Handy Man (Del Shannon album)

Last updated

Handy Man
Handy Man (Del Shannon album).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1964
Genre Rock and roll
Length28:41
Label Amy
Producer Embee Productions
Del Shannon chronology
Little Town Flirt
(1963)
Handy Man
(1964)
Del Shannon Sings Hank Williams
(1965)
Singles from Handy Man
  1. "Mary Jane"
    Released: February 1964
  2. "Handy Man"
    Released: June 1964

Handy Man is the fourth studio album by American rock and roll singer-songwriter Del Shannon. It features the singles "That's the Way Love Is", "Mary Jane", and "Handy Man",

Contents

In the US, the single released from the album, "Handy Man", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 6, 1961, peaking at number 22 during its ten-weeks stay. [1] on the Cashbox singles weeks, The song peaked at number 19 during its 11-weeks stay. [2] and number 36 in The U.K during its four-weeks stay. [3] Another single, 'That's the Way Love Is", spent a week on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in the issue dated March 14, 1964, peaking at number 133. [4] In the UK the song chosen as the single for release was "Mary Jane", and it entered the singles chart there for the week of March 18, 1964, stayed around for five weeks, peaking at number 35. [3]

it also features His wide range of several contemporary hits [5] with covers of "Ruby Baby", "A World Without Love", "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)", "Crying" and two Berlee Singles. [6] The album debuted on the Cashbox albums chart in the issue dated October 17, 1964, and remained on the chart for six weeks, peaking at number 79. [7]

The album was released on compact disc by Beat Goes On on August 25, 1998 as tracks 13 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 consisting of Shannon's Final Bigtop album from June 1963, Little Town Flirt [8]

Bear Family included also the album in the 2004 Home and Away box set. [9] Edsel Records included the album in the 2023 Stranger in Town: A Del Shannon Compendium box set. [10]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]

Billboard selected the album for a "Pop Special Merit" review, and stated that it does contain "Handy Man and 11 other in special rockin' style." [13]

Cashbox praised Shannon for his "rich, wide-range baritone and distinctive, lyrical delivery carries him in good stead on “That’s The Way Love Is,” “I’ll Be Lonely Tomorrow” and “World Without Love" [14]

Record World believed "Most of the tunes call for emotion and get it. A lot of vocal pyrotechnics as well.'" [15]

Record Mirror described the album as a "excellently recorded, performed, and a great dance beat album." [11]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Memphis" Chuck Berry 2:30
2."That's the Way Love Is"Del Shannon2:25
3."Ruby Baby" Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller 2:16
4."I'll Be Lonely Tomorrow"Maron MacKenzie2:11
5."I Can't Fool Around Anymore"George Katsakis2:22
6."Handy Man" Otis Blackwell, Jimmy Jones 2:14
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Crying" Joe Melson 2:37
2."Mary Jane"Maron MacKenzie2:28
3."World Without Love" John Lennon, Paul McCartney 2:42
4."Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)"Artie Zwirn, Harry Giosasi1:47
5."Give Her Lots of Lovin'"Del Shannon2:03
6."Twist and Shout" Bert Russell, Bill Medley 2:37

Charts

Chart (1964)Peak
position
US Cash Box [7] 79
Singles
YearSingleChartPeak
1964"That's the Way Love Is""US Billboard Hot 100 [4] 133
US Cash Box122
"Mary Jane"UK Singles Chart [3] 35
US Cash Box124
"Handy Man"US Billboard Hot 100 [1] 22
US Cash Box [2] 19
UK Singles Chart [3] 36

References

  1. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles: 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research. p. 632. ISBN   0898-2-0155-1.
  2. 1 2 Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 310. ISBN   1-56308-316-7.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "DEL SHANNON". Official Charts. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 148. ISBN   978-0-8982-0047-8.
  5. Press, Ivy (2004). 606 Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers, Music and Memorabilia Auction Catalog. Heritage Capital Corporation. p. 26. ISBN   1-9328-9925-1.
  6. Reynolds, Robert (December 26, 2019). The Music of Del Shannon. Lulu.com. p. 34. ISBN   978-0-359-89948-7.
  7. 1 2 Hoffmann, Frank W (1988). The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. p. 332. ISBN   0-8108-2005-6.
  8. "Little Town Flirt / Handy Man". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  9. "Home and Away: The Complete Recordings 1960-1970". AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  10. "Stranger in Town: A Del Shannon Compendium". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Watson, Jimmy (February 13, 1965). "albums reviewed by Norman Jopling and Peter Jones new albums reviewed by Norman Jopling and EPs released this month LPs: POWERFUL NEW L.P. FROM CLIFF BENNETT" (PDF). New Record Mirror . No. 205. p. 11. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  12. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1250. ISBN   9781846098567 . Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  13. "Pop Special Merit: Handy Man". Billboard . Vol. 76, no. 41. October 10, 1964. p. 28.
  14. "Cashbox Album Pop Pick Reviews: Handy Man". Cash Box . Vol. 26, no. 2. October 3, 1964. p. 30.
  15. "Album Reviews: Pick Hits" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 18, no. 904. October 13, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved May 23, 2025.