Gene Pitney
Encyclopedia
Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney (February 17, 1941 – April 5, 2006), was an American
singer-songwriter
, musician
and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion
. Pitney charted 16 Top-40 hits in the U.S., four in the Top 10. In the UK he had 22 Top-40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten. He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" by Bobby Vee, "He's a Rebel
" by The Crystals
, and "Hello Mary Lou
" by Rick Nelson. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
.
, and grew up in Rockville
, now part of Vernon, Connecticut
. His early influences were Clyde McPhatter
, country-blues singer Moon Mullican
and doo-wop groups like The Crows
. He attended Rockville High School
, at which he was named "the Rockville Rocket", and where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. He made records as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell (who later had a solo hit, "DumbHead"), and in 1959 recorded a single as Billy Bryan. The first of the two Decca 45s as Jamie and Jane was "Snuggle Up, Baby," a cover of a song Charlie Gracie recorded at Cameo 1957 or early 1958, which remained unreleased until London Records released Gracie's original version in Europe in 1978.
the vocals. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, the title song from the film Town Without Pity
starring Kirk Douglas
. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin
and Ned Washington
, the song won a Golden Globe Award
and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on 9 April 1962 (honoring the film year of 1961). The song lost the Academy Award to "Moon River". "Town Without Pity" would be the last song Gene Pitney would sing in public, at a gig in south Wales (UK) before his untimely death at the age of 65.
Pitney is also remembered for Burt Bacharach
-Hal David
song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962. Though it shares a title with a 1962 John Ford
western with the same title, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
, staring John Wayne
, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute between Famous Music and Paramount Pictures
.
Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "He's a Rebel
" for The Crystals
, Vikki Carr
, and Elkie Brooks
; "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison
; "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee
; and "Hello Mary Lou
" for Ricky Nelson
. In an ironic twist, when Pitney hit No. 2 in November 1962 with the Bacharach-David song "Only Love Can Break a Heart
", he was kept from the top spot by The Crystals' version of "He's a Rebel". "Only Love Can Break a Heart" would be Pitney's highest-charting single in the U.S.
Pitney's 1963 hit "Mecca" can be regarded as a precursor to psychedelia in its use of Arabian music several years before The Beatles
began experimenting with exotic sounds. Exotic instruments became a Pitney trademark, such as mariachi trumpets in "Lonely Drifter", ukuleles in "Hawaii", and a gypsy fiddle in "Golden Earrings".
His popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa
", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at No.5 in Britain at the start of 1964 ("Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa" was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart and the first to break the Top Twenty there). "Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa" was also a hit in the U.S, peaking at No.17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little
" and other tracks for their debut album
; he played piano, though the extent is uncertain.
The Jagger/Richards
song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the Rolling Stones to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. In the U.S. the single stalled at No. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer.
", which reached No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, in the U.S., and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. ("I'm Gonna Be Strong" also reached No. 2 on the UK charts.) "It Hurts To Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka
, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield
and Helen Miller
, presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's.
In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones
. They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Pitney also recorded songs in Italian
, Spanish
and German
, and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Caruso. He had a regional hit with "Nessuno Mi Puo' Giudicare".
Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain
and the rest of Europe
into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974. In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to Top 40 in 1974, as both Blue Angel (No. 2) and Trans-Canada Highway (No. 14; production by David Mackay
) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relation Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer".
In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road.
recorded a duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
" by British writers Roger Cook
and Roger Greenaway
. The song had been a UK No. 5 for Pitney in 1967. The duet brought him his first UK No. 1, in late January 1989. The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. 1 elsewhere in Europe. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan
television show in Britain, Almond dressed in leather, Pitney in a white tuxedo.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
had recorded "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" on their cover album, Kicking Against the Pricks
, in 1986. But it never had the success of Pitney-Almond.
On 26 February 1993, Pitney performed at Carnegie Hall
in New York on the day of the first World Trade Center
bombing. On 18 March 2002 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
.
, Wales
, in the middle of a UK
tour. His final show at Cardiff
's St. David's Hall earned him a standing ovation
; he ended with "Town Without Pity". An autopsy
confirmed that he had a heart disease
, caused by atherosclerosis
. He left a wife, Lynne, and three sons, Todd, Chris and David behind.
recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album "Stardom Road".
