Gary Lewis (son of actor Jerry Lewis) and his band the Playboys where one of the American top acts during the years 1965-66, with one #1 single, two #2, four more top ten and three top twenty plus four gold albums - all within a little more than two years. Gary Lewis also won title "Male Vocalist Of The Year" 1965, in competition with among others Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, and they performed live in numerous TV-shows. Then at the end of 1966, as youth zeitgeist changed towards psych and flower power, popularity started to decline and after a couple of years with sinking sales the combo disintegrated. The music they played during their heydays can be seen as a domestic answer to the british invasion boom. Very clean-cut pop, often orchestrated, with a kind message - much reminding of Herman's Hermits or Gary & Pacemakers. Maybe that was the reason they never made it in England or Europe as a whole - public there wasn't ready for a US copy of the UK copying of US blues, rock and pop. Today in this part of the world you can find stone mint copies of their sixties albums in the $1and $2 bins and it seems nobody wants them or even heard of the band. I guess part of that has to do with the lack of success here at the time, but if you pick one up and give it a chance it's really good sixties pop - as on this. Maybe lacking some of the nerve from the British counterparts, but nicely performed, well produced and arranged, with tophole audio. Not the most exciting record in my collection, still with enough good moments to make it a keeper. My favorites - the music-hall type title track and the popish cover of "Wild Thing". Don't know of any other issues than this US. Also in stereo (LST 7487). First with label as shown here and glossy cover. (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)
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