MY FAVE 20 RECORDS BY A VOCAL GROUP
TODAY........FROM 1957
1. SEARCHIN' - THE COASTERS
Our FANTASTIC introduction to the Coasters here in UK (on London label
in June 1957) with this absolute stunner! No earlier records by them
appeared here and certainly nothing at all by The Robins
2. LET THE BOOGIE WOOGIE ROLL - CLYDE McPHATTER (actually THE DRIFTERS)
Recorded at the same 1953 New York session that produced “Money Honey”
this track finally showed up on an Atlantic EP “All Star Rock ‘N’ Roll” in 1957 (tho there is some dispute over the release year) credited
simply to “Clyde McPhatter”. Other tracks were by LaVern Baker,Ivory Joe Hunter & Ruth Brown
3. YOUNG BLOOD - THE COASTERS
The almost equally good flip of No. 1 above. Recorded at the same 3 day
session in February 1957 as “Searchin” (but recorded first). Both songs written by and produced by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
4. WHISPERING BELLS - THE DEL-VIKINGS
GREAT followup to “Come Go With Me” which on London label got a lot more radio play over here than “Come Go With Me” did tho neither charted. My very favorite record at the time.Like their earlier hit this appeared
(briefly) on Fee Bee then charted on Dot
5. THAT’S MY DESIRE - THE CHANNELS
Earl Lewis & the guys certainly worked magic on this one turning what
had been a mundane old Frankie Laine hit into one of the most vibrant
r&b vocal group performances of the year.Never released here it was well
into the 1960’s before I finally made the acquaintance of this stone
classic
6. THINK - THE “5” ROYALES
The original and easily greatest version of this memorable number that
puts the later James Brown version completely in the shade. Never
released here (where the Royales were treated appallingly with just ONE
single release “Dedicated To The One I Love” in 1961)
7. SWEETHEART PLEASE DON’T GO - THE GLADIOLAS
Recorded for Excello at a session where it sounds like the wine flowed
pretty freely this was by far the best side of their original “Little Darlin’” single IMO. I made the acquaintance of this one fairly early on since it appeared here on London label
8. LONG LONELY NIGHTS - LEE ANDREWS & THE HEARTS
Originally on Main Line label before Chess took up the reins this is my favorite version of the song easily outstripping both the Clyde
McPhatter cover and the other cover by The Kings. We got the McPhatter
version over here but that’s all
9. LITTLE DARLIN’ - THE DIAMONDS
Yes,you did read that right!! “Little Darlin’” by the group whose previous records have mostly been godawful covers of other r&b vocal
group things here finally come good with their one really decent cover
of The Gladiolas number (by them it’s the inferior “A” side to “Sweetheart Please…” mentioned above. HUGE hit for Mercury on both sides of the puddle
10. MAYBE - THE CHANTELS
#1 on my 1957 Top 20 femme (or femme-led) songs with Arlene & the girls
in fine voice. Amazingly this was voted “Worst Record Of The Year”
(being 1958 when it came out here on London label) by “New Musical
Express”
1l. TEARDROPS - LEE ANDREWS & THE HEARTS
Another stone classic from the “Long Lonely Nights” boys. This one had a complicated release history appearing on Chess nationally but by special arrangement it appeared as a special Argo label release in Philadelphia
and the local area. Not released in UK
12. GET A JOB - THE SILHOUETTES
Terrific fast pounding group rocker that sold like billy-O reaching #1
on both the Billboard Top 100 chart and their R&B chart (both in early 1958).Released here in UK in February 1958 on Parlophone
13. TO THE AISLE - THE FIVE SATINS
Superior ballad originally recorded earlier in 1957 as “The Aisle” by
Roy Hamilton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ea1TeSE-8E
This was the first Five Satins record to get UK release on London label
in October 1957.No,”In The Still Of The Nite” sadly didn’t get any kind of UK release---not until 1959 anyway when it finally appeared here as a
track on the various artists “Sweet Beat” movie soundtrack EP on Top
Rank
14. CAN I COME OVER TONIGHT - THE VELOURS
Okay we’re about getting to the point where some of these records are
the result of the vast amount of time I spent in Val Shively’s store
boning up on hundreds (thousands?) of vocal group gems that I never knew
(never released here) before my several trips to the USA in the early
70’s.
15. JUST FOR YOU AND I - THE SUPREMES
Five man group hailing from Columbus OH and absolutely nothing to do
with the later girl group of that name who recorded for some tinpot
little outfit in Detroit. The fine “Just For You And I” was recorded for Johnny Vincent’s Ace label down in Jackson Mississippi.Not released in
UK
16. ONLY THE ANGELS KNOW - THE ESQUIRES
Not to be confused with the 1960’s “Get On Up” group this is another Val Shively special these guys were from the Memphis area and had previously recorded for Sam Phillips at Sun Record under the name of the “Five
Tinos” with little real success before changing their name to the
Esquires and cutting this great number for the Hi-Po label in Nashville.
No UK release
17. COULD THIS BE MAGIC - THE DUBS
Fell in love with this one ever since I found an old London 45rpm copy
in some God forsaken London junk shop many many years ago (they had but
two releases over here back when---this classic plus the “Beside My
Love” followup)
18. MAMBO SANTA MAMBO THE ENCHANTERS
Along with The Drifters’ “White Christmas” and Chuck’s “Run Rudolph Run”
this is wayyyy up there in the stratosphere of my very favorite
Christmas records.The Enchanters were an excellent five man oufit from
Detroit who arrived on the scene in 1956 with the original version of
“True Love Gone” (beware the horrid Betty Madigan cover) originally on Mercer label before Coral took over the reins. No UK release
19. TELL ME WHY - NORMAN FOX & THE ROB-ROYS
Straight outa da Bronx came the mixed race five man Rob-Roys outfit who
by much convoluted wrangling ended up recording for Don Robey’s Duke/
Peacock outfit in Texas (!) and having “Tell Me Why” being one of the
very first records released on their then-brand new Back Beat subsidiary
label. Never released in the UK it was 1961 before I made the
acquaintance of the “Tell Me Why” song when the US hit Belmonts version
got a few plays over here. It wasn’t too long afterwards that I finally heard---and fell in love with---the much better Rob-Roys original
20. DON’T ASK ME TO BE LONELY THE DUBS
Another vocal group classic that I had to wait until my visits to the
USA to make acquaintance with at Val’s store (tho I already knew the
group from their two UK releases—see “Could This Be Magic” above).This beauty was the very first Dubs US release (they’d had one record
previously as “The Marvels” in 1956) with early copies appearing on the Johnson label before Gone took over on the group
BUBBLING UNDER
Deserie The Charts
Florence The Paragons
While Walking The Fabulaires
Lost Love The Superiors
Your Last Chance Lewis Lymon & The Teenchords
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