VA - Devoted To You (2014)

An Ode to Eternal Love
A great love song is timeless. The tracks collected here serve as the perfect proof: half a century after their debut, they made a triumphant return to audiences. "More Than I Can Say"—a number four hit in the UK for Bobby Vee in 1961—soared to number two on the charts 19 years later in a version by Leo Sayer. "The Twelfth of Never," which propelled Johnny Mathis into the US top ten in 1957, found a new life in the seventies, topping the charts thanks to teen idol Donny Osmond. Meanwhile, the 1959 vocal classic "I Only Have Eyes for You" by The Flamingos helped Art Garfunkel reach the number one spot on the British charts as a solo artist in 1975.
Then there is "Dedicated to the One I Love." When released by the girl group The Shirelles in 1959, it barely scraped into the American charts. Two years later, however—riding the wave of success from their own hit "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"—the song climbed into the top three. It saw similar success in 1967, when The Mamas & the Papas released their own harmonically rich version.
Time also holds no sway over Nina Simone’s "My Baby Just Cares for Me." Originally recorded in 1957, the song made a triumphant return to the charts three decades later after being featured in a television commercial for a well-known perfume. A similar fate awaited Etta James and her single "I Just Want To Make Love To You," which helped sell millions of cans of diet soda. It becomes clear: if something is authentic, a classic love song will never lose its magic.
Most of the 50 songs featured here emerged during an era when pop idols began to eclipse movie stars, capturing the public's full attention. Yet, the connection to cinema remains profound. Upon returning from military service in 1960, Elvis Presley—at the behest of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker—set a direct course for Hollywood. While rock 'n' roll may have lost its primary rebel, the silver screen gifted us more than 30 films starring Elvis, leading up to his triumphant return to live performance in 1968.
The song "Loving You"—one of two tracks on this collection taken from the 1957 film of the same name—marked Presley’s second motion picture. In the UK, Cliff Richard (who also appears twice here) followed in Elvis’s footsteps, taking to the stage in a pink jacket with a cheeky grin. Richard quickly adopted the "Colonel’s" strategy, starring in his own films such as *Serious Charge*, *Summer Holiday*, and *The Young Ones*. His musical career, of course, continued and has remained successful to this day.
Tragically, Marilyn Monroe remained merely a beautiful cinematic dream, never living long enough to see such an enduring legacy. Her passing in 1962 was both tragic and shrouded in mystery. Her signature song, "I Wanna Be Loved By You," emerged in 1958 and was featured in the legendary comedy *Some Like It Hot*. Her co-star, Tony Curtis, made no secret of the fact that there was no affection between them, once remarking that "kissing Marilyn was like kissing Hitler." The actress’s response was elegant yet sharp; brushing off his comment with a touch of irony, she noted: "If I have to play intimate scenes with someone who feels that way about me, I just rely on my imagination. In other words: out with reality, long live my illusions!"
The song "Moon River"—famously performed by the inimitable Andy Williams—was written specifically for the 1957 film *Breakfast at Tiffany’s*. Audrey Hepburn’s persona inspired Henry Mancini to create the greatest work of his career: the song she sang while sitting on a fire escape. "Without Audrey, there would be no 'Huckleberry Friend' [a line from the song]," the composer later admitted. He crafted a melody that was simple yet incredibly sophisticated—one that could be played using only the white keys of a piano. Lyricist Johnny Mercer was initially skeptical of its potential for success, but the hundreds of cover versions that followed—along with an Academy Award—led him to reconsider his view of their masterpiece.
This cinematic sequence concludes with the appearance of Shirley Bassey and the group The John Barry Seven. The Welsh diva, whose 1958 hit "Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss Me" reached the UK top three, set a unique record by performing the theme songs for three James Bond films. Meanwhile, John Barry—who, with his band, once provided accompaniment for Adam Faith—went on to compose the music for this iconic film saga about Agent 007.
The title track of our collection, "Devoted To You," is by the duo The Everly Brothers. In early 2014, they made headlines following the sad news of the passing of the younger brother, Phil. The brothers rarely wrote their own material; their greatest hits were created by the husband-and-wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The Bryants were married for decades and remained boundlessly devoted to each other—a sentiment that was sensitively reflected in their songs. Over the course of their lives, they composed nearly 6,000 songs, which sold more than 200 million copies. Their music was performed by such legends as Roy Orbison, Tony Bennett, and Dean Martin.