| Lonely Street | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Andy Williams | ||||
| Released | 1959 | |||
| Recorded | 8/23/59, 10/15/59, 10/19/59, 10/30/59[1] | |||
| Genre | Early pop/rock, Traditional pop, Vocal pop, Standards[2] | |||
| Length | 31:43 | |||
| Label | Cadence Records | |||
| Andy Williams chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [2] |
| Billboard | [3] |
Lonely Street is an album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released in late 1959 by Cadence Records. This, his fifth LP of new material for the label, is described by William Ruhlmann on AllMusic.com as "an album full of songs of lost love and loneliness that found Williams using more of the Mel Tormé-like foggy lower register of his voice."[4] The liner notes on the back of the album jacket read, "The selections in Lonely Street, Andy confides, are those for which he feels a special affection. Every vocalist has a few personal favorites... and it is quite clear to the listener that this collection presents songs which Andy Williams believes, feels -- and loves."[5]
Contents |
Cadence Records founder Archie Bleyer describes the album's title track as a "song from Nashville, which I first heard at the Everly Brothers' home on one of my trips to that city."[1] He later conducted Williams's recording of "Lonely Street" on August 23, 1959, and the song was released as a single with another song recorded at that session, "Summer Love", as its B-side.[1] The A-side entered the Hot 100 in Billboard magazine in the issue dated September 7 of that year and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks, peaking at number five.[6] In the October 26 issue it debuted on the magazine's list of 30 Hot R&B Sides, where it lasted for four weeks and reached number 20.[7]
Once Williams had a hit with "Lonely Street", Ruhlmann suggests that, "in forming an album to exploit its success, he looked to the thematic ballad LPs of Frank Sinatra, such as Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely and In the Wee Small Hours.[4] The liner notes for the original release provide a bit more insight as to how the album came about. "Conceived during a New Orleans engagement late in 1959, the set was molded with the help of Andy's pianist, Dave Grusin, and his guitarist John Abate."[5] Ruhlmann concludes that Williams "didn't have the truly doom-laden style of Sinatra, but he held his own on material not really suited to his usual persona."[4] Lonely Street reached the Top LP's chart in Billboard magazine (a first for Williams) as of the issue dated January 25, 1960, and remained there for four weeks, peaking at number 38 on a list that had 40 positions at the time.[8]
The album was released on compact disc for the first time in 2000 with five bonus tracks after being digitally remastered by Varèse Sarabande.[2] The original LP was also released as one of two albums on one CD by Collectables Records on September 12, 2000, the other album being Williams's Cadence release from early 1960, The Village of St. Bernadette.[4] Collectables included this CD in a box set entitled Classic Album Collection, Vol. 1, which contains 17 of his studio albums and three compilations and was released on June 26, 2001.[9]
Gene Austin reached number 10 on the charts with "When Your Lover Has Gone" in 1931.[13] "Say It Isn't So" was a number-one hit for George Olsen & His Orchestra with Paul Small on vocal in 1932.[14] Irene Taylor provided the vocals for Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra on their recording of "Willow Weep for Me" that got as high as number two in 1933.[15] And "Gone with the Wind" made it to number one in 1937 for Horace Heidt & His Orchestra with Larry Cotton on vocal.[16]
One of the earliest recordings of "You Don't Know What Love Is" was done by Ella Fitzgerald in 1941.[17] Hank Williams recorded "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" in 1949.[18] "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" was the source for the title of the 1955 Frank Sinatra album In the Wee Small Hours on which it was included.[19] Vocal versions of "Unchained Melody" by Roy Hamilton,[20][21] Al Hibbler,[22][23][24] and Jimmy Young[25] topped various charts in the US and UK in 1955, and vocal versions of "Autumn Leaves" by the Ray Charles Singers,[26] Jackie Gleason,[27] and Mitch Miller & His Orchestra and Chorus[28] made the Billboard Hot 100 that same year.