Search - Johnny Crawford :: Best of

Another Mouseketeer Who Could Hold A Tune

08/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Of the various young early 1960's TV/movie stars pushed into recording studios by executive suits seeking utmost publicity [Shelley Fabares, Paul Petersen, Patty Duke, Annette, and Hayley Mills were some of the others], Johnny Crawford was one of the better ones.



Between his first, Daydreams [# 70 Billboard Hot 100 in June 1961], and his last, Judy Loves Me [# 95 in January 1964] he had six other chsrters: Patti Ann [# 43 in March 1962]; Cindy's Birthday [# 8 and his best hit in June 1962]; Your Nose Is Gonna Grow [# 14 in September 1962 b/w Mr. Blue]; Rumors [# 2 Adult Contemporary/# 12 Billboard Hot 100 in December 1962 b/w No One Really Loves A Clown]; Proud [# 25 in February 1963 b/w Lonesome Town]; and Cindy's Gonna Cry [# 72 in September 1963 b/w Debbie].



Beside each the title on the back of the disc is shown the single Del-Fi label number or LP number from which the song was culled, although they do not show chart performances. There is also another nice shot of Johnny with the liner notes [two pages of text which DO show the highest position attained for each selection].



To many such as Rolling Stone and Irwin Ambler, Johnny Crawford was the epitomy of cloying, high-school soda-pop fluff, but hey, he was only doing what he was told to do and you can't ignore his considerable success over three years.



From the perspective of a completist collector of hit singles this fails to achieve 5 stars only because Ace left off four flipsides - So Goes The Story, Donna, and Something Special which backed his first three hits, and Living In The Past which was the B-side of his last charter.



Even so, one of the better such compilations available."