16 Most Requested Songs

Johnny Mathis (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000265P
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,967 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Classic Vocalists
  #68 in	Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals
  #81 in	Music > Pop > Vocal Pop > Classic

Track Listings

1. Chances Are

2. It's Not for Me to Say

3. Misty

4. Wild Is the Wind

5. Wonderful! Wonderful!

6. Maria

7. Twelfth of Never

8. Small World

9. Evergreen

10. Love Theme from "Romeo and Juliet"

11. What Will My Mary Say

12. When Sunny Gets Blue

13. Certain Smile

14. (Where Do I Begin) Love Story

15. Didn't We

16. Gina

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's been suggested that almost as many baby boomers were conceived to the romantic sounds of Johnny Mathis's voice as to Sinatra's--and when you consider that Johnny's Greatest Hits stayed on Billboard's Top 40 chart for 178 weeks beginning in '58 (that's more than twice as long as Dark Side of the Moon, folks!), it's easy to understand why. Sony has used this "16 Most Requested" routine on a number of their easy-listening vocalists (including Sinatra and Andy Williams), but this one is special in that it takes the cream of Mathis's Greatest Hits album and rounds it out with his 1970s take on several movie theme hits, including Love Story and Romeo & Juliet. A truly unique and romantic sound. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Innocence Never Sung As Sweetly As On This Mathis Collection, March 30, 2000

By	Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Most 1950S crooners played (and lived, to a degree) the life of martini-mixing men of the world. Johnny Mathis, here with 16 of his greatest hits, gained his strength and fame from naivete'.

Handsome, athletic, gifted with pipes the timbre of Ella Fitzgerald's, Mathis and orchestral collaborators Percy Faith, Ray Conniff, Frank DeVol, and Glenn Osser crafted sparsely orchestrated, delicately sung hits celebrating love's opening moments. Mathis sings convincingly of love's discovery ("Gina," "Maria," the oh-so-good "Small World.") and fear of the unknown ("Chances Are," "It's Not For Me To Say," the definitive vocal "Misty," featuring music's most romantic introduction). Teenagers fell for this music which shared, at best, a thread with rock n' roll; Mathis sung the confusion and exhiliration they felt, only more tenderly.

The 60s-70s film songs (themes from "Star is Born," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Love Story," plus Jimmy Webb's "Didn't We") are well-sung, romantically done filler. They keep up the album's romantic mood, but lack the drama (and bombast)of the Streisand/Williams originals. Better to hear "Wonderful, Wonderful" and even the hokey "What Would My Mary Say?" for the jazz singer Johnny Mathis might have become but (fortunately, for him and us), did not. A classy set, and highly recommended.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle, Smooth, and relaxing, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

Chances are, this may be the best CD purchase that you can make. In this CD hear Johnny singing his soft songs that made him known as one of the most amazing easy listening singers of his time.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Johnny Mathis's Voice Keeps Me Going, January 22, 2001

By	"rockymarcy" (Tulsa, Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

I have almost every album of Johnny Mathis, as well as the "16 Most Requested Songs by Johnny Mathis." Since my husband passed away this past year, and he also loved to hear Johnny sing, I listen to him on CD every morning before I go to work, and as soon as I come home from work. His beautiful voice (with so much sweetness in it) just makes my day and he is just unique. I like many singers, but Johnny Mathis is the very best. One of my biggest wishes is to meet Johnny Mathis in person one day.

Last fall my brother drove me to San Antonio, TX, to hear him in concert at the Magestic Theater. Of course, it was a tremendous thrill for me to hear and see him in person. He is just the best of all, and I love him -- I thank him for being him.

Johnny Mathis, having the voice that he does, has to be a very kind and sweet person. I just love him, and his voice fills a void in my heart.

Thank you, Johnny.

Marcia Hendricks