Hit Parade 1956

• Artist: Various Artists
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 20, 2007
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Rock

Review

What a difference a year makes -- in 1954 and, a bit more, in 1955, rock & roll was starting to intrude on the sedate surroundings of popular music as it had been known in the first half of the 1950s. But this volume opens with Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, and while Gogi Grant does get the third spot with "The Wayward Wind," the fourth is given to Fats Domino, and the fifth to the Platters -- and that's how a lot of this CD goes, the rock & rollers keeping their claim on space until the last eight songs, which is pretty much what was happening with radio and entertainment in general in the U.S. in 1956. Elvis rates three slots, the Platters three. It's all a strangely wonderful listening experience, if a little harrowing (if one really doesn't like rock & roll). And some folk influences show up as well, in a slightly veiled form, in the guise of Dean Martin (backed by the Easy Riders) on "Memories Are Made of This," in between such unique-to-the-era pop numbers as "Rock and Roll Waltz" by Kay Starr and a pair of instrumentals, "Lisbon Antigua" by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and the effervescent "Poor People of Paris" by the Les Baxter Orchestra. Ultimately, the CD is delightfully schizophrenic, and all the more listenable for it. The sound, as one would expect and hope, is excellent, and, as is usual with this series, there is no annotation. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Heartbreak Hotel (Lyrics)		Elvis Presley	(2:05)
Blue Suede Shoes		Carl Perkins	(2:21)
The Wayward Wind		Gogi Grant	(2:56)
I'm in Love Again (Lyrics)	Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino	Fats Domino	(2:01)
The Great Pretender		The Platters	(2:39)
Allegheny Moon		Patti Page	(2:51)
Band of Gold		Don Cherry	(2:36)
Hound Dog (Lyrics)		Elvis Presley	(2:14)
Lisbon Antigua	Amadeu Do Vale	Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra	(2:33)
My Prayer (Lyrics)	Jimmy Kennedy, Georges Boulanger	The Platters	(2:45)
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)		Doris Day	(2:04)
Don't Be Cruel		Elvis Presley	(2:01)
Rock and Roll Waltz		Kay Starr	(2:56)
Just Walking in the Rain	Johnny Bragg, Robert Riley	Johnnie Ray	(2:40)
The Poor People of Paris	René Rouzaud	Les Baxter	(2:25)
Singing the Blues (Lyrics)	Melvin Endsley	Guy Mitchell	(2:27)
(You've Got) The Magic Touch		The Platters	(2:27)
Tonight You Belong to Me		Patience and Prudence	(1:52)
Standing on the Corner (Lyrics)	Frank Loesser	The Four Lads	(2:49)
Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)	Dimitri Tiomkin	Pat Boone	(2:59)
Memories Are Made of This (Lyrics)	Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr	Dean Martin	(2:17)
No, Not Much!		The Four Lads	(3:17)
The Green Door		Jim Lowe	(2:15)
On the Street Where You Live (Lyrics)	Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe	Vic Damone	(2:44)
True Love (Lyrics)	Cole Porter	Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly	(3:02)