Pop Music: The Golden Era 1951-1975

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Home of the Columbia and Epic labels, CBS Records (now Sony Music) was late getting into the rock & roll game, despite issuing some classic '50s R&B singles on the subsidiary OKeh. Corporate aversion to the music was largely due to Mitch "Sing Along with Mitch" Miller, the A&R head whose philistine bent helped run Frank Sinatra from the company in 1952, shortly before he revived his career at Capitol with some of the greatest American music ever recorded. Not surprisingly, the The Golden Era volume of Sony's massive Soundtrack for a Century project is a mixed bag. Pre-Elvis gems such as Sinatra's "Birth of the Blues" sit alongside unforgivable schlock by Miller and the Four Lads before rock & roll-based pop finally shakes things up. With everyone from Dylan and the Yardbirds to the Cyrkle ("Red Rubber Ball") and the Looking Glass ("Brandy [You're a Fine Girl]") on hand, these two CDs are a mishmash, but highly representative of what CBS had to offer Top 40 once it realized Buddy Greco (not included) wasn't the future. --Rickey Wright

Tracks:

The Birth Of The Blues - Frank Sinatra
Because Of You - Tony Bennett
Jezebel - Frankie Laine
Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney
Cry - Johnnie Ray And The Four Lads
You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford
The Yellow Rose Of Texas - Mitch Miller
Mack The Knife - Louis Armstrong
Standing On The Corner - The Four Lads
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) - Doris Day
Singing The Blues - Guy Mitchell
Chances Are - Johnny Mathis
Summertime, Summertime - The Jamies
A Summerplace: Theme - Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Moon River - Andy Williams
Bless You - Tony Orlando
(I Left My Heart In) San Francisco - Tony Bennett
Blue Velvet - Bobby Vinton
People - Barbra Streisand
Ruby Baby - Dion
The Monkey Time - Major Lance
Hey Little Cobra - The Rip Chords
Before And After - Chad & Jeremy
For Your Love - The Yardbirds
Down In The Boondocks - Billy Joe Royal
Kicks - Paul Revere & The Raiders
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

Tracks:

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) - The Byrds
Red Rubber Ball - The Cyrkle
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Don't You Care - The Buckinghams
San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) - Scott McKenzie
Carrie-Anne - The Hollies
Itchycoo Park - Small Faces
Stoned Soul Picnic - Laura Nyro
Time Of The Season - The Zombies
Young Girl - The Union Gap
You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
Evil Ways - Santana
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
25 Or 6 To 4 - Chicago
Me And Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins & Messina
I Can Help - Billy Swan
Love Train - The O'Jays
That Lady (Part 1) - The Isley Brothers
Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire

Amazon.com

Home of the Columbia and Epic labels, CBS Records (now Sony Music) was late getting into the rock & roll game, despite issuing some classic '50s R&B singles on the subsidiary OKeh. Corporate aversion to the music was largely due to Mitch "Sing Along with Mitch" Miller, the A&R head whose philistine bent helped run Frank Sinatra from the company in 1952, shortly before he revived his career at Capitol with some of the greatest American music ever recorded. Not surprisingly, the The Golden Era volume of Sony's massive Soundtrack for a Century project is a mixed bag. Pre-Elvis gems such as Sinatra's "Birth of the Blues" sit alongside unforgivable schlock by Miller and the Four Lads before rock & roll-based pop finally shakes things up. With everyone from Dylan and the Yardbirds to the Cyrkle ("Red Rubber Ball") and the Looking Glass ("Brandy [You're a Fine Girl]") on hand, these two CDs are a mishmash, but highly representative of what CBS had to offer Top 40 once it realized Buddy Greco (not included) wasn't the future. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Thanks for the Memories!.......2006-05-05

This is a superb review of a superb musical era. Anyone who lived the music of these years will love this set.

Great sampling of pop music!.......2001-06-13

This is a great mixed bag of pop music from the 50's through the mid-70's. Like any collection, it is missing many pieces that you or I might have chosen to include, but let's face it...there is so much music to choose from and a limted number of songs that can fit on 2 CDs! Keep in mind too that if some of your favorite stars are missing, it is probably because they did not record for labels that today fall under the umbrella of Sony Music...essentially, these are all artists who recorded for Columbia or Epic.

This entire series "A Soundtrack for a Century" is a great opportunity to obtain some of the best songs of the 20th century as well as some very obscure ones...seek out the entire series and buy those volumes that appeal to you!

-HELLO-.......2000-07-18

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DON'T GET THIS I MEAN THERE'S NOT 1 JIMI HENDRIX SONG ON HERE I MEAN I KNOW THIS IS POP COLLECTION BUT HEY 1951-1975 WHO ARE THE AMETURES THAT PUT THESE TOGETHER I AM THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO CARES ABOUT MUSIC..?

Music:

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