Birthday Salute to Gene Pitney
Consummate vocalist and songwriter
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to consummate vocalist and songwriter Gene Pitney. He brought depth to simple pop songs, crafting choice cuts for Rick Nelson, Roy Orbison, Bobby Vee, and (famously) “He’s a Rebel” for The Crystals. I compare Gene to Bryan Ferry as both have a powerful and unique vocal technique that seizes ownership of any song or style. I also compare Gene to Harry Nilsson because they had hits covering songs they didn’t write. Gene’s popular arc in the USA ran from 1961-68, but he continued to draw British and European audiences, particularly for his Italian language records (I’m a big fan of “Lei Mei Espatta”). His career intersected with Marc Almond, Burt Bacharach, George Jones, The Rolling Stones, Phil Spector, and other notables, and he kept touring literally till the day he died in 2006.
“Every Breath I Take” (written by Goffin/King) is from Gene’s early canon. He was transitioning from a doo-wop style into orchestral pop, somewhat prescient to Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound.” The single was released internationally in 1961, peaking at #42. It caught my ear when I went through a “GP discovery phase” in the 80s. I tried for a John Lennon flair in my arrangement. Another GP “deep cut” I recommend is “Somewhere in the Country,” a densely orchestrated goth-folk-pop track akin to early Bee Gees. Meanwhile, HB to GP—thank you for your amazing music!
#genepitney #bryanferry #thecrystals #marcalmond #ricknelson #royorbison #bobbyvee #rebel #harrynilsson #burtbacharach #georgejones #rollingstones #philspector #bobbyvee #goffinking #johnnyjblair