Album, I Am What I Am
After a couple of early singles, Milan released an LP on 20th Century Fox in 1964, called I Am What I Am, along with two associated singles, "I Am What I Am" b/w "Over and Over Again" and later "Runnin' Wild" b/w "Angel's Lullaby". The front cover (pictured) also includes "presenting a bright new star". The album's liner notes describe Milan as "a darkly handsome, six foot, 160 lb. twenty year old" with a "European musical background" and continue: "Milan is popular music . . . he lives it, loves it and understands it and refuses to allow the tendency to copy whatever happens to be in the top ten at the present time to influence his work" (ellipses in the original). He also has a beautiful, melodic voice that is sometimes difficult to appreciate on his later recordings.
Although the authenticity and commitment to his music is apparent even at this point, the album is in the style of early 1960s orchestral pop music records, and much of the music bears only passing resemblance to the garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings for which he is better known. As a result, this album, though scarce, is typically available for a fraction of the cost of most of the singles that were released in later years. However, some of the songs on the album, including "Runnin' Wild" and "Spellbound" have the flavor of his later garage-rock classics.
Read more about this topic: Milan The Leather Boy