Girls and their Groups Part 2

       Greetings fellow Doo Woppers and Rock & Roll fanatics! I was so excited to write about the girls last time that I just had to get crackin' on Part 2! Just like there were/are certain periods in certain genres, like the late 50's that get overlooked, I also think that there are genres where folks just don't dig as deep. In addition to the great tunes the fun of this stuff is the diggin'! Or the thrill of the hunt or whatever you want to call it. With the early 60's girls there is a laundry list of great records! Some of which we've never heard of, some of which we'll never find but, as I said the diggin' is the groovy part. Lately I've had what we refer to as the fever and Girls and Doo Wop have been my only cure. Ya know when you see some label and your eyes just bugg out! Or hear some crazy tune and you're instantly a changed person? Well that's been me lately. So today I'm gonna share with you some of my recent finds and acquisitions. Some of which you might know. But brother they all send me to the moon!
        As the record industry grew in it's fledgling years new sounds in rock & roll would develop. As early as 1956 if someone had a hit there would be some savvy record impresario waiting to grab up that sound and run with it. Every once in a while someone would come around and invent a sound. In the case of the early 60's girls that guy was Phil Spector. His work with The Ronettes, Darlene Love and The Crystals is heralded and respected 'til this day and countless new groups use that sound as a template. Now folks we're tryin' to borrow that sound years ago too and boy did some real doozies appear! My all-time favorite is Baby That's Me by The Cake. To call this a Spector sound-alike would be cheapening it. This is a fantastic song written by two heavy hitters, Jackie De Shannon and Jack Nitzsche with an amazing arrangement by Harold Battiste and Stan Ross behind the board you know you can't go wrong. This tune makes me wish I was stuck at a party in 1964 that never ends! Well i guess I already am but.....you know what I mean!

In addition to this tune, another came to my attention this year that is fantastic. My good buddy Bob Volturno turned me on to this one and I'm forever in his debt. Bonnie and the Treasures doin' Home Of The Brave on the Phi-Dan label. What a solid sender. On my journey through this trip I am able to carry the great knowledge of my friends with me and I'm so thankful. My best friend Vicky Tafoya and my good pal Dave Gnerre have also been instrumental and influential in turning me on to great stuff. It's so fun to push this info back and forth and share the experience with your friends! Speaking of sharing great ones. My friend Vicky tried to get me to learn this one 20 years ago and I had forgotten about it. I recently rediscovered the magic of this record and had to own it. Now I know everyone always looks for the one on Teenage but DAMN.....this one is capitol BAD.....The Dolls Please Come Home on Okeh! Dig it!

Gettin' back to the Spector sound. No one knew it better than the cats that were in the room, right? That's clear on Sonny Bono's first attempt to bring CHER to the world. Get a load of  Dream Baby on Imperial! It's got that churning Da Do Ron Ron beat.....outta sight! 

Now I don't know if I was livin' under a rock or what but no matter how long you've been at this your always discovering new stuff. My moto's always been if it's new to me it's new stuff and I love gettin' excited about new stuff! Now I new the novelty stuff by this next group. Don't Hang Up, South Street, ya know, the dance stuf. But lemme tell ya when I heard Heart Darling Angel by The Orlons....my hair parted right down the middle! You can just picture a couple in Anytown, USA swaying gently to this tune at a weekend dance. By far and away one of the most beautiful songs of this era or any other!

Being a song writer myself I'm always captivated by the song first. Now, everyone know that the finest writers in this genre came out of the Brill Building in New York City. That's a fact and let me tell you it is a real treat to hear the the writers of these tunes perform them. That's why The Raindrops album is a must have. So proud to finally have this.....

Even though we long for these days we're pretty lucky to be around in current times. If not for only one reason......RE-ISSUES! These records are getting harder and harder to find so I must thank the good folks over at Sundazed and Norton for re-issuing some of these fine albums and in Norton's case putting out new albums by these great artists! Please pick up all these releases! If you don't have the scratch to buy the originals or you have originals you can pick these up and have a play copy. They are beautifully done and they are very modestly priced......and the tunes sound FANTASTIC on 120 gram! Well that's it for now folks.....enjoy the tunes and see ya soon!

What is Doo Wop?

        Now, this is an age old question that has been debated  for decades. It's hard to answer because the name itself was actually made up and put in to use after the genres hey day. There are several theories that exist and can be read about in several publications. Like Anthony J. Gribin and Matthew M. Schiff's book The complete Book of Doo Wop for example. You can also check out veteran collector's and writers Like Louie Silvani and Steve Propes on-line to see their thoughts on the matter. But what IS Doo Wop? Where does it start? When does it stop being Vocal Groups and start being Doo Wop? It depends on who you ask....Veterans like Val Shively and Gerry Diez probably still call it Vocal Groups. But there is an answer for this. When these guys started collecting or acquiring or what ever you want to call it, no term like doo wop existed! So here's my theory: and this is only my opinion....How far back do you want to go? To me the "Vocal Group" era was from about 1947-48 to somewhere in 1954. These Vocal Groups or R&B Vocal Groups as they're sometimes called include everyone from the Ink Spots to The Orioles, Marshall Brothers, The Ravens etc. and had what I consider to be more of a classy, smooth sound more aimed at adults. Then somewhere in '54 when records like Gee by The Crows and Earth Angel by The Penguins came out they were in my opinion, whether it was planned or not, capturing the attention of the "youth." But undoubtedly when 1955 came around and Rock & Roll was an actual thing and had been distilled into a phrase and a rhythm then........to me, you had DOO WOP! By that I mean that THAT is when we can start calling it Doo Wop. Because to me that is what Doo Wop is. It is Vocal Group Rock & Roll. Not Vocal Group R&B. And Rock & Roll was definitely about teenagers. So, most assuredly you can call it Doo Wop by the time Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers came out 'cause....it's in the name, TEENAGERS! And let's face it. We're just splitting hairs here. No matter what, it's all great music and all came from the same place. But when all these genres cross-pollinate that's where these debates start. But to me those hybrid musics are the best because that stuff only can happen at that place, at that point in time and that's why it's the best!
         
Now when Slim Rose was doing the Times Square thing and the first doo wop resurgence was happening in the early 60's the Kiddie sound was being favored which I love! Here's a few examples. I can blame Vicky Tafoya, and I use blame VERY loosely, for showing me a good majority of these....they are heavy hitters! A few fine examples of the kiddie sound....

Now, I don't care what anyone says, when I hear The Charts out of Harlem New York I can't think of callin' it anything else other than DOO WOP! They are my favorite!

The one thing that I absolutely LOVE about this music is that it included EVERYONE! There were guy groups, girl groups, interracial groups. Everyone was on the same team and just completely gone with the sounds of Rock & Roll. Everyone had to be in a group if they could. On top of The Chantels and The Hearts there were so many girl doo woppers! My friend Bob Volturno turned me on to this one and it's a wopper! Pick it up, but don't burn yourself!

I can't even tell you what I feel when I here this song.....Unbelievable!

And of course by the early 1960's folks who went on to be Rock & Roll Hall of Famers were doing their versions of songs that were already considered classics to them. Even though the song had only been released a few years earlier. Trailblazers like this woman right here....

We were lucky enough to meet and perform with the one and only Ronnie Spector just last week, but I'll save that for another entry....

Well there you have it. Some more rantings from your friendly neighborhood doo wopper. The birth of "Doo Wop." When did it start? Debatable. But I know were all real glad it did!


P.S. I just love to gab about this stuff folks so if you want to weigh in on the conversation, leave comments, links whatever I encourage it. Bye for now!