The Lost Tracks of Dion

updated Aug 2001 after the completion of the Ace Warner Bros. re-releases.

By Stephen Islip

Over the years a number of Dion tracks have appeared on singles or various artist compilations which have never been released on official Dion albums. The Belmonts now have such tracks picked up on 'The Lost Treasures of The Belmonts' - it's about time record companies did the same with Dion.

Columbia Period

The Laurie period is skipped because it is well documented by the Ace and Collectors Choice Labels.

Sony the owner of the Columbia, have now released 4 Compilations have made amends for largely ignoring this important back catalogue.

There are however at least 3 single tracks only available in their original format.

In 1963 an Italian version of "He'll only Hurt you" was released exclusively in Italy - Perche T'Amo with a B side of Unloved Unwanted Me.

You Move me baby/So Much Younger - Both appeared as US singles and are extensions of the Wonder Where I'm Bound Sessions. All Blues and Folk experiments - would make excellent bonus tracks for 'Wonder Where ' CD release. It seems like the most likely reason You Move me baby was excluded from the Road I'm on CD was because of the similar sounding track by the Lt Kings.

Also recorded about 1963 was the Track Swinging Street only available of the Sounds of Brooklyn (S.O.B) Vol. 2 but also briefly in Europe on the CD Can you sing like Dion? which other than that one Dion song just feature Dion clones.

Folk Period

Thanks to Aces re-release program everything is now out on CD-well almost everything the slightly longer Dr Rock'n'roll released as a promo is still not on CD. However if i'm honest the additional scat singing is not earth shatering

Mid Seventies

Rock revival Years

From the late 80's Dion began to record old Rock n roll records. Only 2 have never appeared on official releases:

Dream Lover - No not the same version as the Run-around Sue album but a re-recording of the Bobby Darin number used in The Hotshots Soundtrack . Were these and perhaps others recorded for use by the media?

King of the New York Streets - A live version of the Yo Frankie classic can be found on the Bottom Line sampler .

TV Movie Tie in's

These tracks appeared on soundtracks but never made it onto disc:

Heartland theme - TV Program of the Same name

Lennys theme from CBS-TV sitcom

Kotter rejected theme tune for the tv series "Welcome Back Kotter" recently given a public airing at the end of a documentary about the series.

Dance with me The mainly ignored film 1996 film "Let It Be Me" Staring Jennifer Beals and Yancey Butler-in the middle Dion sings a snip of the old Drifters song.

Home taping Special?

So there you have 15 of his rarest published tracks. While rumours of their imminent release go round from time to time it might be easier to ask a fellow fan to provide you with a C60 of these or keep an eye out at the auctions.

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