Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940
– April 5, 2006)
was an American singer-songwriter and musician.
Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, including 11 in the top ten. Among his most famous hits are "
Town Without Pity
''Town Without Pity'' ( German: ''Stadt ohne Mitleid'') is a 1961 American/Swiss/West German international co-production drama film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. Produced by The Mirisch Corporation, the film stars Kirk Douglas, Barbara Rüt ...
", "
(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance
"(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which was released by Gene Pitney in 1962. It spent 13 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 4, while reaching No. 2 on Canada's CHUM Hit ...
", "
Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa
"Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and was originally a hit in 1963 for Gene Pitney.
Production
The song's lyrics tell of a traveling man who detours to a romance in a motel and ends up never return ...
", "
I'm Gonna Be Strong
"I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a song written by the songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was first recorded by Frankie Laine in 1963 and released as a single on Columbia Records. However, the song did not become a major hit until 1964, when ...
", "
It Hurts to Be in Love", and "
Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". He also wrote the early-1960s hits "
Rubber Ball" recorded by
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to ''Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-e ...
, "
Hello Mary Lou" by
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...
, and "
He's a Rebel" by
the Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group that originated in New York City. Considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era in the first half of the 1960s, their 1961–1964 chart hits – including " There's No Other (Like My Baby)" ...
. In 2002, he was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
.
Early years
Pitney was born in
Hartford, Connecticut, United States,
the son of Anna A. (Orlowski) and Harold F. Pitney.
[ The third of five children of a lathe operator, Pitney lived with his family in Rockville, Connecticut, during his formative years. He grew up in Rockville, now part of ]Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon is the most populous town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 30,215 at the 2020 census. Vernon contains the smaller villages of Talcottville and Dobsonville. Vernon contains the former City of Rockville.
...
.
Pitney's early influences were Clyde McPhatter
Clyde Lensley McPhatter (November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972) was an American rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll singer. He was one of the most widely imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960sPalmer, Robert (1981)"Roy Brown, a Pi ...
and doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
groups such as The Crows. He attended Rockville High School where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. Gene's first recordings were in 1958 with a Connecticut singing group called the Embers. Those recordings were not released until 1990. In early 1959 he released two records on the Decca label, "Snuggle Up Baby" and "Classical Rock and Roll", as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell
Virginia Mazarro (born November 2, 1942), known professionally as Ginny Arnell, is an American former pop and country music singer and songwriter who recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Life
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, she attended ...
. Later that year, he had his first solo release "Cradle Of My Arms" under the name Billy Bryan on the Blaze record label. His first release under his real name was in 1960 on the Festival label titled "I'll Find You".
Career
Rise to fame (1961–1964)
Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which made the Top 40, the self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away
"(I Wanna) Love My Life Away" is a song written and sung by Gene Pitney, which he released in 1961. The song was Pitney's first charting single, and spent 8 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 39, while reaching No. 23 on Can ...
", on which he played several instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, "Town Without Pity
''Town Without Pity'' ( German: ''Stadt ohne Mitleid'') is a 1961 American/Swiss/West German international co-production drama film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. Produced by The Mirisch Corporation, the film stars Kirk Douglas, Barbara Rüt ...
", from the 1961 film of the same title. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington
Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Life and career
Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Be ...
, the song won a Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, but lost to "Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won th ...
". Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on April 9, 1962.
He is also remembered for the Burt Bacharach
Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gr ...
–Hal David
Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick.
Early life
David ...
song "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance
"(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which was released by Gene Pitney in 1962. It spent 13 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 4, while reaching No. 2 on Canada's CHUM Hit ...
", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962. Though it shares a title with the John Wayne western, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute.
Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
, "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to ''Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-e ...
, " Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...
, and " He's a Rebel" for the Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group that originated in New York City. Considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era in the first half of the 1960s, their 1961–1964 chart hits – including " There's No Other (Like My Baby)" ...
(later recorded by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 19 ...
). "Rebel" kept Pitney's own No. 2 hit " Only Love Can Break a Heart", his highest-charting single in the US, from the top spot on 3 November 1962, the only time that a writer shut himself (or herself) out of the No. 1 position.
