Mercury Album Discography, Part 17:
Original Golden Hits Series
 By David Edwards, Mike Callahan, Randy Watts, and Patrice Eyries
 Last update: November 11, 2008





The Original Golden Hits Series was billed as "Mercury's Golden Dozen Hit Albums." It was undoubtedly issued in response to the best selling oldies series of the time from Original Sound Records (Oldies But Goodies) and Roulette Records (Golden Goodies).

Actually, the twelve albums in the 1964 Original Golden Hits series (numbered as MGH-25000 to 25011) followed from two "Original Golden Hits" albums released in 1963, Original Golden Hits of the Great Groups [Mercury MG 20809/SR 60809] and Original Golden Hits of the Great Blues Singers [Mercury MG 20826/SR 60826]. For that reason, the MGH-25000 series started oddly, with a "Volume II" of Great Groups as 25000, and 25002 being "Volume II" of Great Blues Singers, leaving the buyers of the series to wonder why Volume I of each was not in the series.


The labels for the original 1963 pre-MGH series albums (far left) were black with silver print. By 1964, when the MGH series started with MGH-25000, Mercury had changed over to the red label (near left). All twelve of the MGH-25000 series issues used the red label.


The original 1963 albums had been nominally issued in stereo, but were all rechanneled. Mercury had planned to also issue many of the volumes in the MGH -25000 series in rechanneled stereo also (using SRH-65000 as the stereo counterpart), but apparently decided to issue the series in mono only, similar to the oldies series on Original Sound and Roulette (which later were partly issued in stereo). We have included the stereo numbers below for those volumes that were scheduled to be issued in rechanneled stereo, although we have never seen a stereo copy of any of the volumes of this series.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Mercury Records or the Universal Music Group. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and Follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 2008 by Mike Callahan.




MERCURY ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY, PART 17

Cover
Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] Contents
MERCURY ORIGINAL GOLDEN HITS SERIES:

Pre-MGH Series Issues:

MG 20809/SR 60809 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Groups - Various Artists [1963] Save The Last Dance For Me - Drifters (E)/You, Baby, You - Cleftones (E)/Little Darlin' - Diamonds (E)/Maybe - Chantels (E)/Come Along With Me - Del-Vikings (E)/Devil Or Angel - Clovers (E)//Only You - Platters (E)/So Fine - Fiestas (E)/Lilly Maybelle - Valentines (E)/Tonight's The Night - Shirelles (E)/Sixteen Candles - Crests (E)/I Only Have Eyes For You - Flamingos (E)

MG 20826/SR 60826 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Blues Singers - Various Artists [1963] Kiddio - Brook Benton/I'll Drown In My Own Tears - Ray Charles/A Lover's Question - Clyde McPhatter/Ya Ya - Lee Dorsey/Any Day Now - Chuck Jackson/Let The Little Girl Dance - Bobby Bland/Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Frankie Lymon & Teenagers/Since I Met You Baby - Ivory Joe Hunter/Mojo Hand - Lightnin' Hopkins/The Sky Is Crying - Elmore James



MGH 25000 Series:

MGH 25000 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Groups — Volume II - Various Artists [1964] Issued in monaural only. The Great Pretender - Platters/Book Of Love - Monotones/There's A Moon Out Tonight - Capris/Been So Long - Pastels/Tonite-Tonite - Mello Kings/Speedo - Cadillacs//Let Me In - Sensations/When You Dance - Turbans/Ship Of Love - Nutmegs/To The Aisle - Five Satins/You Were Mine - Fireflies/Love Is Strange - Mickey & Sylvia

MGH 25001/SRH 65001 - Original Golden Instrumental Hits — Volume I - Various Artists [1964] Jive Samba - Cannonball Adderley/Walkin' with Mr. Lee - Lee Allen/You Can't Sit Down, Part 2 - Phil Upchurch/Last Night - Mar- Keys/Sugar Blues - Ace Cannon/Mexico - David Carroll//Green Onions - Booker T. & M.G.'s/Wiggle Wobble - Les Cooper/Watermelon Man - Mongo Santamaria/In The Mood - Ernie Fields/(Ghost) Riders In The Sky - Ramrods/Limbo Rock - Champs

MGH 25002/SRH 65002 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Blues Singers — Volume II - Various Artists [1964] I Wake Up Crying - Chuck Jackson/Lonesome In Your Home - Lightnin' Hopkins/Father Up The Road - Bobby Bland/Next Time - Little Junior Parker/Reconsider Baby - Lowell Fulson/Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf//Lie To Me - Brook Benton/You Can Make It If You Try - Gene Allison/No More Doggin' - Roscoe Gordon/The Bells - Clyde McPhatter/Just Make Love To Me - Muddy Waters/I Won't Cry - Johnny Adams

