Mike Curb Greatest Hits CD

It's no mystery why Disneyland adopted the Mike Curb Congregation's rendition of "It's a Small World" as the official version of its theme song -- the group's clean-cut optimism and genteel style is a ringer for the pop choruses of the '60s, and bears more than a passing resemblance to their Osmond Family labelmates. The group scored most of their hits while backing other MGM artists such as Little Jimmy Osmond and Sammy Davis, Jr., but had one major hit on their own with "Burning Bridges" from the Clint Eastwood film soundtrack Kelly's Heroes. Greatest Hits contains the original recordings of every Mike Curb Congregation song that registered on the pop and adult contemporary singles charts, as well as a goodly selection of hits on which the group backed other singers. These include Sammy Davis, Jr.'s chart-topper "The Candy Man," Lou Rawls' "A Natural Man," Jud Strunk's delicate "A Daisy a Day," and Hank Williams, Jr.'s country hit "All for the Love of Sunshine" (also taken from the movie Kelly's Heroes). A cover of the English Congregation's "Softly Whispering I Love You" is a nice bonus since the original hit version is rare on CD, but it would have been nice to have one of the group's better-known collaborations with Tony Bennett or Little Jimmy Osmond in place of a non-hit such as "It Was a Good Time." Greatest Hits may be brief, but its budget price and strong selection of hit recordings makes it a good value. ~ Greg Adams

Unknown Contributor Roles: Jud Strunk; Lou Rawls; Sammy Davis, Jr.

Arranger: Michael Lloyd .

Personnel: Mike Curb (vocals); Williams, Jr. (drums).

Liner Note Author: Don Ovens.