He followed up in December with "Half Heaven, Half Heartache
One half ( : halves) is the irreducible fraction resulting from dividing one by two or the fraction resulting from dividing any number by its double. Multiplication by one half is equivalent to division by two, or "halving"; conversely, di ...
", which reached No. 12 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' chart. Because of his success on the music charts, and as he explained to his friend, oldies DJ 'Wild' Wayne, an unknown radio disc jockey at the time gave Pitney the nickname 'The Rockville Rocket', which caught on.
Pitney's popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa
"Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and was originally a hit in 1963 for Gene Pitney.
Production
The song's lyrics tell of a traveling man who detours to a romance in a motel and ends up never return ...
", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at No. 5 in Britain at the start of 1964. It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart, and the first to break into the Top Twenty there; it was also a hit in the US, peaking at No. 17 on the Hot 100.
Involvement with the Rolling Stones (1964)
Pitney was present with Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
at some of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little
Little by Little may refer to:
Literature
* ''Eric, or, Little by Little'', an 1858 children's novel by Frederic W. Farrar
* ''Little by Little'', an autobiography by Jean Little
* ''Little by Little'', a 2001 book by Michael Tyquin about the Ro ...
" and other tracks for their debut album; he played piano, though the extent of this is uncertain.
The Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a No. 7 UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the duo to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. In the US, the single stalled at No. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer.
Maintaining popularity
After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string of hits in the mid-1960s, including the 1964 singles " It Hurts to Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong
"I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a song written by the songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was first recorded by Frankie Laine in 1963 and released as a single on Columbia Records. However, the song did not become a major hit until 1964, when ...
", which reached No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, in the US, and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK, matching the No. 2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...
, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...
in violation of his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller Helen Miller may refer to:
* Helen Miller (cricketer) (1915–1972), New Zealand cricketer
* Helen Miller (politician) (born 1945), American politician
* Helen Miller (songwriter) (1925–2006), American songwriter
* Helen Hill Miller (1899–1995 ...
, presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, though Sedaka's trademark backing harmonies were left intact.
In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones
George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
. They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Pitney also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish, and German and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival
The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annua ...
, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He had a regional hit with " Nessuno mi può giudicare".
UK, Australian and European stardom (1966–1970s)
Pitney's career in the US took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. He returned one last time to the Top 40 with "She's a Heartbreaker" in mid-1968 and placed several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970 he was no longer a hit-maker in the US.
Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974. UK pianist Maurice Merry was his musical director from 1970 onwards. In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to the Top 40 in 1974, when both "Blue Angel" (No. 2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (No. 14; production by David Mackay) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relative Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer".
In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road in order to spend more time with his family.
Later career
Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of " Tainted Love" and their pla ...
singer Marc Almond
Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. H ...
recorded a duet version of " Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. The song had been a UK No. 5 for Pitney in 1967. The duet brought him his first UK No. 1, in late January 1989. The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Ireland. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan television show in Britain.
In 2000, Pitney sang harmony vocals on Jane Olivor
Jane Olivor (born May 18, 1947) is an American singer. After releasing five albums from the late 1970s through the early 1980s, her stage fright, anxiety over her rapid success, and her husband's illness and death caused her to take a 10-year hia ...
's recording of his 1962 hit "Half Heaven – Half Heartache
"Half Heaven – Half Heartache" is a song released by Gene Pitney in 1962. The song spent 12 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 12, while reaching No. 4 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, and No. 5 on ''Billboard
A billboar ...
", which was released on her 'comeback' album ''Love Decides''.
On 18 March 2002, Pitney was inducted by singer Darlene Love into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
.
''This Morning'' incident
Pitney was involved in a gaffe on ITV's ''This Morning This Morning may refer to:
* ''This Morning'' (TV programme), a British daytime television programme
* ''This Morning'' (radio program), a Canadian radio show which aired from 1997 to 2002
* '' CBS This Morning'', an American morning show, succe ...
'' in 1989, owing to a "technical mishap".
Phillip Schofield: "Well, today we're live from the Albert Dock where 24 years ago, this happened."
