Added: 4 years ago
From: Brent441
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  • For some reason Pitney did better in Europe then he did in North America.

  • I don't think it is bad; he just sings it his way. I prefer Don McLean's version and, of course, Orbison's.

  • One of my mothers favorite and I grew up liking it so well. Always said I wouldn't like what my parents liked but many songs take us back to our childhood and many memories.

  • Normally I love this guy, but " pitchy " is an understatement here...he was flat and sharp all through this song..and yelling at the end...

  • Comment removed

  • First time I've heard Gene's version of this song. I like it, but I think the best version is the duet with Roy and KD Lang.

  • @ellakiddie No one is a bigger Pitney fan than me but I agree with you on this one. KD lang stole the show with Orbison who does own this song. He knew what he was doing with this duet.

  • Wonderful version of a lovely song. I prefer it to Roy Orbison's version mainly because I would prefer Gene to be singing it to me.

  • ha ha ha, this song always reminds me of an episode of Only fools and Horses. A club singer was unable to pronounce the letter "R". Instead, he would sing as "W".... Cwying!!!... god i cant stop laughing now......

  • @47114711emma Me too! Its on youtube, too!

  • I am a huge Pitney fan. However, certain songs should simply be left alone. This is Roy's and always will be. Kind of like Unchained Melody and the Righteous Brothers.

  • nice but can't quite beat old roy!

  • @emmakwall ..Roy had a 'dark' voice more suited for this song, it was a masterpiece, I even liked the duet he did with kd Lang, their voices blended beautifully! Roy had a 4 octave voice that just knocked out any song that he did!

    Gene was a teenage crush of mine and I love his music still, even this rendition, but it pales in comparison to Orbison's version! RIP Roy and Gene <3 <3

  • @sweetnpeachy1 too right! i love so much old music, they just do not make it like this anymore!!! :)

  • Brilliant

  • Nice version but can't beat Roy Orbison's version :)

  • Another killer rendition of this is Johnny Contardo from Sha na na. Gene and Johnny are probably the best tenors of rock and roll of all time.

  • that part at the end starting from 2:17 takes my breath away! god what a voice, the emotions he puts in just sums up everything. it could melt the coldest heart

  • This is a good version---but Roy Orbison´s is THE BEST.

  • @zaaritha Amen amen

  • @zaaritha No one loves Pitney more than me but i have to agree with you. However, no one does Gene better than Gene. He's not easy to match.

  • Once again Gene takes this version to the heights. Roy's is fabulous but Gene's is better. Maybe I'm just biased but till utube I never heard Gene's version and I was blown away. RIP to both these unique artists. We miss you guys.

    brent: may I say a special thanks to your Pitney posts. I am hearing songs I never knew he recorded. It's been wonderful playing them. Who knew the man could sing so well in Italian? He sounds like a native.

  • I'm older, so grew up with this, one of the best singers of the 20th century. It amazes me to read these comments with all the crap they have out there now. Listen to Gary Puckett, the Righteous Brothers, some of the older bands. The only new talent I've listened to is Brent Smith - great voice - different style - than Gene Pitneys!

  • @slsoske Gene stands alone. Orbison, Jay Black all have their own sound and phenomenal but to me there is only one Gene Pitney. When you heard that voice they was no mistaking who it was.

  • One of the most creditable covers of The Big O's classic. Gene should have sung it a bit slower though

  • @lateforbreakfast I'm not sure whose version is better.

  • Jinkies! Had no idea before now that the late great Mr Pitney had covered this Roy Orbison classic.  Quite enjoyable....Gene had a magnificent voice...though I too prefer Roy's slower original. In any case, MANY thanks for sharing this delightful "blast from the past" with us! :)

  • rebekah del rio

  • Pitney kicks it into gear in the last half of his version.

  • Almost as good as R Orbison´s version!

  • Cwying?

  • Well, yeah, Gene does it o.k. Roy's version is the best, but Gene kicks it very well.

    Hey, I love Gene's work, especially the songs he originated...

    I would only say that Gene might have had a better career if he had acted smarter during tours.

    I'm just sayin'.

  • One of the few that dfoesn't sound lame covering an Orbison classic.

