Search - Eddy Howard :: Best of Mercury Years

The Best Eddy Howard by Far

George R. Stilwell, Jr. | Raleigh, NC USA | 01/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Finally. A CD of Eddy Howard with decent sound. We can't expect
glorious sound from recordings made in the 1945 era, but this is
very listenable.Brought back vivid memories of seeing Eddy live at the Aragon in
Chicago in 1945. I just wish "So Long For Now" was on the CD and
that it'd switch to Hal Pearl playing the Aragon Organ between
sets. What a wonderful time and place."

Does the Big Band sound get any better than Eddy Howard !!!

George R. Stilwell, Jr. | 09/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't already own an Eddy Howard collection, this would be a great start to your soon-to-be favorite big band singer. It's a mystery why so many people have never heard of Eddy Howard, yet recognize his hits when they hear them. Mr. Howard died too young, but left us with beautiful memories in song. When I purchased my CD player a decade ago, Eddy Howard was one of the first artist's work I searched for on CD to replace my well-loved old LPs. He was so hard to find on CD! Take advantage of what is available to us now. You will love the sweet sound of Eddy's ballads. So long for now.....see you later in my dreams......"

An Often Overlooked Big Band & Vocalist

George R. Stilwell, Jr. | 07/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eddy Howard, who died at the tender age of 48 in 1963 from a cerebral hemorrhage, began his career as a band singer, first with Ben Bernie and then with Dick Jurgens and His Orchestra [1934 to 1940]. You can hear him on Careless (which he wrote) and Bluebirds In The Moonlight on the Jurgens CD Here's That Band Again.



His first attempt at forming his own band in 1941 was aborted by WW II, but with the war's end he formed another group and soon had a contract with Majestic Records. And what a début. To Each His Own shot to # 1 in July/August of 1946 and stayed there for 8 weeks, remaining on the charts for an incredible 25 weeks. That same year he scored with The Rickety Rickshaw Man, [I Love You] For Sentimental Reasons, and My Best To You - the latter not in this collection. 1947 was even better with no less than seven Top 25 hits, highlighted by My Adobe Hacienda and I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder, both of which went to # 2.



In 1948, after Now Is The Hour, Just Because, and Put 'Em In A Box, Tie 'Em With A Ribbon [And Throw 'Em In The Deep Blue Sea] also made the Top 25, he switched to Mercury, and from November of that year to early 1954 he was seldom off the charts, racking up another 27 hits. The best of these - [I'd Love To Get You] On A Slow Boat To China [1948], Room Full Of Roses, Maybe It's Because [1949], To Think You've Chosen Me [1950], Sin [1951], Be Anything [But Be Mine] and Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart [1952] all made the Top 10, with Sin repeating the success of his first hit by going to # 1 for eight weeks in October/November of 1951.



All we need now from Mercury is a volume 2 containing the 20 hits NOT included in this CD.



Eddy Howard was, from all accounts, one of the truly nice guys of the music business. To quote from the wonderfully comprehensive 4 pages of liner notes written by Joseph F. Laredo (which also contains a complete discography of the contents), "If you are a longtime admirer, then enjoy this collection as a welcome opportunity to revisit an old friend. If this music is new to you, then simply put it on, sit back and relax, and savor that very special feeling one only gets when a masterful artist touches your heart." Amen to that."