Dion DiMucci was one of many significant names of the rock ‘n’ roll era to emerge from the Italian diaspora of the USA’s north-western states, his career encompassing doowop-influenced early hits with Dion & The Belmonts followed by landmark solo successes, all within the space of a few intense years of chart action. Born in the Bronx in 1939, he was the son of a vaudeville entertainer and came to music early, singing on street corners and in bars, auditioning for producers for whom he made records as Dion & The Timberlanes for the Mohawk label, before assembling the Belmonts to get a deal with the New York label Laurie, making the charts with “I Wonder Why”. The Top 5 “Teenager In Love” and No.3 “Where or When” followed and they had nine hits before Dion left to go solo in 1960, and over the next three years he had a dozen hits including the classics “Runaround Sue”, a No. 1, and “The Wanderer” a No. 2. This excellent-value 58-track 2-CD set comprises the A & B sides of his early Mohawk releases, plus the A & B sides of the Dion & The Belmonts singles and Dion solo singles during this era, along with selected titles from the Dion & The Belmonts LPs “Presenting Dion & The Belmonts” and “When You Wish Upon A Star”, and from Dion’s solo albums “Alone With Dion”, “Runaround Sue” and “Lovers Who Wander”. It naturally includes the 22 chart entries he had across the two phases of his career during these years, and provides a fine showcase for his highly distinctive style as a vocalist both in the group format and solo, and underlines why his contribution to rock ‘n’ roll was so significant.

• - 1 -

  • 1. The Chosen Few
  • 2. Out In Colorado
  • 3. Tag Along
  • 4. We Went Away
  • 5. I Wonder Why
  • 6. Teen Angel
  • 7. No-One Knows
  • 8. I Can't Go On, Rosalie
  • 9. Don't Pity Me
  • 10. Just You
  • 11. A Teenager In Love
  • 12. I've Cried Before
  • 13. Every Little Thing I Do
  • 14. A Lover's Prayer
  • 15. Where or When
  • 16. That's My Desire
  • 17. When You Wish Upon a Star
  • 18. Wonderful Girl
  • 19. In the Still of the Night
  • 20. A Funny Feeling
  • 21. Lonely Teenager
  • 22. Little Miss Blue
  • 23. Havin' Fun
  • 24. North East End of the Corner
  • 25. Kissin' Game
  • 26. Heaven Help Me
  • 27. Somebody Nobody Wants
  • 28. Could Somebody Take My Place Tonight
  • 29. Runaround Sue

• - 2 -

  • 1. Runaway Girl
  • 2. The Wanderer
  • 3. The Majestic
  • 4. Lovers Who Wander
  • 5. (I Was) Born To Cry
  • 6. Little Diane
  • 7. Lost For Sure
  • 8. Love Came To Me
  • 9. Little Girl
  • 10. Ruby Baby
  • 11. He'll Only Hurt You
  • 12. You Better Not Do That
  • 13. I Got the Blues
  • 14. My Private Joy
  • 15. My Day
  • 16. All the Things That You Are
  • 17. I'm Through With Love
  • 18. After the Dance
  • 19. P.S. I Love You
  • 20. Close Your Eyes
  • 21. Then I'll Be Tired of You
  • 22. Life is But a Dream
  • 23. Little Star
  • 24. Lonely World
  • 25. Kansas City
  • 26. King Without a Queen
  • 27. Stagger Lee
  • 28. Tonight Tonight
  • 29. Queen of the Hop