Mrs. Big Geez and I seldom disagree — or to put it another way, I’m afraid of her. But when we do have a rare difference of opinion, it’s usually about something silly like the best version of a particular song.
A good example would be a tune that hit the top of the charts over fifty years ago for two different performers.
One of those guys was a singer who enjoyed decades of success in pop and country music, with countless hits to his credit. That would be Sonny James, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, who is now happily retired from music.
The other performer is better known for his movie career than he is for his singing. Tab Hunter was a young Hollywood heartthrob when he hit the recording studio and found success, helping make it possible for Warner Brothers to create their own iconic record label. He also performed in spots like the singing lead in Damn Yankees, but has pretty much stuck to acting for most of his career.
The song that both performers struck gold with is a fairly harmless piece called “Young Love,” and it’s one of those songs that you either love or hate. See which version you like best (or hate the least) then vote in the poll below. I’ll tell you later how Mrs. Big Geez and I voted.
(Note: if your connection isn’t fast enough for video of Sonny below, here’s a sound clip of his version.
Geezer Music Club 
Always thought Tab Hunter was a mere parvenu when it came to singing, and this proves it. I read his autobiography a bit back (fun read!) and he was as shocked as anybody else at being accepted as a singer, but of course hitched a ride on the money wagon.
Too bad this was an abbreviated version of the Sonny James–but there’s plenty more where that came from, I know. Thanks as usual for the memories.
LikeLike
Yeah, that was definitely a shortened version of the song. There were others available at youtube but I didn’t see a full-length one with the good sound and the clear color film like this one has.
LikeLike
Keeping an eye on the poll – looks like the majority has voted with me. 😉
LikeLike
Didn’t know what “parvenu” was, had to look that one up! But one thing — Tab Hunter CAN NOT SING! To say that his version of Young Love is better than Sonny’s is simply not true, and I’m frankly surprised that this poll is as close as it is, if you can call 76%-24% close.
I’ve got a few articles about Sonny on my own web site, but unfortunately for some reason the links to the songs/videos appears to be broken. Plenty on YouTube, though!
LikeLike
I didn’t know what it meant, either — just didn’t have the nerve to admit it. 😉
LikeLike