Julius La Rosa The Singles Collection 1953-1962 (2-CD)

Julius La Rosa was a traditional pop singer typical of the style prevalent in the early '50s who came to fame on the all-powerful Arthur Godfrey's radio and TV shows, on which he was a regular performer from 1951 to '53. Godfrey's musical director launched the Cadence label in 1953, and La Rosa was the first artist signed to the label, making an immediate impact as two of his first three releases Anywhere I Wander and Eh Cumpari gave him Top 5 US pop hits. He was controversially fired from Godfrey's shows in 1953, but continued as a popular and successful radio and TV performer through the '50s as the pop landscape changed dramatically, continuing to have chart entries up to 1958, including a Top 20 UK hit that year with Torero. This great-value 57-track collection comprises most of the A & B sides of his singles for Cadence and for RCA after he left Cadence in 1955, plus selected A & B sides for the Roulette and Kapp labels between 1958 and 1962, and naturally includes all his career hits in the pop charts, which in addition to those already mentioned include the Top 20 entries Domani, Suddenly There's A Valley and Lipstick & Candy & Rubbersole Shoes. It represents a substantial proportion of his chart-focused output during the core era of his career, and provides an admirable showcase for his smooth and sophisticated vocal style which made him such a popular media personality.