MY FAVE 20 RECORDS BY A VOCAL GROUP
TODAY........FROM 1961
1. IT WILL STAND – THE SHOWMEN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JASxUoYj7w
Not just easily my favorite vocal group record of 1961 but also one of
my most cherished vocal group records from ANY era---here’s the famous General (yes that was part of his name!)Norman Johnson (he of the future Chairmen Of The Board soul group) leading The Showmen from Norfolk,Va on
Minit with a captivating number that should have been much bigger than
it was. It entered the BB pop chart TWICE—reaching #61 in 1962 and #80
on reissue in 1964.Issued in UK on London did not chart
2. NO SWEET LOVIN’ – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2xly-rzvTc
Needing a flipside for the Drifters’ latest “Please Stay” platter Atlantic scoured their vaults choosing a then-six year old track “No
Sweet Lovin’” with a Bill Pinkney lead to back up the “A” side.And
a great choice it was since,for my money,it rates one of the very best
of the mid-period of our era (i.e post Clyde but pre-Benny) Drifters
tracks. Released in UK on London
3. MY TRUE STORY – THE JIVE FIVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M510mZpEqw
1961 was the year I really started getting into r&b big time and
checking out all these fascinating records that kept zooming into the
American chart (as carried in NME here)—and on labels I’d never heard
of. One of the prime examples of the year being this classic from a new Brooklyn group on Beltone (which label I HAD heard of since it was
currently hot with Bobby Lewis). Charted in BB at #3 pop and #1 r&b.
Released in UK on Parlophone
4. BLUE MOON – THE MARCELS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3EE8Xxx0mo
Who the fuck could EVER resist this absolutely crazed,demented---and WONDROUS—version of the old Rodgers & Hart standard (originally by Glen
Gray & His Casa Loma guys back in 1934) that took the Marcels (and
Colpix Records) to #1 on both BB charts as well as #1 on the UK chart
where it appeared on the Pye-International label. Jeez,Richard Rodgers
must have choked on his cornflakes the first time he heard Elvis’
version of the song. God only knows what his reaction was a little
later to The Marcels!!
5. LITTLE EGYPT (YING YANG) – THE COASTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jojmXw2qvsU
The latest in the seemingly endless series of Leiber & Stoller classic
numbers to get the Coasters treatment on Atco---and for my money also
one of the best! Sadly their time in the sun was starting to diminish
but they climbed to #23 BB pop with this one and #16 BB r&b. Released in
UK on London
6. GYPSY WOMAN – THE IMPRESSIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdqp995YewE
Now a Curtis Mayfield-led trio and newly signed to the semi-major
ABC-Paramount label the boys prepare for a lonnnnnnnng spell under the
success sun as they prepare for the soul years now fast approaching. The
catchy hit “Gypsy Woman” will well prep them for the long hit-filled journey and take them to #20 BB pop and #2 BB r&b. Released on HMV in UK
7. FUNNY – THE CONTOURS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cl-xv88V8w
The YT poster says it all about this one “What a great ballad.Whenever I
play this for someone that doesn't know this it's always a big
surprise”. I couldn’t agree more. THanks to Frankie C for this one Certainly a terrific ballad from the start of their career (this was
only their second record for Motown in August 1961 and was the flipside
of a so-so rocker “The Stretch” that doesn’t really go anywhere). No chart action
8. I REALLY LOVE YOU – THE STEREOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93UjUCSGZkI
Ultra catchy hypnotic soul march number by this group hailing from Steubenville,Oh originally called The Buckeyes-- who after a couple of
records that went nowhere for the DeLuxe label--- wound up recording for
the MGM subsid Cub with “I Really Love You” that became a Top 30 hit on both the Bíllboard charts. Released UK on MGM where no doubt a certain
Mr George Harrison up in Liverpool purchased a copy thinking it might be
a good number to try doing one day………
9. DON’T KNOCK – THE SPIDERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RH0R1FSe3Y
Gotta set the time machine back to October 27 1954 when the Spiders cut “Don’t Knock” at Cosimo Matassa’s studio in New Orleans (the same session produced their classic “Bells In My Heart”). “Don’t Knock” lay
unreleased for years until Imperial decided to release a Spiders LP in
1961 and further decided to include “Don’t Knock”. The album title was “I Didn’t Wanna Do It” (see YT clip above for LP cover)
10. HONEY BEE – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlpBUwmjYWM
Hope that time machine is still working ok ‘cos we need it again---this
time to go back to April 21 1955 when young David Baughn (doing his best
Clyde McPhatter impersonation) leads on “Honey Bee” (same session as “No Sweet Lovin” above). Atlantic rescued the track from the vaults in March
1961 when they needed a flipside for The Drifters’ latest single “Some
Kind Of Wonderful”
11. DADDY’S HOME – SHEP & THE LIMELITES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSrSUigoPhg
