Frankie Laine

Though his influence proved less durable than his record sales, Frankie Laine was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1950s, swinging jazz standards as well as half a dozen Western movie themes of the time with his manly baritone. Laine's somewhat artificial Western nature proved more successful in far-off England, where he set two chart records in 1953: his version of "I Believe" stayed at number one in the U.K. for an incredible 18 weeks, and his two subsequent chart-toppers that year ("Hey Joe," "Answer Me") set a record by putting Laine at number one for 27 weeks during the year.

This four-disc set from actor/songwriter/vocal pop and country & western great Frankie Laine features eight complete albums (two on each disc), including Hell Bent for Leather (1961), Torchin' (1958), Reunion in Rhythm (1959), You Are My Love (1959), Balladeer (1960), Foreign Affair (1958), Deuces Wild (1961), and Call of the Wild (1962). ~ James Christopher Monger EU-only four CD set containing eight albums from the late great Country/Pop vocalist. Includes the albums Hell Bent For Leather, Torchin, Reunion In Rhythm, You Are My Love, Balladeer, Foreign Affair, Deuces Wild and Call Of The Wild.

With record sales of over 250 million, he was a giant star of the pre-rock ‘n’ roll era. Though his influence proved less durable than his record sales, Frankie Laine was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1950s, swinging jazz standards as well as half a dozen Western movie themes of the time with his manly baritone. Laine's enduring popularity was illustrated in June 2011, when a TV-advertised compilation called Hits reached No. 16 on the British chart. The accomplishment was achieved nearly 60 years after his debut on the UK chart, 64 years after his first major U.S. hit and four years after his death.