"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 8: 1956" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD - Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…In Paradise…"

Hot on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes their Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to 10 hit the shops in 2012 and the last five in the spring of 2013. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places - presentation and audio. Here are the Church Bells, In The Still Of The Nite on The Woo Woo Train...

Released October 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 8: 1956" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 17286 AR (Barcode 4000127172860) breaks down as follows (I've provided American single catalogue numbers on all tracks - 85:47 minutes):

1. In The Still Of The Nite - THE FIVE SATINS (Standord 6106 and Ember 1005, A)

2. Stranded In The Jungle - THE CADETS (Modern 994, A)

3. On What A Nite - THE DELLS (Vee-Jay 204, A)

4. I Want You To Be My Girl - FRANKIE LYMON and THE TEENAGERS (Gee 1012, A)

5. I'll Be Home - THE FLAMINGOS (Checker 830, A)

6. Ruby Baby - THE DRIFTERS (Atlantic 45-1089, A)

7. My Prayer - THE PLATTERS (Mercury 70893, A)

8. Come Go With Me - THE DELL-VIKINGS (Fee Bee FB-205 and Dot 15538, A)

9. A Thousand Miles Away - THE HEARTBEATS (Hull 720 and Rama 216, A)

10. Up On The Mountain - THE MAGNIFICENTS (Vee-Jay 83, A)

11. The Way You Look Tonight - THE JAGUARS (R-Dell 11, A)

12. Church Bells Will Ring - THE WILLOWS (Melba 102, A)

13. The Closer You Are - THE CHANNELS (Whirlin Disc 100, A)

14. I Promise - JIMMY CASTOR and THE JUNIORS (Wing 90078, A)

15. In Paradise - THE COOKIES (Atlantic 45-1084, A)

16. Zoom - THE CADILLACS with Jesse Powell's Orchestra (Josie 792, A)

17. A Casual Look - THE SIX TEENS (Flip 315, A)

18. Little Girl Of Mine - THE CLEFTONES with Jimmy Wright & His Orchestra (Gee 1011, A)

19. Bad Boy - THE JIVE BOMBERS featuring Clarence Palmer (Savoy 1508, A)

20. Down In Mexico - THE COASTERS (Atlantic 6064, A)

21. Castle In The Sky - THE BOP CHORDS featuring Ernest Harriston (Holiday 2601, A)

22. You Gave Me Peace Of Mind - THE SPANIELS with Al Smith's Orchestra (Vee-Jay 229, B-side of "Please Don't Tease")

23. Ka-Ding-Dong - THE G-CLEFS (Pilgrim 715, A)

24. Devil Or Angel - THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 45-1083, A)

25. I'm So Happy (Tra-La-La-La-La-La) - LEWIS LYMON and THE TEENCHORDS (Fury 1000, A)

26. Bacon Fat - ANDRE WILLIAMS (Mr. Rhythm) & His New Group (Fortune 831 and Epic 9196, A)

27. Rubber Biscuit - THE CHIPS (Josie 803, A)

28. See Saw - THE MOONGLOWS (Chess 1629, A)

29. Lover - JIMMY JONES & THE PRENTENDERS with Jimmy Wright & His Orchestra (Rama 210, A)

30. Let's You And I Go Steady - THE PEARLS with SAMMY LOWE & ORCHESTRA (Onxy 503, A)

31. The Woo Woo Train - THE VALENTINES with Jimmy Wright & His Orchestra (Rama 196, B-side of "Why")

32. Please, Please, Please - JAMES BROWN & His Famous Flames (Federal 12258, A)

The 84-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 83 that tells who's who in the black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It actually lists the singer's names  - who else but Bear would do this? There are cool trade adverts from 1956 peppering the text and some of those rare American 45 labels are even pictured in colour (Gee, Mercury, Savoy, Atlantic, Holiday, Josie). The CD repros the rare "Rubber Biscuit" 45 on Josie by The Chips and the spine makes up a single photograph of the series name when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing and trusted names like Walter DeVenne and Billy Vera have been involved and MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering. The sources (as you can imagine) differ wildly but the sound quality to my ears is improved on everything that I've heard before. The audio and presentation are top-class here - and the listen is fab...

1956 was a pivotal year in Vocal Group history hitting something of a pinnacle - and this disc shows that. But what makes it such a fabulous listen is the mixture of paces - slow smoochers - bopping dancers - mid-tempo lurches - and all of it in top audio quality. While The Cadets "Stranded In The Jungle" has always been a funny tune ("meanwhile back in the States...") - the magic really kicks in with the truly gorgeous "Oh What A Nite" by The Dells - as lovely and as romantic a tune as ever penned (and a $120.00 rarity). The same applies to The Heartbeats beautiful "A Thousand Miles Away" where Arthur Crump's Tenor soars as he bemoans distance between him and his girl (they later became Shep and The Limelites) while equally sweet is the lesser-heard cover version of the standard "The Way You Look Tonight" by The Jaguars - a $300 rarity on R-Dell Records (great audio too on the backing singers and accompanying piano).

In between the ballads and crooners you get wicked Fifties R 'n' B dancers like the "queen of my throne" song "Church Bells Will Ring" by The Willows complete with church-like chimes (another $300 rarity). Soul man Jimmy Castor (Jimmy Castor Bunch) started his career on a R 'n' B dancer - the obscure "I Promise" where he does his best Lymon "Juvenile Delinquent" impression. I've always loved The Cookies "In Paradise" - a little slice of Atlantic Records mid-tempo class (it's on the "Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1949-1974" 8CD box set) while bopping returns with handclaps and saxophone on the happy "Zoom" by The Cadillacs. A soldier boy's face freezes when he proposes in "A Casual Look" by The Six Teens while the happy-teen theme continues on "Little Girl Of Mine".

