Hits Around the World

Audio Remasterer: Robin Cherry.
Liner Note Author: Ossie Dales.
Recording information: 10/30/1958-04/30/1962.
After establishing himself in 1959 with the hit "Oh! Carol" (named after former high school girlfriend and songwriting contemporary Carole King), Neil Sedaka scored an impressive run of hits in the early part of the '60s with songs like "Stairway to Heaven," "You Mean Everything to Me," and his signature tune "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." His intelligence and versatility as an arranger, songwriter, and vocalist carried him far and after several of his songs became hits in Europe, he was quick on the draw to offer up foreign-language versions of the high points in his growing catalog. Hits Around the World is the sort of unique greatest-hits package few artists can offer, with 16 of his original English-language hits backed by an additional 14 tracks sung in Italian, Spanish, German, and Hebrew. It's a testament to his work ethic that he went the extra mile, as many of the original English-language versions were already charting in these countries and others. His warm, high tenor, and sharp, melodic songwriting were a high point of the pre-Beatles pop era and this collection is a solid representation of Sedaka's global appeal. ~ Timothy Monger