This past Wednesday , the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee who sang one of my favorite 60s Pop songs, Town Without Pity (wonderfully covered instrumentally by Ronnie Montrose) was found dead of heart failure in a hotel room in Wales. He had performed a concert earlier that evening.



I did a post on him a year or so ago but have been unsuccessful in locating it.

Among his accomplishments are:
~Wrote He's A Rebel for The Crystals and Hello Mary Lou for Ricky Nelson
~The early "voice" of Bacharach/David compositions
~Sang the title tune for the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
~One of the early Pop multi-instrumentalists (for those that are interested in that kind of thing)

Other U.S. hits include It Hurts to Be in Love and Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa.
One of those American artists that became much more popular in England.

There's a lot more info on his website which unfortunately is currently crippled due to the increased traffic.
www.gene-pitney.com


Town Without Pity
When you're young and so in love as we
And bewildered by the world we see
Why do people hurt us so
Only those in love would know
What a town without pity can do

If we stop to gaze upon a star
People talk about how bad we are
Ours is not an easy age
We're like tigers in a cage
What a town without pity can do

The young have problems, many problems
We need an understanding heart
Why don't they help us, try to help us
Before this clay and granite planet falls apart

Take these eager lips and hold me fast
I'm afraid this kind of joy can't last
How can we keep love alive
How can anything survive
When these little minds tear you in two
What a town without pity can do

How can we keep love alive
How can anything survive
When these little minds tear you in two
What a town without pity can do

No, it isn't very pretty what a town without pity...can do


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

awww dayum.... we're losing all the greats

I heard this...


I adore Town Without Pity as well.

Town Without Pity is probably my favourite pre-British invasion single from the sixties.

Unfortunately I only have a copy of it on some shoddy 60s comp I bought at a gas station. I'll do right by the fellow's memory and go out and buy a proper album this week.

Nice to see some Gene Pitney/Town Without Pity fans.


I'll admit to copping...



...on cassette some time ago just to get the Ronnie Montrose version.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Thanks for creating this thread, Audience. I started a similar thread the day after Gene died, but it was basically ignored.

This singer deserves respect. I just love his original recording of 'Something's Gotten Hold of my Heart', a truly great song brilliantly sung. Apparently he was still in excellent voice at the end of his life.

I would kind of compare him to Roy Orbison - maybe not quite as great a singer but not far off. Gene Pitney's voice was unique and always unmistakable. I wish I'd seen him perform live, because his songbook is pretty impressive.

He was definitely underrated and will be missed.

Miles said:

You're welcome but i'm sorry I didn't see your thread.
Definitely would've posted on it.

Last year or so I did a large post on him.
I was hoping to find it so I didn't have to write so much.

I can hear the Roy Orbison comparison.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

one of my mama's favourites singers, and I like this tune too, he (GP) had a hit with Soft Cell's Mark Allmond, in the early 90s I think.

Aww man.

Sorry to hear that...Rest in Peace, Gene



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