We slow to the "la, la, la..." chorus on the wonderfully smooth "Bad Boy" by The Jive Bombers where our love-smitten hero tells us that life is "just a bowl of cherries..." (more gorgeous audio too). We then go "Down In Mexico" with The Coasters where a man with a black moustache plays a piano in a Honky Tonk with dodgy consequences South of the Border. A rare and clever inclusion is the upbeat "Castle In The Sky" on the obscure Holiday label by The Bop Chords - top vocal R'n'B with a wicked Sax solo. We're then back to proper Vocal Group territory with The Spaniels on "You Gave Me Peace Of Mind" where you can literally see the group swaying beneath a streetlight. Another Atlantic Records gem is "Devil Or Angel" by the wonderful Clovers - a Number 3 Billboard R'n'B hit in January 1956. Finger-clicking cool kicks in with the impossibly smooth Andre Williams - "it's sweeping the South...that thing called Bacon Fat..." We then go back to dancing with the rare "Rubber Biscuit" by The Chips - a fun and funny song with almost impenetrable rhyming Cab Calloway lyrics - and the utterly infectious and brill "See Saw" by The Moonglows. Happy days... And the whole Disc ends with James Brown giving a nod to the Soul years to come with the incomparably brilliant "Please, Please, Please"

Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they should have been doubles because real collectors will have more than a few titles on offer here. Bear Family will argue 'but not in this sound quality or presentation' - and they'd have a point.

Having said all of that - what is actually on here is fabulous stuff and given to us with love and affection by a company that cares about voices that would be forgotten without them. Another gold standard from Bear...

"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 6: 1954" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD - Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Earth Angel…" 

Hot on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes their Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to 10 hit the shops in 2012 and the last five in the spring of 2013. Their "1954" instalment feels to me like a good place to start. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places - presentation and audio. Here are the shoop-shoop-shoops, doobie shang-a-langs and sh-sh-sh-sh-booms...

Released October 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 6: 1954" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 17284 AR (Barcode 4000127172846) breaks down as follows (89:04 minutes):

1. Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) - THE PENGUINS (DooTone 348, B-side of "Hey Senorita")

2. Work With Me Annie - THE ROYALS (Federal 12169, A)

3. Gloria - THE CADILLACS (Josie 765, A)

4. Ling, Ting, Tong (Capitol 2945, A)

5. The Wind - THE DIABLOS featuring Nolan Strong (Fortune 511, A)

6. Lovey Dovey - THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 1022, A)

7. My Memories Of You - THE HARP-TONES (Bruce 102, A)

8. Hearts Of Stone - THE CHARMS (DeLuxe 6062, A)

9. Darling Dear - THE COUNTS (Dot 1188, A)

10. I'm Slippin' In - THE SPIDERS (Imperial 5291, A)

11. Sincerely - THE MOONGLOWS (Chess 1581, A)

12. Honey Love - THE DRIFTERS featuring CLYDE McPHATTER (Atlantic 1029, A)

13. A Thousand Stars - THE RIVILEERS (Baton 200, A)

14. Boot 'Em Up - THE DU DROPPERS (Groove 0036, A)

15. Dear One - THE SCARLETS (Red Robin 128, A)

16. Oop Shoop - SHIRLEY GUNTER and THE QUEENS (Flair 1050, A)

17. God Only Knows - THE CAPRIS (Gotham 304, A)

18. Sh-Boom - THE CHORDS (Cat 104, A)

19. Tryin' To Get To You - THE EAGLES (Mercury 70391, B-side to "Please, Please")

20. I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy - THE LAMPLIGHTERS (Federal 12176, A)

21. Dream Of A Lifetime - THE FLAMINGOS (Parrot 808, A)

22. Mary Lee - THE RAINBOWS (Red Robin 134, A)

23. Please Remember My Heart - THE SOLITAIRES (Old Town 1006, A)

24. It Ain't That Way - THE HAWKS (Imperial 5292, A)

25. I "Do" - THE "5" ROYALES with Charlie 'Little Jazz' Ferguson and His Orchestra (Apollo 452, A)

26. House With No Windows - THE CHECKERS (King 4710, A)

27. My Daddy Stole My Chippie - THE PLAYBOYS

(unissued December 1954 Atlantic/Cat Records recording, first appeared on the US 1995 2CD set "Don't It Sound Good: The Great Atlantic Vocal Groups" on Rhino/Collector's Choice R2 7160)

28. Maybe You'll Be There - LEE ANDREWS and THE HEARTS (Rainbow 252, A)

29. Oh Yes I Know - THE JEWELS (R and B 1303, A)

30. The Letter - THE MEDALLIONS (DooTone 347, A)

31. Riot In Cell Block No. 9 - THE ROBINS (Spark 103, A)

32. Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite - THE SPANIELS (Vee-Jay 107, A)

The 82-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 83 that tells who's who in the black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It actually lists the singer's names  - who else but Bear would do this? There are cool trade adverts from 1954 peppering the text and some of those rare American 45 labels are even pictured in colour (Atlantic, Baton, Mercury and Robin). The CD repros the uber-rare "Tryin' To Get To You" 45 on Mercury that Elvis covered on his 1956 debut album (a Sun Records cut) and the spine eventually makes up a single photograph when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing and trusted names like Walter DeVenne and Billy Vera have been involved and MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering. The sources (as you can imagine) differ wildly and can at times be crude - but the sound quality to my ears is improved on anything I've heard before. Some of these cuts are amazing in their clarity.

When you get past the big guns you've heard too often like "Earth Angel" and "Gloria" - you get the lesser-heard gems like "The Wind" from September 1954 by The Diablos (delicate and pure Vocal Group magic) and the lovely "My Memories Of You" by The Harp-Tones. November saw "Hearts Of Stone" by The Charms take their cover of a hit by The Jewels up to 15 in the charts. And "Sincerely" by The Moonglows is one of my all-time favourites of the genre - genius. "Dream Of A Lifetime" by The Flamingos shows what a class act they always were - and why they hold such a place in the hearts of Vocal Group collectors.

