This Game of Love
| This Game of Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1959 | |||
| Genre | Traditional pop, vocal pop | |||
| Length | 35:08 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Robert Smale | |||
| Vic Damone chronology | ||||
| ||||
This Game of Love is the eleventh studio album by American singer Vic Damone, released in November 1959 by Columbia Records.[1] It was produced by Robert Smale.[2]
It features a collection of ballads from the Orchestra of Robert Smale, such as "Alone Together", "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Me and My Shadows", and "A Fellow Needs a Girl".[2]
The album was released on compact disc by Sony Music Distribution on March 9, 1997, as tracks 13 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 consisting of Damone's 1958 album, Closer Than a Kiss.[3]
In 2007, Collectables included this CD in a box set entitled Only the Best of Vic Damone, which contains six of his studio albums and one compilation.[4] This Game of Love was included in a box set entitled Seven Classic Albums Box Set, which contains all 7 of his studio albums, and was released on February 5, 2016.[5]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Billboard |  [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| Disc | [8] |
This Game of Love was well received positive retrospective reviews by critics at the time of its release, Nick Dedina of AllMusic described the album as "the best album that Damone ever cut", and noted "Damone recorded the session with a small but superb jazz group that gives diverse backings to a strong selection of ballads and rhythm tunes.[3]
Giving it four stars to indicate "strong sales potential", Billboard notes "Damone gives out with highly listenable renditions of a flock of romamtocally styled standards.[6]
Cashbox described the album as ”a Beautitful love mood expressions", and stated that "A dozen sensitive love songs are expressively conveyed by the singer in warm and tender interpretations.[9]
Ken Graham of Disc identified the album as a "Album of The Month in its review from February 1960, stated that the album "features nicely balanecd selection of material covering quite a range of song styles.[8]
Track listing
[edit]Side one
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alone Together" (from the Broadway musical: Flying Colors) | Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz | 1:57 |
| 2. | "My Romance" (from the Broadway musical: Jumbo) | Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart | 2:18 |
| 3. | "Ain't Misbehavin'" (from the Broadway musical: Connie's Hot Chocolates) | Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Harry Brooks | 4:47 |
| 4. | "But Beautiful" | Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke | 3:27 |
| 5. | "The End of a Love Affair" (from the Broadway musical: Three Twins) | Edward C. Redding, | 3:16 |
| 6. | "The Things We Did Last Summer" | Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne | 2:52 |
Side two
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Am I Blue?" (from the Warner Bros. Pictures film: On with the Show!) | Harry Akst, Grant Clarke | 2:24 |
| 2. | "I'll Be Around" | Alec Wilder | 3:35 |
| 3. | "It's a Lonesome Old Town" | Harry Tobias, Charles Kisco | 2:59 |
| 4. | "Me and My Shadow" | Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer | 2:29 |
| 5. | "I Like the Likes of You" | Vernon Duke, E. Y. Harburg | 2:50 |
| 6. | "A Fellow Needs a Girl" (from the Broadway musical: Allegro) | Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II | 2:35 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Vic Damone - This Game of Love: Ratings & Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ a b Friedwald, Will (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Pantheon Books. p. 132. ISBN 9780375421495.
- ^ a b "Closer Than a Kiss/This Game of Love". AllMusic. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ "Only the Best of Vic Damone". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ 7 Classic Albums - Vic Damone | Album | AllMusic, retrieved April 29, 2025
- ^ a b "Reviews and Ratings of New Albums: This Game of Love". Billboard. Vol. 71, no. 44. November 2, 1959. p. 36.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 392. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Graham, Ken (February 27, 1960). "LP Reviewed by Ken Graham: BEST YET FROM RICKY NELSON, Vic hits the top-and it Must be a seller" (PDF). Disc. No. 101. p. 12. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ "Cashbox Album Popular Picks Of The Week Review: This Game of Love". Cash Box. Vol. 21, no. 8. November 21, 1959. p. 44.