"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 2: 1950" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD – Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…If You See The Tears In My Eyes..."

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 30 tracks and a genre-expanding total playing time of 83:04 minutes. So let’s talk about a 'Cool Saturday Night' where you're so romantically enamoured with your gal that you'll practically beg the boss at the Fire Station to 'Chief, Turn The Hose On Me'...

Released May 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 2: 1950" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 17280 AR (Barcode 4000127172808) breaks down as follows (I've provided American 78" catalogue numbers on all tracks – 83:04 minutes):

1. Count Every Star – THE RAVENS (National 9111, A)

2. Turkey Hop, Part 1 – THE JOHNNY OTIS ORCHESTRA – Vocal By: The Robins (Savoy 732, A)

3. I'd Rather Be Wrong Than Blue – THE BEAVERS (Coral 65026, A)

4. Do Something For Me – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12001, A)

5. When You Come Back To Me – THE CLOVERS (Rainbow 122, B-side to "Yes Sir, That’s My Baby")

6. Chief, Turn The Hose On Me – THE CAP-TANS (Dot 1018, A)

7. If You See The Tears In My Eyes – THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS (Atlantic 900, A)

8. At Night – THE ORIOLES (Jubilee 5025, A)

9. Jumping Jack – THE THREE RIFFS (Apollo 1164, A)

10. I'll Never Love Anyone Else – STEVE GIBSON and The Red Caps (Mercury 5380, A)

11. I've Got No Time – THE WHISPERS (Apollo 1156, A)

12. I Will Wait – THE FOUR BUDDIES (Savoy 769, A)

13. Old Fashioned Love – THE FOUR TUNES (RCA Victor 22-0085, A)

14. Cool Saturday Night – THE STRIDERS (Apollo 1159, A)

15. Do You Love Me – THE CATS and THE FIDDLE (Gotham 239, A)

16. I Don't Mind Being All Alone – THE COLEMANS (Regal 3297, A)

17. Gone (My Baby’s Gone) – THE BLENDERS (Decca 48156, A)

18. I’ll Never, Never Let You Go – THE SHADOWS (Sittin' In With 583, A)

19. She's Gone – THE DOZIER BOYS (Aristocrat 409, A)

20. As Long As I Live – THE FOUR BLUES (Apollo 1160, A)

21. I Don't Have To Ride No More – THE RAVENS (National 9101, A)

22. Mr. Blues – THE MASTERKEYS (Abbey 3017, A)

23. Please Believe In Me – THE CAROLS (Columbia 30210, A)

24. Nevertheless – THE MILLS BROTHERS (Decca 27253, A)

25. My Heart Cries For You – THE 5 LARKS (Apollo 1177, A)

26. Young Girl – THE FLAMES (Selective 113, A)

27. Who Is There To Blame – THE FOUR ACES (4 Star 1408, A)

28. Love Come Back To Me – KING ODOM FOUR (Derby 736, A)

29. Rival Blues – THE RIVALS (Apollo 1166, A)

30. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes – THE JUBALAIRES (Capitol 845, 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 78s like Savoy, Derby, Apollo, Abbey, National, Sittin’ In With, Rainbow and Dot and a solitary advert poster for The Cats And The Fiddle. The CD repros the rare "Turkey Hop, Part 1" by The Johnny Otis Orchestra on Savoy 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 30 tracks and a format-busting playing time of 83:04 minutes – you certainly can't accuse this CD of scrimping it. 1950 opens with the "...Da Da Dum..." of "Count Every Star" by The Ravens - the stunning vocals of Louis Heywood out front instead of Jimmy Ricks who provided the Bass lines (classy NYC vocal group sounding gorgeous too). We up a gear for "Turkey Hop" with its R&B shuffle – Bobby Nunn giving it some Bass while the band saxophone shimmies through the later half of this excellent shuffler. Clearly dubbed from a 78" – the audio on the lovely "I'd Rather Be Wrong Than Blue" is still amazing – featuring a beautiful central tenor vocal from Freddy Hamilton that gives us "...you make me tick...you make me tock...just like my grandfather's clock..." Clyde McPhatter sails out of your speakers for "Do Something For Me" while the rest of The Dominoes give it some classy "ooh" in the background. Uber rare flipside "When You Come Back To Me" by The Clovers is a million miles away from their usual rocking Atlantic Records fare – it features the high as a steeple vocals of Johnny 'Buddy' Bailey and came out on the tiny independent Rainbow Records – hardly surprising then that its ballad magic is booked at a cool $1,500. Lead Tenor Sherman Buckner of The Cap-Tan's wants an immediate watering down in "Chief, Turn The Hose On Me" because he’s developed a temperature of 1000 degrees since he kissed his baby (methinks she’s hot).