Rhythm `n' Blues boppers pops up more than once - the fantastic and witty "I'm Slippin' In" by The Spiders has our hero trying to sneak into his home at the three o'clock in the morning without the wife noticing. I bought a reissue album by The Du Droppers at the end of the Eighties (I think it was on De-Tour Records) and it contained the swinging brassy dancer "Boot 'Em Up" with Sam 'The Man' Taylor and Budd Johnson on Saxes with wicked guitar from Riff Ruffin. Another boppin' winner is the Rudolph Toombs Jiver "I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy" by The Lamplighters with Thurston Harris on throaty Lead Vocals (wicked Sax solo too) as who doesn't dig the R'n'B of The "5" Royales

Rarities come in the shape of "God Only Knows" by The Capris which is a four-piece male group fronted by a lady - Savannah Churchill on Lead Vocals. It's just them and a piano - haunting stuff and a brilliant choice for inclusion. Fans of Elvis Presley will flip for the brilliant "Tryin' To Get To You" by The Eagles. Penned by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton (the same team who brought us "Boot 'Em Up" by The Du Droppers) - it's the Bluesy rendition that Elvis copied almost note for note for his 1956 explosive debut "Elvis". How cool is to have the original rarity (apparently a B-side to "Please, Please"). And although it's hissy the brilliant bopper "Mary Lee" by The Rainbows is new to me ands frankly a find. But a genuine sensation is the $500.00 listed "House With no Windows" by The Checkers - a Bluesy number with Little David Baughan on Lead Vocal (an absolute deadringer for Clyde McPhatter). It's just brilliant and comes at you in stunning audio quality.

Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they should have been doubles because real collectors will have large swathes of this already. Bear will argue 'but not in this sound quality or presentation' - and they'd have a point. Having said all of that - what is actually on here is fabulous stuff and given to us with love and affection by a company that cares about voices that would be forgotten without them...

"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 5: 1953" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD - Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Crying In The Chapel…"

Hot on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes their Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to 10 hit the shops in 2012 in clumps of five (May and October) and the last five in the spring of 2013. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places - presentation and audio. Here are the boys Crying In The Chapel...

Released May 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 5: 1953" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 17283 AR (Barcode 4000127172839) breaks down as follows (87:52 minutes):

1. Money Honey - CLYDE McPHATTER & THE DRIFTERS (Atlantic 45-1006, A)

2. Crying In The Chapel - THE ORIOLES (Jubilee 45-5122, A)

3. Baby, It's You - THE SPANIELS (Chance 1141, A)

4. White Cliffs Of Dover - THE CHECKERS (King 4675, A)

5. Baby Please - THE MOONGLOWS with the Red Holloway Orchestra (Chance CH-1147, A)

6. Is It A Dream - THE VOCALEERS (Red Robin 114, A)

7. Gee - THE CROWS (Rama 5, A)

8. Nadine - THE CORONETS (Chess 1549, A)

9. You're Mine - THE CRICKETS (MGM 11428, A) [Not Buddy Holly's group]

10. Too Much Lovin' (Much Too Much) - THE "5" ROYALES with CHARLIE "LITTLE JAZZ" FERGUSON & His Orchestra (Apollo 448, A)

11. A Sunday Kind Of Love - THE HARP-TONES featuring Willie Winfield (Bruce 101, A)

12. Golden Teardrops - THE FLAMINGOS with Red Holloway's Orchestra (Chance CH-1145, A)

13. Good Lovin' - CLOVERS (Atlantic 45-1000, A)

14. (Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I - THE ROBINS (RCA Victor 47-5175, A)

15. My Girl Awaits Me - THE CASTELLES (Grand 101, A)

16. Marie - THE FOUR TUNES with Sid Bass Orchestra (Jubilee 5128, A)

17. These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You - BILLY WARD & HIS DOMINOES (Federal 12129, A)

18. We Could Find Happiness - THE WANDERERS (Savoy 1109, A)

19. I Wanna Know - THE DU DROPPERS (RCA Victor 47-5229, A)

20. Dear Ruth - THE BUCCANEERS with The Joe Whelan Trio (Southern 101, A)

21. Just Walkin' In The Rain - THE PRISONAIRES (Sun 186, A)

22. Get It - THE ROYALS (Federal 12133, A)

23. Lovie Darling - THE CARDINALS (Atlantic 45-995, B-side of "You Are My Only Love")

24. I Had A Love - THE FLAIRS (Flair 1012, A)

25. My Saddest Hour - THE FIVE KEYS (Aladdin 3214, A)

26. Hey Now - TONY WILLIAMS and THE PLATTERS (Federal 12153, B-side of "Give Thanks")

27. I - THE VELVETS (Red Robin 122, A)

28. Baby, Come Back To Me - THE FIVE ECHOES with Fat Cole's Band (Sabre SA-102, A)

29. Nobody's Lovin' Me - THE SWALLOWS (King 4632, A)

30. Big Leg Mama - VANN WALLS and THE ROCKETS (Atlantic 45-988, A)

31. I Can't Believe - THE HORNETS (States S-127, A)

32. You're The One - THE SPIDERS (Imperial 5265, B-side of "I Didn't Want To Do It")

The 84-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 83 that tells who's who in the black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It actually lists the singer's names  - who else but Bear would do this? There are cool trade adverts from 1953 peppering the text and some of those rare American 45 labels are even pictured in colour (Atlantic, Baton, Mercury and Robin). The CD repros the "Good Lovin’" 45 on Atlantic by The Clovers and the spine eventually makes up a single photograph when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing and trusted names like Walter DeVenne and Billy Vera have been involved and MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering. The sources (as you can imagine) differ wildly but the sound quality to my ears is improved on anything I've heard before. Some of these cuts are amazing in their clarity (Atlantic tracks especially).

