Neil Sedaka Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: The Singles, 1957-1962

Although he was, in essence, a classically-trained concert pianist, Neil Sedaka became the first established Brill Building R&R songwriter to go on and carve out an equally successful singing career. The pudgy-faced Sedaka may have looked an unlikely Teen Idol, but he racked up sixteen US?hits between 1958-62. This compilation features all his 45s issued between 1957-62, including his three pre-success collectors' rarities, 'Snowtime'/'Laura Lee', 'Ring-A-Rockin'/'Fly, Don't Fly On Me' and 'Oh Delilah'. All his early US and UK?hits are included herein, viz: 'The Diary', 'I?Go Ape', 'You Gotta Learn Your Rhythm & Blues', 'Crying My Heart Out For You', 'Oh! Carol' (his first million-seller), 'One Way Ticket' (a #1 in Japan), 'Stairway To Heaven' 'Run Samson Run' 'You Mean Everything To Me' 'Calendar Girl' (a worldwide #1), 'Little Devil' 'Sweet Little You' 'Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen' 'King Of Clowns', 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do' (his first US #1 record) and 'Next Door To An Angel'. Sedaka has continued to reinvent himself throughout his career and still continues to tour and record, although he will be eighty this year.