    I don't like the speeding up ... but otherwise it's great !

  • I think Gene Pitney is absolutely great, but it is difficult to cover a Roy Orbison song effectively.

  • She doesn't looooove him ?????!!!!!!!!! :-000

  • Yep. This one made me cry and I have no one to be crying over. Gene has that tear drop sound in his voice. Great song.

  • Roy Orbison is the greatest followed by Gene Pitney Jay Black and Johnny Maestro.

  • gene pitney, one of the most underrated performers and voices of all time

  • I just like everything he did !!!

  • Both will always be legends and their music will live forever!! listen to half heaven-half heartache by pitney and then listen to orbinsons beautiful song In dreams.

  • i think to say when a 15 year old likes gene pitney hes frekkin amazing.

  • He is outstanding. He is the best. He makes this song his own. No one compares to Gene.

  • Gene is great in this song. But he's not Roy Orbison. Almost all of Roy's songs were his originals, and this was one of his very best. Luv you Roy!!

  • Frankie Lane meets Roy Orbison...

    I hear both in Gene's voice.....

    His song, "I Wanna Love My Life Away" was the very first 45 I ever owned. I was fourteen and it was 1961.

  • Gene Pitney liked to dress up in leather chaps and croctchless pants to turn on brokeback mountain cowboys!.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH­AHA

  • AGAIN...Professor vegetable (broccoli) why the gay thing?..leather chaps and crothless pants???? CAN YOU NOT just enjoy the great music? I do really believe you got some real problems.... Gene Pitney is DEAD!!..Can you not just respect this? Why are you listening to this music and then give comments from outer space . I so pray for you man..peace be with you!!

  • I am a big fan of Gene Pitney, but I don't like this recording at all. But I'm an even bigger fan of Roy Orbison, and his duet with kd Lang is the best.

  • What the fuck is this shit? The god damn mickey mouse club could sing better than this greasy faggot. Gene Pitney had to be dumb as all fuck to think he could even come close to Roy Orbison.

  • No, Roy had always said I was a great person. The fact that they were friends,while an interesting fact, doesn't detract from from the fact that this recording was an extremely poor attempt to revitalize his career in the US by singing cover songs that were nothing short of dreadful.

  • @ProfessorOfBroccoIi WHATS WITH THIS BUNK THAT ROY SAID THIS GUY WAS A GREAT PERSON BROCOLLI CLOSED HIS ACCOUNT this is from the album golden greats which didnt have any of gene pitneys golden hits jimmy wisner arranged it then he did people world with jim and jean a folk rock clasic

  • Professor Broccoli...Why say this???.Shame on you,,They are both dead..Can you not ..just enjoy their legacy for now..Who cares about GENE and ROY..I love them both man..kinda mellow out.. and just enjoy their earthly treasures left to us!!! Peace Brother..their music will live on forever!!

  • This is acceptable version of this song, maybe it's not orbinson, but it's good. You are an idiot.

  • This would be great tourture technique for unruly prisoners in jail. Make them listen to Gene Pitney for 1 hour. LMFAO

  • yes yes. the famous "cover song cycle" where songs of days gone by are rediscovered and recorded to great fame by a different artist with his/her own unique style and usually is recieved with great praise except here. gene's covers of this song,like many of his cover songs, are just plain and absolute annoying trash. just because he didn't fit in any of the mid-late 60's music genres, didn't mean he needed to destroy great songs by making his own substandard covers.

  • ROY is 1000000000000 better then him sry

  • I think that Gene has done a very good and unique, because I love Gene Pitney and his voice is helping get through rough parts in my life, Thanks for all the video's Brent441 you are truley a great person for putting all these fantastic video's of Pitney I'm forever in your debt.And of coarse we all have to thank Gene himself (even though he is no longer with us)

  • Decent cover,but no where near the unparalled excellence of Roy Orbison.

  • his voice is so good

  • Good post. Thanks for the lyrics.

  • This definitely was done to perfection by Roy Orbitson.

    Misshemmingway

  • I love Gene and this song but it was done better by Roy Orbison.

