Ral Donner - You Dont Know What You (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

Not an imitator!

stoney reese | Eastern Kansas | 12/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I for one, have never considered Ral donner a Elvis imitator. Ral was a unfornate sound-alike. However, were fortunate that Ral can stand on his own. And if you like 50's music, without the rockabilly twang, you'll like, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT. Listen to this album a couple of times and you'll get the difference in sound and style. The sound and style that diffinetly is Ral, and not Elvis! If there's one down-side to this album, It's that STANDING IN THE MIDDLE(of a puddle of tears)is not on this album.(personal favorite) Nor either is I GOT BURNED. Having said all that, i say all this! It's an enjoyable sound of the 50's."

Billye's thoughts on Ral's good tunes

Billye Whitaker | Kingsport, TN United States | 11/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The great album by Ral Donner, "You Don't Know What You've Got Until You Lose It" probably sounds like many of the rockers in the 60's who tried to imitate The King. Ral was, in my opinion, one of the best, the brightest, but also short lived. For those of us who grew up listening to this sound, his voice brought chills, daydreams and thoughts beyond the song he was singing! Even now, 40+ years later, that voice still has it....well worth the price of the CD...."

An Overlooked Gem in any Oldies Catalog

stoney reese | 07/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Enjoyable originals from arguably the first and best of the early Elvis soundalikes. While the Elvis influence is beyond question, you can also detect a Bobby Darrin-esque quality to his voice which helped to elevate his performances a notch above those of most of the Preseley wannabees of his generation. Sadly, Ral was never able to break free of the early comparisons, and as a result slipped into obscurity recording Elvis-sounding tributes up until his untimely death in the early 80's. Ironically, Ral's greatest success came not as a singer, but as the narration voice of the 1981 docudrama "This is Elvis". Still, Ral was a singer first, and a pretty good one as judged by the fine sounding renditions found on this collection."

A Decent Singer - But There Was Only Room For One Elvis

stoney reese | 09/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What I have to take exception to is the contention by one reviewer that Donner "was hip long before Elvis was heard of." I mean, come on! When Donner first recorded (unsuccessfully) for Scottie in 1958 [at age 15], Presley already had numerous hits with both Sun and RCA and was well on his way to the title King Of R&R. At best Donner was a curiosity, having an uncanny similarity to Elvis in those torchy songs sung like he was juggling a hot potato in his mouth.

In this release Collectables deviates from their usual patterns of omitting something significant in a multi-track CD covering an artist with just a handful of hit singles, by giving us all 5 plus three of the B-sides.

His first came in late spring 1961 on the Gone label when his cover of the 1960 Elvis cut, Girl Of My Best Friend, went to # 19 Billboard Pop Hot 100 b/w It's Been A Long Long Time (not here), billed to Ral Donner & The Starfires. A few months later he was back on the charts under just his own name with You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It) which, b/w Close To Heaven, rose to a solid # 4 Hot 100 that August.

Shortly after, however, the rumours that this was really Elvis were squelched and so Please Don't Go just made the Hot 100 Top 40 at # 39 in October b/w I Didn't Figure On Him (To Come Back), although his late 1961 release, She's Sverything (I Wanted You To Be) did rise to a respectable # 19 Hot 100 in early 1962 b/w Because We're Young (not here). His final hit then came in April 1962 when (What A Sad Way) To Love Someone topped out at # 18 on the new Adult Contemporary charts and # 74 Hot 100 b/w Will You Love Me In Heaven?

After his last charter Donner, born Ralph Stewart Donner on February 10, 1943 in Chicago, bounced from pillar to post (Tau, Reprise, Fontana, Red Bird, Rising Sons, Chicago Fire, and Sunlight) without further chart success, although I agree with one reviewer who said I Got Burned, done while at Reprise, was one of his best. Unfortunately, that's not here either. He also narrated the film This Is Elvis.

Sadly, he died after a bout with cancer on April 6, 1984 at age 41."

Beware of Lying Reviewers & Bad spelers

Eclectic Revisited | Arizona | 11/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Elvis Presley's mother did NOT catch him recording Ral Donner's music; she was in fact dead when Ral (true name Ralph) came along. (Typical of that reviewer). Ral did NOT precede Elvis; in fact, he was born in Chicago seven years after Elvis. He was very good in his vocal impersonation and even did Elvis' speaking voice for narrating the semi-documentaty movie "This is Elvis". His charted hits are on this package; I recommend it. Mister Donner died of cancer in 1984; cherish the memory--unless you just discovered him."

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