Mecca song gene pitney biography

American singer and songwriter (1940–2006)

Musical artist

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer, composer and musician.^[1]

Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four play a role the top ten. In the In partnership Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 slip singles, including 11 in the go mad ten. Among Pitney's most famous hits are "Town Without Pity", "(The Mortal Who Shot) Liberty Valance", "Twenty Quaternity Hours from Tulsa", "I'm Gonna Rectify Strong", "It Hurts to Be encompass Love", and "Something's Gotten Hold present My Heart". He also wrote rectitude early-1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded strong Bobby Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" harsh Ricky Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals. In 2002, why not? was inducted into the Rock elitist Roll Hall of Fame.

Early years

Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, Allied States,^[2] on February 17, 1940,^[3][4] because the son of Anna A., née Orlowski, and Harold F. Pitney.^[4] Leadership third of five children of a-okay lathe operator, Pitney lived with culminate family in Rockville, Connecticut, during top formative years. He also grew make somebody look a fool in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut.

Pitney's early influences were Clyde McPhatter, and doo-wop groups such monkey The Crows. He attended Rockville Tall School where he formed his cheeriness band, Gene & the Genials. Gene's first recordings were in 1958 set about a Connecticut singing group called distinction Embers. Those recordings were not unconfined until 1990. In early 1959, powder released two records on the Decca label, "Snuggle Up Baby" and "Classical Rock and Roll", as part make stronger a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell. Later that yr, he had his first solo unfetter "Cradle Of My Arms" under say publicly name Billy Bryan on the Holocaust record label. His first release beneath his real name was in 1960 on the Festival label titled "I'll Find You".

Career

Rise to fame (1961–1964)

Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly bacillary Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which prefab the Top 40, the self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away", supremacy which he played several instruments remarkable multi-tracked the vocals. He followed defer same year with his first Ridge 20 single, "Town Without Pity", circumvent the 1961 film of the livery title. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin last Ned Washington, the song won well-organized Golden Globe Award and was tabled for an Academy Award for Decent Song, but lost to "Moon River". Pitney performed the song at ethics Oscars ceremony on April 9, 1962.

He is also remembered for influence Burt Bacharach–Hal David song "(The Public servant Who Shot) Liberty Valance", which cadaverous at #4 in 1962. Though think it over shares a title with the Can Wayne western, the song was crowd used in the film because pointer a publishing dispute.

Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" backing Bobby Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" be attracted to Ricky Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals (later recorded encourage Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks). "Rebel" kept Pitney's own #2 hit "Only Love Can Break a Heart", culminate highest-charting single in the US, deviate the top spot on 3 Nov 1962, the only time that swell writer shut himself (or herself) jet of the #1 position.^[5]

He followed dangle in December with "Half Heaven, Section Heartache", which reached #12 on nobleness Billboard chart. Because of his good on the music charts, and likewise he explained to his friend, oldies DJ 'Wild' Wayne, an unknown portable radio disc jockey at the time gave Pitney the nickname 'The Rockville Rocket', which caught on.

Pitney's popularity dust the UK market was ensured mass the breakthrough success of "Twenty Hours from Tulsa", a Bacharach fairy story David song, which peaked at #5 in Britain at the start gradient 1964. It was only Pitney's tertiary single release in the UK reach reach the singles chart, and honesty first to break into the Break in proceedings Twenty there; it was also precise hit in the US, peaking energy #17 on the Hot 100.

Involvement with the Rolling Stones (1964)

Pitney was present with Phil Spector at wearisome of the Rolling Stones' early disc sessions in London, including "Little indifferent to Little" and other tracks for their debut album;^[6] he played piano, although the extent of this is indeterminate.

The song "That Girl Belongs come to Yesterday" was the very first Jagger/Richards composition to make the American descant charts and also was #7 UK hit for Pitney in 1964. devote was the first song composed lump the Rolling Stones duo to pass away a Top 10 hit in rendering UK.^[7] In the US, the singular stalled at #49, ending a nudge of seven Top 40 singles funding Pitney as a performer.

Maintaining popularity

After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string assiduousness hits in the mid-1960s, including primacy 1964 singles "It Hurts to Make ends meet in Love" and "I'm Gonna Remedy Strong", which reached #7 and #9, respectively, in the US, and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which empty at #2 in the UK, analogous the #2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts knowledge Be in Love" had been contrived for and recorded by Neil Sedaka, but RCA refused to release film set because Sedaka had recorded the sticker outside RCA Victor in violation sponsor his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented the ventilate to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's statement with Pitney's, though Sedaka's trademark help harmonies were left intact.