'' lip rolls'
Holly Willoughby: "Oh my goodness. I just broke out into a cold sweat, watching that...Gene Pitney's technical mishap." Giving a performance of his track "You're the Reason", Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is an Internet standard that extends the format of email messages to support text in character sets other than ASCII, as well as attachments of audio, video, images, and application programs. Messa ...
along in time to his backing track"; he continued with the song, and found humor in the incident. It has been repeated on television over the years, notably on a 2002 episode of BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
series '' Room 101'', in which host Paul Merton described it as a "very funny moment" in which Pitney came in "unbearably late". It was re-aired on the 25th anniversary edition of ''This Morning'' in 2013, in which presenter Holly Willoughby "broke out into a cold sweat" while reliving the moment.
Personal life
At the height of his fame in 1967, Pitney married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and the couple had three sons, Todd, Chris, and David.
Death
Pitney was touring the UK in the spring of 2006 when his manager found him dead in his hotel room following a concert in Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...
, Wales, on April 5. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
and that he had severely occluded coronary arteries. His final show at Cardiff's St David's Hall
St David's Hall (Welsh: ''Neuadd Dewi Sant'') is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales.
St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the biennia ...
had earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity". He was laid to rest at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut
Somers is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut. The population was 10,255 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). In 2007, '' Money Magazine'' listed Somers 53rd on its "100 ...
.
Posthumous tributes
Marc Almond
Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. H ...
recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album '' Stardom Road''.
On September 20, 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut
Rockville is a census-designated place and a village of the town of Vernon in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,474 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1889, it has been consolidated with the town of Verno ...
. Members of the family attended. The event was emceed by oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. Governor Jodi Rell
Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut.
Rell was ...
also declared September 20, 2007, as Gene Pitney Day in the state of Connecticut. The Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee established a music scholarship in Pitney's name. It is awarded annually to Rockville High School. In October 2008, an international fan convention was held in Rockville.
Discography
Albums
* '' The Many Sides of Gene Pitney'' (1962)
* ''Spotlight on Gene Pitney & NewCastle Trio'' (1962)
* '' Only Love Can Break a Heart'' (1962)
* ''Gene Pitney Sings Just for You
''Gene Pitney Sings Just for You'' is American singer Gene Pitney's third album, released on the Musicor label in 1963. It included the single " Mecca" which reached #12 on the U.S. Hot 100 and was a top 10 hit in Australia and Canada.
Track l ...
'' (1963)
* '' Gene Pitney Sings World Wide Winners'' (1963)
* '' Blue Gene'' (1963)
* '' Gene Pitney Meets the Fair Young Ladies of Folkland'' ">/sup> (1964)
* '' Gene Pitney's Big Sixteen'' (1964)
* ''Gene Italiano
''Gene Italiano'' is American singer Gene Pitney's eighth album, and first foreign language album, released on the Musicor Records, Musicor label in 1964. The album features a number of Pitney's biggest early hits recorded in Italian language, I ...
'' (1964)
* '' It Hurts to Be in Love and Eleven More Hit Songs'' ">/sup> (1964)
* '' Gene Pitney's Big Sixteen, Volume Two'' ">/sup> (1965)
* '' For the First Time! Two Great Stars - George Jones and Gene Pitney'' (1965)
* '' I Must Be Seeing Things'' ">/sup> (1965)
* ''It's Country Time Again!
''It's Country Time Again!'' is an album by American country music artists George Jones and Gene Pitney released in 1966 on the Musicor Records label.
Background
''It's Country Time Again!'' is the sequel to ''For the First Time! Two Great Sta ...
