Tony – ANTHONY NEWLEY***

Yes We Have No Bananas/You’re Free/I Was Never Kissed Before/Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes/All Or Nothing At All/Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kitbag/Pop Goes The Weasel/Who Can Say/Bye Bye Blackbird/I Should Care/Basin Street Blues/By Myself

A very mixed bag from Anthony Newley, combining MOR standards with more idiosyncratic material. Tony includes the eccentric British top twenty single Pop Goes The Weasel. Newley’s success in the pop charts would soon fade, but in the musical theatre he would enjoy more staying power. (UK:5)

“Where nursery rhymes, first world war songs, medieval ballads and jazz standards sung in French meet for the first and probably last time. Brilliant in its downright peculiarity, Newley's second studio album is unparalleled in its construction. Some of the lounge-jazz orchestrations place it firmly inside its 1961 release date, but the incomparable and, frankly, twisted vocal performances with defiant cockney vowels offset the datedness.”

“Is it any good? Some of it. The straighter the musical approach, the less interesting it is. A fearless one voice, one guitar reading of the standard Who Can Say? or the lush, romantic 40s style strings on I Should Care tend toward the dull despite the fantastic vocals. It's when there's no obvious reason for song choice, or extremity of musical background, where things get exciting. The bonkers bongos and time shifts in I Was Never Kissed Before, the curious harp and flute prettiness that almost mutates into medieval creepiness on ye olde Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, or the manically impish Pop Goes The Weasel, are all examples of songs with musical settings worthy of a performer unclassifiable, inimitable and some might say, untouchable.”

“His unmistakable cockney voice gives a unique sound to his music. Having a relaxed and easy going vocal style, he influenced many singers. A musical talent that will not be forgotten while there are people who like pure, simple and well sung songs.”

“Effectively handling pop standards, amusingly resurrecting Tin Pan Alley evergreens and even turning in a French interpretation of Basin Street Blues, Newley seemed to be preparing himself for a career in nightclubs and Nevada gambling casinos.”