Search - Jack Jones :: Wives & Lovers / Dear Heart

The Art of the Love Song 101

*closet fan* | Midwest | 04/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A CD like this is a hard one to sell - featuring not one, but two albums focusing on the love song (which many music fans, in these cynical times, regard as contrived). So how do you convince others of the sophistication that this music style once represented? For me, it started with these two albums, Wives and Lovers and Dear Heart, two seemingly simple presentations, with the voice of Jack Jones, also seemingly simple, and devoid of the ego and sadness that Sinatra's vocals could never hide. But upon further listening, the revelations begin. This is a perfectly strong, beautiful (yet very masculine) voice I'm hearing - that's obvious from the start. But slowly, I'm noticing the masterful phrasing; the ability to shift emotions through the subtlest intonation or the most dramatically stretched note; the touching honesty; and the amazing tenderness expressed, without the slightest hint of insincerity. Jack Jones, the famous vocalist, has instantly disappeared, and his voice transports me into the time, the place, and particularly the emotions he's singing of. It's the voice of a man whom listeners will quickly desire, root for, or sympathize with. This, in reality, is not a simple voice at all. It's the purest sound of the love song - the ART of the love song, and what a profound gift it is.



The opening song of this twofer, Wives and Lovers, remains one of Jones' most identifiable titles. It was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David as an exploitation song, designed to get listeners excited about an upcoming movie of the same name. So, appropriate for this assignment, Jones would perform it in a smooth and catchy style - truly not representative of Jones' other recordings of that time, but its huge success led many to assume it was (thus the unfair "lounge singer" label that has followed Jones for decades). Other vocalists would eventually record Wives and Lovers in a more serious or elegant manner, but Jones' original was performed as it was initially intended - and, more often than not, it was Jack Jones who was setting the standards for beauty and refinement in balladry that others were following.



Toys in the Attic (the flip side to Wives and Lovers) follows, and it's a fine example of the many instrumental movie themes made available to Jones during his Kapp years, which would then be issued new lyrics and transformed into stunning romantic classics. Jones performs this song of loss so softly - yet makes its message so heartbreaking - that it's become a favorite obscurity among Jones' longtime fans, and deservedly reissued as an official part of the film's soundtrack.



Amazingly, Jones would become closely associated with many of this twofer's 24 songs, through promotional singles, B-sides, TV appearances, or selective radio exposure: the original Henry Mancini movie theme Dear Heart; Mandel and Mercer's classic Emily; Charade, featuring the wonderful accompaniment of pianist (and fellow Kapp artist) Roger Williams; Jack's charming ways on You're Sensational and You'd Better Love Me; the young, idyllic You're My Girl; and his poignant, picturesque reading of the Depression era's I'll Get By. This collection also includes his rendition of All the Things You Are, which has been covered numerous times in pop history - yet, I can't recall, or imagine, a more heartfelt version than this one.



There's no better singer than Jack Jones to define The Art of the Love Song, and thankfully CD issues like this one are available for those who want to discover or remember why."

Jack Jones: Wives and Lovers; Dear Heart

Rhona A. Blackwell-Ready | Takoma Park, MD USA | 05/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These two albums are just as wonderful hearing them over 40 years after their first release. You will enjoy listening to them over and over again, just as I have. His voice is so good, you will forget where you are!"

Music of the 60's still great

Eva L. Velasquez | camarillo usa | 08/14/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was a young woman when Jack Jones was at the height of his popularity. Every now and then I hear his voice and I go back to a time that was so wonderful. This LP/CD

is great to listen to and it has all the songs that were hits back in the mid 60's.



The arrangements by Don Costa still moves the soul. I can't say enough about "Charade" or "Wives and Lovers "or "Toys in the Attic" I strongly recommend

this CD because it contains most of Jack Jones hits. Enjoy and take a trip back in time when life was a little less hectic and when we had to get out of the chair to turn the LP over! EVa Velasquez"