'' (with George Jones
George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
) (1965)
* ''Looking Through the Eyes of Love'' ">/sup> (1965)
* ''The Great Songs of Our Time'' (1965) Stateside SL 10156
* ''Español'' (1966)
* ''Being Together'' (with Melba Montgomery) (1966)
* ''Big Sixteen Volume 3'' (1966)-
* ''Backstage (I'm Lonely)'' ">/sup> (1966)
* ''Nessuno Mi Può Giudicare'' (1966)
* ''Greatest Hits of All Times'' (1966)
* ''The Country Side of Gene Pitney'' (1966)
* ''Young and Warm and Wonderful'' (1966)
* ''Just One Smile'' (1967)
* ''Golden Greats'' (1967)
* ''The Gene Pitney Story'' (1968)
* ''Español, Volume 2'' (1968)
* ''Gene Pitney Sings Burt Bacharach and Others'' (1968)
* ''She's a Heartbreaker'' ">/sup> (1968)
* ''The Greatest Hits of Gene Pitney'' (1969)
* ''This is Gene Pitney Singing The Platters' Golden Platters'' (1970)
* ''Super Star'' ">/sup> (1970)
* ''Ten Years Later'' (1971)
* ''New Sounds of Gene Pitney'' (1972)
* ''The Golden Hits of Gene Pitney'' (1972)
* ''Pitney '75'' (1975)
* ''Backstage: The Greatest Hits and More'' (1990)
* ''You're The Reason'' (1990)
* ''Anthology(1961-1968)'' (1990)
* ''Hits and Misses'' (1993)
* ''Heartbreaker'' (1994)
* ''George Jones & Gene Pitney'' (1994)
* ''More Greatest Hits'' (1995)
* ''Greatest Hits'' (1995)
* ''Great Gene Pitney'' (1996)
* ''Very Best of Gene Pitney'' (1997)
* ''22 Greatest Hits'' (1998)
* ''25 All-Time Greatest Hits'' (1999)
* ''Defenitive Collection'' (1999)
* ''Many Sides of Gene Pitney/Only Love Can Break a Heart'' (1999) (2010)
* ''Looking Through (Ultimate Collection)'' (2001)
* ''His Golden Classics'' (2001)
* ''I'm Gonna be Strong'' (2002)
* ''Blue Angel: The Bronze Sessions'' (2003)
* ''Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart'' (2003)
* ''Street Called Hope'' (2004)
* ''Big Twenty: All the UK Top Hits, 1961-1973'' (2004)
* ''Love Grows'' (2005)
* ''24 Hours From Tulsa'' (2005)
* ''Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart'' (2005)
* ''Platinum Collection'' (2007)
* ''Best of Gene Pitney'' (2008)
* ''Sings Just For You/World Wide Winners'' (2011)
* ''Country Side of Gene Pitney'' (2012)
* ''Blue Gene/Meets the Fair Young Ladies of Folkland'' (2013)
* ''I'm Gonna be Strong/Looking Thru the Eyes of Love'' (2013)
* ''Cradle of My Arms: Complete Gene Pitney'' (2013)
* ''The Collection: The Original Musicor Master Tapes'' (2018)
Notes
:
A ^ Originally released as ''Dedicated to My Teen Queens''
:
B–H Released in the UK as: B.
^ ''I'm Gonna Be Strong'', C.
^ ''Gene Pitney More Big Sixteen'', D.
^ ''Looking Through the Eyes of Love'', E.
^ ''Sings the Great Songs of Our Time'', F.
^ ''Nobody Needs Your Love'', G.
^ ''Pitney Today'', H.
^ ''Ten Years Later''
Singles
:''Note that release dates refer to initial release. Pitney's early singles generally appeared one to four months later in the UK/Australia. Many of his later releases are UK/Australia/NZ only.''
''Sources include Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings.
Early life
Joel Carver Whitburn was born in Wa ...
's Record Research material for the US Top 100, "Bubbling Under" and US Country charts; Tim Rice ''et al.'', ''Guinness Book of Hit Singles'' for the UK; CHUM Chart
The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 (and, until August 1968, the top 50) songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station. On Janua ...
for Canada prior to mid-1964, and the Canadian RPM charts thereafter; and The Kent Report for Australia ''
References
External links
Gene Pitney bio
THE OFFICIAL "WILD" WAYNE WEBSITE – Connecticut based nationally known Oldies Radio DJ & friend of Gene Pitney
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Report of Pitney's death
from BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
BBC Obituary
from ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
''
Fan's Final Chat with Gene Pitney
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitney, Gene
1941 births
2006 deaths
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
American country singer-songwriters
American male pop singers
American male singer-songwriters
Epic Records artists
Musicians from Hartford, Connecticut
People from Rockville, Connecticut
American pop pianists
American male pianists
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
20th-century American pianists
Country musicians from Connecticut
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
Singer-songwriters from Connecticut
Bronze Records artists