Joanie Sommers
Joanie Sommers scored her biggest chart success with "Johnny Get Angry" in 1962. The single, her second solo release, peaked at the number seven spot and charted for more than two months. Her first solo record, "One Boy," was a number from the musical Bye Bye Birdie and only hit number 54 in 1960. She continued to record through the decade, but never had another winner that rose as high on the charts as "Johnny Get Angry." She later achieved a different kind of success in commercials with several different jingles that she sang for Pepsi during the '60s and again two decades later. (The title of one of her later albums, Come Alive, was even derived from one of the Pepsi ad campaigns.)
Sommers, whose real name is Joan Drost, was born in New York but grew up in California. During her high school and college years, she sang in school bands. She was 18 years old when Warner Bros. signed her to a contract in 1959 and paired her with Edd Byrnes on one of his singles. She also had a small role in 77 Sunset Strip, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' "I Don't Dig You" and "Hot Rock," which appeared on one of his albums. Sommers released an album of her own, the jazz-oriented Positively the Most, and it helped establish her presence in easy listening and adult circles. Fans and critics often cite her 1965 album, Softly the Brazilian Sound, as one of her best efforts.
In 1966, the singer signed with Columbia Records. One of her following recordings was a version of "Alfie," which both Cher and Dionne Warwick also covered it. While Sommers' version didn't get the notice that the other two did, she had the satisfaction of placing in the Top Ten in the easy listening category. She also appeared in On the Flip Side, a television special that starred Rick Nelson. The show's soundtrack contains two versions of "Try to See It My Way," one of which is a duet with Nelson while the other is a Sommers solo. The singer, married with three children, stepped out of the spotlight as the '70s approached. Before retiring, she made numerous television appearances on the shows of Johnny Carson, Dinah Shore, Dean Martin, Mike Douglas, Bobby Darin, and others. Sommers started singing and making appearances again during the '80s.
© Linda Seida /TiVo
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Positively The Most
Pop - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 1 Apr 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johnny Get Angry
Pop - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 14 May 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Voice of the Sixties
Vocal Jazz - Released by Stardust Records on 1 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
For Those Who Think Young
Vocal Jazz - Released by Stardust Records on 14 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Positively the Most
Vocal Jazz - Released by Stardust Records on 14 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johnny Gets Angry
Pop - Released by From The Heart on 17 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Let's Talk About Love
Jazz - Released by Harlem Jazz Records on 14 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sommers' Seasons
Pop - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 27 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Softly, The Brazilian Sound
Pop - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 27 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Come Alive (Expanded Version)
Pop - Released by Legacy Recordings on 5 Dec 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Let's Talk About Love
Pop - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 14 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Positively The Most
Vocal Jazz - Released by Music Manager on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Joanie Sommers
Vocal Jazz - Released by JazzCloud on 25 Sep 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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For Those Who Think Young
Pop - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Oldies
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Music Manager on 14 Aug 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
On The Flip Side (The Original Cast Album)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Geffen on 1 Jan 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Collection
Pop - Released by Vintage Masters Inc. on 1 May 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
For Those Who Think Young
Pop - Released by Black Sheep Music on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Giants Of Jazz
Jazz - Released by Harlem Jazz Records on 25 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo