Collectors Gold Series

Collectors Gold Series is a resequenced reissue of Relic Records' anthology My True Story, with the same mastering job and liner notes. "My True Story" is the crown jewel of the collection; it's a chart topping doo wop classic that shows off lead singer Eugene Pitt's soaring falsetto and songwriting ability. "These Golden Rings," "Never Never," and "What Time Is It?" were much lesser hits, and the group wouldn't reach the pop Top 40 again until 1965 when they moved to United Artists and scored with "I'm a Happy Man." The wide variety of songs is notable: "Hully Gully Callin' Time" is an above-average entry in the hully gully sweeps, even though it doesn't actually make use of the hully gully rhythm; "People from Another World" is a space age novelty that Pitt's excellent vocal performance makes more substantial; and "Lily Marlane" is an off-beat adaptation of the classic German song. Some listeners may bemoan the fact that the group's repertoire is all over the place and doesn't feature more songs like "My True Story," but the performance quality is so high that it's hard to complain. Pitt wrote or co-wrote most of the Jive Five's songs, so it would seem that the eclectic material reflects the personality of the group. Collectors Gold Series compiles all of the group's Beltone recordings from 1961-1963, including several unreleased tracks earmarked for an aborted album. "Never Never" and "My True Story" are presented twice, in mono and stereo versions.