On 20 September 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut
. Members of the family attended. The event was emceed by nationally known oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. The Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee established a music scholarship in Pitney's name. It is awarded annually to Rockville High School. In October 2008, an international fan convention was held in Rockville. In 2009 Gene Pitney was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Sources include Joel Whitburn
's Record Research material for the U.S. Top 100, "Bubbling Under" and U.S. Country charts; Tim Rice et al., Guinness Book of Hit Singles for the UK; CHUM Chart
for Canada prior to mid-1964, and the Canadian RPM
charts thereafter; and The Kent Report for Australia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
. Pitney charted 16 Top-40 hits in the U.S., four in the Top 10. In the UK he had 22 Top-40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten. He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" by Bobby Vee, "He's a Rebel
He's a Rebel
"He's a Rebel" is a pop song credited to the girl group The Crystals, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in November 1962. Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector, it is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group sound.In 2004, the song was...
" by The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
, and "Hello Mary Lou
Hello Mary Lou
"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney and Cayet Mangiaracina and performed by Ricky Nelson in English and German in 1961. It reached #9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961, although the other side of the single, "Travelin' Man", hit #1...
" by Rick Nelson. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
.
Early years
Pitney was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, and grew up in Rockville
Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville is a census-designated place and a village of the town of Vernon in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,708 at the 2000 census...
, now part of Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 29,179 at the 2010 census.Vernon was incorporated in October, 1808, from Bolton. Vernon contains the former city of Rockville, incorporated in January, 1889. The town of Vernon and city of Rockville consolidated as a...
. His early influences were Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
, country-blues singer Moon Mullican
Moon Mullican
Aubrey Wilson Mullican , known as Moon Mullican, was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. However, he also sang and played jazz, rock 'n' roll and the blues...
and doo-wop groups like The Crows
The Crows
The Crows were an American R & B singing group who achieved commercial success in the 1950s. The group's first single and only major hit, "Gee", released in June 1953, has been credited with being the first Rock n’ Roll hit by a rock and roll group...
. He attended Rockville High School
Rockville High School (Connecticut)
Rockville High School is a public secondary school located in Vernon, Connecticut. The school also serves as a vocational agriculture school for the region. Passing grade at RHS is a 70%. RHS has 1,136 students in grades 9-12. The school's mottos include "Nihil Nisi Optimum" , and "We Are the...
, at which he was named "the Rockville Rocket", and where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. He made records as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell (who later had a solo hit, "DumbHead"), and in 1959 recorded a single as Billy Bryan. The first of the two Decca 45s as Jamie and Jane was "Snuggle Up, Baby," a cover of a song Charlie Gracie recorded at Cameo 1957 or early 1958, which remained unreleased until London Records released Gracie's original version in Europe in 1978.
Rise to fame (1961–1964)
Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which made the Top 40, the self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away", on which he played several instruments and multi-trackedMultitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
the vocals. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, the title song from the film Town Without Pity
Town Without Pity
Town Without Pity is a 1961 American, Austrian and West German international co-production film drama starring Kirk Douglas, directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. It was made by Mirisch Productions for United Artists....
starring Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin
Dimitri Tiomkin
Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin was a Russian-born Hollywood film score composer and conductor. He is considered "one of the giants of Hollywood movie music." Musically trained in Russia, he is best known for his westerns, "where his expansive, muscular style had its greatest impact." Tiomkin...
and Ned Washington
Ned Washington
Ned Washington was an American lyricist.-Biography:Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962...
, the song won a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on 9 April 1962 (honoring the film year of 1961). The song lost the Academy Award to "Moon River". "Town Without Pity" would be the last song Gene Pitney would sing in public, at a gig in south Wales (UK) before his untimely death at the age of 65.
Pitney is also remembered for Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
-Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962. Though it shares a title with a 1962 John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
western with the same title, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart and John Wayne. The black-and-white film was released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a short story written by Dorothy M...
, staring John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute between Famous Music and Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "He's a Rebel
He's a Rebel
"He's a Rebel" is a pop song credited to the girl group The Crystals, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in November 1962. Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector, it is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group sound.In 2004, the song was...
" for The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
, Vikki Carr
Vikki Carr
Vikki Carr is an American singer and humanitarian from El Paso, Texas. She has performed in a variety of music genres, including jazz, pop and country, but has enjoyed her greatest success singing in Spanish.-Career:After taking the stage name 'Vikki Carr', she signed with Liberty Records in 1962...