  • Gene Pitney, an icon who I deeply respect, a man I consider to be one of the greatest male vocalists of the last 5 decades, does in fact do a terrific job on this song, but in no way, is it as good as Roy Orbison's original hit or Jay Black's remake (I think that Jay does a slightly better job on this than Roy did). And I was amazed at how great Gene did Cara Mia - it was somewhat close, but no way as good as Jay's majestic, unbelievable performance.

  • liberty-you couldn't tell i've been crying over you.

  • I think Gene Pitney showed just how good he was by singing this as well as Roy Orbison did and also by singing Cara Mia just as well as Jay Black did.....He was truly under estimated.

  • This version only shows how great Roy's version is where the "ache" and passion is off the chart. Still, Pitney who I saw (10 feet away!)with his 12 or 15 piece orchestra, was unquestionably underestimated. Magnifico!

  • I wonder if any of you ever heard this song sung as 'cwying' in one of the Only Fools & Horses' episodes? I still cry with laughter even after having heard it so many times. Perhaps someone could upload it???

  • YES...i remember that,

    i thought it was better than this screecher pitneys version. this is BLOODY AWFUL.

    pj proby was the best singer EVER...

  • Definitely the inspiration for The Only Fools sketch. It has to be. This is even funnier as it's for real. Still a vewy, sorry very powerfull voice from a great singer.

  • Roy Orbison

  • say no more???

  • Trivia time.... Gene Pitneys most famous composition was not initially performed by Mr. Pitney but another icon of the era. Name that tune and the singer.... ;-)

  • Ricky Nelson- Hello Mary Lou Roy Orbison- Todays Teardrops among many others- Gene was a superb composer kmillard!- Am I right???

  • Ding ding ding ding ding!!!! Mary Lou and Rick Nelson are correct!!

  • Del Shannon I can swallow, but... TOMMY ROE?? Pure bubblegum, ugh!! Gene must be turning over in his grave. :(

  • ... and, p.s., thanks Brent for another great one, these vids are such a treat and the sound quality is excellent in those I've heard so far. If GP had been a little more successful with the high notes I would say he had Orbison beat on this one. Flawed, but still lovely. I think if he'd stuck to Orbison's tempo instead of speeding it up, it would've been even better.

  • I agree re: the tempo. This song shouldn't be 'rocked' up in any way. (Note that when Orbison redid the song with kd lang, he actually slowed it down from his original classic.)

    But, to beat The Big O on any tempo? Not on this song. Not a chance.

    And I say that and maintain that GP is one of the Top 3 male 'pop' vocalists of the 20th Century.

  • Yes, Tommy Roe was a little bubble gummy later in his career, but I personally thing "Sheila" is one of the best songs from 1962 and "Everybody" is also an excellent song.

  • NOTE; Click on (more info) to see the LYRICS to this great song...Please let me know of any omissions or errors...Thank You...

  • Thanks Brent.

    What a great song!! I know this song through the TV show - American Got Talent.

    However, I cannot find this song in MP3 format. Do you have and would you mind sharing it with me? Many Thanks.

  • Sure...Send me your e-mail address an I will send you the MP3...:-)

  • @chong427 What a shame to lose him.

  • @chong427 Send me your email address with your request for the mp3 version :<)

  • Comment removed

  • @Brent441 Thank you Brent for adding all these goodies!!

    It's odd, I just noticed that at about 2:29 his voice takes on a totally different timbre.

    He sounds a lot like Orbison at the very beginning...then switches to the high pitch and it sounds strained the rest of the way through.

  • Thanks for posting Brent441, great lyrics and song interpretation.

  • I heard someone once call him Gene "Pity". It was this 400 pound redneck in Philadelphia who said he'd kick Gene Pitney's ass if he ever "flushed him out". The guy subsequently died of an anusism. I always prefered Del Shannon or Tommy Roe.

  • I love seeing the different pictures of Gene at different ages of his life. He was a handsome man. Greatest singer ever.

  • Certain camera angles were kind to him. I think he was actually pretty geeky looking... but with that voice... who cares?? ;)

  • Actually, Gene was not 'pretty geeky looking'. He was an intelligent guy and that shone out of him. He was also a very nice one, and that showed too. Looks are all things to all people, but 'geeky' is not the right description for Gene.

  • I love Gene's version of this song. He was such a talented man.

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