MGH 25003 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Blues Singers — Volume III - Various Artists [1964] Issued in monaural only. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley/Tupelo, Mississippi - John Lee Hooker/Lightnin's Boogie - Lightnin' Hopkins/I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You - Raymond Lewis/I Like It Like That, Part 1 - Chris Kenner/Yield Not To Temptation - Bobby Bland//Got My Mojo Workin' - Muddy Waters/Hide And Go Seek - Bunker Hill/See You Later Alligator - Bobby Charles/Be Ever Wonderful - Ted Taylor/Gonzo - James Booker/I Don't Want To Cry - Chuck Jackson

MGH 25004/SRH 65004 - Original Golden Teen Hits — Volume I - Various Artists [1964] Quarter To Three - Gary US Bonds/Tragedy - Thomas Wayne/Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Shirelles/Angel Baby - Rosie & Originals/Alley Oop - Hollywood Argyles/Lavender-Blue - Sammy Turner/Gee Whiz - Carla Thomas/Music Music Music - Sensations/Stay - Maurice Williams & Zodiacs/My Baby's Gone - Johnnie and Joe/Click Clack - Dickey Doo & Don'ts/Olds-Mo-Williams - Paul Peek

MGH 25005/SRH 65005 - Original Golden Teen Hits — Volume II - Various Artists [1964] Party Doll - Buddy Knox/Party Time - Ray-O-Vacs/Sugar Bee - Cleveland Crochet/Do You Wanna Dance - Bobby Freeman/Twist, Twist Senora - US Bonds/The Madison - Ray Brown/It's My Party - Lesley Gore/Loop De Loop - Johnny Thunder/Over The Mountain, Across The Sea - Johnnie & Joe/We Belong Together - Robert & Johnny/Walking The Dog - Rufus Thomas/Ahab The Arab - Ray Stevens

MGH 25006/SRH 65006 - Original Golden Rhythm and Blues Hits — Volume I - Various Artists [1964] Shake A Hand - Faye Adams/But I Do - Clarence Henry/I Need Your Loving - Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford/These Arms Of Mine - Otis Redding/How Can I Forget - Jimmy Holiday/Billy's Blues - Billy Stewart//There is Something On Your Mind - Bobby Marchan/Don't Start Me Talking - Sonny Boy Williamson/Juke - Little Walter/All In My Mind - Maxine Brown/You Don't Miss Your Water - William Bell/The Walk - Jimmy McCrackin

MGH 25007/SRH 65007 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Groups — Volume III - Various Artists [1964] Blue Velvet - Moonglows/Do You Love Me - Contours/So Far Away - Pastels/Good Night Sweetheart - Spaniels/At My Front Door - Eldorados/One Summer Night - Danleers//My Prayer - Platters/So Tough - Kuf-Linx/Crying In The Chapel - Orioles/Playboy - Marvelettes/Get A Job - Silhouettes/The Closer You Are - Channels

MGH 25008/SRH 65008 - Original Golden Town and Country Hits — Volume I - Various Artists [1964] Shutters And Boards - Jerry Wallace/Go On Home - Patti Page/I'll Have Another Cup Of Coffee - Claude Gray/Shy Away - Jerry Fuller/Don't Go Near the Indians - Rex Allen/Golden Wildwood Flower - Tom And Jerry//Walking After Midnight - Patsy Cline/Please Help Me - Rusty Draper/From A Jack To A King - Ned Miller/Boll Weevil - Brook Benton/Yellow Bandana - Faron Young/Walk On By - Leroy Van Dyke

MGH 25009/SRH 65009 - Original Golden Teen Hits — Volume III - Various Artists [1964] Dear Lady Twist - Gary US Bonds/Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Nu-Nu - Dicky Doo & Don'ts/There She Goes - Jerry Wallace/Triangle - Janie Grant/Mama Didn't Lie - Jan Bradley/Always - Sammy Turner//Tequila - Champs/Betty My Angel - Jerry Fuller/This Time - Troy Shondell/Cry Baby Cry - Angels/Dedicated To The One I Love - Shirelles/Cradle Of Love - Johnny Preston

MGH 25010 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Groups — Volume IV - Various Artists [1964] Issued in monaural only. Too Much Tequila - Champs/Sh-Boom - Crew-Cuts/I Got A Wife - Mark IV/Baby I Do Love You - Galens/The Stroll - Diamonds/Up On The Mountain - Magnificents//From The Vine Came The Grape - Gaylords/Most Of All - Moonglows/Last Night I Dreamed - Fiestas/Twilight Time - Platters/Over The Rainbow - Baysiders/Stranded In The Jungle - Cadets

MGH 25011/SRH 65011 - Original Golden Hits of the Great Blues Singers — Volume IV - Various Artists [1964] Sea Of Love - Phil Phillips & Twilights/I'll Be True - Faye Adams/Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison/New Kind Of Love - Willie Harper/Funny - Maxine Brown/Snap Your Fingers - Joe Henderson//Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams) - Jesse Belvin/My Heart Reminds Me - Della Reese/Shine On Moon - Lightnin' Hopkins/Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well - Lucky Millender/Got To Have Some - Willie Mabon/A Shanty in Old Shanty Town - Johnny Long




Thanks to E.F. Bryan.



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