Bobby Vinton

Bobby Vinton struggled on the pop charts, scoring only minor hits for the most part in the mid-'60s, before he finally returned to the Top Five for the first time in three years with "Please Love Me Forever" in late 1967. Naturally, Epic records, his label, which had been filling up his release schedule with side projects like a concert recording (Live at the Copa) and a compilation (Bobby Vinton's Newest Hits), suddenly wanted an LP tie-in, and Vinton rushed into the studio and spent three days in October cutting eight songs to accompany "Please Love Me Forever," its coming follow-up, a remake of the 1959 Bob Beckham hit "Just as Much as Ever" (which went on to make the Top 20), and a previously recorded remake of the 1920s and 1950s hit "Who's Sorry Now" on the Please Love Me Forever album. "Who's Sorry Now" was a good indication of the kind of material that made up the rest, as Vinton recorded a series of standards of various vintages, some of which (e.g., "Love Me with All Your Heart," "It's All in the Game") had proven to be successful more than once. The performances were typical of Vinton, his boyish tenor floating above lightly rocking arrangements complete with genteel choruses. He showed a particular affinity for the country songs associated with Eddy Arnold, "Bouquet of Roses," and "After Loving You," but as usual his light, ingratiating manner, applied in the same way to every song, was pleasant without ever becoming really involving. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi