IT'S JUST MY OPINION; FOR WHAT IT"S WORTH
FRANKIE LAINE </HEAD>
Ever since I started this site, I have received e-mails from
people asking me what my opinion is on this song or that album;
then they would give me their's. So I thought I would make a page
telling every one my opinions on what ever comes to mind. One great
thing about opinions, everyone has one and the fun of it is hardly anyone
agrees. It would be a dull world if everyone was a like. So hear goes.
FRANKIE'S 20 BEST SINGLES
1. Hummingbird
2. Cry Of The Wild Goose
3. Black Lace
4. Jezebel
5. Cool Water
6. The Greater Sin
7. Georgia On My Mind
8. I Let Her Go
9. Moonlight Gambler
10. Lucky Old Sun
11. Satan Wears A Satin Gown
12. Long Distance Love
13. Mule Train
14. Your Cheatin' Heart
15. Granada
16. That's My Desire
17. You Gave Me a Mountain
18. Halfway
19 Jealousy
20. Swamp Girl
WHAT I THINK WAS FRANKIE'S WORSE SINGLES
1. St James Infirmary
2. Four Leaf Clover
4. Wedded Man
5. Lonely Days Of Winter
FRANKIE'S BEST ALBUMS
1. Rockin'
3. That's My Desire (Mec 1956)
4. Song's For People Together
--Many may like this type of blues; I don't
-- This song was not meant to be a slow ballet
3. You Know How It Is
-- To fast and little rythum
-- Just plain silly
-- I don't know why I just don't like it.
His old Mercury songs with big
band arrangements "Great"
2. Frankie Laine and The Four Lads
You just can't beat the Lads and Frankie together
The above two albums were my first taste of
Frankie's Early work
5. Torchin'
Frankie had a soft side and this is his best
display of that talent.
6. Wanderlust
This album I pick because it contained "Ghost Riders"
for the first time, plus a very good version of What Kind Of Fool Am
I".
7. Brand New Day
This showed that Frankie could do the new songs
as well as his old stuff.
8. World Of Frankie Laine
This was a Dutch album but Frankie did "Wheel Of Fortune"
and "Don't Fence Me In" for the first time.
9. To Each His Own
I think this was his best album for ABC in it he
did "Green, Green, Grass Of Home"
10. New Orleans (W/Jo Stafford)
Jo was Frankie's best singing partner so anything they
did together was great.
You may notice that the album "Hell Bent For Leather" is not on my list.
That's because he did a very ordinary version of
"Cool Water" and the same for"Your Cheatin' Heart" on is AMOS " Greatest Hits" Album. They were not near as good
as the originals.
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MY LEAST LIKED OF FRANKIE'S ALBUMS
1. "You Are My Love"
A great album cover but bland material and arrangements.
2. "Place In Time"
I guess to me it's either the wrong place or
the wrong time.
3. "New Directions"
Not the right direction
4. "Foreign Affairs"
This just isn't my cup of tea, the same can
be said of the other Lagrand album.
5. "Nashville Connection"
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By far it was
"Bring Your Smile Along", I have no idea why the song
wasn't a hit also. In this movie Frankie plays someone and really stars
in it. The movies before this he played himself and even though he got
top billing, he wasn't the lead in the movies.
His final movie "He Laughs Last" was just silly.
WHAT WAS FRANKIE'S BEST MOVIE OR TV THEME SONG?
There is far better connections in Nashville than
what is on this CD.
WHAT WAS FRANKIE'S BEST MOVIE?
This will surprise you, but I think it was
"A Man With Out A Star". Why Columbia didn't release this
song as a single is one of the big mysteries of our day. It wasn't even
put on an album. It would have gone great on "Hell Bent For Leather".
HIS WORST THEME?
..... BULLWHIP.....
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WHAT SONGS DO I WISH FRANKIE HAD RECORDED?
I know, no one can record every thing; though I think Bing tried too.
But I think these songs Frankie could have done a great job with.