, and Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
; "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
; "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
; and "Hello Mary Lou
Hello Mary Lou
"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney and Cayet Mangiaracina and performed by Ricky Nelson in English and German in 1961. It reached #9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961, although the other side of the single, "Travelin' Man", hit #1...
" for Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
. In an ironic twist, when Pitney hit No. 2 in November 1962 with the Bacharach-David song "Only Love Can Break a Heart
Only Love Can Break a Heart
"Only Love Can Break a Heart" is the title of a popular song from 1962 by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and appears on Pitney's second album Only Love Can Break a Heart.Pitney had enjoyed some success as a songwriter prior to...
", he was kept from the top spot by The Crystals' version of "He's a Rebel". "Only Love Can Break a Heart" would be Pitney's highest-charting single in the U.S.
Pitney's 1963 hit "Mecca" can be regarded as a precursor to psychedelia in its use of Arabian music several years before The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
began experimenting with exotic sounds. Exotic instruments became a Pitney trademark, such as mariachi trumpets in "Lonely Drifter", ukuleles in "Hawaii", and a gypsy fiddle in "Golden Earrings".
His popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa
Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa
"Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was a hit for Gene Pitney. Its success in the UK enabled Pitney to become an international star. Jay and the Americans covered the song on their 1963 album, At the Cafe Wha? Dusty Springfield covered it on her...
", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at No.5 in Britain at the start of 1964 ("Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa" was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart and the first to break the Top Twenty there). "Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa" was also a hit in the U.S, peaking at No.17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Involvement with the Rolling Stones (1964)
Pitney was present with Phil SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little
Little by Little (The Rolling Stones song)
"Little by Little" was released by The Rolling Stones on the Decca label on February 21, 1964, as the B-side to their version of "Not Fade Away". Also included on their debut album The Rolling Stones in April 1964....
" and other tracks for their debut album
The Rolling Stones (album)
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica, percussion*Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion...
; he played piano, though the extent is uncertain.
The Jagger/Richards
Jagger/Richards
The songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, known as Jagger/Richards , is a musical collaboration whose output has produced the majority of the catalogue of The Rolling Stones....
song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the Rolling Stones to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. In the U.S. the single stalled at No. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer.
Maintaining popularity
After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string of hits in the mid-1960s, including the 1964 singles "It Hurts To Be in Love" (previously mentioned) and "I'm Gonna Be StrongI'm Gonna Be Strong
"I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a song written by the famed songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was first recorded by Frankie Laine in 1963 and released as a single on Columbia Records. However, the song did not become a major hit until 1964, when Gene Pitney released his version as a single...
", which reached No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, in the U.S., and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. ("I'm Gonna Be Strong" also reached No. 2 on the UK charts.) "It Hurts To Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield
Howard Greenfield
Howard Greenfield was an American lyricist and songwriter, who for several years in the 1960s worked out of the famous Brill Building...
and Helen Miller
Helen Miller
Helen Miller is the Iowa State Representative from the 49th District and is an assistant majority leader. A Democrat, she has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2003.-Education:...
, presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's.
In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
. They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Pitney also recorded songs in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Caruso. He had a regional hit with "Nessuno Mi Puo' Giudicare".
UK, Australian and European stardom (1966–1970s)
Pitney's career in the U.S. took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. He returned one last time to the Top 40 with "She's a Heartbreaker" in mid-1968 and placed several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970 he was no longer a hit-maker in the U.S.Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the rest of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974. In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to Top 40 in 1974, as both Blue Angel (No. 2) and Trans-Canada Highway (No. 14; production by David Mackay
David Mackay (producer)
David Mackay is an Australian record producer/arranger and musical director. He was born in Sydney, Australia and began his music career at the age of 15 in a production of Bye Bye Birdie for J.C. Williamson Theatre Company...
) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relation Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer".
In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road.
Later career
Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell singer Marc AlmondMarc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
recorded a duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
"Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a popular song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook.Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the song reached #5 on the UK singles chart but failed to chart in the USA...
" by British writers Roger Cook
Roger Cook (songwriter)
Roger Cook is an English songwriter who has written many hits for other recording artists. He has also had a successful recording career in his own right.-Early life:Cook was born in Fishponds, Bristol, England...
and Roger Greenaway
Roger Greenaway
Roger Greenaway , is a popular English songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roger Cook.-Career:...
