4. Chief Heartbreak

5. My Heart Knows

6. That's All I Want

7. Just Little Boy Blue

8. Leave My Kitten Alone

9. Sitting Here Crying

10. (I Want A) Rock and Roll Guitar

11. Hearts of Stone

12. Do What You Did

13. I Played Around With My Love

14. Chosen Few

15. Up in the Air

16. Kissin' Tree [1]

17. Four Letter Word

18. Feels So Fine (Feels So Good)

19. She Once Belonged to Me

20. A New Baby for Christmas

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The Big Bopper discovered this Texas rockabilly firebrand, also lending Johnny his song Running Bear and adding his own voice (as well as George Jones') to the track. It's here with his other hits Cradle of Love; Feel So Fine , and Leave My Kitten Alone plus 23 more of Johnny's hottest cuts! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Prime comeback candidate, March 23, 1999

By 

Tom Willett (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Running Bear (Audio CD)

Johnny Preston's voice was (and I understand still is) as good as any of the rockers including Jackie Wilson, Roy Orbison, Timi Yuro or Elvis. He was uneven in his selection of material. When he was good he was great, but unlike Mae West, when he was bad he wasn't better.The best songs here are "Feel So Fine" where Johnny works out his tonsils in a way that I can't imagine anyone surpassing. It is pure rock and roll. It is worth the price of the CD. "Charming Billy" is a superb update (1960) of the old folk tune. WINS Radio picked it as the favorite new song when it came out. It did not get high on the charts however. If you are a George Jones fan, you will enjoy his background vocal work (along with The Big Bopper and Bill Hall and Pappy Daily) on Johnny's #1 hit "Running Bear." The album liner notes are excellent. Even the lesser songs are fun to listen to. Teen-angst slow rock and hard driving rockabilly. This guy could still make a comeback. He should do an album with Brian Setzer and Dwight Yoakam and head for Conan O'brien's talent co-ordinator.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Meager pickings on a well-stuffed CD, March 22, 2002

By 

R. Riis "rriis" (NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Running Bear (Audio CD)

To be honest, once you get past the few hits the rest is rather pedestrian rockabilly with more of an eye on commerce than artistry. 28 tracks is certainly generous, and the booklet is of top quality. Still, one can understand why Preston never achieved enduring success with this choice of material - it just doesn't hold up well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wow, how he could sing~THANK YOU, JOHNNY PRESTON !!!, March 10, 2010

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Running Bear (Audio CD)

Johnny Preston gave his fans lots of wonderful music that they could enjoy over and over again. Johnny was exceptionally talented; and although he isn't remembered the way he deserves to be remembered, he still has his rightful place in history as a fine entertainer who could take any song and make it shine bright! Yes, we get a song or two with lyrics that are embarrassingly dated; but they still show off Johnny's superlative ability to sing. In addition, the quality of the sound on this CD is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done.

The CD opens with the title track, "Running Bear." To this day I still hear "Running Bear" on the oldies radio station; Johnny really gave blood to make this number a special one. The backup singers are great but Johnny never really needed backup--he was quite a singer on his own. "Cradle of Love" has a dynamic, early rock and roll flavor to it even if I'm not too keen on the actual lyrics; and "Feels So Fine (Feels So Good)" is excellent music that I could never tire of hearing! I also enjoy hearing Johnny perform "Leave My Kitten Alone" with that outstanding music; "Charming Billy" which is also early rock and roll with some fine guitar and drums as Johnny sings this to perfection--and beyond; and "Chief Heartbreak" makes good use of the guitars and the drums, too.

"Do What You Did" is electric; this early rock song really showcases Johnny Preston's exceptional ability to perform. Johnny does this with all his might and it shows. Moreover, I really like "That's All I Want;" and that backup chorus harmonizes faultlessly along with some fine percussion. Great! "(I Want A) Rock and Roll Guitar" has Johnny speaking some of the lyrics; and "Kissin' Tree" is easily one of my personal favorites on this album. "My Heart Knows" gets the royal treatment from Johnny who delivers this with great sensitivity--and how's about that guitar? Johnny also handles complex tempo and key changes faultlessly. "Hearts of Stone" sounds terrific in Johnny's capable hands; and there's yet another gem in "Just Little Boy Blue" with that musical interlude that impresses me so much.

"Sitting Here Crying" is electric even though it's a rather melancholy tune; and "Chosen Few" really lets Johnny open up and bat this straight out of the ballpark! Johnny does this without ever letting go of a single superfluous note; and that's grand. "Up in the Air" is very well done; and the CD closes with two numbers, "Four Letter Word" and "New Baby for Christmas." If this genre of music is what you crave, it will leave you wanting more!

Johnny Preston gave a lot to his adoring fans; and maybe with continued sales of albums like this one he will once again be recognized for what he gave to us. I highly recommend this for his fans; and newcomers to Johnny would do well to add this to their music collections, too.