If your not familiar with the songs; click on the title to hear
a clip of a recording of the song. Who is singing it will be in (---).
1. Tom Dooley
The lead singer for the Kingston Trio sounded a
lot like Frankie on this song. I think it would have gone great on his
"Balledeer" Album.....(Kingston Trio )
2. The Impossible Dream
According to Frankie's Book, he wanted to
record this song while at Capital Records, but they wouldn't let him.
So why didn't he do it when he left? ....(Roy Hamilton)
3.Kiss Of Fire
This was a big hit in 1952 for Georgia Gibbs along with several
other singers. Frankie sang it on one of his TV shows
and did a great job with it...(Georgia Gibbs)
4.The Ride Back
This was a movie theme song in the late fifties.
Eddie Albert sang it in the movie and Vaughn Monroe had a popular
recording of it. ....(Vaungh Monroe)
4.I Can't Help It
One of the best of the Hank Williams songs.
Hank was one of the best song writers around; as long as he didn't try
to sing them. This would have been great on the "Country Laine" Album.
.....(Adam Wade)
5. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
This was Tony Bennett's first
recording back in 1951. It didn't go anywhere even though it was
one of his best. Tony tried to sing like Frankie, but Frankie would
have done a better job. I have never heard anyone else sing this song.
Maybe it says something about my taste in music that I like it so much.
...(Tony Bennett)
6. It's All In the Game
This was Tommy Edwards biggest hit,both in 1951 and then again in
1958. I think Frankie would have done a great job on it. I think it would
have gone well on his "Take Me Back" Album....(Tommy Edwards)
7. Suddenly There's A Valley
This was a hit in 1955 for both
Gogi Grant and Jo Stafford. Dorsy Burnett had a great version on his
"Tall Oak Tree" Album as well. This would have fit in well on the
"Wonderlust" Album ....(Gogi Grant)
8. Red Mud
I know this is another song that no one has heard of. In the late
fifties, Sonny James recorded this song but for some reason it never
went anywhere. Maybe Frankie could have done something with
it. ......(Sonny James)
9. I Walk The Line
A great song by Johnny Cash that would
fit right into one of Frankie's country or western albums.
....(Burl Ives)
10.White Christmas
Every other pop singer around has done
a traditional Christmas Album. Why didn't Frankie?
.....(Eydie Gorme)
11.The River And The Mountain
I know you never heard of this song. Not many have, it was recorded
in 1960 by Dorsey Burnette but didn't go anywhere but it was
a great song. ....(Dorsey Burnette)
12. The Battle Of New Orleans
In 1959 Johnny Horton had a major hit with this song and Vaugn
Monroe had a minor hit with it. ...(Vaughn Monroe)
13. The River Of No Return
This was a movie theme song in 1953. Ten. Ernie Ford and
Marilyn Monroe both sang it in the movie.
(Tenn. Ernie Ford )
14. Thunder Road
This was another theme song from a movie by the same name
made in the late fifties. Song was sung in the movie and a recording
was made by Robert Mitchum, who stared in the movie. (Robert Mitchum)
I know these are the songs I like. But why would I pick songs I didn't
like?
Some songs That I would have put on this list, Frankie did record late
in life. Such as "They call the Wind Maria" on his "Wheels" CD. But I
would have loved to hear him do it when he was in his prime.
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WHAT OTHER SINGERS DO I LIKE?
This is asked a lot. I have a good size record collection; with
over 500 Albums , CD's and 45's with a few 78's thrown in.
Believe it or not, they are not all by Frankie Laine. But most are
from the same time period; Late forties, fifties and sixties.
I know I have a very narrow taste in music; most Hard Rock, Blues, Jazz,
Twangy Country, or Rap I don't like at all.
I left off Bing, Perry, Nat and Sinatra, because almost every one in my
generation likes them. Some on my list you may not have heard of. My wife says
I have a soft spot for unknown singers.
If you are unfamiliar with the singer, click on his name to hear
a clip of one of his songs. I know you never heard most of the songs,
I picked a lot of obscure songs on purpose.
