More than most years, 1958 was chocked full of surprises. America countered Sputnik with its own satellite, Explorer. Fourteen-year-old Bobby Fischer won the chess championship. Elvis Presley was inducted into the army. And Italy invaded the United States.
Hmmm, you ponder – that last one doesn’t ring a bell. Perhaps so, but singers of Italian heritage certainly invaded the pop charts. Sal Mineo, Annette Funicello, Tony Benedetto (aka Bennett), and Connie Frances (née Franconero) are just a few of the Italian Americans who ruled the airwaves during 1958. Leading the charge, however, was Domenico Modugno, whose “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” stormed to #1 and nabbed the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
These spicy meatballs are all represented on Hard To Find Jukebox Classics 1958: More Pop Gold, a jam-packed collection of hard-to-find favorites, many of which have never before appeared on CD! It even features four Top 100 hits sung in Italian! This generous lineup of hits – 26 tracks running 68 minutes – features superb, audiophile quality remastering and an informative booklet making it an extraordinary entertainment value for casual oldies fans, as well as a bonanza for collectors.
Looking for cuts that have never been on CD? 1958: More Pop Gold features Stereo Debuts of #1 hits by David Seville and The Teddy Bears (featuring future Wall Of Sound architect Phil Spector). Five of the tracks make their CD Debut including the Beverly Sisters’ “Greensleeves” and Eydie Gorme’s “Mama, Teach Me to Dance.”
Of course, 1958: More Pop Gold features some of the year’s biggest hits, too, including Jimmy Clanton’s swamp ballad “Just A Dream,” the rare stereo single version of the Poni-Tails’ proto-girl group classic, “Born Too Late,” Johnny Mathis’ very first hit, “Wonderful! Wonderful!” and a new stereo mix of Perry Como’s “Magic Moments” – the song featured in so many wonderful PBS-TV specials.
Terrific Value! An incomparable selection of 26 songs lasting over a full hour, and a fact- and photo-filled 12-page booklet featuring a 3,500 word essay by music writer Greg Adams, Hard To Find Jukebox Classics 1958: More Pop Gold brings the magic of the ’50s back to life! (Also see Hard To Find Jukebox Classics 1958: Pop Gold and 1958: Rhythm & Rock.)
– 5 CD DEBUTS! – ALL TRACKS MONO EXCEPT AS NOTED –
– DIGITALLY REMASTERED FOR HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND –
– DIGITALLY REMASTERED FOR HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND –
Track Listing — Disc #1 · 26 Songs · Various Artists · Hit Parade Records
| Track | Title | Artist | Chart Peak | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Teddy Bears | #1 | 9/58 | |
| 2 | Jimmy Clanton | #4 | 7/58 | |
| 3 | The Poni-Tails | #7 | 7/58 | |
| 4 | Sal Mineo | #9 | 5/57 | |
| 5 | Annette (Funicello) | #7 | 12/58 | |
| 6 | Connie Francis | #14 | 7/58 | |
| 7 | Johnny Mathis | #14 | 2/57 | |
| 8 | Johnny Mathis | #5 | 4/57 | |
| 9 | Connie Francis | #2 | 12/58 | |
| 10 |
RARE ON CD
|
Tony Dallara | #60 | 12/58 |
| 11 | Domenico Modugno | #1 | 8/58 | |
| 12 | Renato Carosone | #18 | 5/58 | |
| 13 | Lou Monte | #12 | 3/58 | |
| 14 |
CD DEBUT
|
David Seville | #34 | 7/58 |
| 15 | David Seville | #1 | 4/58 | |
| 16 |
RARE ON CD
|
Jill Corey | #21 | 1/57 |
| 17 |
CD DEBUT
|
Micki Marlo | #55 | 2/57 |
| 18 |
CD DEBUT
|
Eydie Gorme | #34 | 7/56 |
| 19 |
CD DEBUT
|
Tony Bennett | #38 | 8/56 |
| 20 | Four Coins | #11 | 5/57 | |
| 21 |
CD DEBUT
|
Beverly Sisters | #41 | 1/57 |
| 22 | McGuire Sisters | #11 | 12/58 | |
| 23 |
RARE ON CD
|
Toni Arden | #13 | 5/58 |
| 24 |
RARE ON CD
|
Billy Ward & His Dominoes | #13 | 8/56 |
| 25 | Ed Townsend | #13 | 4/58 | |
| 26 | Perry Como | #4 | 1/58 |