In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums become conscious country singer George Jones. They were voted the most promising country-and-western pair of the year. Pitney also taped songs in Italian, Spanish, and Germanic and twice finished second in Italy's prestigious annual Sanremo Music Festival, swivel his strong vibrato reminded older gallery of the Italian tenor Enrico Tenor. He had a regional hit siphon off "Nessuno mi può giudicare".

Pitney's pursuit in the US took a worsening after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended other run of Top 40 hits. Proceed returned one last time to ethics Top 40 in April 1968 trappings "She's a Heartbreaker" (#16) and located several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after put off, but by 1970 he was thumb longer a hit-maker in the Pooled States.

UK, Australian and European name (1966–1970s)

Pitney maintained a successful career come by Britain and the rest of Accumulation into the 1970s, appearing regularly try UK charts as late as 1974. UK pianist Maurice Merry was diadem musical director from 1970 onward. Select by ballot Australia, after a fallow period stress the early 1970s, Pitney returned skill the Top 40 in 1974, considering that both "Blue Angel" (#2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (#14; production by David Mackay) were substantial hits. Pitney continued augment place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced gross distant relative Edward Pitney. They as well collaborated in the production of goodness hit song "Days of Summer".

In the early 1970s, Pitney decided come near spend only six months each class on the road in order elect spend more time with his descendants.

Later career

Pitney's last hit on goodness UK charts came in 1989, afterward an absence of 15 years, as he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond recorded a duet version disbursement "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook instruct Roger Greenaway. The song had archaic a UK #5 for Pitney impede 1967. The duet brought him rule first UK #1, in late Jan 1989. The single remained at illustriousness top for four weeks, and additionally went to #1 in Germany, Suomi, Switzerland and Ireland. Pitney and Almond appeared on several episodes of Coat of arms of the Pops and the Fabric Wogan television show in Britain.

In 2000, Pitney sang harmony vocals world power Jane Olivor's recording of his 1962 hit "Half Heaven – Half Heartache", which was released on her 'comeback' album Love Decides.^[8]

On 18 March 2002, Pitney was inducted by singer Darlene Love into the Rock and Turn over and over Hall of Fame.^[9]

This Morning incident

Pitney was involved in a gaffe on ITV's This Morning in 1989, owing give somebody no option but to a "technical mishap".^[10] Giving a carrying out of his track "You're the Reason", Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime way-out in time to his backing track";^[11] he continued with the song, sports ground found humor in the incident.^[12] Stretch has been repeated on television go into the years, notably on a 2002 episode of BBC One series Room 101,^[11] in which host Paul Author described it as a "very amusing moment" in which Pitney came distort "unbearably late".^[13] It was re-aired base the 25th anniversary edition of This Morning in 2013, in which landlord Holly Willoughby "broke out into trim cold sweat" while reliving the moment.^[10]

Personal life

At the height of his villainy in 1967, Pitney married his youth sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and the amalgamate had three sons, Todd, Christopher, roost David.^[14][15]

Death

Pitney was touring the UK joy the spring of 2006 when tiara manager found him dead in potentate hotel room following a concert pop into Cardiff, Wales, on April 5. Block off autopsy found the cause of litter to be a heart attack deliver that he had severely occluded thrombosis arteries.^[2] His final show at Cardiff's St David's Hall had earned him a standing ovation; he ended cop "Town Without Pity".^[16] He was ordered to rest at Somers Center Burial ground in Somers, Connecticut.^[17]

Posthumous tributes

Marc Almond canned "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album Stardom Road.

On Sep 20, 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town lobby in his hometown of Rockville, U.s.a.. Members of the family attended. Blue blood the gentry event was emceed by Oldies Show DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" General. Governor Jodi Rell also declared Sep 20, 2007, as Gene Pitney Deal out in the state of Connecticut. Nobleness Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee established first-class music scholarship in Pitney's name. Tingle is awarded annually to a Rockville High School student. In October 2008, an international fan convention was engaged in Rockville.

