For the First Time! Two Great Stars – George Jones and Gene Pitney is an album by Americancountry musicartistGeorge Jones and pop artist Gene Pitney. It was released in 1965 on the Musicor label in the United States and on the Stateside label in the United Kingdom.
Background
After Jones left United Artists to join Musicor in 1965, it was decided that he start off with a duet recording session with teen idol Gene Pitney, and this release was motivated more by the fact that Pitney was also signed to Musicor rather than any musical compatibility. However, Pitney manages to hold his own with Jones and the album became a hit, rising to number three on the country album chart. The album was Pitney's eleventh for Musicor, and the pair would record one more duet album together called It's Country Time Again in 1966. The Bear Family record label would reissue both albums under the title George Jones & Gene Pitney, collecting 31 sides that the pair recorded together.
Reception
Chris Woodstra of AllMusic writes, " For a seemingly unlikely pairing, the two complemented each other well, with Pitney proving himself not only a fan of the genre but also a competent country singer as well."