Album Description
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Compilation producers: Cary E. Mansfield, Bill Pitzonka.
Includes liner notes by Bill Pitzonka.
Personnel: Patrice Holloway, Toni Wine, Robert Spencer (vocals).
Liner Note Author: Bill Pitzonka.
Arrangers: Jeff Barry; Jimmy Wisner; Lee Pockriss; Ron Dante.
25 All-Time Greatest Bubblegum Hits is subtitled "The Ultimate Collection," and it's hard to argue with that claim. It certainly qualifies as the most comprehensive collection on a single disc. The set is an overview of the entire bubblegum movement from the mid-'60s until its nominative demise in the early '70s. It includes most of the key tracks from the Kasenetz & Katz hit factory, such as "Indian Giver," "Yummy Yummy Yummy," and the sublime "Quick Joey Small." Flesh-and-blood TV idols such as the Monkees and Bobby Sherman are represented alongside their cartoon-and-costume counterparts: the Archies, Josie & the Pussycats, and the Banana Splits. Rounding out the collection are British classics of the genre such as "My Baby Loves Lovin'," "Smile a Little Smile for Me," and "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes." This set is a primer on the manufacture of teenybopper singles in the era of Top 40 radio. It's infectious fun from start to finish, and it may dawn on the listener that this music's influence reverberates to this very day. ~ Mary Grady