One of the most famous of all slow “doowop” numbers “Daddy’s Home” is pretty much an updated version of “A Thousand Miles Away” made famous by The Heartbeats group (which group also included Limelites front man
James “Shep” Sheppard). A classic in its own right “Daddy’s Home” appeared on Hull label and has since been revered as one of the most
loved and remembered “doowops” of all---with several later hit revivals including Jermaine Jackson and Cliff Richard. Shep & co scored #2 BB pop
and #4 BB r&b.In UK it appeared on Pye International
12. LONG TALL GIRL – THE CARNATIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddrg40pNkCw
Here’s one that should have been MUCH bigger than it was. From
Bridgeport Ct hailed the five man Carnations (who in an earlier
incarnation had backed Bo Diddley on some tracks) with the ultra-catchy
“Long Tall Girl” on Joe Rene’s Beltone subsid Lescay. No chart action no UK release
13. LOVER’S ISLAND – THE BLUE JAYS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiUduiYF7Sg
The instantly identifiable “Lover’s Island” by the four man Los Angeles based Blue Jays led by Leon Peels who recorded for the West Coast
Milestone label---and who carried on the story later with the sequel “So
Long Lovers Island”. A good seller it charted #31 BB pop. Apparently
this was scheduled for UK release by Top Rank here but was evidently
cancelled since nobody over here ever seems to have seen a copy
14. SMOKY PLACES – THE CORSAIRS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkkMO2ocSMU
From La Grange NC came the four man Corsairs led here by Jay “Bird”
Uzzell on super catchy anthem “Smoky Places” on the Chess subsidiary
Tuff label. A good seller this reached #12 BB pop and #10 BB r&b. For
some reason this big hit was never issued in UK (tho we got the followup “I’ll Take You Home”) Nobody seems to know why it never got UK release---Chess certainly had an ongoing licence deal with Pye here at
the time. Perhaps they asked too much money up front on this one??
15. FOOT STOMPIN’ – THE FLARES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcNnIlrQBgI
Insistent stomper here from the four man Flares group from California
recording for the London subsid Felsted label. “Foot Stompin’” was
spread over both sides of the single with Part 1 selling well enough
to chart #25 BB pop and #20 BB r&b. Got a lot of radio play here too on
London but failed to chart
16. WHEN WE GET MARRIED – THE DREAMLOVERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAmlXQZ1AIw
Cool slowie by the Philadelphia group that took their name from the big
Bobby Darin hit. Notorious label jumpers The Dreamlovers must have
gotten dizzy---they stopped off long enough at Heritage to cut this
one which turned into the biggest hit they ever had----#10 BB pop. As
well as cutting their own records they kept busy backing Chubby Checker
on most of his hits. UK release on Columbia
17. NEVER NEVER – THE JIVE FIVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erK7RMi8Cug
The followup to their “My True Story” smash with Eugene Pitt in fine
voice and the Joe Rene orchestra in tow on a superb ballad that reached
#74 BB pop and gave the then-hot Beltone label yet another hit.No UK
release on this one
18. PLEASE MR POSTMAN – THE MARVELETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l5I3u0tShE
At last a Motown single sits fair and square at #1 on the Billboard Hot
100 when the Marvelettes achieve what has so far eluded the other label
stars. The five (at least at this point—the number varied) girl outfit
from Inkster Mi were racked with problems from the outset both with
label promotion (or its lack thereof) and personal problems within the
group but against the odds they carried on making charting records right throughout the 60’s and beyond. “Postman” also made #1 BB r&b. UK
release on Fontana did not chart
19. HEART AND SOUL – THE CLEFTONES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxbmPWJV5yU
Great revival of the old Hoagy Carmichael standard originally done by
Larry Clinton & Orchestra with singer Bea Wain. And after a spell on the
parent Roulette label the five man group from Queens NYC led by Herbie
Cox find themselves back on a (revitalized) Gee label where they
started. Sold well enough to make #18 BB pop and #10 BB r&b. Released UK
on Columbia got some airplay but so did Jan & Dean at the same time with
their version and I was (and still am) very fond of both. J&D will have
to wait till we maybe do a “Fave Duets” sequel to this present series (starting a whole new years-long “What is a duet?” argument…………😊)
20. THE VELVETS – TONIGHT (COULD BE THE NIGHT)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnThtAqRUYA
Led by Virgil Johnson the Velvets were a five man outfit from Odessa
Texas and brought to the attention of Monument Records boss Fred Foster
by the label’s #1 star Roy Orbison. “Tonight (Could Be The Night”
was their second single for the company (following a version of “That
Lucky Old Sun”) and scored a #26 hit BB pop. On London here in UK this
single picked a ton of airplay but sadly failed to chart
BUBBLING UNDER
21. IMAGINATION – THE QUOTATIONS
22. (AIN’T THAT) JUST LIKE ME – THE COASTERS
23. PLEASE STAY – THE DRIFTERS
24. BARBARA ANN – THE REGENTS
25. RIP VAN WINKLE – THE DEVOTIONS
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