by Cub KodaR&B baritone singer Big Dee Irwin came up thru the ranks, first as a member of the Pastels on Chess' Argo label, then with a spate of tunes under his own name while writing tunes for others in the Brill Building during the early 1960s. His tenure at Don Kirshner's Dimension Records is what's principally chronicled here, with 25 tracks going back to his pre-Dimension cuts for Hull, along with later ones for Roulette rounding out the package. His big hit "Swinging on a Star" is here, along with his Christmas duets with Little Eva ("The Christmas Song," "I Wish You a Merry Christmas") and equally strong material in the inclusion of "Another Night With the Boys," "Skeeter," "Soul Waltzing," "You're My Inspiration," the novelties "Happy Being Fat," "Everybody's Got a Dance But Me," and "Heigh Ho." Finishing out this package are some previously unissued Roulette tracks from the early 1960s including "The Mouse" and "Discotheque," showing Ervin's ability to keep up with the times while still turning out top-notch material. All in all, a great overview on a talented artist often overlooked.