The Complete Original Chart Hits 1964-1969

Ronnie Dove

Real Gone Music, 2014

http://www.ronniedove.com

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/18/2014

Ronnie Dove may have set a chart record back in the 1960s. He had 21 singles make the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart but none cracked the top ten. Still, his high range vocals, smooth balladry, and his ability to create a very listenable pop sound made him extremely popular and commercially successful with adult contemporary crowd during the second half of the 1960s. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Real Gone music has now resurrected Dove’s entire 21-song chart history and released it under the title The Complete Original Chart Hits 1964-1969. Sixteen of the 21 tracks are presented in stereo, some for the first time on CD. No stereo versions of the other five exist. The sound has been scrubbed as clear as the original recordings will allow. A booklet with a short history of Dove’s career, notes on each track, and a number of archival pictures has also been included.

Dove may have recorded during the British Invasion through the beginning of the psychedelic era, but he was at heart not a rock ‘n’ roller. He was more akin to 1950s singers such as Johnny Ray than the rock ‘n’ roll artists who dominated the time period. He was very much in tune with the second part of Elvis Presley’s career, when he moved from rock to pop.

Despite being named Billboard Magazine’s Easy Listening Artist Of The Year for 1965, Dove is a sometimes forgotten singer. Songs such as Wanda Jackson’s “Right Or Wrong,” on which he slows the tempo, the booming “One Kiss For Old Times Sake,” the smooth-flowing “Let’s Start All Over Again,” and a spot-on cover of Johnny Ray’s “Cry” remain some of the best pop/easy listening music of the era.

The hits may have run out as the 1970s dawned, but Dove has remained active in the music industry, touring incessantly down to the present day. The Complete Original Chart Hits 1964-1969 is the defining compilation of his career. It is a niche release of a sort, as it will appeal mostly to his fan base or people interested in the era. If you fall into one of these categories, this is a release for you.

Rating: B+

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