Roy Hamilton

Another one of those R & B singers that you’ll never hear on oldies radio. This is a prerecorded cassette version of Roy Hamilton’s Greatest Hits, which I picked up from a mail order catalogue.

Roy Hamilton died in 1969; he was 40 years old.

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Roy Hamilton:

• Don’t Let Go – One of his more upbeat songs. A hit in early ’58.
• Unchained Melody – Counting? This is number 3. Hamilton’s version, which was a hit simultaneously with versions by Les Baxter and Al Hibbler, is a straightforward R&B / MOR rendition. It reached #6 in the spring of ’55.
• You Can Have Her – From winter / spring of ’61. I used to have a version of this by Tompall Glaser.
• Hurt – Melodrama. Elvis covered this; it was a hit for him in the spring of ’76.
• Ebb Tide – Another one of those 50s MOR staples.
• I Believe – Well Perry Como had a crack at this, so why not Roy Hamilton.
• You’ll Never Walk Alone – Apparently this is from a musical called “Carousel.” Anyway, this was his first hit, and it’s from 1954. Perry Como did this, and The Righteous Brothers, and Elvis, and Gerry & The Pacemakers. And Jerry Lewis used to sing at the end of his telethon. The whole thing is a little too over-the-top for my tastes.
• You’re Gonna Need Magic – From the spring of ’61, this was his last hit.
• If I Loved You – Also from “Carousel.” Perry Como did this one too. A hit for Chad & Jeremy in 1965.
• I Need Your Lovin’ – From the spring of ’59. Not the Gardner & Ford song.
• Forgive This Fool
• A Great Romance