The Manhattans

I'm the One That Love Forgot is a compilation of some of the Manhattans' early recordings for Carnival Records in 1964-1967. It includes all eight of the group's Top 40 R&B chart singles for the label ("I Wanna Be [Your Everything]," "Searchin' for My Baby," "Follow Your Heart," "Baby I Need You," "Can I," "I Bet'cha [Couldn't Love Me]," "When We're Made As One," and "I Call It Love"), as well as their first, non-charting Carnival releases, "For the Very First Time" and "There Goes a Fool." Led by George Smith, the group traces an evolution from doo wop to Drifters-like pop and Motown-style pop-soul (an evolution lost in the non-chronological sequencing). The title track may have been a B-side, but it became one of the Manhattans' major ballads at the time, typical of the creamy sound the group could achieve in this period. I'm the One That Love Forgot may not be a comprehensive survey of the Manhattans' career, but it thoroughly tells the story of their first success in the mid-'60s. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide