Jill Corey Sometimes I'm Happy... Sometimes I'm Blue (with Bonus Tracks)

I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND SO MUCH JILL COREY MATERIAL. I REMEMBERHER AS A GIRL FROM THE PITTSBURGH AREA---THAT MAKES HER A LOCAL GIRL TO THE REST OF US FROM WESTERN PA. WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT HER GAINING SOME FAME AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND ALWAYS ANTICIPATED HER GOING FURTHER THAN SHE DID. SHE JUST SORT OF DISAPPEARED FROM THE SCENE ,AT LEAST THAT'S THE WAY IT SEEMED TO ME. THEN SHE WAS IN THE NEWS AGAIN IN THE MID TO LATE SIXTIES WHEN SHE MARRIED FORMER PITTSBURGH PIRATE THIRD BASEMAN DON HOAK. HE WAS KIND OF A LEADER ON THE 1960 PITTSBURGH PIRATES AND LATER BECAME AN ANNOUNCER WITH BOB PRINCE AND THE PIRATES. A VERY GOOD ANNOUNCER TO SAY THE LEAST. THEN IN 1970 OR 1971 ON THE DAY THE PIRATES WERE GOING TO ANNOUNCE THEIR NEW MANAGER {DON HOAK WAS ONE OF THE LEADING CANIDATES FOR THE JOB} . AT JUST ABOUT THAT SAME TIME DON HOAK DIED OF A HEART ATTACK WHILE CHASING A STOLEN CAR THIEF. I REALLY HAVE NOT HEARD WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SINCE THAT.SHE HAD A COUPLE OF GOOD SEMI HIT RECORDS{PROBABLY BIGGER IN PITTSBURGH AREA THAN NATIONALLY}BUT I CANNOT REMEMBER WHICH WAS WHICH NOW. I AM NOT CEAZY ABOUT SOME OF THESE SONGS I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR HER DO SOME MORE 50S-60S STYLE STUFF BECAUSE SHE WAS PRETTY GOOD.SHE DESERVED BETER NATIONAL SUCCESS. AS YOU CAN SEE SHE JUST HAD A LOT OF BAD LUCK IN HER LIFE.

During the ‘50’s many new promising perky bright-voiced female singers appeared, and following the demise of the big-bands, were able to learn their craft by appearing on television, only to lose both pace and race when rock ‘n roll became the ruling factor. Jill Corey was certainly one who shone brightly, with proof clearly evident on this delightful collection which puts its spotlight on an album originally released by Columbia in 1958. Ironically, the focus falls initially on songs written in the Twenties and Thirties, and nicely packaged with punchy orchestral arrangements by Glenn Osser, so I DOUBLE DARE YOU, AIN’T WE GOT FUN and BYE BYE BLUES emphasise the fun side of the set. With Osser’s string section in place, HE WAS TOO GOOD FOR ME, BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME and IN LOVE IN VAIN slow the pace for contrasting heartbreakers from a wider time-span and they really display Jill’s considerable emotional range in ballad mode. Six welcome bonus tracks, originally singles, include EXACTLY LIKE YOU and HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LONELY? which contain some soft-rock arrangements. The extensive notes indicate that Jill continues to occasionally sing.