Cat. No. VV 1253: FABIAN ~ THE VERY BEST OF FABIAN. UNITED ARTISTS UA-LA449-E-0498.
USED VINYL RECORD. PART OF A COLLECTION NOW UP FOR SALE.
FABIAN ANTHONY FORTE, PROFESSIONALLY KNOWN AS FABIAN ROSE TO FAME AFTER PERFORMING SEVERAL TIMES ON AMERICAN BANDSTAND. HE BECAME A TEEN IDOL OF THE LATE 1950S. ELEVEN OF HIS SONGS REACHED THE BILLBOARD HOT 100
FABIAN WAS DISCOVERED IN 1957 BY BOB MARCUCCI AND PETER DeANGELIS OF CHANCELLOR RECORDS. AT THE TIME, RECORD PRODUCERS WERE LOOKING TO THE SOUTH PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS IN SEARCH OF TEENAGE TALENTS WITH GOOD LOOKS. ONE DAY WHEN MARCUCCI WAS VISITING A FRIEND OF FABIAN'S NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR, MARCUCCI SPOTTED HIM AND HANDED FABIAN HIS BUSINESS CARD. INITIALLY FABIAN RESISTED THE OPPORTUNITY BUT MARCUCCI PERSISTED AND FABIAN FINALLY AGREED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FAMILY NEEDED THE MONEY AS FABIAN'S FATHER HAD HAD A HEART ATTACK AND WAS NOT ABLE TO WORK. FABIAN COULD NOT SING AND SPENT MANY HOURS REHEARSING. ACCORDING TO MARCUCCI "HE HAD THE RIGHT LOOK AND WHAT WE WERE GOING FOR".
FABIAN'S FIRST RECORD WAS "SHIVERS". ACCORDING TO FABIAN "IT WAS HORRIBLE, HOWEVER, THE DEEJAYS PLAYED IT". IT WAS A LOCAL HIT IN CHICAGO. THIS ENABLED FABIAN TO BE PROMOTED BY DICK CLARK AT ONE OF HIS RECORD HOPS WHERE SINGERS PERFORMED THEIR SONGS TO TEENAGE AUDIENCES. ACCORDING TO REPORTS "THE LITTLE GIRLS WENT WILD AND WERE SCREAMING" AND FABIAN'S SINGING CAREER WAS OFF AND RUNNING. AFTER A COUPLE OF MEDIOCRE HITS FABIAN HIT THE BIG TIME WITH "TURN ME LOOSE" WHICH PEAKED AT #9 ON THE CHARTS. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY "HOUND DOG MAN" (#9 US, #46 UK) AND HIS BIGGEST HIT "TIGER" WHICH WENT TO #3 AND SOLD OVER A MILLION COPIES. OTHER HITS FOLLOWED SUCH AS "(IF YOU WANT ME) COME ON AND GET ME" AND "STRING ALONG".
THIS ALBUM IS AN AMERICAN RELEASE AND WAS RELEASED BY UNITED ARTISTS IN 1975. IT FEATURES THE ABOVE MENTIONED HITS PLUS B SIDES. THE SLEEVE IS MADE OF HEAVY DUTY CARDBOARD AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH ALMOST NO SIGNS OF WEAR, HOWEVER, THERE IS A CUT OUT IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER. THE RECORD IS ALSO IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THERE ARE SOME VERY LIGHT SURFACE SCRATCHES AND THE OCCASIONAL FEINT CLICK WHICH DO NOT EFFECT PLAY. THERE ARE NO SKIPS.
TRACK LISTING: Side 1 - Tiger / Turn Me Loose / Kissin' And Twistin' / Come On And Get Me / I'm A Man. Side 2 - Hound Dog Man / About This Thing Called Love / This Friendly World / Got The Feeling / String Along.
12" VINYL RECORD