. The song had been a UK No. 5 for Pitney in 1967. The duet brought him his first UK No. 1, in late January 1989. The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. 1 elsewhere in Europe. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
television show in Britain, Almond dressed in leather, Pitney in a white tuxedo.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
had recorded "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" on their cover album, Kicking Against the Pricks
Kicking Against the Pricks
Kicking Against the Pricks is the third album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. First released in 1986, the album is a collection of cover versions...
, in 1986. But it never had the success of Pitney-Almond.
On 26 February 1993, Pitney performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York on the day of the first World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
bombing. On 18 March 2002 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
.
Death
Pitney died on April 5, 2006, aged 65. His tour manager found him dead in the Hilton Hotel, in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, in the middle of a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tour. His final show at Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
's St. David's Hall earned him a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
; he ended with "Town Without Pity". An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
confirmed that he had a heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, caused by atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
. He left a wife, Lynne, and three sons, Todd, Chris and David behind.
Posthumous tributes
Marc AlmondMarc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album "Stardom Road".
On 20 September 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville is a census-designated place and a village of the town of Vernon in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,708 at the 2000 census...
. Members of the family attended. The event was emceed by nationally known oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. The Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee established a music scholarship in Pitney's name. It is awarded annually to Rockville High School. In October 2008, an international fan convention was held in Rockville. In 2009 Gene Pitney was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Singles
Note that release dates refer to initial release. Pitney's early singles generally appeared one to four months later in the UK/Australia. Many of his later releases are UK/Australia/NZ only.Sources include Joel Whitburn
Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
's Record Research material for the U.S. Top 100, "Bubbling Under" and U.S. Country charts; Tim Rice et al., Guinness Book of Hit Singles for the UK; CHUM Chart
CHUM Chart
The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station...
for Canada prior to mid-1964, and the Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
charts thereafter; and The Kent Report for Australia
| Year | Month | Title | Chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
CAN Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
U.S Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. C&W Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
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| 1959 | Jamie & Jane (Gene Pitney and Ginny Arnell): "Snuggle Up Baby" |
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| Jamie & Jane (Gene Pitney and Ginny Arnell): "Classical Rock And Roll" |
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| 1960 | as Billy Bryan: "Cradle of My Arms" | ||||||
| "Going Back To My Love" | |||||||
| as Gene Pitney: "I'll Find You" | |||||||
| "Please Come Back" | |||||||
| 1961 | January | "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away" | 29 | 23 | 26 | 39 | |
| April | "Louisiana Mama" | ||||||
| July | "Every Breath I Take" | 42 | |||||
| October | "Town Without Pity Town Without Pity Town Without Pity is a 1961 American, Austrian and West German international co-production film drama starring Kirk Douglas, directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. It was made by Mirisch Productions for United Artists.... " |
31 | 10 | 32 | 13 | ||
| 1962 | April | "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" | 3 | 2 | 4 | ||
| August | "Only Love Can Break a Heart Only Love Can Break a Heart "Only Love Can Break a Heart" is the title of a popular song from 1962 by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and appears on Pitney's second album Only Love Can Break a Heart.Pitney had enjoyed some success as a songwriter prior to... " (A-Side) |
4 | 11 | 2 | |||
| "If I Didn't Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)" (B-Side) | 4 | 42 | 58 | ||||
| December | "Half Heaven - Half Heartache" | 11 | 4 | 12 | |||
| 1963 | March | "Mecca" (A-Side) | 7 | 2 | 12 | ||
| "Teardrop by Teardrop "(B-Side) | 130 | ||||||
| June | "True Love Never Runs Smooth" | 18 | 17 | 21 | |||
