AVID Pop continues with its Five Classic Albums series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Pat Boone, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details;

'Pat Boone'; 'Pat'; 'Pat Boone Sings'; 'Great! Great! Great!' and 'Moody River'

Second only to Elvis Presley in the 1950s with record sales of 45 million Pat Boone certainly deserves his place in the AVID Pop Hall of Fame. I guess you could say he was the antidote to Elvis. He was a great pop singer who presented the respectable and safe side of the current musical trends including RnB and Rock n Roll. Nothing wrong with that we say! At least his hits with many of his cover versions gave exposure of the music of countless black artists to a potential wider audience giving them an opportunity they may never have had in a cruel racially segregated Unites States in the 1950s and 1960s. Ok he was pops Mr.Clean, possibly the US equivalent to our own blessed Sir Cliff Richard but he gave joy to the many millions who bought his singles and albums, read his books, watched his TV shows and sat through his films, not to mention his Christian reading tours and Bible readings to the mostly republican stars of the day. And he's still going strong at 86, so it's hats off to a great entertainer. Oh and if you care to check out a very rare album he released in 1969 on Tetragrammaton called Departure, produced by Zal Yanovsky and Jerry Yester from the Lovin Spoonful, you will discover a hidden lost classic. Sadly only available on vinyl if you can even find a copy!

Check out:- Bobby Darin (AMSC1205); Dinah Shore (AMSC1345); Brenda Lee (AMSC1211); Ricky Nelson (AMSC1206); Bobby Rydell (AMSC1365); Bobby Vee (AMSC1262); Paul Anka (AMSC1388); Judy Garland (AMSC1228 & 1336); The Everly Brothers (AMSC1277; Elvis Presley (AMSC1257, 1299 & 1384): Little Richard (AMSC1286); Conway Twitty (AMSC1347): Connie Francis (AMSC1374); Andy Williams (AMSC1247);