V8 Treasured Tunes [Import]

As with Volume 7, the other reviews for this eighth edition in the series from Stardust Productions of Canada once more underline the delight with which many of the tracks are received. It certainly inspired Judith Crocker to write a marvelous recollection associated with Three Stars Will Shine Tonight by Richard Chamberlain. But that's what usually happens with at least one of the 20 tracks appearing in each volume.

In the reviews for Volume 7 one person is critical of the mixing of 1980's tunes with some from the 1950's, but I really feel that this is part of the charm of Treasured Tunes. There's something in each to delight fans of all eras, and with sound quality that is perfectly acceptable and with liner notes that, if not over-abundant, are certainly informative.

Just as Volume 7 closed with a 1980's offering by The Climax Blues Band (which delighted several reviewers), so too does this volume which offers up the wonderful George Burns rendition of I Wish I Was Eighteen Again. Recorded for Mercury when he was 84 years young, it reached # 15 Country/# 25 Adult Contemporary (AC)/# 49 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in early 1980. Not bad for an octogenarian! The other 80's hit here is Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths, one-time member of Bob Marley's backing group, whose only hit made it to # 51 Hot 100/# 78 R&B in late 1989.

But these are far from being the only "lost" gems finally becoming available in a quality CD. How about the original Lollipop by Ronald & Ruby? This scored at # 20 Billboard Pop Top 100 in early 1958 and, after it started climbing the charts, RCA Victor realized they had a problem on their hands. Ronald Gumbs was black and Beverly "Ruby" Ross was white. Because this was at a time when a mixed-race duo would not be so readily accepted in America, the label was forced to find a black "Ruby" to go on tour to promote the record. As it turns out it didn't matter because that was to be their only hit. But Ross, who wrote Lollipop, had already achieved some recognition by penning Bill Haley's Dim Dim The Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere), and would go on to write Judy's Turn To Cry for Leslie Gore and Candy Man for Roy Orbison.

Other rarities here are: Over The Weekend, the only hit for The Playboys from Philadelphia, which topped out at # 62 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in late summer 1958; I Shot Mr. Lee by The Bobbettes (# 52 Hot 100 insummer 1960 and a sequel to the more commonly-found Mr. Lee from 1957); How Much Is That Doggie In The Window by Baby Jane & The Rockabyes (unlikely cover of the 1953 # 1 hit for Patti Page which reached # 69 Hot 100 in January 1963 for the only hit for this black female vocal group who took their name from the film Whatever Happened To Baby Jane); Dum Dum Dee Dum, a # 77 Hot 100 in late summer 1963 for the man many like to pass off as a One-Hit Wonder for his Mr. Bass Man earlier that year - but the fact is, he also had a # 19 Adult Contemporary (AC)# 58 Hot 100 in early summer 1963 as Johnny Cymbal (his real name), and then two more as Derek - Cinnamon in late 1968 (# 11 Hot 100) and BAck Door Man (# 59 Hot 100 in early 1969); Yellow Balloon by The Yellow Balloon (# 25 Hot 100 in May 1967 and the only hit for the Oregon studio group); and Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by Mac & Katie Kissoon (# 10 AC/# 20 Hot 100 in late summer 1971 and the only hit for the brother and sister duo from Port Of Spain, Trinidad).

Just another delightful collection.

I've always felt that the version of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" contained on this cd fades out too early. Can anybody familiar with 1971 radio assure me that this is the complete version? Every other available version of this song seems to be re-recordings which wouldn't provide a fair comparison. I've had this suspicion ever since I found out that another volume of this series had an outrageously edited version of "Paloma Blanca" by the George Baker Selection that completely excised the female vocal cutting the song's running time in half!

I am a enthousiastic collector, and have almost all the Time Life rock n roll stuff, as well as ACE and Eric records cds of this era.

Honestly, if you go for 50s 60s songs, Ace and Eric records are unsurpassed, in their song selection and booklets info. But this is a highly forgotten collection that still hosts amazingly enough some songs that are no where else to be found. Ok some of them esp. of the 70s and 80s do not belong there, but that still leaves you with enough gemms I would say. So this whole series is excellent, and must have!

A few points why:

20 tracks per cd (Time life is also excellent, but you get 15 per cd!)

not the same old songs over again, but many rare and still excellent tracks!

last but not least good sound quality.

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