What a difference a year makes - 1953 Vocal Group 7" singles are incredibly hard to find hence the rarities quotient goes through the roof - check out these prices: The Hornets $8000.00, The Buccaneers $4000.00, The Castelles $2000, The Flamingos $1000 (black vinyl), $3000 (red vinyl), The Five Echoes $600 (black vinyl), $1500.00 (red vinyl), The Spaniels $500.00 (black vinyl), $2000.00 (red vinyl), The Moonglows $1000 (black vinyl) and $3000 (red vinyl). Or you can buy The Swallows, The Checkers, The Wanderers and The Prisonaires for a paltry $500.00 each with The Flairs, The Crows, The Five Keys and The Platters putting you back a bargain-basement $400.00 a pop (and so on down The Orioles at a frankly piddly $80.00).

When you get past the big guns you've heard too often like "Crying In The Chapel" and "Gee" - you get the lesser-heard gems like the rare "I" by The Velvets and the gorgeous "You're Mine" by The Crickets (Not Buddy Holly's backing group) - as pure Vocal Group as you can get. "Nadine" (not the Chuck Berry classic) is another slow moody rarity from The Coronets (on Chess). I love the lead vocalist in The Vocaleers "Is It A Dream" - an unusual almost childish ache in his phrasing - so good. And there can't be too many fans who don't have a big place in their hearts for The Harp-Tones and the silky "A Sunday Kind Of Love". The Spaniels and the bluesy Swallows are clever compiler choices too. There’s crackle on the uber-rare “My Girl Awaits Me” by The Castelles for sure but the audio quality on The Robins version of “A Fool Such As I” is utterly stupendous – Bobby Nunn and Grady Chapman sharing the crystal clear audio glories.

Rhythm 'n' Blues boppers pop up more than once - the "my love is yours" saxophone and talking "Get It" by The Royals (the lead singer sounding like Clyde McPhatter) while The Cardinals on Atlantic is that halfway-house mix of R'n'B and Vocal Group. Speaking of great lead vocals "I Wanna Know" by The Du Droppers has our hero pleading, "I wanna know what you do round there?" (not likely to get an answer mate). The Four Tunes go full-on Jackie Wilson "Reet Petite" (complete with warbling vocals) on the fab "Marie" - a great bopping dancer while "Money Honey" by Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters is always worth re-hearing especially in this fabulous sound quality.

Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they should have been doubles because real collectors will have large swathes of this already. Bear will argue 'but not in this sound quality or presentation' - and they'd have a point. Having said all of that - what is actually on here is fabulous stuff and given to us with love and affection by a company that cares about voices that would be forgotten without them...

"...You keep on loving somebody...while nobody's loving me..." The Swallows croon on King 4632. Give this superb compilation a go and you may find yourself loving it so much - the others in the set will join it in a jiffy...

"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 4: 1952" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD – Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Won't You Have Mercy Baby..."

Hot on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes Bear Family’s Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to 10 hit the shops in May and October 2012 and the last five in the spring of 2013. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these German-issued Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places - presentation and audio. 'Have Mercy Baby' because 'This Is Where The Heartaches Begin' if you know what I’m saying 'Rockin' Daddy-O'....

Released May 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 4: 1952" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 17282 AR (Barcode 4000127172822) breaks down as follows (I've provided American single catalogue numbers on all tracks - 85:21 minutes):

