Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Tommy Roe was quite a regular presence on the radio between the years 1962 to 1971. During that period, he harvested 11 top 40 hit singles, as well as clutch of lesser-charting entries. Equipped with a clean, clear and catchy voice recalling Buddy Holly with reverence and respect, Tommy also played a fine guitar and wrote much of his own material.
Arranged in order by release date, Greatest Hits (MCA Records) features the work of an artist whose message has always been easy to access. Absent of ulterior motives and complex policies, Tommy Roe created pure and natural pop rock songs that were fun to sing along with, dance to, or simply make people feel good.
Beaming brightly with neat and nifty tempos and hooks, “Sheila,” “Party Girl,” “Everytime a Bluebird Cries,” “Sweet Pea,” and “Hooray For Hazel” register as real classics, flashing back to a time before rock music became so scientific. Then there’s the sober and solemn “The Folksinger,” the big rocking beat of “Everybody,” and the startlingly beautiful “It’s Now Winter’s Day,” which teems at the seams with lush orchestration, sensual textures, and angelic choruses.
In 1968, Tommy joined forces with Freddy Weller of Paul Revere and the Raiders. The collaboration resulted in a brace of absolutely fantastic bubblegum songs such as “Dizzy,” “Jam Up And Jelly Tight,” “Serve It Up And Stir It,” and “Jack And Jill.” Packed and stacked with happy harmonies, rich and ripe melodies, sparkling instrumentation, and carnal lyrics contrasting the candy-coated sounds, these delirious ditties represent the moxy of the genre to the core.
Although it’s been a while since Tommy Roe bothered the airwaves, he still boasts a healthy following and continues to perform. I’ve seen him in concert, and he puts on a very energetic and exciting show.
Those craving a quick fix of high quality pop rock will find much satisfaction with Greatest Hits, which is actually a must have for any serious music buff’s audio library.
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