Johnny Maestro - The Best of Johnny Maestro 19581985 (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Johnny Maestro
The Best of Johnny Maestro: 1958-1985
Genres: Pop, R&B, Broadway & Vocalists

Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
1. 16 Candles - Johnny Maestro, Dixon, Luther
2. Six Nights a Week - Johnny Maestro, Evelyn, Alicia
3. The Angels Listened In - Johnny Maestro, Faust, Sid
4. A Year Ago Tonight - Johnny Maestro, Khent, Allyson R.
5. Step by Step - Johnny Maestro, Jones, Ollie [Bandl
6. Trouble in Paradise - Johnny Maestro, Khent, Allyson R.
7. Model Girl - Johnny Maestro, Edwards, Lockie Jr.
8. What a Surprise - Johnny Maestro, Lewi, Steven
9. Mr. Happiness - Johnny Maestro, Barkon, Mark
10. My Juanita - Johnny Maestro, Browne, Al
11. (You Give Me) Peace of Mind - Johnny Maestro, Dubin, Al
12. Beside You - Johnny Maestro, Keyes, Bert
13. The Worst That Could Happen - Johnny Maestro, Webb, Jimmy
14. Blessed Is the Rain - Johnny Maestro, Romeo, Tony
15. You'll Never Walk Alone - Johnny Maestro, Hammerstein, Oscar

CD Details

All Artists: Johnny Maestro
Title: The Best of Johnny Maestro: 1958-1985
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Shout Factory
Original Release Date: 1/1/1958
Re-Release Date: 1/24/2006
Genres: Pop, R&B, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Oldies, Vocal Pop, Soul
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 826663976397

Synopsis

Album Description

The only career-spanning best-of from the legendary doo-wop singer. The story of Johnny Maestro is one that spans virtually the entire rock era. He began his musical career in the '50s with The Crests, whose #2 hit, "16 Candles," is a staple of Oldies radio. After more hits, Johnny went solo in 1962 with moderate success, until the late '60s, when he formed a large vocal touring group. When an associate commented, "It's gonna be easier to sell the Brooklyn Bridge than sell a group of this size," Johnny's new outfit had a name. In 1968, their version of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" went to #3 on the charts and led to countless concert and television appearances. By 1972 the Brooklyn Bridge had sold over ten million records and they have soldiered on ever since, mainly as a highly successful live attraction that sells out such venues as Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Carnegie Hall, not to mention countless casinos across the country even today. Covering his work with The Crests and The Brooklyn Bridge, plus his solo material, The Best of Johnny Maestro: 1958-1985 brings all the highlights of Johnny's illustrious career together in a single attractive package.

CD Reviews

Solid anthology of one of rock and roll's greatest voices

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 03/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well it's about time! You've heard that voice on the radio for decades now. In the late fifties as lead singer of the Crests he sparkled on great doo-wop sounds like "Step By Step", "The Angels Listened In", "My Juanita" and of course "16 Candles". In the early sixties he hit the charts again as a solo artist with terrific tunes like "Model Girl" and one of my personal favorites "What A Surprise". And then in the late sixties Johnny Maestro formed a great new group he dubbed Brooklyn Bridge. That group hit the charts with memorable numbers like "Blessed Is The Rain", Rogers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone" and of course the #3 smash "The Worst That Could Happen" from 1968. You will find all of these and so much more on Shout Factory's wonderful new 2006 anthology "The Best of Johnny Maestro 1958-1985". This is a collection that is long overdue!!!

After all these many years Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge remain wildly popular in the New York/New Jersey and New England area. And what's not to like? At age 66 Johnny Maestro is still getting it done with one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in rock and roll. Check out the two acapella numbers on this disc. Great stuff! You are also sure to enjoy tunes like "Trouble In Paradise" and "A Year Ago Tonight". The fact of the matter is that there is no a bad song among the 15 tracks on this disc. What prevents this collection from being a five star offering is Shout Factory's inexplicable failure to include one of the most popular Brooklyn Bridge hits "Welcome Me Love". No Johnny Maestro collection can be considered complete without that one. But all in all this is a really fine collection. These are the original Coed and Buddah recordings you enjoyed in your youth. I can highly recommend it! If you are looking for other Johnny Maestro recordings might I suggest Collectables 2004 release "Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge Today". This was the groups first new studio recording in decades. Either way you can't go wrong. Long live Johnny Maestro!"

Johnny sounding better than ever but not complete!

S. Viola | Upper Saddle River, N.J. United States | 03/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I really do like this CD! How can you not? Johnny Maestro has always been one of the best vocalists of any rock era, but how in the world can you have a 'BEST OF' and not include 'Welcome Me Love', one of the Brooklyn Bridge's greatest songs? Also missing is ;Your Husband, My Wife;. There are lesser, more unknown songs included here. For shame. For that, 4 stars."

What a voice!

William E Donoghue | Healdsburg CA USA | 10/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny Maestro's voice is up there with Frankie Lymon and Michael Jackson as one of the greatest pop singers of all time; emotion, dynamics and precise phrasing. When he started out the group included Judy Dross the sister of another great pop singer (although wasted on sub-par material) Luther Van Dross. When I first saw him at The Steel Pier in Atlantic City, the Black members of the group had been replaced with white singers and a bass guitar taking the doo-wop bass parts. The Brooklyn Bridge is a great show ("Welcome Me Love") is missing here but he was outstanding on the recent PBS special. What an enduring talent!"