Dion - Dion's Greatest Hits (1960-1963)

Compilation 
Dion is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his string of hits in the early 60s.

Dion DiMucci was born in 1939 in New York, and whilst still young began singing on street corners with other neighbourhood kids. In the late 50s he was signed to Laurie Records in a group with three of his friends. As Dion & The Belmonts, they scored hits on the US pop chart with "I Wonder Why" (#22), "A Teenager In Love" (#5) and "Where Or When" (#3), all of them classic doo-wop songs. However in 1960 their fortunes began to change, problems began to arise between Dion and the rest of the group, and Dion was checked into hospital for a heroin addiction he'd had since his teens. They parted ways, and Dion started a solo career.

Between 1960 and 1963 he continued to see plenty of success on the charts. His first solo single, "Lonely Teenager", got to #12, but his real breakthrough was 1961's "Runaround Sue", which not only was a #1 hit in the US but also got to #11 in the UK. Seven more top 10 hits followed, the most notable among them being "The Wanderer" (#2), "Lovers Who Wander" (#3) and "Ruby Baby" (#2). By 1962 he had moved from Laurie to Columbia Records. His last hit of the era was 1963's "Drip Drop", at #6. From 1964 on through most of the 60s his fortunes changed again, as the musical climate itself changed around him, and he had no more hits until his dramatic comeback in the late 60s.

This compilation brings together thirteen songs from this lucrative period of Dion's career, and includes all his early hits as a solo artist. All these songs are prime examples of Dion's distinctive rock & roll style, defined by his wonderful voice, most of them with backing vocals from The Del-Satins. There's also a surprise cover of Hank Williams' "Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw", which charted at #31. 

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