Bewitched is a studio album by American singer Jack Jones released in early 1964 on Kapp Records. It contained 12 trakcs, including the lead single "Love with the Proper Stranger", which hit the US Easy Listening top-20 and pop top-75. The album reached the top-50 on the US album charts and received a positive critical reception.
Background
Jones, who just had his most successful single in 1963, "Wives and Lovers", and was voted the most promising male vocalist by American disc jockeys in Billboard's 16th annual record artist popularity poll and Cashbox's in 1962 and again in 1963,Billboard magazine, May 30, 1964. "Now watch this new one!", page 33 chose to record another album filled with standards and new hits, mainly film and musical songs. Overview
Bewitched was the second of four albums that Jones released in 1964, with it being shortly released after his hit single "Love with the Proper Stranger", (title song from the movie starring Natalie Wood) which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. The album was produced by Michael Kapp himself and arranged and conducted by Jack Elliot, Pete King and Shorty Rogers. The album featured covers of older show tunes like the title song, "Bewitched" Image ID 1801557. Archived from Playbill scan for Pal Joey. Image ID 1801552., recent songs from musicals like "Don't Rain on My Parade", (Funny Girl and "From Russa with Love" (same-name musical), and some of his own songs. "The Mood I'm In" formed the B-side to his single "Love with the Proper Stranger" and later in 1967 to his single "Open for Business as Usual".
Chart performance
Cashbox also said to "Watch this one zoom to the upper chart area", and to the upper chart areas it did go; the album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated June 20, 1964, peaking at No. 43 during a nineteen-week run on the chart. It debuted on Cashbox magazine's albums chart in the issue dated June 14, 1964, peaking at No. 19 on the Top 50 Stereo Albums chart during an eleven-week run on it. The album reached No. 22 on the magazine's Top 100 Albums (Monoraul) chart during a longer sixteen-week run on it.
Reception
Billboard reviewed the album saying "...His boyish charm and clean-cut appearance enraptures the gals. Jack has also associated himself with winning new tunes - one of which, 'Love A Proper Stranger' is featured here. Other selections include 'Bewitched', 'I'm Old Fashioned', and 'It Only Takes a Moment' (from "Hello, Dolly")."Billboard magazine, June 13, 1964: Album Reviews, Billboard Spotlight Pick. page 46, retrieved December 8, 2025 via worldradiohistory.com
Cashbox magazine wrote "The songster, just voted 1963's best vocalist, wraps up a dozen melodic gems in his distinctive vocal manner. Jones fans will dig his readings of 'Bewitched,' 'Love With A Proper Stranger' and a haunting newie in the 'Ebb Tide' tradition tabbed, 'Far Away.'"Cashbox magazine, June 6, 1964: Album Reviews, Pop Picks. page 22, retrieved December 8, 2025 via worldradiohistory.com
Record World said "Grammy winning Jack presents a delectable spell-caster with variety the key word. The flexible Jack-here working frequently with a jazz undercurrent-is able not only to freshen up the oft-done title tune but to do a Streisand fave ('Don't Rain on My Parade') definitively, as well as an Allan Joneser, 'Rosalie'". Track listing Side one
Side two
Charts
Album Chart (1964)Peakposition US Billboard Top LPs43 US Cashbox Top 50 Stereo19 US Cashbox Top 100 Albums22 US Record World 100 Top LP's22 Singles SingleYearChartPeak position"Love with the Proper Stranger"1964 US Billboard Hot 10062 US Easy Listening17 US Cashbox59
References