Johnny Mathis - Love Songs [Columbia/Legacy]

Yes, Love Songs is a compilation targeted toward the Valentine's Day market. And how many Johnny Mathis albums, really, could not be said to consist primarily of "love songs"? But actually, this is a little more interesting than it could have been, since it's not just a collection of some hits and favorites with rearranged sequencing. Only one of these 16 tracks, "The Twelfth of Never," was a hit, and the rest of them are songs associated with films and Broadway musicals, like "My Funny Valentine," "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," "She Loves Me," "A Man and a Woman," "Where Do I Begin," and "All the Things You Are." Spanning 1957-1993 (though all but two tracks predate the 1980s), it's characteristically lush orchestrated crooning. But it might make for a nice change of pace in those homes where Mathis serves as makeout music since the material isn't overly familiar. For Mathis fans, the chief treats, or the annoyances if you don't appreciate needing to buy an entire CD for a sliver of new offerings, are two unreleased 1965 tracks, the aforementioned "She Loves Me," and "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing." The disc does stumble by including three mediocre covers of 1970s pop hits, "And I Love You So," "You Light Up My Life," and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Caiola Guitar Al Ham Producer Alan Bergman Producer Cyril Ornadel Conductor, Arranger Darcy Proper Mixing, Compilation Producer, Mastering Darren Salmieri Artist Coordination Denny Diante Producer Didier C. Deutsch Compilation Producer Don Costa Arranger, Conductor Ernie Altschuler Producer Ernie Freeman Combo Conductor, Arranger Gene Page Arranger, Conductor Glenn Osser Arranger, Conductor Henry Mancini Conductor, Arranger Howard Fritzson Art Direction Jack Gold Producer Jay Landers Producer Jerry Fuller Producer Johnny Mathis Producer Joy Gilbert Monfried Project Director Kyle Wofford Artist Coordination Lisa Wolf Design Marilyn Bergman Producer Michel Legrand Arranger, Conductor, Producer Milt Hinton Bass Mitch Miller Producer Patti Matheny Artist Coordination Russell Brown Producer Sam Emerson Photography Stacey Boyle Tape Research Steven Berkowitz A&R Tommy "Snuff" Garrett Producer Tony Mottola Guitar