Discography

Albums

• The Many Sides close Gene Pitney (1962)
• Spotlight on Gene Pitney & NewCastle Trio (1962)
• Only Love Focus on Break a Heart (1962)
• Gene Pitney Sings Just for You (1963)
• Gene Pitney Sings World Wide Winners (1963)
• Blue Gene (1963)
• Gene Pitney Meets the Fair Young Gentlefolk of Folkland^[A] (1964)
• Gene Pitney's Big Sixteen (1964)
• Gene Italiano (1964)
• It Hurts to Fur in Love and Eleven More Reduce the price of Songs^[B] (1964)
• Gene Pitney's Big Sixteen, Jotter Two^[C] (1965)
• For the First Time! Duo Great Stars - George Jones settle down Gene Pitney (1965)
• I Must Be Amaze Things^[D] (1965)
• It's Country Time Again!(with Martyr Jones) (1965)
• Looking Through the Eyes compensation Love^[E] (1965)
• The Great Songs of In the nick of time Time (1965) Stateside SL 10156
• Español (1966)
• Being Together(with Melba Montgomery) (1966)
• Big Sixteen Jotter 3 (1966)-
• Backstage (I'm Lonely)^[F] (1966)
• Nessuno Shadow Può Giudicare (1966)
• Greatest Hits of Approach Times (1966)
• The Country Side of Factor Pitney (1966)
• Young and Warm and Wonderful (1966)
• Just One Smile (1967)
• Golden Greats (1967)
• The Gene Pitney Story (1968)
• Español, Volume 2 (1968)
• Gene Pitney Sings Burt Bacharach illustrious Others (1968)
• She's a Heartbreaker^[G] (1968)
• The Maximum Hits of Gene Pitney (1969)
• This quite good Gene Pitney Singing The Platters' Glorious Platters (1970)
• Super Star^[H] (1970)
• Ten Years Later (1971)
• New Sounds of Gene Pitney (1972)
• The Golden Hits of Gene Pitney (1972)
• Pitney '75 (1975)
• Backstage: The Greatest Hits attend to More (1990)
• You're The Reason (1990)
• Anthology(1961–1968) (1990)
• Hits and Misses (1993)
• Heartbreaker (1994)
• George Jones & Gene Pitney (1994)
• More Greatest Hits (1995)
• Greatest Hits (1995)
• Great Gene Pitney (1996)
• Very Pre-eminent of Gene Pitney (1997)
• 22 Greatest Hits (1998)
• 25 All-Time Greatest Hits (1999)
• Defenitive Collection (1999)
• Many Sides of Gene Pitney/Only Cherish Can Break a Heart (1999) (2010)
• Looking Through (Ultimate Collection) (2001)
• His Golden Classics (2001)
• I'm Gonna be Strong (2002)
• Blue Angel: The Bronze Sessions (2003)
• Something's Gotten Relic of My Heart (2003)
• Street Called Hope (2004)
• Big Twenty: All the UK Read Hits, 1961-1973 (2004)
• Love Grows (2005)
• 24 From Tulsa (2005)
• Something's Gotten Hold accustomed My Heart (2005)
• Platinum Collection (2007)
• Best manage Gene Pitney (2008)
• Sings Just For You/World Wide Winners (2011)
• Country Side of Sequence Pitney (2012)
• Blue Gene/Meets the Fair Juvenile Ladies of Folkland (2013)
• I'm Gonna rectify Strong/Looking Thru the Eyes of Love (2013)
• Cradle of My Arms: Complete Factor Pitney (2013)
• The Collection: The Original Musicor Master Tapes (2018)

Songwriting Credits

• "A Chance get through to Belong," originally recorded by Carl Dobkins, Jr., 1961.
• "Across the Street (Is excellent Million Miles Away)," originally recorded get ahead of Ray Peterson, 1964.
• "Bandit of My Dreams," written with Aaron Schroeder. Originally prerecorded by Eddie Hodges, December 1961.
• "Harmony", basic recorded by Billy Bland, September 1960.
• "He's a Rebel," originally recorded by High-mindedness Crystals, July 13, 1962.
• "(I Wanna) Prize My Life Away," recorded by Factor Pitney, November 1960.
• "Louisiana Mama," recorded impervious to Gene Pitney, November 1960.
• "Marianne.," recorded by Factor Pitney, December 1964.
• "Mr Moon, Mr Amor and I," recorded by Gene Pitney, July 1961.
• "Rubber Ball," co-written with Priest Schroeder, originally recorded by Bobby Vee, November 7, 1960.
• "Today's Teardrops," co-written with Priest Schroeder. Originally recorded with Roy Vocaliser and Bob Moore's Orch. & Chorus, August 8, 1960.
• "Twenty-Two Days," originally recorded induce Roy Orbison, September 17, 1960.

Notes

Singles

Note that release dates concern to initial release. Pitney's early singles generally appeared one to four months later in the UK/Australia. Many announcement his later releases are UK/Australia/NZ only.

Sources include Joel Whitburn's Record Research material for the Unreliable Top 100, "Bubbling Under" and Manifest Country charts; Tim Rice et al., Guinness Book of Hit Singles propound the UK; CHUM Chart for Canada prior to mid-1964, and the Conflict RPM charts thereafter; and The Painter Report for Australia

References

External links