Nice piece, Robert. I've been a Del Shannon fan since hearing "Runaway" for the first time when I was 12, and I continue to be amazed by how well his best recordings still stand up, and how deeply they continue to resonate with me emotionally. But yeah, this particular stretch of his career is maddening; I'm not sure if he just wasn't writing many songs of his own at this point, or if his label/producers simply thought the "money" was in him recording covers of established hits, but the albums you mention here largely feel like wastes of his incredible talents.
They definitely do. What's even more frustrating is unlike the Everly Brothers, for one example, who were doing lots of covers at the time but at least tailoring them to their style and sound, Shannon was largely replicating the hit records even down to, as I mention, singing straight to a backing track, like on Crispin St. Peters' 'The Pied Piper.' But, it's also one of the reasons why they are such fascinating recordings.
The Everlys are a great example. Their mid-late sixties albums are some of my favorites, especially Two Yanks in England, where they’re largely backed by The Hollies — Del would have totally shined on a record like that.
I agree - 'Two Yanks in England' is one of the few Everly Brothers albums I don't have on vinyl and only know by streaming. Hope to come across it one crate-digging.
Nice piece, Robert. I've been a Del Shannon fan since hearing "Runaway" for the first time when I was 12, and I continue to be amazed by how well his best recordings still stand up, and how deeply they continue to resonate with me emotionally. But yeah, this particular stretch of his career is maddening; I'm not sure if he just wasn't writing many songs of his own at this point, or if his label/producers simply thought the "money" was in him recording covers of established hits, but the albums you mention here largely feel like wastes of his incredible talents.
They definitely do. What's even more frustrating is unlike the Everly Brothers, for one example, who were doing lots of covers at the time but at least tailoring them to their style and sound, Shannon was largely replicating the hit records even down to, as I mention, singing straight to a backing track, like on Crispin St. Peters' 'The Pied Piper.' But, it's also one of the reasons why they are such fascinating recordings.
The Everlys are a great example. Their mid-late sixties albums are some of my favorites, especially Two Yanks in England, where they’re largely backed by The Hollies — Del would have totally shined on a record like that.
I agree - 'Two Yanks in England' is one of the few Everly Brothers albums I don't have on vinyl and only know by streaming. Hope to come across it one crate-digging.
I highly recommend the mono pressing - it’s punchy as hell!