Lenny Welch recorded for numerous labels during a lengthy career, but the tracks he made for the first of these, Cadence, remain the most celebrated. That's mostly since it was on Cadence where he had what were by far his two most famous records, the 1963 number four hit "Since I Fell for You" and original 1962 vocal version of "A Taste of Honey" that was covered by the Beatles on their first album. Both of those songs are on this 20-track CD, which has all of the cuts from the singles he released on Cadence between 1959 ...
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Lenny Welch recorded for numerous labels during a lengthy career, but the tracks he made for the first of these, Cadence, remain the most celebrated. That's mostly since it was on Cadence where he had what were by far his two most famous records, the 1963 number four hit "Since I Fell for You" and original 1962 vocal version of "A Taste of Honey" that was covered by the Beatles on their first album. Both of those songs are on this 20-track CD, which has all of the cuts from the singles he released on Cadence between 1959 and 1964, as well as three that only showed up on a 1963 LP. During this period Welch usually explored the very mildest edge of R&B/pop, sometimes giving the impression he might have been more comfortable as a straight pop crooner than one who admitted any influence from soul and rock at all. As with many singers known only for one or two songs, there's a reason he didn't become bigger; none of the other tracks were nearly as memorable. In fact, a good number were mediocre, and sometimes the similarities in the vocals and arrangements to more successful and better talents like Brook Benton, Johnny Mathis, and Sam Cooke are too apparent. It didn't help that, prior to "Since I Fell for You," Welch also seemed to be casting about for a style, even making a strange attempt at Latin dance rock with the "Changa Rock"/"Boogie Cha Cha" single, as well as covering an obscure Paul Anka song, "I'd Like to Know." His later recordings find him settling into a more confident Mathis-like groove, but he never could get another song that stood out as readily. Ace does its usual commendable job with liner notes and vintage illustrations/press clips, but the general rock and pop fan would be better off sticking with the appearance of "Since I Fell for You" on numerous oldies various-artists compilations (though "A Taste of Honey," to be fair, is harder to locate on reissues than its stature as the original version of a tune the Beatles covered would indicate). As an interesting trivial note, a co-writer of one of the better tracks, 1964's "Father Sebastian," was Nancie Mantz, later to co-write the Electric Prunes' psychedelic classic "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)." ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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Add this copy of A Taste of Honey/Since I Fell for You to cart. $6.00, very good condition, Sold by Silverball Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Princeton, NC, UNITED STATES, published by COLUMBIA; 4-33164.
Add this copy of A Taste of Honey/the Old Cathedral to cart. $12.00, very good condition, Sold by Silverball Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Princeton, NC, UNITED STATES, published 1962 by CADENCE; 1428.
Add this copy of A Taste of Honey to cart. $59.25, new condition, Sold by Entertainment by Post - UK rated 2.0 out of 5 stars, ships from BRISTOL, SOUTH GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2007 by Cadence/Ace.