Customer Reviews

Tab Hunter

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

 

 

With a sound that works for today's popular "Lounge Music";Tab Hunter hits a home run!The CD has a pristine clear sound,and enjoyable versions of classic songs such as "My Baby Just Cares For Me","Time After Time",and "After You're Gone".K.Nolting

Collector's Choice, as a distributor of CDs, is noted for offering some of the most obscure stuff you are ever going to find. This is one of them.

First of all, Arthur Andrew Kelm was an athlete who took the stage name Tab Hunter when he began making movies - Island Of Desire, Battle Cry, Damn Yankees (his best in my opinion), Ride The Wild Surf, and Lust In The Dust [look it up if you don't believe me]. What he was NOT was a singer. And he knew it. Like fellow-actor contemporaries Sal Mineo and Anthony [Tony] Perkins, he was pressed into the music business by studio bosses anxious to cash in on the "heart-throb" craze sweeping the nation.

The big surprise was, he actually scored a # 1 Billboard Pop Top 100 in 1957 with Young Love, edging out the superior (by a country mile) Sonny James version [which also hit # 1] by remaining at that position for six weeks, as opposed to one week for James. However, whereas the Hunter version also scored at # 8 R&B, Sonny saw his go to # 1 Country (where it stayed for 9 weeks) AND # 3 R&B.

The Hunter flipside, Red Sails In The Sunset, is probably THE worst rendition of that old standard, and it also charted at # 57 Top 100, illustrating the power of promotion.

His follow-up hit didn't come for a full year when Ninety-Nine Ways reached # 11 Top 100 b/w another butchered classic, Duke Ellington's Don't Get Around Much Anymore [# 74]. After that he had three hit singles, none of which were exactly memorable. Indeed, what made any of them interesting were the musical arrangements of Billy Vaughn and Don Ralke.

All of which is to say, why did Collector's Choice give us a CD version of an old album that contains more old standards poorly done by, and which hardly sold in its vinyl format? Forget this and go to the Eric release which gives you all seven hits, and one of the three non-charting flipsides.

I have 5 Tab Hunter old 45's namely Young Love,Ways, I'll be with you in apple blossom time, Red Sails in the Sunset and Don't get around much anymore" , all of these I love, but I need to know if all of these tracks are on the CD. In fact I only rated this CD with one star,because no track listing is given. Can anyone out there write in this column, listing all of the tracks? PLEASE,PLEASE??
I cannot play the old 45's as they are too scratched,and would love to buy the CD on this site,once I know ALL the tracks.
Apart of this, Tab Hunter has always been one of my favourite matinee singing idols(alongside Bobby Darin,Bobby Rydell,Bobby Vee, Ricky Nelson and of course Steve Lawrence and Mel Torme) with his clear-cut voice and the supurb backing arrangement,he had the edge over other artists of his day.I remember back in 1957 that great song "Red Sails in the Sunset" (I was a 10 year old at the time) with the "B-side" of that Nat King Cole Hit "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". This B-side I loved to hear had a great backing arrangement with the opening bars of saxaphones. Great stuff! One never hears this Tab track on radio.
Anyway, that's it. So don't forget to tell me the TOTAL LIST OF TRACKS which is sadly omitted of this web-site. Ta...
A great backing arrangement,with the blast of saxes in the opening bar!! Just great stuff!

I'm afraid I don't agree with one of the reviewers who claimed that this is Tab Hunter at his best because not a single one of his hits is included in this album. When is Warner going to put out a greatest hits collection for this wonderful singer/actor?

Much has been said about Tab Hunter....bad and good. As for his movies....I think he defined his generation. His acting, as viewed today, was always convincing. Who the devil wants Lawrence Oliver all the time....and Tab was so MUCH better looking.
His singing is honest and sincere...and the arrangements on this album is a good as you can get. He does a great job on all cuts.
Wish he had made more albums...but alas...rock and roll ruined that as it ruined all music. This is only my opinion.
Get this album...especially if you are a Tab Hunter fan. You want be disapointed.