| Return of the Wanderer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:11 | |||
| Label | Lifesong | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Dion chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Return of the Wanderer | ||||
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Return of the Wanderer is a studio album by American musician Dion. [1] [2] The album was released in 1978 by Lifesong Records. [3] It was produced by Terry Cashman and Tommy West. [4] Dion would not record another secular album until 1989's Yo Frankie . [5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Minneapolis Star |  [7] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
The Minneapolis Star noted that many songs sound "too much like Elton John or Billy Joel." [7] Newsday opined that the production "is craftsmanlike but without a point of view." [10] The Argus Leader determined that, "while the original punk rocker still has his pipes, his music is Las Vegas compared to the street-strutting toughs, like Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny, who have replaced him in the public eye." [11] The Morning Call deemed the album "a pleasant, sensitive and upbeat attempt at a comeback." [12]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heart of Saturday Night" | Tom Waits | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Midtown American Main Street Gang" | D. Beck, D. DiMucci | 5:57 |
| 3. | "You've Awakened Something in Me" | B. Tuohy, D. DiMucci | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Guitar Queen" | D. DiMucci, M. Tiernan | 4:43 |
| 5. | "The Pattern of my Lifeline" | B. Tuohy, D. DiMucci | 3:56 |
| 6. | "(I Used to be a) Brooklyn Dodger" | D. Beck, D. DiMucci | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Streetheart Theme" | B. London, D. Weston, L. Foy, M. Tiernan, R. Steele | 3:03 |
| 8. | "The Power of Love Within" | B. Tuohy, D. DiMucci | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Spanish Harlem Incident" | Bob Dylan | 4:59 |
| 10. | "Do You Believe in Magic" | John Sebastian | 3:10 |
| Total length: | 41:11 | ||
The Belmonts were an American doo-wop group from the Bronx, New York, that originated in the mid-1950s. The original group consisted of Angelo D'Aleo, Carlo Mastrangelo, and Fred Milano. They took their name from Belmont, the Bronx street in which Mastrangelo lived, known as the Little Italy of the Bronx. From 1958–60 the group performed with Dion DiMucci as Dion and the Belmonts. At this time Mastrangelo sang the bass parts, Milano the second tenor, D'Aleo the falsetto, and DiMucci did lead vocals. Mastrangelo was replaced in 1962 by Frank Lyndon and Warren Gradus, but the original group reunited in 1966, and thereafter performed together in numerous reunions over the years. They occasionally recorded new singles into the 1980s and performed live until the death of Milano in 2011. Gradus continued, performing live under the moniker until his death in October 2023.
Dion Francis DiMucci, better known mononymously as Dion, is an American singer and songwriter. His music incorporates elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues. Initially the lead singer of the vocal group Dion and the Belmonts, Dion embarked on a solo career, and was one of the most prominent rock and roll performers of the pre-British Invasion era. He had 39 Top 40 hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a solo performer, or with the Belmonts and the Del-Satins. He is best remembered for his signature hit songs "Runaround Sue", "The Wanderer", "Ruby Baby" and "Lovers Who Wander", among others.
Keepin' the Summer Alive is the 24th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 24, 1980, on Brother, Caribou and CBS Records. Produced by Bruce Johnston, the album peaked at number 75 in the US, during a chart stay of 6 weeks, and number 54 in the UK. It is the group's last album recorded with Dennis Wilson, who drowned in 1983, although he only appears on one song.
You Don't Mess Around with Jim is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in April 1972 by ABC Records.
Life and Times is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in January 1973. The album contains the No. 1 Billboard chart hit "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". Croce was nominated for two 1973 Grammy awards in the "Pop Male Vocalist" and "Record of the Year" categories for the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". It was Croce's final album to be released during his lifetime.
"Livin' with a Heartache" is a song written by Carl Wilson and Randy Bachman for the American rock band the Beach Boys, one of two collaborations between the two writers. It was recorded from August 27–29 at Bachman's home studio known as "The Barn" in Lynden, Washington with two further sessions at Rumbo Studios in November and December 1979. "Livin' with a Heartache" was released on the Beach Boys' 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive and was subsequently released with a truncated 3:05 mix as a single backed with "Santa Ana Winds" which failed to chart in the US.
Inside is the debut album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released on Columbia Records in 1986. Sweet was dropped from the label after the album's release, and would not put out another record for three years.
Gone Girl is an album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1978. It features the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet song "No Expectations", the original "It Comes and Goes" and Rodney Crowell's "A Song for the Life", as well as a version of Kenny Rogers' famous single "The Gambler", released just a month before Gone Girl. Three singles from the album, "Gone Girl", "I Will Rock and Roll with You" and "It'll Be Her", were released, but did not reach the country chart's top 20.
A Song for All Seasons is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1978. It marked the return of electric guitars to the band's music after several years of absence. "Northern Lights" from the album reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart and is the band's only UK chart single.
The Captain's Journey is the sixth studio album by guitarist Lee Ritenour, released in 1978 by Elektra Records.
Thomas Picardo Jr., known professionally as Tommy West, was an American record producer and singer-songwriter.
Summer Days is the ninth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on July 5, 1965, on Capitol. The band's previous album, The Beach Boys Today!, represented a departure for the group through its abandonment of themes related to surfing, cars, and teenage love, but it sold below Capitol's expectations. In response, the label pressured the group to produce bigger hits. Summer Days thus returned the band's music to simpler themes for one last album, with Brian Wilson combining Capitol's commercial demands with his artistic calling.
I Wanna Dance with You is the eleventh studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt, released by RCA Records in 1988. The album produced four singles including the title track, a cover of Dion DiMucci's 1961 hit "The Wanderer", "We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" and "That's Why I Fell in Love with You". The first two singles both topped the country charts.
Inside is the tenth album by the Christian rock band White Heart and the band's only album with John Thorn on bass guitar and also the final album for both lead guitarist Brian Wooten and drummer Jon Knox. The band stylized its name as Whiteheart for this album. It is the first of two albums released on Curb Records. The album was produced by Ken Scott, whose producing and engineering credits include the Beatles, Elton John, Supertramp and David Bowie. Whiteheart's sound was scaled back from the arena rock from their previous releases to a more modern rock sound. Music videos were made for "Even the Hardest Heart" and "Inside".
Further Adventures of is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album was released in 1978 by True North Records. The title of the album is not "Further Adventures of Bruce Cockburn" and the original album cover the title is simply "Further Adventures of". The album cover displays a picture of a small globe of the Earth after the title, implying that the adventures referred to are those of the planet Earth, not of Cockburn.
Carlo Mastrangelo was an American doo-wop and progressive rock singer. Born and raised in The Bronx, he lived in an apartment on the corner of 179th St. and Mapes Ave. He also played drums before and after The Belmonts with several groups.
Streetheart is an album by the American singer/songwriter Dion, released in 1976 on Warner Bros. Records. It was a commercial failure.
Blue Obsession is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. The album was released on March 28, 2000, by Ramp Records. The original album was pulled from release before it got to stores, but a few advance copies did get out. The original has a different track listing and 3 songs from it were removed and replaced by other songs. A cover of "Tell It Like It Is" was pulled and still has never been officially released. Catalog # 2-46508 was the promo on the Reprise label, not Ramp.
Suite for Late Summer is the 13th studio album by American singer-songwriter Dion. The album was released in 1972, by Warner Bros. Records.
Yo Frankie is an album by the American musician Dion, released in 1989. The album marked a popular comeback for Dion, who had spent much of the 1980s recording Christian music. Lou Reed, who had inducted Dion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a couple of months prior to the release of Yo Frankie, was one of the many musicians who made guest appearances on the album.