Demon Music Group’s Crimson Productions label is continuing its series of low-priced, music-packed releases under the Gold banner. Among January’s releases in the series were titles from Andy Williams, Gene Pitney, and The Tremeloes.

Andy Williams (1927-2012) remains one of the most beloved popular vocalists of all time. After brief affiliations with Columbia Records (with Kay Thompson and his siblings, The Williams Brothers) and RCA Victor’s X imprint, Williams established himself at Archie Bleyer’s Cadence imprint. In 1961, he moved to major label Columbia Records where he remained until 1980. At Columbia, Williams released 30 studio albums (of which 17 went Gold and 3 went Platinum), over 30 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (plus another seven that “bubbled under”), and 44 Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary entries (including four No. 1s).

Crimson’s Gold entry for Williams encompasses 60 songs on 3 CDs, all of which have been drawn from his Columbia discography. The selection is presented in non-chronological order and comprises both hits and deep album tracks. All of his U.K. chart entries are here – “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” “Stranger on the Shore,” “A Fool Never Learns,” “Almost There,” “May Each Day,” “In the Arms of Love,” “Music to Watch Girls By,” “More and More,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Happy Heart,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “It’s So Easy,” “Home Lovin’ Man,” “Where Do I Begin? (Love Story),” “Speak Softly Love (Theme from The Godfather),” “Solitaire,” “Getting Over You,” “You Lay So Easy on My Mind,” “The Other Side of Me,” and Andy’s final U.K. chart hit, the duet of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” with singer-actress Denise Van Outen.

The set also features favorites like “Danny Boy,” “Born Free,” and Andy’s signature song, “Moon River,” as well as his renditions of classics from “Moon River” composer Mancini (“Dear Heart,” “Days of Wine and Roses”), Burt Bacharach and Hal David (“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “Don’t You Believe It”), Jimmy Webb (“MacArthur Park,” “Up, Up, and Away”), Gordon Lightfoot (“If You Could Read My Mind”), Carole King (“You’ve Got a Friend”), Gilbert O’Sullivan (“Alone Again (Naturally)”). The set is rounded out with three songs from his cherished Christmas albums: “White Christmas,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Gold makes for an enjoyable sampler from one of American popular song’s finest talents.

Gene Pitney (1940-2006) charted 16 top 40 hits in the U.S. (four of which went to the top 10), but he enjoyed even more success in the U.K. where he placed 22 songs within the top 40 and eleven top 10s. A 2002 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Pitney was an accomplished songwriter (“Rubber Ball,” “He’s a Rebel”) as well as a pioneering artist who blended rock-and-roll with pop and blue-eyed soul, all rendered with his big, dramatic voice.

Gold has 54 songs from Pitney across its three CDs. All of his big international hits are here: Bacharach and David’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” “Only Love Can Break a Heart,” “True Love Never Runs Smooth,” and “Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa” (ironically, only the latter charted in the U.K. despite enormous success in other territories), Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s “I’m Gonna Be Strong” and “Looking Through the Eyes of Love,” Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s “Every Breath I Take” and “Yours Until Tomorrow,” Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller’s “It Hurts to Be in Love,” Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington’s Academy Award-nominated “Town Without Pity,” Randy Newman’s “Just One Smile” and “Nobody Needs Your Love,” and Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook’s “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart” in both its original 1967 version (a top 5 U.K. hit) and its chart-topping 1989 revival with Marc Almond. Gene’s own material is featured here, too, such as “(I Wanna) Love My Life Away,” “A Chance to Belong,” “Mr. Moon, Mr. Cupid and I,” as well as a pair of duets with country legend George Jones (“I’m a Fool to Care,” “I’ve Got Five Dollars and It’s Saturday Night”).  Jones will receive his own Gold entry in March.  This Gold volume is a fine tribute to the enduring and versatile talent of Gene Pitney.

Over 45 songs on three CDs arranged in rough chronological fashion, The Tremeloes‘ Gold spotlights the British Invasion band (founded in 1958) that’s still performing today. The story goes that Decca chose The Tremeloes over The Beatles in 1962, and while they likely rued that decision, the Brian Poole-fronted group performed more than respectably. Crimson’s compilation doesn’t feature any of the material from the Decca era (such as the U.K. hits “Twist and Shout,” “Do You Love Me,” “Candy Man,” “Someone, Someone,” or “I Want Candy”) but rather begins with The Tremeloes’ post-Poole period for CBS Records which began in 1966.

At CBS, The Tremeloes scored hits featured here including Cat Stevens’ “Here Comes My Baby” (No. 4 U.K. / No. 13 U.S.), Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe’s “Silence Is Golden” (No. 1 U.K. / No. 11 U.S.), and Mitch Murray and Peter Callender’s “Even the Bad Times Are Good.” While the band’s U.S. hits dried up shortly thereafter, they continued to be a regular chart presence at home. Gold spotlights such U.K. hits as “Suddenly You Love Me” (No. 6), “My Little Lady” (No. 6), “Hello, World” (No. 14), “(Call Me) Number One” (which made it to Number Two!), and “Me and My Life” (No. 4). That latter 1970 hit was The Tremeloes’ final top 10 entry; after 1971’s “Hello, Buddy,” the band wouldn’t see a hit single for more than a decade. But Gold also chronicles that fallow period with highlights like the group’s covers of “Peggy Sue” and “Willie and the Hand Jive” before culminating in their 1983 “comeback” record “Words.” (Their brief sojourn to DJM Records in 1974-1975 is not represented here.) Despite the various personnel changes reflected on these tracks, Gold admirably displays the group’s consistency during their time on the CBS U.K. roster.

