Customer Reviews

Singles Collection

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Anyone familiar with top-40 radio in the 60's knows Bobby Vee and could name several tunes of his that made it into the top 10. During his decade-long run of charting songs, he had a very impressive 38 of those make it into the top 100. So here is no flash-in-the-pan artist. The CD reissue market is loaded with Vee's albums on CD, two-fers and a myriad of compilation CD's, running the gamut from excellent to lets-make-a-buck cheapos-on-the-fly.

So why do we care that there is yet another Bobby Vee compilation CD? For several reasons, actually. First, with all the CD's out there, this is the first time EVERY top-100 charting single of Vee's becomes available. While that may not be of interest to casual listeners satified with the familiar stuff, this piece does fill a long-standing void in Vee's recordings on CD. As an aside, of all the distilled-down compilations, the EMI Legends of Rock 'n' Roll single collection is the best of the lot. While not being, or pretending to be, a comprehensive collection of Vee's recordings, this piece does live up to its promise of a "singles" collection, at least as far as those that charted along with their b-sides are concerned. And for good measure, Italian-language versions of a few of his hits are included.

The sixteen-page liner notes booklet contains an accounting of Vee's musical history along with a number of photos and record and album illustrations. And while the sound quality of the EMI Legends piece may have the edge, there are no apologies needed here. The majority of the tracks are in stereo, the exceptions being tracks 2,4,6,24 on disc one, 5,6,10-14,16,17,19-23,25,27 on disc 2 and 14,16,27-30 on disc 3. As a greatest hits package, this is the ultimate and well done in every way.

This triple CD contains the A side and the B side of every Bobby Vee single ever released in Britain or America for Liberty records, plus four tracks recorded in Italian. Oh, and it also includes two tracks from a 1962 Christmas album that were intended for a single release that never actually happened. The set is presented in chronological order except for the Italian tracks, which make up the last four tracks of the final CD. Being in chronological order, almost all the hits are on the first CD, a reflection of the fact that Bobby had a relatively brief period when he was extremely popular, followed by a much longer period when his records were still of a high quality but no longer fashionable.

Bobby was a huge Buddy Holly fan, eventually recording an album with the Crickets as well as an album filled with covers of Buddy's songs. It therefore seems a bitter irony that Bobby's big break came when he was called in at short notice as a substitute following Buddy's fatal plane crash. Although those albums are beyond the scope of this singles collection, there are a couple of covers of Buddy's songs here, these being Everyday (the B-side of Rubber ball) and Well all right (a seventies A-side that flopped).

Bobby's vocal style was best suited to ballads so it is no surprise that Take good care of my baby and The night has a thousand eyes were among his biggest hits on both sides of the Atlantic. On the more up-tempo tracks, female background singers often helped out (hear the bouncy, bouncy on Rubber ball, surely the best of Bobby's up-tempo songs) but even on the up-tempo songs, Bobby dispenses with their services occasionally, particularly on Baby face, when Bobby seems to be straining just a little. Actually that track works quite well, but it illustrates what I mean about Bobby being ideally suited to ballads.

The first CD contains classic hits such as Devil or angel, Rubber ball, More than I can say (later covered by Leo Sayer who had a UK hit with it in the seventies), Take good care of my baby and The night has a thousand eyes. Among the other tracks is What do you want?, which was Bobby's second single. It was actually a cover of an up-tempo British song that provided Adam Faith with a UK number one hit. At a time when so many British singers and groups were quite content to cover American songs, it was a rarity for Americans to find any original British songs that they were interested in covering, prior to the emergence of the Beatles. Sadly, the song didn't provide Bobby with his hoped-for American hit.

Hits are few and far between on CD 2 and CD 3, much the biggest of them being Come back when you grow up, an American top ten hit from 1967. Nevertheless, there's a lot of good music to be heard among these tracks. The lack of hits certainly wasn't caused by lack of effort. Bobby tried all sorts of ideas including recording with George Martin at Abbey Road, presumably hoping to capture some of that Beatles magic. Bobby also recorded a country single (Gone) but it flopped. The B-side of that single (A girl I used to know) is a cover of a George Jones country hit that country music fans also know by a slightly different title, Just someone I used to know, under which title it was a hit country duet for Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. Given that Gene Pitney had some success with country music in the sixties, maybe Bobby might have succeeded had he persevered.

If you are only looking for Bobby's big hits, forget this set and buy a single CD instead, because it'll be cheaper, take up less space and you won't have to skip all the other tracks. If, however, you are interested in B-sides and singles that missed the charts or weren't released at all, this is the treasure trove you've been looking for.

The Bobby Vee Singles Collection is supposedly complete. You get some of the frequently heard favorites: Rubber Ball, Everyday, Come Back When You Grow Up, to name a few. Then there are some of my less known personal favorites that I haven't heard in years: My Love Loves Me, Laurie, Baby Face. All in all, a very pleasing collection.

