Jack Scott Greatest Hits (Vinyl LP)

Jack Scott's Greatest Hits on LP.

Jack Scott had a powerful voice and a lot of potential, but he never had the celebrity and success of a Frankie Avalon or Roy Orbison. His Greatest Hits is an opportunity for old fans to revel in the nostalgia, and for new fans to be blown away by his vocal ability.

Jack Scott sounded tough, like someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley unless he had a guitar in his hands. When he growled "The Way I Walk," wise men (and women) stepped aside. Despite his snarling rockabilly attitude, Scott hailed from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and grew up across the river, near Detroit, developing a love for hillbilly music along the way. His first sides for ABC/Paramount in 1957 exhibited a profound country-rock synthesis, and after moving to the Carlton label, Scott hit the charts the next year with the tremulous ballad "My True Love," backed by his vocal group,the Chantones. Flip it over, however, and you have the hauling rocker "Leroy," all about some wacked-out tough guy who's content to remain behind the bars of his local jail. Scott's pronounced emphasis on acoustic guitar distinguishes atmospheric rockers like "Goodbye Baby" and  "Midgie". But his principal pop success came with tears-in-your-beer country-based ballads - "What in the World's Come Over You" and "Burning Bridges" were massive smashes on Top Rank in 1960.