All three Gold titles are packaged in six-panel digipaks with credits but no liner notes. Phil Kinrade has remastered the Pitney and Tremeloes titles. They’re all available now at the links below!

Andy Williams, Gold (Crimson CRIMCD655, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Can’t Get Used to Losing You
2. Music to Watch Girls by
3. Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather)
4. Battle Hymn of the Republic
5. The Impossible Dream (The Quest)
6. The Other Side of Me
7. A Fool Never Learns
8. Getting Over You
9. Stranger on the Shore
10. Danny Boy
11. Abraham, Martin, and John
12. For the Good Times
13. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head
14. If You Could Read My Mind
15. MacArthur Park
16. On the Street Where You Live
17. The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)
18. Alone Again (Naturally)
19. You’ve Got a Friend
20. Up, Up, and Away

CD 2

1. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
2. (Where Do I Begin) Love Story
3. Happy Heart
4. Home Lovin’ Man
5. You Lay So Easy on My Mind
6. A Summer Place
7. I’ll Never Stop Loving You
8. It’s So Easy
9. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
10. Charade
11. Ain’t It True
12. Fly by Night
13. Help Me
14. Hopeless
15. …And Roses and Roses
16. Almost There
17. Bye Bye Blues
18. The Wonderful World of the Young
19. Wrong for Each Other
20. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (with Denise Van Outen)

CD 3

1. Can’t Help Falling in Love
2. Solitaire
3. Moon River
4. Born Free
5. Maria
6. Days of Wine and Roses
7. May Each Day
8. More and More
9. (In the Summertime) You Don’t Want My Love
10. A Time for Us
11. Dear Heart
12. Don’t You Believe It
13. Holly
14. In the Arms of Love
15. More
16. Ave Maria
17. Amazing Grace
18. White Christmas
19. The Little Drummer Boy
20. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Gene Pitney, Gold(Crimson CRIMCD654, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa
2. Hello Mary Lou
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
4. Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart
5. If I Didn’t Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)
6. Teardrop by Teardrop
7. Last Chance to Turn Around
8. Louisiana Mama
9. Animal Crackers (In Cellophane Boxes)
10. (I Wanna) Love My Life Away
11. Maria Elena (I’m Going to War)
12. That Girl Belongs to Yesterday
13. Looking Through the Eyes of Love
14. I’m Gonna Be Strong
15. I’m a Fool to Care (with George Jones)
16. Backstage (I’m Lonely)
17. I Should Try to Forget
18. Billy You’re My Friend
19. Somewhere in the Country
20. Dream for Sale

CD 2

1. Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart (with Marc Almond)
2. Only Love Can Break a Heart
3. It Hurts to Be in Love
4. Who Needs It
5. True Love Never Runs Smooth
6. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
7. Every Breath I Take
8. (In the) Cold Light of Day
9. Donna Means Heartbreak
10. Shady Lady
11. A Chance to Belong
12. Moon, Mr. Cupid, and I
13. She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning)
14. I Must Be Seeing Things
15. Nobody Needs Your Love
16. Yours Until Tomorrow
17. I Laughed So Hard I Cried
18. My Prayer

CD 3

1. Town Without Pity
2. Mecca
3. The Great Pretender
4. Half Heaven – Half Heartache
5. Nessuno Mi Puo Giudicare
6. Today’s Teardrops
7. I’ve Got Five Dollars and It’s Saturday Night (with George Jones)
8. Yesterday’s Hero
9. Princess in Rags
10. Just One Smile
11. She’s a Heartbreaker
12. 24 Sycamore
13. Tower Tall
14. Little Betty Falling Star
15. Air-Mail Special Delivery
16. A Street Called Hope

The Tremeloes, Gold (Crimson CRIMCD646, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Here Comes My baby
2. Silence Is Golden
3. Even the Bad Times Are Good
4. Be Mine
5. Good Day Sunshine
6. Suddenly Winter
7. You
8. Let Your Hair Hang Down
9. Shake Hands (And Come Crying)
10. Cool Jerk
11. Happy Song
12. Gentlemen of Pleasure
13. When I’m With Her
14. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
15. Suddenly You Love Me

CD 2

1. Hello World
2. Helule Helule
3. My Little Lady
4. I Shall Be Released
5. Once On a Sunday Morning
6. I Take What I Want
7. Show Me
8. As You Are
9. Girl from Nowhere
10. I’m Gonna Try
11. (Call Me) Number One
12. Everyday
13. Rag Doll
14. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
15. Ain’t Nothing but a House Party

CD 3

1. Me and My Life
2. Hello Buddy
3. I Like It That Way
4. Right Wheel, Left Hammer, Sham
5. Ride On
6. By the Way
7. Too Late (To Be Saved)
8. Peggy Sue
9. Willie and the Hand Jive
10. You Can’t Touch Sue
11. Blue Suede Tie
12. Do I Love You
13. Ging Gang Goolie
14. Lights of Port Royal
15. Words