MALE SINGERS OF THE PRE-ROCK PERIOD
1. Johnnie Ray
(No Wedding Today)
2. Vaughn Monroe
(Hercules)
3. Alan Dale
(I Cry More)
4. Tommy Edwards
(I Really Don't Want To Know)
6. Adam Wade
(Point Of No Return)
7. Don Cornell
(" I " ) (The shortest song title for a song
8. Johnny Desmond
(The High And The Mighty)
9. Don Cherry
(Ghost Town)
10. Roy Hamilton
( Ebb Tide)
11. Anthony Newley
(And The Heavens Cried )
12. Charlie Applewhite
(cabages and kings)
13. Tony Bennett (only the earl years
)
(Can You Find It In Your Heart)
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FEMALE SINGERS OF THE PRE-ROCK PERIOD
1. Jo Stafford
(Make Love To Me)
2. Pattie Page
(One Of Us)
3. Kay Starr
(It's The Talk Of The Town)
4. Gogi Grant
(When The Tide Is High)
6. Molly Bee
(Lonely Street)
7. Gail Storm
(Dark Moon)
8. Doris Day
(If I Give My Heart To You)
9. Teresa Brewer
(Let Me Go Lover)
10. Dinah Shore
(I Walk Alone)
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BEST GROUPS OF THE PRE-ROCK PERIOD
1. Four Lads
(Wooden Heart)
2. Four Aces
(Tell Me Why)
3. The Platters
(The Magic Touch)
4. The Andrew Sisters
(Pistol Packin' Moma )
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BEST COUNTRY
1. Marty Robbins
(She Was Young)
2. Johnny Cash
(Five Foot High And Rising)
3. Don Gibson
(Oh Lonesome Me)
5. Ten Ernie Ford
(That's All)
6. Patsy Cline
(Walkin' After Midnight)
7. The Statler Brothers
(Flowers On The Wall)
8. Claude King
(Wolverton Mountain)
9. Ferlin Huskey
(Gone)
10 Paul Delicato
(Ice Cream And Lollipops, And Red Hot Spinning Tops)
11. Burl Ives
(Ghost Riders In The Sky)
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THE BEST R&B
1. Ray Charles
(You Don't Know Me)
2. Dinah Washington
(There Goes My Heart)
3. Brook Benton
(Not One Step Behind)
4. Dinah and Brook together
(Baby, You Got What It Takes)
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THE BEST FROM THE EARLY ROCK & ROLL SINGERS
This gave me some thought, because when I was a teenager in the
late fifties I didn't like any of it. But compared to what's out
there now, some of it sounds down right good.
1. Paul Anka
(You Are My Destany)
2. Jack Scott
(Bruning Bridges)
3. Tommy Sands
(Should I )
4. Jody Reynolds
(Endless Sleep)
I know this was his only hit record, I just
like the song.
5. Pat Boone
(That Will Be The Day)
6.Jimmy Rodgers
(One More River To Cross)
7. Buddy Holley
(Doesn't Matter Anymore)
8. Gene Pitney
(Town Without Pity)
9. Dorsey Burnette
(This Hotel)
10 . The Four Preps
(Cinderella)
11. The Playmates
(Wait For Me)
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THE BEST OF THE HEAVY ROCK PERIOD
THERE JUST WASN'T ANY.
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WHAT IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RECORDING?
Believe it or not it is not one by Frankie Laine.
It is the 1956 recording of "The Wayward Wind" by Gogi Grant.
I know Frankie Laine recorded it years later with ABC records. But
he did his version in a slow country style. Tex Ritter's recording which was
the more popular version in England, was even better than Frankie's. Sorry
Frankie, but you could have done a much better job on this great song.
To hear each version of the song click on the singer's name.
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You may think that at times I'm to critical of some of Frankie's work.
But who is better to criticise than a really true fan?
Well that's all that I can think of for now but I'll add more when
I think of it.
markalson@comcast.net
