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Del Shannon was, without doubt, one of the most gifted and distinctive of musical talents to emerge in the immediate pre-‘British Invasion’ era of American Pop. His was a talent that travelled well – indeed, his UK and European fanbase proved far more loyal and his success in those territories of greater longevity than in his native USA. Moreover, he was also much admired by successive generations of musicians, including the likes of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. His songs, more often than not, essayed a bleak world of doomed romance, lovelorn disenchantment and existential gloom. Paradoxically, of course, those themes were frequently juxtaposed to surprisingly upbeat and bright-sounding melodies.
This 302-track 12 CD set is a compendium of the entirety of Del Shannon’s career, from his hits in the early 60s, via his mid-60s recordings with Andrew Loog Oldham, to his 70s and 80s recordings with Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, as well as Jeff Lynne and Dave Edmunds. It also includes all of his mid-80s “Nashville Sessions” recordings, most of which are issued for the first time, plus b-sides, demos and a further eight previously unreleased tracks. The 32 page booklet features photos and ephemera, plus extensive annotation by Alan Robinson. This set contains all of Del’s UK hits, eight of which reached the Top Ten, including the #1 hit “Runaway”, “Hey! Little Girl” and “The Swiss Maid” (both #2 hits), and “Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)”, which reached #3. Also included are Del’s recordings of two Lennon/McCartney songs (“From Me To You” and “A World Without Love”). Del was the first US act to record a Beatles cover version, and later covered the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb”. Also included is his song “Sister Isabelle”, later covered by Frank Black & Teenage Fanclub for a John Peel session.
Tracklist
DISC 1
RUNAWAY WITH DEL SHANNON [1961]
1. Misery
2. Daydreams
3. His Latest Flame
4. The Prom
5. The Search
6. Runaway
7. I Wake Up Crying
8. Wide Wide World
9. I'll Always Love You
10. Lies
11. He Doesn't Care
12. Jody
HATS OFF TO DEL SHANNON [1962]
13. The Swiss Maid
14. Cry Myself To Sleep
15. Ginny In The Mirror
16. You Never Talked About Me
17. Don't Gild The Lily, Lily
18. I Won't Be There
19. Hats Off To Larry
20. The Answer To Everything
21. Hey! Little Girl
22. I'm Gonna Move On
23. I Don't Care Anymore
24. So Long Baby
DISC 2
LITTLE TOWN FLIRT [1963]
1. Two Kinds Of Teardrops
2. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
3. Happiness
4. Two Silhouettes
5. She Thinks I Still Care
6. My Wild One
7. Runaround Sue
8. From Me To You
9. Kelly
10. Hey Baby
11. Go Away Little Girl
12. Little Town Flirt
Bonus tracks
13. The Wamboo
14. Sue's Gotta Be Mine
15. Now She's Gone
HANDY MAN [1964]
16. Memphis, Tennessee
17. That's The Way Love Is
18. Ruby Baby
19. I'll Be Lonely Tomorrow
20. I Can't Fool Around Anymore
21. Handy Man
22. Crying
23. Mary Jane
24. A World Without Love
25. Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)
26. Give Her Lots Of Lovin'
27. Twist And Shout
Bonus tracks
28. Time Of The Day
29. Stains On My Letter
Extra bonus tracks
30. Torture [version 1]
31. Nothin'
32. Froggy
33. Pursuit
DISC 3
DEL SHANNON SINGS HANK WILLIAMS [1965]
1. Your Cheatin' Heart
2. Kaw-Liga
3. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
4. Honky Tonk Blues
5. Lonesome Whistle
6. You Win Again
7. Ramblin' Man
8. Hey Good Lookin'
9. Long Gone Lonesome Blues
10. Weary Blues From Waitin'
11. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
12. Cold, Cold Heart
1661 SECONDS WITH DEL SHANNON [1965]
13. Stranger In Town
14. She Cried
15. Needles And Pins
16. Broken Promises
17. Why Don't You Tell Him
18. Do You Wanna Dance?
19. I Go To Pieces
20. I'm Gonna Be Strong
21. Rag Doll
22. Over You
23. Running Scared
24. Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow The Sun)
Bonus tracks
25. This Is All I Have To Give
26. Break Up
27. Move It On Over
28. She Still Remembers Tony
29. I Can't Believe My Ears
30. I Wish I Wasn't Me Tonight
31. Torture [version 2 – instrumental]
DISC 4
THIS IS MY BAG [1966]
1. The Big Hurt
2. Kicks
3. For A Little While
4. Lightnin' Strikes
5. When You Walk In The Room
6. The Cheater
7. Oh, Pretty Woman
8. Everybody Loves A Clown
9. Never Thought I Could [aka I Got It Bad]
10. It's Too Late
11. Hey! Little Star
12. Action
TOTAL COMMITMENT [1966]
13. Under My Thumb
14. Red Rubber Ball
15. She Was Mine
16. Where Were You When I Needed You
17. The Joker Went Wild
18. The Pied Piper
19. Sunny
20. Show Me
21. Time Won't Let Me
22. What Makes You Run
23. I Can't Be True
24. Summer In The City
DISC 5
HOME AND AWAY [1967]
1. It's My Feeling
2. Mind Over Matter
3. Silently
4. Cut And Come Again
5. My Love Has Gone
6. Led Along
7. Life Is But Nothing
8. Easy To Say Easy To Do
9. Friendly With You
10. He Cheated
11. Runaway '67
Bonus tracks
12. She
13. Led Along [single version]
14. Mind Over Matter [single version]
15. Runaway '67 [single version]
16. He Cheated [single version]
17. The Letter
18. Silently [single version]
Extra bonus tracks
19. Stand Up
20. The House Where Nobody Lives
21. Something To Write Home About
22. Never Be The Same
23. Deadly Game
DISC 6
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF CHARLES WESTOVER [1968]