1. Have Mercy Baby – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12068, A)

2. The Wheel Of Fortune – THE CARDINALS (Atlantic 958, A)

3. Be True – THE VOCALEERS (Red Robin 113, A)

4. Baby Don't Do It – THE '5' ROYALES with Charlie Ferguson – His Tenor and Orchestra (Apollo 443, A)

5. That's When Your Heartaches Begin – BILLY BUNN and HIS BUDDIES (RCA Victor 20-4657, A)

6. One Mint Julep – THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 963, A)

7. But I Forgive You – THE SERENADERS (Coral 65093, A)

8. Every Beat Of My Heart – THE ROYALS (Federal 12064, A)

9. Rock Me All Night Long – THE RAVENS (Mercury 8291, A)

10. Hold Me – THE LARKS featuring Eugene Mumford (Apollo 1194, A)

11. That's The Way It's Gonna Be – THE FOUR KNIGHTS (Capitol 2195, A)

12. Beside You – THE SWALLOWS (King 4525, A)

13. You're Part Of Me – THE FOUR BUDDIES (Savoy 845, A)

14. Don't Cry Baby – THE ORIOLES with Buddy Lucas Orchestra (Jubilee 5092, A)

15. Let's Give Love Another Chance – THE FOUR TUNES (RCA Victor 20-4968, A)

16. The Last Of The Good Rocking Men – THE FOUR JACKS (Federal 12087, A)

17. Make Me Thrill Again – THE MARYLANDERS with Buddy Lucas and His Band Of Tomorrow (Jubilee 5091, A)

18. Rug Cutter – THE FOUR BLAZES (United 127, A)

19.  Don't Be Angry – THE SULTANS (Jubilee 5077, B-side to “Blues At Dawn”)

20. A Beggar For Your Kisses – THE DIAMONDS (Atlantic 981, A)

21. Can’t Do Sixty No More – THE DU-DROPPERS with Ben Smith’s Quintet (Red Robin 108, A)

22. I've Lost – THE ENCHANTERS (Jubilee 5080, A)

23. Flame In My Heart – THE CHECKERS (King 4558, A)

24. Serve Another Round – THE FIVE KEYS (Aladdin 3158, A)

25. One More Time – THE MEL-O-DOTS featuring Ricky Wells (Apollo 1192, A)

26. You're My Inspiration – THE FIVE CROWNS (Rainbow 179, A)

27. Rockin' Daddy-O – THE HEARTBREAKERS (RCA Victor 20-4662, A)

28. Later – THE FOUR FLAMES (Speciality 429, A)

29. That's What You're Doing To Me – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12059, A)

30. Stormy Weather – THE FIVE SHARPS (Jubilee 5104, A)

31. Ting-A-Ling – THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 969, A)

The 82-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 77 that tells who's who in the black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It actually lists the singer's names  - who else but Bear would do this? The text is also peppered with pictures of those old American 45 labels like Atlantic, Red Robin, King, Jubilee, Savoy, Mercury, RCA-Victor, Coral, Apollo and Specialty (one pic is the uber rare 'red vinyl' version of "Baby Don't Do It" by The '5' Royales on Apollo which books at $400.00) and an occasional trade advert (The Four Buddies at the Circle Theatre in October 1952). The CD repros the rare "Don’t Be Angry" by The Sultans on Jubilee and the spine makes up a single photograph of the series name when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing and trusted names like Walter DeVenne, Nico Feuerbach, Victor Pearlin, Colin Escott and Billy Vera have been involved in the research - while Audio Engineer MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering (some Disc/Metalpart transfers by Victor Pearlin and Lothar Blank). The sources (as you can imagine) differ wildly but to my ears the sound quality is improved on everything that I've heard before (including some of the Rhino box sets). The audio and presentation are top-class here (a norm for Bear Family)...

With a huge 31 tracks and a format-busting playing time of 85:21 minutes – you certainly can't accuse this CD of scrimping it. It's also noticeable how many are Independent labels without whom none of this fabulous music would have seen the light of day. It opens on an upbeat R&B tip with the fantastic boogie of "Have Mercy Baby" by The Dominoes lead by the vocals of the legendary Clyde McPhatter. It was a smash and a huge influence on the young Smokey Robinson who explains in the liner notes how McPhatter's high voice (which seemed to win over the girls) gave him hope. "Wheel Of Fortune" is a known Atlantic Vocal Groups rarity and here it sounds spiffing (really clean). "Be True" by The Vocaleers is a pleader while the shuffling boogie of "Baby Don't Do It" by The '5' Royales is classy R&B. "That's Where Your Heartaches Begin" sounds like a post WWII smoocher – a gorgeous vocal by Billy Bunn who clearly admired The Ink Spots the most.

If I was to pinpoint one song on here that shows up how good the Audio Transfer is – it would be the beautifully recorded "Every Beat Of My Heart" by The Royals (written by Johnny Otis). It's just Lead Baritone Charles Sutton and the close harmony voices of The Royals and a tiny amount of chimes. It sold nada on release and is correspondingly rare as the proverbial hen's molars with a stock copy booked at $1500 while a blue vinyl version will set you back a paltry $3000. And here it is sounded minty fresh. "Hold Me" by The Larks is equally lovely with a top vocal from Eugene Mumford. A welcome upping of the pace comes with The Four Knights and their R&B "That's The Way It's Gonna Be" (a bit rough on the audio though) and then back to pleaders from The Swallows and The Four Buddies. There can't be too many genre enthusiasts who don't hear The Orioles and get a bit weak at the knees – but actually better is the genius inclusion of "Let's Give Love Another Chance" by The Four Tunes where the velvet immaculate voice of Baritone William Best (who also doubled on Guitar) makes the song (this is seriously classy stuff).

Although the transfer is a little rough - I'm loving "The Last Of The Good Rocking Men" – a fantastic R&B shuffler very similar to "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes only with Will 'Dub' Jones on Lead Vocals (the actual lead is the deep voiced Ellison White who used to be with The Wings Over Jordan Choir). What a find and I can completely understand its inclusion despite the crackle. "Rug Cutter" is a Duke Ellington cover by The Four Blazes sounding not unlike Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five – wickedly enjoyable. We then get a masterpiece of the genre and a flipside rarity – "Don't Be Angry" by The Sultans (written by Lead Vocalist Clyde Wright). On release it was hooked up with a faster "Blues At Dawn" on the A - but it's the B that draws gasps and I'm not surprised this beautiful pleader ("...don't be angry...let me stay") commands $800+ on the collector’s market. Love the witty R&B dancer "Can't Do Sixty No More" by The Du Droppers where our hero advises his woman that even though he loves her he can’t do that speed anymore...so a short thirty minutes will have to suffice (oh dear).

"Flame In My Heart" and "Serve Another Round" by The Checkers and The Five Keys are Vocal Group and R&B – even if the Five Keys track is a bit rough around the transfer edges. Time to dance with The Mel-O-Dots and The Dominoes who give us infectious boppers "One More Time" and "That's What You're Doing To Me" where Clyde tells us he's "...gonna rock...gonna roll..." - and who am I to disagree. The Five Sharps cut is very rough ("Stormy Weather") clearly dubbed from a worn disc - but the finisher is the wickedly cool and altogether better-sounding "Ting-A-Ling” by The Clovers On Atlantic. To sum up – a hugely enjoyable entry in the series of 15 with many standout moments – the kind of compilation enthusiasts will love.

Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they should have been doubles because real collectors will have more than a few titles on offer here. Bear Family will argue 'but not in this sound quality or presentation' - and they'd have a point.

Presented to us with love and affection by a company that cares about forgotten voices that shouldn’t be forgotten. What a sweetheart of a compilation and another gold standard from Bear... 

"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 3: 1951" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD – Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Lemon Squeezing Daddy..."

Hot on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes Bear Family’s Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to 10 hit the shops in May and October 2012 and the last five in the spring of 2013. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these German-issued Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places - presentation and audio. You get 32 tracks and a genre-expanding total playing time of 89:05 minutes – some kind of record I think. So let’s talk about 'The Glory Of Love' with our 'Lemon Squeezing Daddy'...if I might be so bold...

