Over his extensive recording career Johnny Mathis has made many singles that never made their way on to his albums. I have sometimes heard a song such as "Take Good Care of Her" on the radio and thought, "I wonder which album that song is on?" because I liked it and wanted to own it. That song and many others have been unavailable for decades except on their original 45's which were extremely difficult to find and usually in dubious condition. Now, at last, some extremely fine songs are available and have been given a fresh digitalized refurbishing and the results, THE SINGLES, are an early Christmas gift for Mathis fans. There are many, many treasures here such as Johnny's surprising interpretation of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Last Time I Saw Her" or a little known Henry Mancini gem, "Sometimes." For me, the highlight of all four CD's is an astoundingly poignant offering of Jimmy Webb's masterpiece, "Evie." Some people might balk at the cost of a box set but, for me, having these almost impossible to find recordings by one of the great singers of our time is worth every penny.