Johnny Tillotson
Cadence CLP 3058
1962
Several years ago I was browsing the vinyl in a thrift store when I came across a couple of Johnny Tillotson records in very good condition. I flipped one of them over and was irked to see there was writing on it until I realized it was autographed. I'm not a big enough Tillotson fan to get excited about that, but I felt a pang when I saw the record was autographed to Teddy. Teddy obviously was a big fan and since this vintage original pressing was in such good condition presumably treasured this album. The fact that the record was in a thrift store suggested to me that Teddy had died and Teddy's heirs disposed of this record in the easiest manner available to them aside from the trash. There was no way I was going to leave this record to rot in a thrift store, so I bought both albums to give them a good home for a few more decades (hopefully.) I've always thought of Tillotson as a pop artist, but this album consists largely of country music classics. The liner notes aptly describe the record as "Johnny Tillotson's Favorite Songs of Loneliness" as it is loaded with heartbreak songs. I'm not adverse to a good heartbreak song, but a steady stream of 12 of them makes for pretty dreary listening. Tillotson is a good singer with a tender expressive voice, but he lacks the depth to put over many of these songs. He is hopelessly outclassed by Hank Williams on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" and fares even worse taking on Patsy Cline with "I Fall to Pieces" and Cline and Andy Williams on "Lonely Street." He does better with Brenda Lee's "Fool #1" but I still prefer her version. He's not mature enough to put over songs like "Funny How Time Slips Away," Faron Young's "Hello Walls" or Jim Reeves' "Four Walls." He benefits from the more pop-flavored arrangements of "Take Good Care of Her" and especially Hank Locklin's "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" which was a top 20 hit for him. He does great with Irving Berlin's oldie "What'll I Do" which proves surprisingly suitable for a country arrangement to which Tillotson adds a little teenage melodrama to give it extra oomph. The best song is easily Tillotson's own composition "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin" which was a big hit single on both the country and pop charts. It is a classic heartbreak song that Tillotson sings with convincing feeling. Aside from the title track this is a marginal record but I do enjoy it. The songs are all good and the arrangements by Archie Bleyer are tasteful and restrained by countrypolitan standards. Tillotson is a very likeable singer with a pleasant voice. However with his boyish tone and smooth style I do think that he is much better at singing pop. Recommended to fans of Ricky Nelson.