Old-fashioned harmonies dominate two lovelies in a row – "If You See The Tears In My Eyes" by The Delta Rhythm Boys and "At Night" by The Orioles – both emotionally hopeless pleaders. Time to bop when The Three Rifts want you to do the "Jumping Jack" – and irresistible saxophones and piano boogie will make sure you comply. Worse sounding track has to be "I'll Never Love Anyone Else" by Steve Gibson & The Red Caps clearly taken from a wrecked disc – but it's so rarely ever heard – inclusion is a clever choice. The audio immediately leaps into the startling with "I've Got No Time" by The Whispers where the unknown Lead Vocalist sounds like Brook Benton in full-on wooing mode (what a lovely tune). More audio excellence follows in the charming and innocent "I Will Wait" by The Four Buddies where Leon 'Larry' Harrison puts in a stunning vocal backed by the "oohs and aahs" of his singing pals and a simple guitar (a brilliant choice by the compilers).

Impossible romantic yet not cloying in any way – the gorgeous "Old Fashioned Love" by The Four Tunes is wonderful stuff up until they inexplicably punch up the pace to fast half way through it and ruin the loving vibe created in the first half. The chant of "Ping, ping, ping..." time opens "Cool Saturday Night" where the weather is not on the minds of The Striders - pining like muppets in a local park for their gals. Rough transfer for "I Don't Mind Being All Alone" by The Colemans (still a pretty song though) while romance dominates "I'll Never, Never Let You Go" by The Shadows and the swooning "As Long As I Live" by The Four Blues where the Lead Vocalist assures us that "...love sees with the heart and not the mind..." (so he ain't going nowhere). "...Daddy why should you roam...when everything you want is right here at home..." sings Jimmy Ricks in the saucy "I Don't Have To Ride No More" by The Ravens (I hope that boy’s listening). More bopping fun comes in the shape of "Mr. Blues" by The Masterkeys where the group want Mister Blues to come back and Hucklebuck some more (and shout too if he feels up to it).

Undiluted genius arrives with The Mills Brothers (a colour photo of them adorns Page 57) and a beautifully transferred "Nevertheless" where they croon those immortal opening lines "...Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong and maybe I'm weak and maybe I'm strong...but nevertheless I'm in love with you..." The audio on this truly lovely song is reference – congrats to all involved. And on it goes with more crooners in "Young Girl" by The Flames, "Who Is There To Blame" by The Four Aces and "Lover Come Back To Me" by King Odom Four. It has to be said that the last few cuts mentioned and "Rival Blues" by The Rivals that follows them are all dubbed from badly worn discs – so don't expect miracles on the Audio front. It ends on a real high though - a wistful winner from The Jubalaires called "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" where the boys happily advise all to "...have faith in your dreams...and your rainbow will come smiling through..." - I say amen to that.

To sum up – 1950 seemed to be dominated by smoochers and pleaders telling us of their undying fidelity and commitment so this is probably the most out-and-out 'romantic' compilation in the series so far. By the time you get to 1951 and onwards - lewd naughtiness and rambunctious behaviour was creeping in and people were having more fun (thank Gawd). Having said that - the run is broken up nicely with just enough fun R&B dancers to make it enjoyable – even if some of those transfers are rough. 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...

"Street Corner Symphonies Volume 1: 1939-1949" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2012 Bear Family CD – Marcus Heumann Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…If I Didn’t Care...Would I Feel This Way..."

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 30 tracks and a format-incredible total playing time of 87:09 minutes. Time to 'cover the waterfront'...with 'memories that never die'...

Released May 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 1: 1939-1949" on Bear Family BCD 17279 AR (Barcode 4000127172792) breaks down as follows (I've provided American 78" catalogue numbers on all tracks – those with two or more catalogue numbers are reissues in the same year – 87:09 minutes):

1. If I Didn't Care – THE INK SPOTS (1939, Decca 2286, A)

2. I Miss You So – THE CATS and THE FIDDLE (1940, Bluebird 8429, B-side to “Public Jitterbug No. 1”)

3. Till Then – THE MILLS BROTHERS (1944, Decca 18599, A)

4. I Learn A Lesson, I'll Never Forget (1944, Beacon 7120, A)

5. Sentimental Reasons – DEEK WATSON (1945, Manor 1009, A)

6. Play Jackpot – DUSTY BROOKS and His Four Tones (1945, Memo 1001, A)

7. Atom And Evil – THE GOLDEN GATE QUARTET (1946, Columbia 37236, A)

8. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' – THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS (1946, Decca 18739, A)

