Johnny Mathis released his debut single, “Wonderful World”, in 1956. The song marked the beginning of a career that would last for almost 60 years.
The list of hits by Mathis is quite vast. Still, these are three of Mathis’s best songs, which might sound even better if they were remade today.
”Chances Are”
One of Mathis’s early hits is “Chances Are”. Out in 1957, “Chances Are” is part of Johnny’s Greatest Hits, his first compilation record. Robert Allen and Al Stillman are the song’s writers.
The sweet song says, “Chances are, ’cause I wear a silly grin / The moment you come into view / Chances are you think that I’m in love with you.“
The B-side of “Chances Are”, “The Twelfth Of Never”, also became a big hit for Mathis. In 2016, Billboard named “Chances Are” the best Johnny Mathis song ever released. Mathis also says “Chances Are” is the first song that made him pay attention to the songwriters.
“Gina”
Mathis includes “Gina” on his Johnny’s Newest Hits record. The song was released in 1962.
Written by Leon Carr and Paul Vance, “Gina” begins with, “Gina, Gina, I kissed you once and then / I felt so wonderful, so very wonderful / Let’s do it over again.”
Before Mathis released “Gina”, another version of this song, called “Gina, Gina”, was part of a TV show Diagnosis: Unknown, which aired on CBS in 1960.
“I’m Coming Home”
Out in 1973, “I’m Coming Home” is the title track of the record that was released that same year. The song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. This is Mathis’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
“I’m Coming Home” says, “But using people just ain’t my thing / And I don’t dangle from any string / To please some fool that don’t care about / They turned me inside out, I’m going home.”
“I’m Coming Home” was written with Mathis in mind, although he later admits he may not have been entirely accurate in what he told the songwriters, which inspired this song. Still, it’s this song that marked an unexpected career first for him.
“I don’t know whether I told the truth or not,” Mathis conceded. “They wanted something, so I told them. That’s the way they got the idea of the album. They’re talking to me and getting my thoughts about different things. I thought that was the most marvelous thing. Nobody had ever done that before.”
Photo by Don Smith/Radio Times via Getty Images
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