Anthony Newley

I suppose that romance is in the eye of the beholder, or better, in the heart of the beholder. And we all have different ideas of what romance is. And for our purposes, we all have different ideas of what romantic music is. Now that’s a topic that deserves a blog post of its own.

We also have ideas of what romantic music isn’t. And for my money, and to my ears, Anthony Newley, whatever his music is, it isn’t particularly romantic.

I say that because I found this LP, a collection of his hits and misses, which is part of the “The World Of…” series. (I have The World Of Ray Charles, for example, and The World Of Cat Stevens). But his is titled The Romantic World Of Anthony Newley. So I suppose that his world may be romantic. But, as I say, his music isn’t especially, the album title nothwithstanding.

Newley was English. He is someone to whom others are compared. David Bowie, for one, in his pre-Space Oddity days, is often compared to Newley. He put 10 songs on the UK top 20 between 1959 and 1961, one of which reached number 1 (Why) and three of which are on this collection, and 4 songs in the Billboard top 100 between 1960 and 1962, none of which reached higher than 67 and three of which are on this collection.

---

Anthony Newley:

• What Now My Love – A 60s standard. My favourite version may just be the one by Miss Piggy.
• Strawberry Fair – This is kind of nursery rhyme but it’s just a bit bawdy. From the fall of 1960.
• The Father Of Girls – There are more songs about being a son / daughter than about being a parent, and this is why. Is so hard not to be maudlin.
• Deep River
• And The Heavens Cried
• You Made Me Love You – The Tin Pan Alley standard. Listen to Harry Nilsson’s version.
• What Kind Of Fool Am I – A bit hit by Sammy Davis Jr, a small hit by Robert Goulet, and a smaller hit by our hero. From the fall of 1962.
• Yes We Have No Bananas – Honest, he really does this song…
• If She Should Come To You – A hit in England in the summer of 1960, and in NA in the fall.
• I Saw Her Standing There – The only other cover of this that I know of is the one by Elton John and John Lennon. This has to be one of the worst Beatles covers I’ve ever heard.
• Girls Were Made To Love And Kiss – Gloria Steinem’s favourite song, I hear…
• Pop Goes The Weasel – This is a song about Pop Goes The Weasel as much as it is Pop Goes The Weasel. From the winter of 61 / 62, though it hit in UK half a year earlier.