Released May 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 3: 1951" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 17281 AR (Barcode 4000127172815) breaks down as follows (I've provided American 78" catalogue numbers on all tracks – 89:05 minutes):

1. Sixty-Minute Man – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12022, A)

2. The Glory Of Love – THE FIVE KEYS (Aladdin 3099, A)

3. Sweet Slumber – THE FOUR BUDDIES (Savoy 779, A)

4. Don't You Know I Love You – THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 934, A)

5. Will You Be Mine – THE SWALLOWS (King 4458, A)

6. Baby Please Don't Go – THE ORIOLES (Jubilee 5065, A)

7. Gotta Find My Baby – THE RAVENS (Columbia 39194, A)

8. My Reverie – THE LARKS (Apollo 1184, A)

9. Shouldn't I Know? – THE CARDINALS (Atlantic 938, A)

10. Wine – THE HOLLYWOOD'S FOUR FLAMES (unique 003/Fidelity 3001, A)

11. Where Are You (Now That I Need You) – THE MELLO-MOODS with The Schubert Swanston Trio (Robin 105, A)

12. Who'll Be The Fool From Now On – THE MARSHALL BROTHERS (Savoy 825, A)

13. That's What The Good Book Says – BOBBY NUNN with The Robbins (Modern 807, B-side of "Rockin'")

14. I'm Afraid – BILLY BUNN and His Buddies (RCA Victor 20-4483, A)

15. Asking – THE CAP-TANS (Coral 65071)

16. Lemon Squeezing Daddy – THE SULTANS (Jubilee 5054, A)

17. Heartbreaker – THE HEARTBREAKERS (RCA Victor 20-4327, A)

18. My Dear – THE FOUR DOTS (Dot 1043, B-side of “You Won’t Le Me Go”)

19. Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues – THE FOUR KNIGHTS (Capitol 1707, A)

20. Little Small Town Girl (With The Big Town Dreams) – THE BLENDERS (Decca 27403, A)

21. I Guess You're Satisfied – THE VICTORIANS (Specialty 411, A)

22. I Gotta Go Now – THE RHYTHM KINGS with Isaac Royal & Orchestra (Apollo 1181, A)

23. Just In Case You Change Your Mind – THE 4 DEEP TONES (Coral 65061, A)

24. How Blind Can You Be – THE FALCONS featuring Goldie Boots (Regent 1041, A)

25. Give Me One More Chance – THE ROYALS (Apollo 434, A)

26. Honey Chile – THE DRIFTERS (Excelsior 1314, A)

27. I'll Try To Forget I Loved You – THE VARIETEERS (MGM 10888, A)

28. Rain Is The Teardrops Of Angels – KING ODOM FOUR (Derby 757, A)

29. Would I Mind – STEVE GIBSON and The Original Red Caps (RCA Victor 50-0138, A)

30. May That Day Never Came – THE FOUR TUNES (RCA Victor 2200131, A)

31. Fool, Fool, Fool – THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 944, A)

32. I Am With You – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12039, A)

The 82-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 78 that tells who's who in the black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It actually lists the singer's names  - who else but Bear would do this? The text is also peppered with pictures of those old American 78 and 45 labels like Columbia, Apollo, Unique, Robin, Savoy, Dot, RCA Victor, Excelsior, Coral, Regent and Specialty. There is an occasional other photo (a neon of The Robins at the Savoy Ballroom for gigs on the 2, 3 and 4 of July) and a trade advert (The Tingling Harmony of The Four Tunes). The CD repros the rare "Just In Case You Change Your Mind" by The 4 Deep Tones on Coral and the spine makes up a single photograph of the series name when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing and trusted names like Walter DeVenne, Nico Feuerbach, Victor Pearlin, Colin Escott and Billy Vera have been involved in the research - while Audio Engineer MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering (some Disc/Metalpart transfers by Victor Pearlin and Lothar Blank). The sources (as you can imagine) differ wildly but to my ears the sound quality is improved on everything that I've heard before (including some of the Rhino box sets). The audio and presentation are top-class here (a norm for Bear Family)...

With a huge 32 tracks and a format-busting playing time of 89:05 minutes – you certainly can't accuse this CD of scrimping it. It opens with the sublime crossover smash "Sixty-Minute Man" by The Dominoes – one of the wittiest and sexiest of R 'n' B tunes that must have slayed them in the aisles back in the day – the girls screaming as Bill Brown advises them 'to come up and see old Dan' for his one-hour wonder session. We immediately melt into proper Vocal Group magic with the deep harmonies and warmth of "The Glory Of Love" where we "...got to cry a little...and laugh a little..." in order to appreciate the glories of being head-over-heels. We get further sappy sleepyhead with "Sweet Slumber" by The Four Buddies (sounding beautifully clear despite its age) while the slinky 'Don't You Know I Love You" shows why collectors adore the sheer class of The Clovers – surely one of Atlantic's best 50ts R&B acts. Uber rare and sounding awesome is "Will You Be Mine" by The Swallows featuring the sweet Lead of Eddie Rich joined half-way through by Norris 'Bunky' Mack. Perennial favourite of every bar-boogie band that's every existed – Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go" gets a Vocal Group going over by The Orioles (and again sounds fabulous).

"...Well, well...I came home this morning just about the break of dawn...the house was empty...all the pillows was gone..." There can't be any genre lovers who don't get weak at the knees at the deep-as-an-ocean voice of Jimmy Ricks going at a jaunty R&B number backed by The Ravens – what a treat! You’re then hit with a double whammy of vocal-group loveliness - "My Reverie" from The Larks and "Shouldn’t I Know?" by The Cardinals – both sounding glorious and massively evocative of the age. We get boozy with The Hollywood's Four Flames on their drink some "Wine" dancer that is followed by the sombre echo of The Mello-Moods and their cautionary tale of love. Worse - The Marshall Brothers warn us that she may have "...found someone new..." - unforgiveable frankly.

