For a guy who was a dominant figure on the U.S. charts for a good stretch of the early ’60s, wrote big hits for Ricky Nelson and The Crystals, and later gained great popularity overseas, Gene Pitney probably doesn’t quite get his due when people talk about rock and pop music legends. Perhaps that’s because the Connecticut native, who passed away following a show in 2006 at the age of 66, did it without a lot of flash.
But when one of his hits comes on the radio, and his passionate vocals take hold, he is a towering figure indeed. Here are five of his most indelible classics.
“Town Without Pity”
One of the facets that stands out when you consider Pitney’s body of work is just how versatile he was. “Town Without Pity,” which was included in a movie of the same name, requires a lot from a singer. It possesses a certain swagger in terms of the rhythm and melody, and yet the narrator is kind of desperate and overwrought with the advice he’s passing along to the girl he loves. Pitney, who was only 21 years old just starting out his career when the song was released in 1961, handles all of those various moods in a bravura performance.
“(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valence”
Kind of an odd story, this one. Movie buffs probably know there was a famous western of the same name starring Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. But this song isn’t in it, even though the story of the song roughly follows the plot of the film. In any case, it’s the first big hit Pitney scored in collaboration with the ace songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. This is a production that includes a lot of big swings, including a squealing violin and gunshot drums. But Pitney holds down the center as an authoritative storyteller.
“Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa”
One can only imagine the look of terror on a singer’s face when they received a piece of music as complex as this one from Burt Bacharach. There are all kinds of stops and starts in the piece, along with a series of melodic swoops. On top of that, you’re then handed Hal David lyrics that require you to play the role of an adulterer who’s telling his wife he’s leaving her for somebody he just met. It’s a recipe for disaster, right? Not only does Pitney keep his head above water, but the anguish in his voice somehow also makes us somehow feel sorry for this dude.
“It Hurts to Be in Love”
Another wild story behind this song, which testifies to Pitney’s resiliency in the face of all kinds of chaos to be able to get the job done. Howard Greenfield, who usually worked with Neil Sedaka, wrote this up-tempo gem with Helen Miller for Sedaka to record. But because of a record company dispute, Sedaka couldn’t release it. Pitney stepped in and sang over Sedaka’s unused backing track, backing vocalists and all. It probably helped that Pitney’s and Sedaka’s voices had a similar timbre to them, so everything fit just right for this Top-10 hit in 1964.
“I’m Gonna Be Strong”
Maybe it’s because he was an expert songwriter himself that Pitney did such an amazing job of unearthing the emotions residing within the words on the page. That’s also why he was such a wonderful ballad singer, and this is a brilliant slow one written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, another pair of songwriting legends. Notice how Pitney takes his time getting there, letting the emotions simmer so the massive emotional climax hits with undeniable drama and grandeur. When the narrator finally does break down and cry, Pitney makes sure you really feel it.
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Photo by ITV/Shutterstock
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