''Portrait'' is the second album by the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

The Walker Brothers The Walker Brothers were an United States, American pop music, pop musical ensemble, group of the 1960s and 1970s which included Noel Scott Engel (eventually known professionally as Scott Walker (singer), Scott Walker), John Walker (musician), Jo ...

. Released in 1966 the album was their most successful and reached number three on the

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. The group's musical accompaniment was directed by

Ivor Raymonde Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s. Life and care ...

and Reg Guest and produced by John Franz. Receiving good to mixed reviews the album was first released in both Mono and Stereo LP formats in August 1966. The album was later released on CD having been remastered and expanded in 1998. The sleeve notes were written by Keith Altham with photography by

Dezo Hoffmann Dezider Hoffmann (1912 – 1986), also known as Dezo Hoffmann or Dežo Hoffmann, was a Slovak photographer, photojournalist and cameraman from Czechoslovakia. In the 1960s he photographed pop and showbiz personalities, including the Beatles. Bi ...

. ''Portrait'' was not released in the USA. In its place

Smash Records Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966. Its recording artist ...

compiled '' The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'' as the group's second album. This alternate version substituted the majority of the album's tracks with A-Sides, B-Sides and tracks from their first EP leaving only "Just For A Thrill", " Old Folks", "

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" and "Take It Like a Man".

Reception

''Portrait'' received good to mixed reviews from the majority of critics.

Legacy

Richie Unterberger writing for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

recommends the album for serious fans only as the majority of the best tracks are on the compilation ''After the Lights Go Out''. "Like some other pop/rock LPs of its time, it suffered from an apparent strategy to appeal to a wider demographic than those that typically bought pop/rock records, adding a cover of Louis Armstrong's "Just for a Thrill," the moldy standard "Old Folks," and the pedestrian white-boy soul workout on Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready."

Allmusic review AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

/ref> Unterberger is also positive regarding "In My Room" which he describes as "dramatic" and "No Sad Songs for Me" which he calls "melodramatic" and "the best tune that doesn't show up on the ''After the Lights Go Out'' compilation".

Track listing

Personnel

;The Walker Brothers * Gary Walker - drums, vocals * John Walker - guitar, vocals * Scott Walker - vocals, guitar, keyboards with: *

, Reg Guest - music director *

- photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1966 albums The Walker Brothers albums Albums produced by Johnny Franz Philips Records albums