Now - SAMMY DAVIS JNR***

The Candy Man/This Is My Life/I Am Over 25 But You Can Trust Me/Have A Little Talk With Myself/Willoughby Grove/Take My Hand/I'll Begin Again/I Want To Be Happy/Macarthur Park/Time To Hide/John Shaft

All round entertainer Sammy Davis Jnr had been largely absent from the upper reaches of the charts for over a decade. This all changed with his US No.1 hit single cover The Candy Man, taken from the film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. (US:11)

“His cover of The Candy Man topped the pop charts for three weeks. The cut is pure cheesy pop and Davis allegedly hated it, setting down the track at a time when he thought it might help him land the title role in the Willy Wonka film for which the song was written.”

“At this time, on record and in cabaret Sammy was trying to find a niche in the modern music scene but it never really worked. Of this below average set the best tracks are his delivery of Jim Webb's MacArthur Park and the final track where Isaac Hayes was drafted in to arrange Davis version of the Shaft theme tune. The rest are forgettable.”

“The general impression is that of an artist whose forte is the Great American Songbook being forced into something of much less value. I Am Over 25 But You Can Trust Me is an example of the type of material he is faced with here, each of the songs presenting a situation where he is required to emote with great sincerity, no matter what, while gospel-tinged background singers ooh in the background.”

“MacArthur Park is the best-written song of the bunch, providing at least some kind of melody to work with, as well as all the makings of a huge production number.”

“The best thing about this album is the cover packaging, which unfolds into a giant Sammy poster. It is big enough for the artist himself to hide behind -- and he probably did.”

“The highlight is Davis’ version of the ubiquitous MacArthur Park. Whereas many artists chose to cut Jimmy Webb’s epic song down, Davis embraced it, cake in the rain and all, and his zeal for the song actually makes it work in non-ironic fashion.”