1. Thinkin' It Over
2. Be My Friend
3. Silver Birch
4. I Think I Love You
5. River Cool
6. Colour Flashing Hair
7. Gemini
8. Runnin' On Back
9. Conquer
10. Been So Long
11. Magical Music Box
12. New Orleans (Mardi Gras)
Bonus tracks
13. Leaving You Behind
14. Raindrops
15. You Don't Love Me
16. Comin' Back To Me
17. Sweet Mary Lou
18. Sister Isabelle
19. Colorado Rain
Extra bonus tracks
20. How Can I Tell You?
21. Southern Part Of Town
22. She's Got Soul
23. Good Love
24. Sun Don't Shine (Drip Drop)
25. Anita (I'm Walking On Fire)
26. Reason To Believe
DISC 7
LIVE IN ENGLAND [1973]
1. Hats Off To Larry
2. Handy Man
3. The Swiss Maid
4. Hey! Little Girl
5. Little Town Flirt
6. Kelly
7. Crying
8. Two Kinds Of Teardrops
9. Coopersville Yodel
10. The Answer To Everything
11. Keep Searchin' (We’ll Follow The Sun)
12. What's A Matter Baby?
13. So Long Baby
14. Runaway
SINGLES [1972 – 1975]
15. What's A Matter Baby
16. Early In The Morning
17. Oh, How Happy
18. Something To Believe In
19. And The Music Plays On
20. In My Arms Again [mono]
21. Tell Her No
22. Restless
23. Cry Baby Cry
Bonus tracks
24. She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye
25. Since I Fell For You [demo with Max Crook 1973/4]
26. Raylene [demo with Max Crook 1973/4]
DISC 8
THE DUBLIN SESSIONS
[recorded in 1977, released in 2017]
1. Best Days Of My Life
2. Love Letters
3. Till I Found You
4. Raylene
5. One Track Mind
6. Black Is Black
7. Oh, Pretty Woman
8. Another Lonely Night
9. Amanda
10. Love Don't Come Easy
11. Today I Started Loving You Again
DROP DOWN AND GET ME [1981]
12. Sea Of Love
13. Life Without You
14. Out Of Time
15. Sucker For Your Love
16. To Love Someone
17. Drop Down And Get Me
18. Maybe Tomorrow
19. Liar
20. Never Stop Tryin'
21. Midnight Train
Bonus tracks
22. Cheap Love
23. Distant Ghost
24. Help Me
DISC 9
THE NASHVILLE SESSIONS
[recorded in 1982-5, four tracks released]
1. Stranger On The Run
2. You Still Live Here
3. What Are You Going To Do With
That Beautiful Body Of Yours
4. In My Arms Again [new version]
5. She's Always On My Mind
6. Little By Little
7. You Can't Forgive Me
8. Nobody's Business
9. Part Time Lover
10. Broken Down Angel
11. Miss You Like I Do
DISC 10
ROCK ON! [1991]
1. Walk Away
2. Who Left Who
3. Are You Lovin' Me Too
4. Callin' Out My Name
5. I Go To Pieces
6. Lost In A Memory
7. I Got You
8. What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am?
9. When I Had You
10. Let's Dance
Bonus tracks
11. Hot Love
12. One Woman Man
13. Nobody's Business
14. You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You
Lose It)
15. Songwriter [demo]
Extra bonus tracks
16. It's A Lie [live – unreleased song 1979]
17. Runaway (Crime Story version)
DISC 11
RARE TRACKS & DEMOS VOL. 1
[Recorded in 1960]
1. Little Oscar
2. Living In Misery
3. Angel Of Love
4. Could Be, Can't Tell, Don't Know
5. What's The Use (In Trying)
6. This Feeling Called Love
7. This Is All I Have To Give
8. Happiness
9. She's Your Girl
10. One More Time
11. Face Of An Angel
12. Johnny's Got The Blues
13. I Fell In Love With You
14. Condemned To Die (Version #1)
15. I Guess I'll Never Really Know
16. A Girl Of My Own
17. Time Marches On
18. Daydreams
19. Wishing On A Star (Counting Stars At Night)
20. Honey Bee (Version #1)
21. Lies
22. He Doesn't Care
23. The Prom
24. Honey Bee (Version #2)
25. Condemned To Die (Version #2)
26. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You
27. Runaway
28. Jody
29. One Kiss
[Recorded in 1965]
30. Pepsi Commercial #1
31. Pepsi Commercial #2
32. Pepsi Commercial #3
33. Pepsi Commercial #4
DISC 12
RARE TRACKS & DEMOS VOL. 2
[Recorded in the 1960s]
1. The Things She Said
2. I Can't Let You Go
3. Just You
4. If She Were My Girl
5. For A Little While
6. This Feeling Called Love
7. It's Funny
8. She
9. Where Is She
10. I've Got Eyes For You
11. Did I See What I Think I Saw
12. Makin's Of A Heartache
13. I'm Going Through It Too (Table Reserved For The Blues)
14. Pardon Me (I Guess I'm In The Way)
15. Pardon Me
16. The Jury
17. Deep In The Valley
18. I Never Caught Her Name
19. Thunder And Lightning
20. The Wedding (There Goes Billy)
21. Rest Your Mind
22. Lorrayne
Bonus tracks
23. Wrong Day, Wrong Way
24. Table Reserved For The Blues
25. Pardon Me
26. Queen Of The Honky Tonks
Extra bonus tracks
27. Flat No. 3 [previously unreleased demo, 1963]
28. Take Me Back [previously unreleased demo]
29. Here Comes That Fool in Love Again [previously unreleased demo, 1964]