Born to be with you - Dion

(I wrote this for Fiddlesticks a while ago and just found it again and added in a few explanatory bits of hypertextery) 

       It starts with some great humming, v. big drums, swirling cowboy twang and ends with ex herion addict Dion DiMucci pleading "yeah its true". I only heard this for the first time today (Nov 2001) and I'm listening to it for the fifteenth time in a row. 'Born to be with you' is one of the most glorious singles ever made.

10 guitar players, Hal Blaine *and* another 2 drummers, Phil Spector wasn't messing around when he asked to record with boyhood hero Dion. 7 minute epics, horns, choirs and sobbing throughout. Of course. And as is usually the case with the poor fella post 1967. Nobody got it. Warners refused to release it. Dion never spoke to him again and that was
about it for Phil. Apart from The Ramones. Which doesn't count.

I don't know why I'd never encountered this single/album until now. I'd always sneakily liked Dion's 50s teen hits like Runaround Sue, and start playing the Christmas album (sorry "A Christmas Gift for you" - Various Artists) from November onwards every year boring my Dad with the usual geek/mojo anecodote about 'It didn't sell because JFK was shot on the day of release you know.'

And according to Sean Rowleys excellent fan sleevenotes from the 1975 albums recent reissue the single has always been one of Bobby Gillespie's faves. Now I've slavishly followed his tastes for years from MC5 to Love even down to some v.dodgy Thin Lizzy singles so I'm amazed I missed out on this. Also as Rowley corectly points out, Spiritualized owe their entire career to this 6 minutes 52 seconds epic. I, er, loved their early stuff and so 10 years too late have finally worked out where they ripped off their take on the Troggs 'Anyway That you Want Me'.

Those trademark strings are making me weep. You're going to love this. I just know it.

Comments

[Dan]

Nice stuff Jem ... Agreed. D.