Genius songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller get their first ever record credit on the flipside of a Bobby Nunn 78" – "That's What The Good Book Says" – accompanied by The Robins (misspelt of the label as The Robbins). All the hallmarks of their witty rocking R&B is there – the irresistible rhythm and those great words hat just seem to roll off the tongue "...Noah was taking that brim and mixing it with wine...having himself a real crazy time..." It's followed by a gorgeous inclusion – "I'm Afraid" by Billy Bunn who's crying high falsetto was described by RCA Victor as their answer to Johnnie Ray – and on the strength of this wonderfully evocative smoocher – you have to say that RV weren't talking trash. Chimes lead in Sherman Buckner's unique vocal twinge on the weepy "I'm Asking" as he wonders what made his gal cry (his royalty cheques maybe) - only to have that innocence trounced by the decidedly fruity "Lemon Squeezing Daddy" from The Sultans where Clyde Wright tells us that out in California they grow big and round (whatever can that nice boy be talking about). Gorgeous Audio greets dear listeners for the genre-defining "Heartbreaker" by The Heartbreakers where you can just see five guys in matching suits standing under lampposts singing out their warning to all the ladies – "...I'm a heartbreaker from now on..." (many women in the district packed in relationships for good after this). Clearly dubbed from a very old Dot 78" - "My Dear" by The Four Dots is not just here for sheer rarity value - but because it’s a genuine lost beauty (you wish there was a better take of it).

But best track on the whole compilation may very well be the brilliant "Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues" - a cover of the Les Paul B-side to "How High The Moon" - also from 1951) that does what it says on the tin. You get footsteps acting as the backdrop while the voices go "ooh" throughout and then Lead Tenor Gene Alford starts whistling after his smooth as velvet lines. It's the kind of nugget that will surely turn in some hip TV program soon where a man with a Fedora or Pork-Pie Hat tips the rim at the camera before he shoots someone who deserves his comeuppance. As if "Walkin'..." isn’t sweet surprise enough – you're then hit with another gorgeous winner – the lovely and lilting "Little Small Town Girl (With The Big Town Dreams)" fronted by the beautiful voice of Ollie Jones of The Ravens (what a total peach - it's going on a CD compilation of mine right now). More R&B boppers come in the shape of the organ-driving "I Gotta Go Now" by The Rhythm Kings and "Honey Chile" by The Drifters. Rough transfers include the impossibly rare "I Guess You're Satisfied" (the Specialty 45 is pictured on Page 51) and "Just In Case You Change Your Mind" by The 4 Deep Tones. Final genius inclusion is the beautiful (almost Ink Spots feel to) "Rain Is The Teardrops Of Angels" by the unlikely sounding King Odom Four (what a sweetheart of a tune). Then it all ends on two winners fans will surely own already – "Fool, Fool, Fool" by Atlantic's The Clovers and "I Am With You" by The Dominoes with Clyde McPhatter warbling a goodun (both sounding better than anything I've had them on before)...

To sum up – I hadn't really expected to enjoy this 1951 instalment as much as I have but it's typical of these compilations – surprises and discoveries that floor you. Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they should have been doubles because real collectors will have more than a few titles on offer here. But Bear Family will argue '...not in this sound quality or looking this good...' - and they'd have a point.

Presented to us with love and affection by an independent record company that cares about forgotten voices that shouldn’t be forgotten. What a sweetheart of a compilation and another gold standard from Bear...

"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 11: 1959" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2013 Bear Family CD – Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…My Love Must Be A Kind Of Blind Love..."

Hot on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes Bear Family’s Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to 10 hit the shops in batches of 5 (May and October 2012) and the last five in May 2013. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these German-issued Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places - presentation and audio. You get 34 tracks and a format-incredible total playing time of 83:23 minutes. Time for 'A Teenager In Love' to 'Wiggle Wiggle' as 'The Angels Listened In'...

Released May 2013 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 11: 1959" on Bear Family BCD 17289 AR (Barcode 5397102172892) breaks down as follows (I've provided American 7” single catalogue numbers on all tracks – those with two or more catalogue numbers are reissues in the same year – 83:23 minutes):

1. I Only Have Eyes For You – THE FLAMINGOS (End 1946, A)
2. Love Potion No. 9 – THE CLOVERS (United Artists 180, A)
3. This I Swear – THE SKYLINERS (Calico 106, A)
4. The Angels Listened In – THE CRESTS (Coed 515, A)
5. Island Of Love – THE SHEPPARDS (Apex 7750, A)
6. You're So Fine – THE FALCONS (Flick 001/Unart 2013, A)
7. Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) – THE IMPALAS (Cub 9022, A)
8. My Love Will Never Die – THE CHANNELS (Fury 1021, A)
9. Wiggle, Wiggle – THE ACCENTS (Brunswick 55100, A)
10. Dedicated To The One I Love – THE SHIRELLES (Arranged & Directed by Stan Green) (Scepter 1203, A)
11. Senorita I Love You – THE IMPRESSIONS (Abner 1025, A)
12. A Teenager In Love – DION & THE BELMONTS (Laurie 3027, A)
13. Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko Bop – LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS (End 1060, A)
14. Hushabye – THE MYSTICS (Laurie 3028, A)
15. Moonlight Serenade – THE RIVIERAS (Orchestra Conducted by Al Semola) (Coed 508, A)
16. Who’s That Knocking – THE GENIES (Shad 5002, A)
17. Just To Be With You – THE PASSIONS (Arranged And Conducted by Paul Swain) (Audicon 102, A)
18. Charlie Brown – THE COASTERS (Atco 6132, A)
19. Dearest Darling (You're The One) – HUEY SMITH (and The Clowns) (Ace 571, A)
20. Dry Your Eyes – THE DELLS (Vee-Jay 324, A)
21. (Baby) Hully Gully – THE OLYMPICS (Arvee 562, A)
22. Puppy Love – LITTLE JIMMY & THE TOPS (V-Tone 102/Len 1011, A)
23. Rockin' In The Jungle – THE ETERNALS (Hollywood 68, A)
24. You Were Mine – THE FIREFLIES (Ribbon 6901, A)
25. Good News – THE FIESTAS (Old Town 1074, A)
26. Mope-itty Mope – THE BOSS-TONES (Boss 501/V-Tone 208, A)
27. Sea Of Love – PHIL PHILLIPS with The Twilights (Khoury’s 711/Mercury 71465, A)
28. Let It Please Be You – THE DESIRES (Hull 730, A)
29. There Goes My Love – THE FANTASTICS (RCA Victor 47-7572, A)
30. My Beloved (Without Strings) – THE SATINTONES (Motown 1000, A)
31. Oh Rose Marie – THE FASCINATORS (Orchestra Under The Direction Of Jesse Stone) (Capitol 4247, A)
32. This Broken Heart – THE SONICS (Harvard 801/Checker 922, A)
33. There Goes My Baby – THE DRIFTERS (Atlantic 2025, A)
34. Shout (Parts 1 & 2) – THE ISLEY BROTHERS (RCA Victor 47-7588, A)