| October | "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa "Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was a hit for Gene Pitney. Its success in the UK enabled Pitney to become an international star. Jay and the Americans covered the song on their 1963 album, At the Cafe Wha? Dusty Springfield covered it on her... " |
3 | 6 | 5 | 17 | ||
| 1964 | January | "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" (A-Side) | 9 | 41 | 7 | 49 | |
| "Who Needs It" (B-Side) | 9 | 41 | 131 | ||||
| April | "Yesterday's Hero" (A-Side) | 18 | 36 | 64 | |||
| "Cornflower Blue" (B-Side) | 18 | ||||||
| July | "It Hurts to Be In Love" | 6 | 2 | 36 | 7 | ||
| "Lips Are Redder on You" Australian release only |
83 | ||||||
| October | "I'm Gonna Be Strong I'm Gonna Be Strong "I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a song written by the famed songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was first recorded by Frankie Laine in 1963 and released as a single on Columbia Records. However, the song did not become a major hit until 1964, when Gene Pitney released his version as a single... " |
5 | 3 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 1965 | February | "I Must Be Seeing Things" (A-Side) | 12 | 6 | 6 | 31 | |
| "Marianne" (B-Side) | 12 | ||||||
| April | George & Gene (George Jones George Jones George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.... & Gene Pitney): "I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night" |
65 | 99 | 16 | |||
| May | "Last Chance to Turn Around" | 13 | 4 | 13 | |||
| June | George & Gene (George Jones & Gene Pitney): "Louisiana Man" (A-Side) |
25 | |||||
| George & Gene (George Jones & Gene Pitney): "I'm a Fool to Care" (B-Side) |
115 | ||||||
| July | "Looking Thru the Eyes of Love" | 34 | 3 | 3 | 28 | ||
| November | "Princess In Rags" | 13 | 2 | 9 | 37 | ||
| George & Gene (George Jones & Gene Pitney): "Big Job" |
50 | ||||||
| 1966 | January | Gene Pitney and Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones.... : "Baby Ain't That Fine" |
15 | ||||
| March | "Nessuno Mi Puo' Giudicare" | 30 | 115 | ||||
| April | "Backstage" | 29 | 2 | 4 | 25 | ||
| May | George & Gene (George Jones & Gene Pitney): "That's All It Took" |
47 | |||||
| June | "Nobody Needs Your Love" European release only |
2 | |||||
| July? | Gene Pitney and Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones.... : "Being Together" |
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| September | "(In the) Cold Light of Day" (A-Side) | 19 | 38 | 115 | |||
| "The Boss's Daughter" (B-Side) | 19 | ||||||
| December | "Just One Smile" (A-Side) | 55 | 8 | 64 | |||
| "Innamorata" (B-Side) | 55 | ||||||
| 1967 | March | "I'm Gonna Listen to Me" | |||||
| "Animal Crackers (In Cellophane Boxes)" | 87 | 106 | |||||
| April | "Tremblin'" | ||||||
| September | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a popular song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook.Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the song reached #5 on the UK singles chart but failed to chart in the USA... " |
69 | 5 | 130 | |||
| 1968 | March | "The More I Saw of Her" | |||||
| "Somewhere in the Country" European release only |
19 | ||||||
| April | "She's a Heartbreaker" | 39 | 13 | 16 | |||
| October | "Billy, You're My Friend" | 31 | 92 | 92 | |||
| November | "Yours Until Tomorrow" European release only |
34 | |||||
| 1969 | March | "Maria Elena" European release only |
25 | ||||
| August | "Playing Games of Love" Australian release only |
85 | |||||
| December | "She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning)" | 88 | 89 | ||||
| 1970 | March | "A Street Called Hope" | 37 | ||||
| October | "Shady Lady" | 29 | |||||
| 1971 | "Higher and Higher" | ||||||
| "Gene Are You There?" | |||||||
| 1972 | "I Just Can't Help Myself" | ||||||
| "Summertime Dreamin'" | |||||||
| 1973 | April | "24 Sycamore" European release only |
34 | ||||
| 1974 | October | "Blue Angel" European/Australian release only |
2 | 39 | |||
| 1975 | March | "Trans-Canada Highway" European/Australian release only |
14 | ||||
| 1977 | "It's Over, It's Over" |
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| "Dedication" |
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| 1989 | January | Marc Almond Marc Almond Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell... & Gene Pitney: "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a popular song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook.Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the song reached #5 on the UK singles chart but failed to chart in the USA... " European release only |
24 | 1 | |||
External links
- Gene Pitney bio
- A site created to honor Gene in his hometown of Rockville, CT
- "Wild" Wayne - Ct. based nationally known Oldies Radio DJ & friend of Gene Pitney
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4878926.stmReport of Pitney's death from BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
] - BBC Obituary
- Obituary from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Fan's Final Chat with Gene Pitney
- Interview with Gene Pitney in International Songwriters Association's "Songwriter Magazine", concentrating on his songwriting career