CBS - S 63048

GENE PITNEY - GREATEST HITS OF ALL TIMES

Side 1: Town without pity - The man who shot Liberty Valance - Only love can break a heart - Every breath i take - Looking through th eyes of love - I must be seeing things

Side 2: Twenty-four hours from Tulsa - It hurts to be in love - Backstage - Half heaven, half heartache - I'm gonna be strong - Last change to turn around

HALLMARK -SHM 866

GENE PITNEY - TOWN WITHOUT PITY

Side 1: Town without pity - She's a heartbreaker - Louisiana mama - If i didn't have a dime - Just one smile - I'm gonna be strong

Side 2: Looking through the eyes of love - Backstage (i'm lonely) - Mecca - Hawaii - I mst be seing things - Last change to turn around

MFP - 1A022-58076

THE BEST OF GENE PITNEY

Side 1: The man who shot Liberty Valence - I'm gonna be strong - It hurts t obe in love - Alladin's lamp - I must be seeing things - Donna means heartbreak - Looking through the eyes of love - Every breath i take

Side 2: Twenty-four hours from Tulsa - The boss's daughter - Town without pity - Mecca - True love never runs smooth - Something's gotton hold of my heart - If i didn't have a dime - Maria Elena

MFP - 4M024-60777

GENE PITNEY - 100% ROCK 'N' ROLL

Side 1: She's a heartbreaker - Mecca - I wanna love my live away - Walk - The ship true love goodbye - Louisiana mama

Side 2: Today's teardrops - Cry your eyes out - My heart, your heart - Garden of love - Who needs love - Lips are redder on you

POLYDOR - 2483 161

GENE PITNEY

Side 1: Hello Mary Lou - Nessuno mi puo giudicare (Close my heart) - Only love can break a heart - Rags to riches - Stay - All the way

Side 2: It hurts to be in love - Looking through the eyes of love - 24 Hours from Tulsa - The man who shot Liberty Valance - I'm gonna be strong - Town without pity

EMI BESTSELLER - 4B 054-60345

THE GOLDEN BEST OF... GENE PITNEY

Side 1: 24 Four hours from Tulsa - Town without pity - The man who shot Liberty Valence - Lookin' thru the eyes of love - There's no livin' without your lovin' - I must be seeing things

Side 2: She's a heartbreaker - It hurts to be in love - Every breath i take - Lonely drifter - Backstage (i'm lonely) - I'm gonna be strong

EMI INTERNATIONAL - 1A 138-96313/14

GENE PITNEY - ALL TIME GREATEST HITS

Side 1: Mecca - The man who shot Liberty Valence - I'm gonna be strong - Hello Mary Lou - Donna means heatbreak - Only love can break a heart - Nessuni mi puo guidicare - Alladin's lamp

Side 2: Town without pity - I must be seeing things - That girl belongs to yesterday - Looking through the eyes of love - If i didn't have a dime - Shady Lady - Somewhere in the country - Little Betty falling star

Side 3: Twenty-four hours from Tulsa - Just one smile - True love never runs smooth - Yours until tomorow - The boss's daughter - Nobedy needs your love - Hawaii - Every breath i take

Side 4: It hurts to be in love - Maria Elena - (In the) cold light of day - A street calles hope - Something's gotten hold of my heart - I laughed so hard i cried - Half the laughter, twice the tears - Tower hall

ARCADE - ADE P 22

GENE PITNEY - HIS 20 GREATEST

Side 1: 24 Hours from Tulsa - That girl belongs only yesterday - I must be seeing you - Looking through the eyes of love - Princes in rags - 6.24 Sycamore street - Just one smile - Somewhere in the country - The man whe shot Liberty Valance - I'm gonna be strong

Side 2: Backstage (i'm lonely) - Something's gotten hold of my heart - True love never runs smooth - Not responsible - Only love can break a heart - Nobody needs your love - I wanna love my life away - Yesterday's hero - Teardrop by teardrop - Town without pity 

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed considerable success on both sides of the Atlantic, and charted more than 20 Top 40 hit singles. He was also an accomplished songwriter,guitarist, pianist, drummer, and skilled sound engineer. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut. In his youth, he grew up in Rockville, now a part of the town of Vernon. His early musical influences were Clyde McPhatter and Doo Wop groups like The Crows. He attended Rockville High School from which he earned the name "The Rockville Rocket," and where he formed his first band called "Gene & the Genials." He also made a couple of records as part of a duo called "Jamie and Jane" with a lady called Ginny Arnell (who later had a solo hit of her own, "Dumbhead") and then released a single in 1959 under the name of Billy Bryan.

