The Definitive Collection is the first ever complete overview of Sir Howard's recording career, which spanned more than thirty years. It begins in 1958 with Sir Howard singing in his mothers lounge with The Quartet in front of Eldred Stebbing and his portable Grundig tape recorder, through to his last album “Live In Concert” from 1989, which was recorded at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre.
Over half of the tracks included on this collection appear on CD for the first time, including many long forgotten Quartet and solo singles including “Lonesome Traveller”, “Running Bear”, “Flowers On the Wall”, “The Power Game”, “Tell Me”, “That Boy Is Lost”, “New World In the Morning” and “The KZ7 Team”.
In 1966 Howard starred, sang and financially backed the kiwi musical / comedy film “Don’t Let It Get You”. We have included four of Howard’s tracks from the soundtrack as well as uncovering two unreleased songs that were written by Howard for possible inclusion “Hello Auckland” and “Right Now” both of which highlight his soulful side.
The double CD comes with a colourful 16 page booklet which covers Sir Howard's career across five chapters - a chapter for each of the 5 labels that he recorded on.
Chapter One (The Zodiac Years) 1957 - 1959 deals with the Quartet in their embryonic early stages where they toured for Benny Levin and recorded for Eldred Stebbings Zodiac label.
Chapter Two (The La Gloria Years) 1960 - 1965 covers the golden years of the Quartet and the first tentative steps by Howard into a solo career.
Chapter Three (The HMV Year) 1966 concentrates on Sir Howard - the film actor, the songwriter and the singer as he strives to show case New Zealand and it’s musical talent to the world via the film “Don’t Let It Get You”.
Chapter Four (The Joe Brown Years) 1967 - 1968, this period has Howard with the world at his feet as he plays to packed houses from Auckland to Hawaii and from Sydney to Manila.
Chapter Five (The RCA Years) 1969 - 1989 carries on from the previous chapter with Sir Howard mixing with the big stars such as Sammy Davis Jnr and guest starring in the TV show “Hawaii Five-O, before realising that home is where the heart lay.
1. Big Man
2. Hoki Mai
3. Goodbye Baby
4. There's Only One Of You
5. Marie
6. I Gambled With Love
7. Gum Drop
8. The Battle Of The Waikato
9. My Old Man's An All Black
10. Lonesome Traveller
11. Running Bear
12. Passion Flower
13. Zing Went The Strings To My Heart
14. Pokarekare Ana
15. Haere Ra E Hine
16. Granada
17. Get A Little Dirt On Your Hands
18. Where Have All The Flowers Gone
19. Now Is The Hour (Po Atarau)
20. I Want To Cut Your Hair
21. Flowers On The Wall
22. Hello Auckland
23. Right Now
24. Don't Let It Get You
25. Haere Mai Means Welcome
26. No Other Way
27. Livin And Lovin
1. Born Free
2. Snap Your Fingers
3. Somebody Like Me
4. The Last Waltz
5. The Power Game
6. My Prayer
7. In The Land Of Plenty
8. You Only Live Twice
9. There's A Kind Of Hush
10. I Know
11. I Believe
12. Tell Me
13. New World In The Morning
14. Picking Up Pebbles
15. That Boy Is Lost
16. Can't Help Falling In Love
17. That's Life
18. Te Rina
19. Te Arawa / In The Mood / Maori Batallion
20. Portrait Of My Love
21. My Mothers Eyes
22. The KZ Team
23. Black Black All Black
24. Exodus
25. How Great Thou Art