Amazon and at least one other seller lists 96 tracks. But there are actually only 95 spread out over the three discs: 33, 32, 30. Close examination shows that #76, Sunrise Highway, does not really exist as #11 on the third disc. And it is not on the printed back cover list that comes with the CD, although it is mentioned in the accompanying booklet.

As a final touch, the last four tracks are some of his hits sung in Italian. Nice to listen closely and make some comparisons, especially if you have at least a little understanding of the language.

The collection is not what you can call "complete" if you want everything of Bobby's that was released. There are cover songs from different albums that you can't get here. These were most famous by their original artists: Peggy Sue, Little Star, Lollipop, Do You Want To Dance, etc. So you would still have to supplement this set with something else.

But it's worth the price, regardless.

THIS IS AMAZING! Here is every A and B side of all of Bobby Vee's single releases.
This "Singles Collection" is quite a collectors item.
In the heyday of 45 rpm. records, the b-sides
were often played at home as much as the intended 'hit' side.
Occasionally there was a song that was liked as much or more then the a-side,
which may, or may not have been included in an L.P.

I have always been a Bobby Vee fan.
I had all his 45's through high school,
and found some of the b-sides to be some of my favorites.
This is a very extensive compilation, and it is extraordinary!

This Singles Collection spans 1959 to 1977, with 95 tracks on three dics.
Bobby Vee had 38 charted singles from 1959 to 1970, ALL are here, AND ALL b-sides.

Some of Vee's major hits are:
1. "Devil or angel" -- top 10 in 1960.
2. "Rubber ball" -- top 10 in 1960.
3. "Take good care of my baby" -- topped the chart in 1961.
4. "Run to him" -- almost topped the chart in 1961.
5. "Please don't ask about Barbara" -- top 20 in 1962.
6. "Sharing you" -- top 20 in 1962.
7. "The night has a thousand eyes" -- almost topped the chart in 1961.
8. "Come back when you grow up" -- almost topped the chart in 1967.

This box set was compiled in 2006 by 'Liberty Records',
the label Bobby Vee was on through his entire career.
A sixteen page booklet details Vee's career and is beautifully done.

Each C.D. pictures a different motif like on the center of the original 45's.
This set is astonishingly good, perfectly presented, at a surprisingly low price.

Also included are some U.K. only singles & rare Italian language version of some singles.
The first two disc are my favorites, but it's nice these other examples are included.
The complete set has excellent sound quality, and is All original recordings.

I have been wanting all of the hits including the minor hits of Bobby Vee for many years. This 3 CD collection has them all. If you want all of the hits of Bobby Vee then this is the collection to buy. These are the original hits also not new recordings.

For the legions of Bobby Vee fans world wide and all collectors of American Pop music..this long overdue box set is a must. Great singles in various other musical genres, such as the great country cuts "Gone" and "Story Of My Life", he croons with the best of them with "Pretend" and of course all the great Two sided monster hit singles he enjoyed throughout his Illustrious career. Nicely packaged three disc set, great sound, a nice note from Bobby, and some great liner notes from long time Vee associate Bob Celli. This is the definitive retrospective collection of the brilliant career of Bobby Vee, A true American Pop Icon.....Vince Guillen

This is an excellent collection of songs from one of my favorite singers from way back. I feel totally blessed in finding it as I've been searching for a song (I didn't know the name of it) and thought it could be one I saw on this album so I ordered it. OMGosh it is on there (Electric Trains and You) and has very special meaning from one of the 1st times my husband and I spent together(he is deceased)when he told me he loved me more than electric trains. Wish I could share it with him. Thank you.

There are many songs in this collection that I never heard before. I'm so happy I ordered this. We saw Bobby in person a couple of years ago & he is still wonderful. It's been great listening to this collection. Still believe the "oldies" are the best!!!

The first record album I ever bought was a Bobby Vee album. I had heard that this young man sounded much like the recently deceased Buddy Holly and I was curious to check it out for myself. One play of the album and I was an avid fan of Bobby's. I even had to admit that, although there were similarities, he was a song stylist in his own right, and I quickly became an addict. His music captured many of the feelings that we all felt as teens during that time. I have never admitted this before, but this is he only recording artist that prompted me to stand at a mirror and lip-sync every song until I felt a kinship to Bobby Vee. Now, decades later, this collection has renewed that kinship and the distant memories of a very special time.

Well presented package, nice liner notes, good quality, all his big
hits + B sides but only one small complaint: Except for 2 songs the
3rd CD can be forgotten. With 2 discs this compilation would have
been perfect and the best tribute to Bobby's music. This 3rd one
reflects the days of an artist who didn't know what to sing or what
to do anymore singing some "Liverpool sound" orientated songs which
wasn't his style at all + some forgettable Italian versions who
probably no Italian understands.
For those of you who really like Bobby Vee you will be better off
with the BGO twofers dedicated to him which all are real beauties
and even superior in sound than this CD box.