Song:Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me
Album:The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 60s
Mel Carter started out in gospel and R & B but had his biggest success in 1965 with the top ten pop hit Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me. When music dried up, Carter turned to acting. He was born Apr. 22, 1943 in Cincinnati and grew up singing in church. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 50s and appeared in several TV shows including several episodes of the hit show The Rifleman. Carter was discovered by Quincy Jones and though he recorded for Mercury, it doesn't look like the songs were ever released. So Sam Cooke signed him to his Derby label and When A Boy Falls In Love was a minor hit in 1962. Carter signed with Imperial Records and Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It topped the Adult Contemporary chart. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me was first recorded by pop singer Karen Chandler in 1952 and reached #7 on the singles chart. Gloria Estefan had a hit in England with her 1994 cover. But most folks will remember Carter's version and you can get it on this Collectables various artists comp. Of course the problem was Carter became known as a pop singer so when he wanted to record soul, it wasn't accepted. He had a couple more minor hits and recorded four albums for Imperial. But he was dropped in 1969 and turned to acting mostly on TV doing guest shots on shows like Quincy M.E. and Magnum P.I. He got a Grammy nomination for a 1985 gospel album and he still performs today. Here's Mel Carter performing Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me on Shindig 1965.
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