Jack Jones

[Rudy]

I've always sort of liked the song "Wives and Lovers" from the Burt Bacharach Look Of Love box set as performed by Jack Jones. The lyrics are way out of date (almost chauvinistic), but I grew attached to Jones' voice on that recording.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a local thrift shop and came across six LPs. Among them was a very nice copy of Jack Jones' Wives and Lovers LP, on the Kapp label: clean-looking vinyl (it needs a trip through the record vacuum regardless...but I'm waiting for a shipment of fluid), and the jacket was still in its shrink wrap. The music has turned out to be a pleasant surprise--arrangers include Ralph Carmichael and Marty Paich, and there was even a Henry Mancini song here that I recognized from his Mr. Lucky Goes Latin album (one of my favorites), set to lyrics as "Song About Love". Also on this LP are "Charade", "Fly Me To The Moon" and "Come Rain or Come Shine".

It's also a very nice sounding LP: rich and warm, and the surface is very quiet save for some "ticks" from dirt. A nice surprise! I'll definitely need to search out some more of his Kapp recordings on LP.

 

[jimac51]

Hey,don't stop just at the Kapp years. Jack's RCA material(from around 1967 to 1977) is pretty interesting,too. If you had to choose one,THE FULL LIFE(APL 1-2067)is a fine choice. I find his take on "L.A. Breakdown" to be definitive. Beach Boy Bruce Johnston shows up on a credible "God Only Knows",but yet Bruce is absent on his own "Disney Girls". A crooner doing Beach Boys material? Remember Brian Wilson's first love was the Four Freshman. Also,Jack co-produced an album not only of all Michel Legrand compositions,but ones with Marilyn & Alan Bergman lyrics-arranged & co-produced by Monsieur Legrand and recorded in France(JACK JONES SINGS MICHEL LEGRAND-RCA,LSP 4480). I believe that Jack Jones was one of the first to record Harry Nilsson's "Without Her" and Randy Newman's "Love Story". When Sinatra was trying to find new material and a new audience in the late '60s,it was Jack who was a step ahead. Mac

 

[Dave]

Hey, don't stop just at the Kapp years. Jack's RCA material(from around 1967 to 1977) is pretty interesting, too. If you had to choose one, THE FULL LIFE(APL 1-2067)is a fine choice. I find his take on "L.A. Breakdown" to be definitive. Beach Boy Bruce Johnston shows up on a credible "God Only Knows". I believe that Jack Jones was one of the first to record Harry Nilsson's "Without Her" and Randy Newman's "Love Story". Mac

Hey, I've got THE FULL LIFE, myself. "L.A. Breakdown" is much like what Jimmie Rodgers' version was like ten years before. My favorite Jack Jones LP would definitely be HARBOR (yes, that's the PETER ALLEN song!).

And about three years ago I saw Jones in a Live Performance of MAN OF LA MANCHA (at Macomb Center in Mt. Clemens). Jack's definitely a terrific actor, too.

And of course he signed both of my albums after the show, as well.

Dave

 

[Steven J. Gross]

Also he sang the "Love Boat" theme, written by Paul Williams.

 

[Dave]

Also he sang the "Love Boat" theme, written by Paul Williams.

HARBOR has a Paul Williams' song, too--"That's What Friends Are For". Paul did his version on HERE COMES INSPIRATION and it appears on the CLASSICS compilation, too. I like the version Jack did and I even have the B.J. Thomas version on BILLY JOE THOMAS, on which Paul and his brother Mentor sit in.

And Rita Coolidge also did a version on her FALL INTO SPRING album. Of course, the version of "That's What Friends Are For" by Paul Williams here, is not to be confused with a similar titled composition by Burt Bacharach, done years later.

Dave