The Real Thing
tells the story of
Wayne Newton
's early years through a collection of demos, acetates, independent label recordings and
Capitol
sides that, in many cases, are rare beyond belief.
Newton
's transformation -- from one-half of a kiddie hillbilly act to the archetypal Las Vegas showman -- is so extreme that many of his early recordings may appeal to '50s
rock & roll
and
country
fans who never gave
's music a moment's thought. For those who admire
's far-ranging talents as an entertainer, though,
is a revelation.
and his brother
Jerry
, billed as the
Newton Brothers
or
the Newton Rascals
, began as a pure hillbilly duo with matching cowboy outfits,
country and western
songs, and a steel guitar played by
Wayne
himself. Their earliest demos and singles, made when
was only 12-years-old, include up-tempo
novelties
boogies
comparable to
the Collins Kids
' first recordings. From there, they evolved into a
brother duo similar to
the Everly Brothers
with songs such as
"Baby, Baby, Baby"
"Rock 'n' Roll Lullaby."
Three recordings from a 1959
session are a highlight as one is previously unreleased, and the other two --
"I Spy"
"The Real Thing"
-- comprised
's most collectable single. When the brothers moved to
George
Lama Records
in the early '60s,
's vocals dominated and the material moved into the
teen idol
realm with
such as
"Calorie Date"
and mild rockers like
"Little Jukebox."
A cover of
Johnny Ray
's
"The Little White Cloud That Cried"
appears in two versions: the original
label recording and an overdub that
Challenge
issued to minor chart success in 1964. The final seven cuts on the collection are early highlights from
's second go-around with
, where he worked with
Bobby Darin
and produced the hits
"Heart,"
"Danke Schoen,"
"Shirl Girl."
All of the latter recordings are available on
's installment in the
Capitol Collectors Series
and will be familiar to his fans -- it is the early recordings that make
such a rare treat. ~ Greg Adams