James Darren was an actor who got his first movie contract with Columbia when he was twenty years old in 1956, appearing in several films and TV series until making his first record in 1958, and scoring his first hit early in 1959 when he sang the title song of the surf movie Gidget, in which he starred with Sandra Dee for the first couple of years he was called Jimmy Darren on his record labels. His screen and recording careers then went hand in hand, until in 1961 he had the biggest hit of his career with the US No. 3 Goodbye Cruel World, following it up with the No. 6 Her Royal Majesty and Conscience a No. 11.
This excellent-value 57-track 2-CD set comprises all his US A & B sides on the Colpix label during these years along with all the tracks from his albums James Darren No. 1, Sings the Movies, Love Among the Young and Sings for All Sizes not otherwise released on singles. It naturally includes all the big hits mentioned above along with all his other chart entries from this era. Its a comprehensive collection that brings together all his outings on record during the first five years of his recording career which established him as a top-class performer, and its a substantial showcase for that talent.
REVIEWS
“This collection with the satisfying word 'complete' in its title rounds up everything from his early years and illustrates very clearly the tug of war between recording kiddie pop material and the aim to appeal to the more mature LP market. Although this collection does contain everything he recorded during this period, it is worth pointing out, as is made plain in the excellent liner notes, that his LPs were a bit of a hotchpotch of previously released singles along with newly recorded material.” – Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 331)
| Disc 1 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Mighty Pretty Territory | Jimmy Darren |
| 2 | There's No Such Thing | Jimmy Darren |
| 3 | Gidget | Jimmy Darren |
| 4 | You | Jimmy Darren |
| 5 | Angel Face | Jimmy Darren |
| 6 | I Don't Wanna Lose Ya | Jimmy Darren |
| 7 | I Ain't Sharin Sharon | Jimmy Darren |
| 8 | Love Among the Young | Jimmy Darren |
| 9 | Teenage Tears | Jimmy Darren |
| 10 | Let There Be Love | Jimmy Darren |
| 11 | You Are My Dream | Jimmy Darren |
| 12 | Your Smile | Jimmy Darren |
| 13 | Because They're Young | Jimmy Darren |
| 14 | Tears In My Eyes | Jimmy Darren |
| 15 | Traveling Down a Lonely Road | Jimmy Darren |
| 16 | P.S. I Love You | Jimmy Darren |
| 17 | All the Young Men | Jimmy Darren |
| 18 | How Sweet You Are | Jimmy Darren |
| 19 | Come On My Love | Jimmy Darren |
| 20 | Man About Town | Jimmy Darren |
| 21 | Goodbye My Lady Love | Jimmy Darren |
| 22 | Walkin' My Baby Back Home | Jimmy Darren |
| 23 | Gotta Have Love | Jimmy Darren |
| 24 | Fool's Paradise | Jimmy Darren |
| 25 | Gidget Goes Hawaiian | Jimmy Darren |
| 26 | Wild About That Girl | Jimmy Darren |
| 27 | Hand In Hand | Jimmy Darren |
| 28 | Goodbye Cruel World | James Darren |
| Disc 2 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Valerie | James Darren |
| 2 | Her Royal Majesty | James Darren |
| 3 | If I Could Only Tell You | James Darren |
| 4 | Conscience | James Darren |
| 5 | Dream Big | James Darren |
| 6 | Mary's Little Lamb | James Darren |
| 7 | The Life of the Party | James Darren |
| 8 | Hail to the Conquering Hero | James Darren |
| 9 | Too Young to Go Steady | James Darren |
| 10 | Hear What I Wanna Hear | James Darren |
| 11 | I'll Be Loving You | James Darren |
| 12 | Let's Fall In Love | James Darren |
| 13 | Sophisticated Lady | James Darren |
| 14 | The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else | James Darren |
| 15 | Sweet Lorraine | James Darren |
| 16 | Emaline | James Darren |
| 17 | Does Your Heart Beat For Me? | James Darren |
| 18 | Not Mine | James Darren |
| 19 | Until The Real Thing Comes Along | James Darren |
| 20 | Hello Young Lovers | James Darren |
| 21 | Too Young | James Darren |
| 22 | You Make Me Feel So Young | James Darren |
| 23 | Only The Very Young | James Darren |
| 24 | Young At Heart | James Darren |
| 25 | While We're Young | James Darren |
| 26 | Too Young To Be True | James Darren |
| 27 | Young World | James Darren |
| 28 | Blame It On My Youth | James Darren |
| 29 | Young And Warm And Wonderful | James Darren |