Gene Pitney is one overlooked Sixties artist who deserves renewed appreciation as the complete musical artist.
It’s been twenty years since Gene Pitney passed away shortly after receiving a standing ovation for a thrilling concert performance. Entirely fitting was the circumstance of his closing number at that concert: “Town Without Pity”. The recording had been his first top 40 hit back in 1961, and as the title song from the movie of the same name, both the composition and Pitney’s rendition were standouts. It earned the young, unknown singer a performing spot at the 1962 Academy Awards where the song placed second, bested only by “Moon River.”
Pitney’s voice was a revelation. He was barely 21 years old, but he had the delivery, the flawless elocution, and the dynamics that were seldom found in popular music. His tenor range included a beautifully controlled and effective falsetto.
The success of “Town Without Pity” was almost guaranteed owing to the song’s source: renowned film composer Dimitri Tiomkin and legendary lyricist Ned Washington. This was no ordinary pop song, and it deserves to be celebrated even today for its many fine intrinsic qualities: vocals, orchestration, dynamics, and lyrical impact. They could have chosen anyone to record this number, but serendipity brought Gene to their attention.
There is no young artist today that possesses the complete package found in this artist: singer, composer, producer, and lyricist, blessed with multi-tracking and engineering superiority. He had virtually no peer in these areas for more than a decade.
Gene went on to record dozens of important and influential recordings, several with the gifted team of lyricist Hal David and Burt Bacharach: “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, “Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa”, “Only Love Can Break A Heart”, and more.
Gene played an important role in the early careers of The Rolling Stones as well, playing piano on their early hits and writing their breakthrough number “That Girl Belongs To Yesterday”. His distinctive orchestration of unique and Arabian-sounding woodwinds in “Mecca” influenced both The Stones and The Beatles in their introduction of the sitar into their own compositions.
As if that weren’t enough, Gene released two wonderful country albums in 1965 with George Jones, as well as duets with country star Melba Montgomery. He also made recordings in several other languages, including Italian, for which his expressive vibrato was favourably compared to that of famed tenor Enrico Caruso.
Today Gene Pitney is rarely mentioned when discussions come up regarding influences. There is a reason that very few covers of his songs have been made: they are simply impossible to replicate; scarcity is actually a tribute to the greatness of his talent.
Take a refreshed listen to his recordings with regard to his many-faceted roles in performance, composition and production. You may come to the conclusion that he was truly one of the greats.
