Gary Lewis and the Playboys
(Collectors Choice)
44 Tracks? My. That's a lot of Gary Lewis and the Playboys. That's a lot for any act that wasn't an overlooked genius (Arthur Alexander) or a creative pop band critically dismissed because it lacked the right hipster credentials (the Association). G. L. and the P's were not even the type of act whose charms are rediscovered every few years to a chorus of "Gee, the Monkees/Neil Diamond/Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich were pretty good when you look back."
Gary Lewis and the Playboys were one of dozens of celebrity and celebrity spawn-led recording acts that grabbed the brass ring - make that gold; they had 17 Top 40 singles with eight going gold - on a teenybopper-financed ride on the pop music merry-go-round in the mid-1960s. Although the Playboys later counted players like Carl Radle (Derek and the Dominoes) among their number, their studio work, including some augmentation for Lewis' vocals on their first hit "This Diamond Ring," was mostly handled by the likes of Leon Russell on piano, guitarist Tommy Allsup (Buddy Holly), drummer Hal Blaine and other members of L.A.'s elite group of session players known as the Wrecking Crew.
But the Playboys did start out and attempted to remain an actual band. They even got their first bread and butter gig at Disneyland without trading in on Lewis' father Jerry's rep. And there's no reason the children of the rich and/or famous can't find artistic and critical success in music; Bonnie Raitt, Roseanne Cash and plenty others have done it. But you have to want it. Being good at it doesn't hurt either.
Lewis, while he did seem to work hard at making it work once committed, didn't seem to have the fire in the belly that would have kept him making music after his initial burst of fortune. But the singles - optimized by current technology - sound just as good as they did when they were fresh and there are some respectable surprises - covers of "Every Day I Have To Cry Some" and "Sealed With A Kiss" - even if everyone but hardcore Lewis freaks would have been happy with half the number of cuts.
Standout Tracks: "This Diamond Ring"; "Count Me In" RICK ALLEN
