Richard Haynes - Collection 1949-61 (2021)

Richard Hayes was a singer, actor and TV personality who enjoyed a string of hits during the heyday of down-the-middle crooners and male vocalists in the years before rock ‘n’ roll changed the pop landscape. Although his hits were confined to the pre-rock ‘n’ roll era, they gave him a following and profile which enabled him to keep recording chart-focused singles into the early ‘60s before he concentrated on TV and acting. This great-value 54-track 2-CD set comprises selected A & B sides from his singles for Mercury, ABC-Paramount, Decca and Columbia during this era, including duets with Kitty Kallen and recordings with Xavier Cugat. It features at least one side from a significant proportion of his releases across these years so is a decently representative cross-section of his output. It features all his eleven career chart entries, including the No. 2 hit “The Old Master Painter”, and the Top 20 hits “Come On-A My House”, “Out In The Cold Again”, “Junco Partner” and “Forgetting You”, plus his Top 10 hits with Kitty Kallen “Our Lady Of Fatima” and “ The Aba Daba Honeymoon”. He was a fine performer who has probably not received the attention that his talent and success merit, so we trust this collection will help redress that situation.