Released 1956 Release date 1956 Genre Traditional pop music | Length 29:03 | |
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Recorded September 21, 1956October 3, 1956October 4, 1956 Similar Andy Williams albums, Traditional pop music albums | ||
Andy Williams Sings Steve Allen is an album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released late in 1956 by Cadence Records. This was his first LP and features songs written or co-written by then-Tonight Show host Steve Allen. The review of the album in the December 22 issue of The Billboard that year reads, "Cover shows only a photo of the singer with no copy and it might have been a better bet to identify the personality." The cover of the 1960 reissue of the album attempts to rectify this situation with the title presented in two lines of large capital letters that sandwich a headshot of Williams this time instead of the seated pose of the original.
Contents
The album was released on compact disc for the first time as one of two albums on one CD by Collectables Records on September 12, 2000, the other album being Williams's Cadence release from the spring of 1959, Two Time Winners. Collectables included this CD in a box set entitled Classic Album Collection, Vol. 1, which contains 17 of his studio albums and three compilations and was released on June 26, 2001. It was also released as one of two albums on one CD by Ace Records on January 8, 2008, paired this time with a 1958 Cadence compilation entitled Andy Williams.
Critical reception
Allmusic's William Ruhlmann had praise for the album's contributors: "Allen wrote in a sophisticated pop-jazz style, and conductor Alvy West gave the songs appropriately smoky, late-night settings heavy on tinkling pianos and bluesy horn parts, with some restrained strings." Of the singer, he wrote, "This was yet another opportunity for Williams to show off his diversity, and though he couldn't ever be called a jazz singer, he sounded typically comfortable putting across the songs' slyly romantic lyrics in the melodies' minor keys. The result was a fine mood album and a good addition to his quickly growing album catalog."
Track listing
All songs written by Steve Allen except as noted:
Side one
- "Tonight" - 2:50
- "Meet Me Where They Play the Blues" (Allen, Sammy Gallop) - 2:18
- "Stay Just a Little While" (Allen, Eula Parker) - 2:43
- "Playing the Field" - 2:28
- "Impossible" - 2:51
- "Young Love" - 2:38
Side two
- "Picnic" (Allen, George Duning) - 2:33
- "An Old Piano Plays the Blues" (Allen, Don George) - 2:46
- "Spring in Maine" (Allen, Carolyn Leigh) - 2:50
- "All the Way Home" (Allen, Buddy Kaye) - 2:40
- "Lonely Love" (Allen, Fred Sadoff) - 3:07
- "Forbidden Love" - 2:05
Covers
Some of the songs on this album had previously been covered by other artists. Jack Teagarden had already recorded "Meet Me Where They Play the Blues". Nat King Cole did his rendition of "Impossible" in the late 1940s. And The McGuire Sisters included "Picnic" on their 1956 album Dottie, Phyllis, Chris.
Personnel
Songs
1Tonight2:50
2Meet Me Where They Play The Blues2:18
3Stay Just A little While2:43