Begin to Love is the ninth studio album by American singer Robert Goulet, released in May 1965, by Columbia Records. and was available both in stereo and mono. It was produced by Ernie Altschuler, it was arranged and conducted by Artie Schroeck. and features the singles, "Begin to Love". It also contains a mix of originals and covers of old and recent hits that included one song that also had chart success in 1964 via The New Christy Minstrels: "Today".
The album debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue dated June 5, 1965, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks, peaking at number 69. It debuted on the Cash Box albums chart in the issue dated June 5, 1965, and remained on the chart for 10 weeks, peaking at number 52.
The single, "Begin To Love", bubbled under" Billboard'''s Hot 100, for seven weeks in the issue dated February 27, 1965, reaching number 110. It peaked at number 79 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart, in a two-week run on the chart.
The album was released on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD by Collectables Records on July 1, 1997, as tracks 13 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 consisting of Goulet's 1962 Columbia album, Two of Us.
Reception William Ruhlmann of AllMusic notes "the selections and the musical approaches taken with them are quite varied. A playful style is given to Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's "Real Live Girl" (from the 1962 musical Little Me), then there are more traditional piano-and-string arrangements for "In the Still of the Night" and "Smile." "The More I See of Mimi," one of a few mediocre contemporary songs, has a barbershop quartet quality."Billboard believed that the album "follows the pattern and it is a continual job" and praised Sid Ramin for his additional credit of "much of the arranging-conducting."
Cashbox notes that Goulet "spins a web of romantic mood music, with strong emphasis on melodies from past decades."
Variety said the album" is a solid collection of oldies and a few recents ballads, including his hit title song, plus 'Real Live Girl', and the pretty ballad 'Today'."
it was given a three-star rating by The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' as well, while AllMusic gave the album a four-star rating
Track listing
Side one
Side two
Charts Chart (1965)PeakpositionUS Billboard Top LPs69US Cash Box52
Singles
YearSingleChartPeak1965"Begin to Love"US Billboard Hot 100110US Cash Box79
References