Capitol's roster of pop vocalists in the '50s boasted an incredible number of household names, most of whom have been well-served in the reissue market.
Bob Manning, one of the label's lesser-known lights, finally received his due with
Spotlight on Bob Manning, an 18-track anthology of
Manning's Capitol recordings from 1953-1955. Strongly influenced by
Dick Haymes,
Manning is remembered for his definitive version of
Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You," which gave
Manning a Top 20 hit in 1953 and helped make the song a standard. Capitol's
Spotlight On series is sometimes maddeningly neglectful of hits, striving not to round up hits but to gather up traditional pop vocal performances by some of the label's most esteemed singers. Consequently,
Manning's volume omits two of his three hit singles, but contains nine of the 12 songs from his 1955 album, Lonely Spell (also available in its entirety on a Japanese import CD).
Manning performs standards such as "These Foolish Things" and "P.S. I Love You" with a warmth and intimacy that recalls
Dick Haymes' sublime a cappella hits, but
Manning's performances feature the orchestrations of Monty Kelly, Sid Feller, and
Nelson Riddle. Despite overlooking two of
Manning's three chart singles, the compiler found room for "My Love Song to You," a novelty ballad composed as a promotional gimmick to tie in with the television series The Honeymooners. As vocalists go,
Manning is the equal of many better-known singers who signed with Capitol in the '50s, and his comparative obscurity is no way reflects a dearth of talent. ~ Greg Adams