In 1961, Gene Pitney released his first chart single, "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away," on which he played several instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. This was followed by his first big hit, "Town Without Pity", that same year. This song, from the film of the same name, won the Golden Globe Award for "Best Song in a Motion Picture" and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. Pitney was the first pop singer to perform at the Oscars, singing "Town Without Pity" at the 34th Annual Academy Awards on April 9, 1962.

Pitney helped his musical career by writing hit songs for others. Notable songs include "He's a Rebel" for The Crystals, Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks, "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee and "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson (Nelson is often inaccurately credited as the songwriter). The Crystals' "He's A Rebel" kept Pitney's highest peaking Hot 100 record "Only Love Can Break A Heart" from being atop that chart on November 3, 1962.

His 1963 hit, "Mecca," is considered by some to be a precursor to psychedelia in its use of Indian musical influences, two years before The Beatles began incorporating these influences. The use of exotic musical instruments became something of a Pitney trademark, judging by the Mariachi trumpets employed in "Lonely Drifters," the ukuleles in "Hawaii," and the gypsy fiddle in "Golden Earrings." The Mick Jagger-Keith Richards song, "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday," which became a hit for him, was the first Rolling Stones song to be a success in the United States, and it was partly Pitney's endorsement of the group which helped them to find favor in America. He was in the studio in England with the Stones on some of their earlier recording sessions, including those which resulted in both sides of their first Top 10 single "Not Fade Away" and their debut album, apparently playing piano, though the extent to which his contributions and those of "Uncle" Phil Spector were used is uncertain. At this time he enjoyed a brief affair with Marianne Faithfull who was subsequently disparaging in her autobiography painting him as fussy and humourless. His ongoing popularity in the UK market was ensured by the chart success of "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" at the end of 1963/beginning of 1964, when in January the Bacharach and Davids' song peaked at #4. "Tulsa" was also a big hit in the US and would become Pitney's signature tune. Along with the great Roy Orbison before him, Gene had toured the UK on a regular basis. He was actually preparing his next UK tour at the time of his passing.

Pitney released an unbroken string of hit singles in the early 1960s, with the unrequited love classic "It Hurts To Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong" in 1964, and "Nobody Needs Your Love" in 1966 (the first two were top 10 in the US; the last two peaked at No. 2 in the UK). "It Hurts To Be in Love" was originally planned as a vehicle for Neil Sedaka. When Sedaka decided not to record it, Pitney used the existing backing tracks and just added his lead vocal. Pitney and Orbison were practically the only American soloists to withstand the British Invasion, both displaying an astounding vocal range. In 1965, he recorded two successful albums with country legend George Jones. They were voted the most promising C & W Duo of that year. Pitney also recorded songs in Italian and Spanish, and twice finished second in the Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato may have reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Caruso. He had a regional hit with "Nessuno Mi Puo' Giudicare." Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe. One of the few star performers to have survived the 1960s unscathed, his fitness regime built the stamina he required for his singularly dithyrambic stage act. Pitney's last American top 40 hit was "She's a Heartbreaker" (1968). In the early 70s, Pitney made a personal decision to cut back on his touring deciding only to spend six months of each year on the road, and the remainder with his family. Pitney last hit the UK charts after an absence of fifteen years with 1989's duet with Marc Almond, a new version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," a song by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, which had originally been a No. 5 solo hit for Pitney in 1967, and which belatedly brought him his first UK Number 1 hit, staying there for four weeks. It also went #1 in many European countries as well. Sales were boosted particularly by the two vocalists' appearance on the Terry Wogan TV show as it was climbing the charts. Pitney's US record company declined to issue the record in America on the grounds that buyers would mistake it for a vocal duet by two gay men, Almond being leather-clad as usual, and Pitney dressed in a white tuxedo.

Pitney died on April 5, 2006 at the age of 66. He was found dead by his tour manager in the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff, Wales in the middle of a UK tour. His Final Show at Cardiff's St David's Hall was deemed a huge success, with a standing ovation, ending the show with his 1962 hit "Town Without Pity". An autopsy confirmed the singer died of natural causes. He was laid to rest on April 13th, 2006 at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers Connecticut.

In tribute to Gene, Marc Almond has recorded Backstage (I'm Lonely) for his forthcoming album Stardom Road.

On September 20th, 2007, Gene Pitney was honored in his hometown of Rockville Connecticut where a Plaque was unveiled at the Town Hall. Members of the Pitney family were in attendance.

(edited from Wikipedia)