The 84-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 82 that tells who's who in the black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It actually lists the singer's names  - who else but Bear would do this? The text is peppered with pictures of those old American 45s on long-forgotten labels like Flick, Unart, Scepter, Boss, Ghoury’s, Harvard, Hull and Cub as well as bigger names like Atco, Mercury and even Motown. You get rare 7” picture sleeves for The Accents, The Crests and The Falcons. The CD repros the rare "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos on End and the spine makes up a single photograph of the series name when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing and trusted names like Walter DeVenne, Nico Feuerbach, Victor Pearlin, Colin Escott and Billy Vera have been involved in the research - while Audio Engineer MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering (Disc Transfers by Victor Pearlin and Lothar Blank). The sources (as you can imagine) differ wildly but to my ears the sound quality is improved on everything that I've heard before (including some of the Rhino box sets). The audio and presentation are top-class here (a norm for Bear Family)...

With a huge 34 tracks and a format-packed playing time of 83:23 minutes – you certainly can't accuse this CD of scrimping it. Sounding gorgeous and virtually defining Vocal Group bliss – 1959's Volume 11 opens with a genuine masterpiece that I would put close to the top of my Desert Island disc selection – the beautiful "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos. What a song – never fails to send me. It may look like Turpentine and taste like India Ink - but "Love Portion No. 9" seems to be doing the babe-pulling business for The Clovers - that is until one of them kisses a cop at 34th and Vine. Strings arrive with "This I Swear" by the white-boys-n'-gal combo of The Skyliners where our hero promises to never make her cry (he even sounds sincere folks).

Things go Dion & The Belmonts pop with The Crests on "The Angels Listened In" where our hero is convinced of heavenly intervention every time he looks at his girl. "Island Of Love" is an excellent slow-dancer as is the decidedly low-fi but emotion-packed "You're So Fine". A great smoocher and a genuinely clever inclusion is "My Love Will Never Die" by The Channels with soaring vocals from Lead Tenor Earl Lewis – as lovely as The Flamingos opener. Coming on like a companion rhythm to "Itty Bitty Pretty One" things gets bop-a-long with the infectious "Wiggle, Wiggle" by The Accents where Lead Vocalist James Jackson advises his lady on what to do with her rather fine posterior (but in a nice way you understand). By the time we reach The Shirelles with "Dedicated To The One I Love" and "A Teenager In Love" by Dion & The Belmonts – you can already feel the racy free-love of the 60ts beckoning.

Although it was huge on the charts - the almost African rhythms of "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko Bop" by Little Anthony & The Imperials sits a little uncomfortably here. The squeaky clean "Hushabye" by The Mystics (written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman) sounds incredible audiowise. “Moonlight Serenade” feels a little too syrupy for its own good – better is the bopping “Who’s That Knocking” by The Genies which sounds a little like "Rama Lama Ding Dong". The pretty "Just To Be With You" by The Passions impresses but it's kicked into touch by the witty crowd-pleasing R&B of "Charlie Brown" by The Coasters (what a winner). Before they embarked on a staggering 40-year career in R&B and sophisticated 60ts Soul – The Dells gave us the lovely "Dry Your Eyes". Novelty time with "Hully Gully", the organ-driven seaside feel to "Puppy Love" and silly jungle noises for "Rockin' In The Jungle". Far better is the Otis Blackwell written "Good Times" by The Fiestas – a really great shuffling beat that's clearly going after the dancefloor crowd. "Sea Of Love" by Phil Phillips even had an Al Pacino/Ellen Barkin film named after it. "There Goes My Baby" indicates at the Soul to come. And on it goes to musical history with "My Beloved" by The Satintones – a long forgotten single but one that enjoyed the (now) astonishing catalogue number of Motown 1000 – the very first Vocal Group on the label...

To sum up – as 1959 plays you can feel the heyday of Vocal Groups as we've known and loved them already on the wane (and there's four more volumes to go No. 15) – but that doesn't mean that the song quality has gone out the window. I know many of these crossover R&B hits from other compilations – but their clarity here is stunning. You could argue the merits of having the manic Jackie Wilson crowd-pleasing vocal pyrotechnics of The Isley Brothers ending the compilation with both parts of the fabulous "Shout" – but I for one am glad it's here...

Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they should have been doubles because real collectors will have more than a few titles on offer here. But Bear Family will argue '...not in this sound quality or looking this good...' - and they'd have a point.

Presented to us with love and affection by an independent record company that cares about forgotten voices that shouldn’t be forgotten. What a sweetheart of a compilation and another gold standard from Bear...