This Game of Love
| This Game of Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1959 | |||
| Genres | 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] and was available both in stereo and mono.[2] It was produced by Robert Smale.[3]
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".[3]
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.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Billboard |  [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
| Disc | [9] |
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."[4]
Giving it four stars to indicate "strong sales potential", Billboard noted: "Damone gives out with highly listenable renditions of a flock of romantically styled standards."[7]
Cashbox described the album as ”a beautiful love mood expressions", and stated that "A dozen sensitive love songs are expressively conveyed by the singer in warm and tender interpretations."[10]
Ken Graham of Disc identified the album as a "Album of The Month" in its review from February 1960, stating that the album "features nicely balanced selection of material covering quite a range of song styles," giving it a five-star rating.[9]
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]- 1 2 "Vic Damone - This Game of Love: Ratings & Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ↑ Kinslow, Chris (2015). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide 2015. Penguin. p. 140. ISBN 9-781440-243721. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
- 1 2 Friedwald, Will (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Pantheon Books. p. 132. ISBN 9780375421495.
- 1 2 "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
- 1 2 "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.
- 1 2 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.