Johnny Tillotson was one of the teen idols to come to fore in pop in the aftermath of the rock n roll explosion, appealing to a broad audience, and in his case, making an early crossover into the country market, with his rise to fame crystallised around his landmark 1960 Us No. 2 and UK No. 1 Poetry In Motion. He began his singing career in his teens, performing on local TV shows in his home state of Florida, and winning talent contests which took him to Nashville where he was spotted by talent scouts leading to deal with the Cadence label in 1958 as he turned 20. His first four singles all achieved minor chart placings but it was the classic Poetry In Motion which kick-started his career in a big way, leading to further memorable Top 10 successes like Without You and his first venture into country-flavoured material, his own song It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin.

This 2-CD set comprises all the A and B sides of his singles from his debut through to the end of 1962, as well as all the tracks from his first two albums Johnny Tillotsons Best & It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin, and titles from the Cadence compilation albums Rock-a-Ballads & Rock-a-Hits, which were not otherwise released on his singles or albums. It naturally includes all his fourteen US chart entries from this era. Its a comprehensive overview of the first five years of his recording career, during which time he established the basis from which he became a successful pop/country crossover artist during subsequent decades, and its a enjoyable showcase for his distinctive vocal talents.

REVIEWS

There might not be a stampede of NDT readers for this release, which might be a little too sweet for some, but I have to say that I enjoyed it and hope that some fellow old teenagers might find it of interest for their 'secret pleasures' section, perhaps. The 19-page booklet by Paul Watts is good, too." Eric Dunsdon (Now Dig This Issue 430)