Singles & Albums Collection 1957-62 (CD) – Dion & Belmonts

Dion DiMucci was one of many significant names of the rock ‘n’ roll era to emerge from the Italian diaspora of the USA’s north-western states, his career encompassing doowop-influenced early hits with Dion & The Belmonts followed by landmark solo successes, all within the space of a few intense years of chart action. Born in the Bronx in 1939, he was the son of a vaudeville entertainer and came to music early, singing on street corners and in bars, auditioning for producers for whom he made records as Dion & The Timberlanes for the Mohawk label, before assembling the Belmonts to get a deal with the New York label Laurie, making the charts with I Wonder Why. The Top 5 Teenager In Love and No.3 Where or When followed and they had nine hits before Dion left to go solo in 1960, and over the next three years he had a dozen hits including the classics Runaround Sue, a No. 1, and The Wanderer a No. 2. This excellent-value 58-track 2-CD set comprises the A & B sides of his early Mohawk releases, plus the A & B sides of the Dion & The Belmonts singles and Dion solo singles during this era, along with selected titles from the Dion & The Belmonts LPs Presenting Dion & The Belmonts and When You Wish Upon A Star, and from Dion’s solo albums Alone With Dion, Runaround Sue and Lovers Who Wander. It naturally includes the 22 chart entries he had across the two phases of his career during these years, and provides a fine showcase for his highly distinctive style as a vocalist both in the group format and solo, and underlines why his contribution to rock ‘n’ roll was so significant.

Track List

1. The Chosen Few
2. Out in Colorado
3. Tag Along
4. We Went Away
5. I Wonder Why
6. Teen Angel
7. No – One Knows
8. I Can’t Go on Rosalie
9. Don’t Pity Me
10. Just You
11. A Teenager in Love
12. I’ve Cried Before
13. Every Little Thing I Do
14. A Lover’s Prayer
15. Where or When
16. That’s My Desire
17. When You Wish Upon a Star
18. Wonderful Girl
19. In the Still of the Night
20. A Funny Feeling
21. Lonely Teenager
22. Little Miss Blue
23. Havin’ Fun
24. North East End of the Corner
25. Kissin’ Game
26. Heaven Help Me
27. Somebody Nobody Wants
28. Could Somebody Take My Place Tonight
29. Runaround Sue
30. Runaway Girl
31. The Wanderer
32. The Majestic
33. Lovers Who Wander
34. (I Was) Born to Cry
35. Little Diane
36. Lost for Sure
37. Love Came to Me
38. Little Girl
39. Ruby Baby
40. He’ll Only Hurt You
41. You Better Not Do That
42. I Got the Blues
43. My Private Joy
44. My Day
45. All the Things That You Are
46. I’m Through with Love
47. After the Dance
48. P.S. I Love You
49. Close Your Eyes
50. Then I’ll Be Tired of You
51. Life Is But a Dream
52. Little Star
53. Lonely World
54. Kansas City
55. King Without a Queen
56. Stagger Lee
57. Tonight Tonight
58. Queen of the Hop