Customer Reviews

Young Love: The Classic Hits of Sonny James

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Here is a 21 song collection by Razor & Tie of one of the finest voices of American Music. All of Sonny's biggest hits are included: "Bright Lights, Big City", "Young Love", and "Take Good Care of Her". More importantly are the inclusion of other numbers from his vast catalog: specifically, I'm referring to: "Behind the Tear", "Running Bear", and "It's the Little Things". The sound and mixing presented on this album are second to none. You will most definately enjoy this album, and for the money, you'd be nuts if you dont grab it while it's still available.

I first came to appreciate Sonny James via the late, lamented "60s country" channel of net radio.com. What a treasure trove of classic country that was! "Young Love" captures most of the Southern Gentleman's #1 hits of the 60s and early 70s. The selections are numbered in the same sequence that Capitol records released them publicly. Sonny made a specialty of taking soft rock/pop hits and "countryfying" them. High points are "Born to Be With You" (The Chordettes), "Take Good Care of Her" (Adam Wade) and "Empty Arms" (Theresa Brewer) plus "Behind the Tear" and "Heaven Says Hello". This is mellow country at its best. While Sonny often did his own version of other's efforts, he is no copycat. These country versions are almost new songs in themselves-with his own unique spin. Was that a cry in his voice? Any man able to countryfy The Chordettes is a talented artist. According to Billboard, Sonny had 64 charted country hits from 1953-1983. "Young Love" will give the appreciative listener a solid sampling of the best of those 30 years. Unlike so many albums which sneak in duds, all 21 tracks were in the Billboard top 10 and 15 (!) were #1. If you like your country on the soft side, this CD is (pardon the pun), in a "World of Its Own".

I purchased this CD because I liked a couple of Sonny's songs. I didn't recognize many of the titles, and when I played the album, I was amazed at how many "big hits" Sonny James was famous for. I can listen to this CD (album) every evening, and never get tired of it. It's truly one of the best album purchases I have ever made. Truly a GREAT pop-country album for any collection!

What can you say that hasn't already been said about the extreme talent of Sonny James. I have followed his music from the 1950's and haven't heard a bad record yet, He is a wonderful person as well as a great singer and there will never be another Sonny James. I rate him up there with Elvis, Conway Twitty, Gene Watson, Eddy Arnold, and all the country greats that I admire. He's the best!

GREAT MEMORIES!! Sonny James was some of the very first music I heard as a child in the early 60s. My dad had many of his records and Sonny James was one I'd always put on the turn-table whenever I was alone in the house. I was really too young to even comprehend a lot of the lyrics, but I clearly remember how Sonny James voice and music made me feel ---- GREAT! This collection covers all his best songs. But there's one song I remember that I especiallly loved that I've yet to find anywhere on CD. It was titled "LOVE IS A HAPPY SONG". It started with finger-snapping and had a great melody. It was such an infectious, happy feel-good song! If anyone can tell me where I could find it, I would be greatly appreciative. Listening to these songs today at 53 years old takes me back in time and makes me feel young again. This music is like "warm honey" to my ears. It just makes me feel good!

I bought this mainly for the stereo version of Young Love, but after listening to the entire disc, I love all the songs. Unless Im mistaken , it appears that you have to purchase this now from an independent seller. I was able to get it thru Amazon itself, when they sold it. But if you like Sonny James, it's well worth the money to purchase it thru an independent. The sound quality is excellent ! You wont be disappointed. !!

Born James Loden on March 1, 1929 in Hackleburg, Alabama, The Southern Gentleman, as Sonny became known during his days on The Louisiana Hayride and long stints with Capitol and Columbia, ran up a string of hits in one incredible stretch that left everyone in the business standing around with mouths agape.

In the decade of the Fifties he had ten Top 40 Country hits, six of which are on this CD: That's Me Without You - # 9 in 1953; For Rent (One Empty Heart) - # 7 in 1956; Young Love - # 1 Country, # 1 Billboard Top 100 AND # 3 R&B in 1957 (the flip, You're The Reason I'm In Love, also went # 6 Country); First Date, First Kiss, First Love - # 9 Country in 1957; and Uh-Huh-mm - # 8 Country in 1958. Missing (and hard to find) are: She Done Give Her Heart To Me (# 14 in 1954); Twenty Feet Of Muddy Water - # 11 in 1956); The Cat Came Back - # 12 in 1956); and Lovesick Blues - # 15 in 1957.

After being blanked in 1959 he began the next decade with a # 22 Country/# 67 Billboard Hot 100 hit, Jenny Lou, on the NRC label (also hard to find), and then was again absent from the charts for two years before going back to Capitol in 1963. From that point on he was never off the charts right through to 1979, including a switch to Columbia in 1972.

Even more amazing, beginning with You're The Only World I Know in 1964, right through to When The Snow Is On The Roses in 1972, all but four of his 25 Top 40 Country hits went to # 1 (sixteen of them consecutive in the 1967 to 1971 span), nine crossed over to the Pop charts and four to the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts after they were introduced in 1961, and none of the four non-#1 Country finished any lower than # 3. And in this set you get 15 of them.

Following his stay with Columbia he had one Top 40 hit with Monument (Hold What You've Got - # 36) in 1979, and two with Dimension (Innocent Lies - # 19) and The Fool In Me - # 33) in 1982/83.

Hits missing from this CD but available on the other Sonny James compilations are: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 - The Minute You're Gone - # 9 Country/# 95 Hot 100 in 1963; Baltimore - # 6 in 1964; True Love's A Blessing - # 3 in 1965; Since I Met You Baby - # 1 Country/# 26 AC/# 65 Hot 100 in 1969; It's Just A Matter Of Time - # 1 Country/# 31 AC/# 87 Hot 100 in 1970; and That's Why I Love You Like I Do - # 1 Country in 1972. The Best Of Sonny James adds Room In Your Heart - # 2 Country in 1966 and Here Comes Honey Again - # 1 Country in 1971.

One of the all-time greats who, if you can believe it, is STILL not in the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Unbelievable.

This music is the kind of music that I grew up with. Sonny James has an outstanding voice and wonderful songs to listen too. These are all of his number 1 hits throughout his career for all to enjoy. My children are growing up with his music also. This is a must buy CD for anyone who enjoys Sonny James or country music in general.

First of all, "Sonny" recorded the cover for "Empty Arms" from Ivory Joe Hunter who first recorded the song (Hunter wrote it, in addition to "Since I Met You Baby" which "Sonny" also recorded). Sonny James very wisely chose proven hits (as apparently Theresa Brewer did occasionally); he had minimal writing skills himself and apparently had no association with songwriters who wanted him to record their songs. Sonny James cannot be faulted in his ability to carry a note but perhaps nobody else in recording history has counted so much on a plan of success by "interpreting" others' songs from pop/soul/blues and presenting them to the hardcore country market who never strayed from station K-HIK. Except for "Young Love", there is nothing in his discography that somebody else has not previously recorded and done a better job of it to the level of "Young Love". The songs here are all presentable and smoother than many country songs of the time, but odds are you will never find any artist copying Sonny James, as short of "Young Love", there is little original in his choice of material. So, milk them cows, Sonny boy; it worked.