9. I Know – THE JUBALAIRES with Andy Kirk and His Orchestra (1946, Decca 18782, A)

10. I Sold My Heart To The Junk Man – THE BASIN STREET BOYS (1946, Exclusive 225, A)

11. I Cover The Waterfront – THE CATS 'N' JAMMER THREE (1946, Mercury 2003, A)

12. My Baby – THE MELODY MASTERS (1946, Apollo 379, A)

13. I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder – THE FOUR ACES (1946, Trilon 143, A)

14. P. S. I Love You – THE FOUR VAGABONDS (1947, Apollo 1057, A)

15. Ol' Man River – THE RAVENS (1947, National 9035, A)

16. Don't You Think I Oughta Know – BILL JOHNSON and His Musical Notes (1947, Harlem 1011/Queen 4171/King 4171, A)

17. I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart – THE FIVE BARS (1947, Bullet 1009, A)

18. Solitude – THE SCAMPS (1947, Modern Music 550, A)

19. After Awhile – THE BIG THREE TRIO (1947, Columbia 37893/30103, A)

20. It's Too Soon To Know – THE ORIOLES (1948, It’s A Natural 5000/Jubilee 5000, A)

21. Recess In Heaven – THE DEEP RIVER BOYS (1948, RCA Victor 20-3203, A)

22. Loch Lomond – THE ROCKETS (1948, Aladdin 3017, A)

23. Go Long – THE DIXIEAIRES (1948, Gotham 163, A)

24. It Takes A Long Tall Brown Skinned Gal – THE FOUR BLUES (1948, Apollo 398, A)

25. You're Heartless – THE FOUR TUNES (1949, RCA Victor 22-0024/50-0008, A)

26. A Kiss And A Rose – THE CHARIOTEERS (1949, Columbia 38438, A)

27. Wrapped Up In A Dream – THE FOUR KNIGHTS (1949, Coral 60046, A)

28. River Stay Away From My Door – THE SYNCOPATORS (1949, National 9095, A)

29. If It's So Baby – THE ROBINS (1949, Savoy 726, A)

30. I've Been A Fool – THE SHADOWS (1949, Lee 200, 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 81 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 78s on long-forgotten labels like National, Gotham, Bullet, Apollo, Memo, Beacon and Bluebird. You get trade adverts and concert posters for The Ink Spots, The Delta Rhythm Boys, Bill Samuels, The Four Vagabonds and The Four Blues. The CD repros the rare "I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" by The Five Bars on Bullet 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 30 tracks and a format-busting playing time of 87:09 minutes – you certainly can't accuse this CD of scrimping it. Volume 1 in the series of 15 opens with a died-in-the-wool 1938 classic famously used in the opening scene of Frank Darabont's 1994 movie masterpiece "The Shawshank Redemption". The character Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sat drunk in his car at night with a gun in hand. He knows that his wife is inside the house ahead of him with another man as he listens to The Ink Spots on the radio sing their nostalgic love song "If I Didn't Care'. Both it and the following two lullabies precursor Fifties Vocal Groups by a decade – "I Miss You So" by The Cats And The Fiddle and "Till Then" by The Mills Brothers – and the opening three sound utterly astonishing in their clarity. All that goes out the window with "I Learned A Lesson, I'll Never Forget" which has clearly been dubbed from a badly worn disc (shame because it's a sweetheart of a tune).

I've always had a thing for "Sentimental Reasons" which Linda Ronstadt covered so beautifully on her 1986 album "'Round Midnight" (also used in the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere soundtrack to "The Runaway Bride" in 1999) and often wondered who did the original? Well here it is. Fronted by ex Ink Spots Tenor Ivory 'Deek' Watson and written by their Baritone/Guitarist William 'Pat' Best – it's another rough transfer – but a fabulous inclusion – scratchy or no. A welcome lyrical wit kicks in with the slot-machine song "Play Jackpot" where our hero wisely advises his listeners to "...pull down the lever and see what you got..." (it also boasts great audio despite the barely audible crackle in the background). The same brill audio applies to a genuinely astonishing find – an anti nuclear song cut a year after Enola Gay dropped its horrible cargo. It's called "Atom And Evil" wherein The Golden Gate Quarter solemnly warn us that if "...Atom and Evil should ever be wed...then damn near all of us are gonna be dead..." (so true).

Duke Ellington's "Just A-Sittin' And A Rockin'" as sung by The Delta Rhythm Boys features the gorgeous Lead Vocals of Otho 'Lee' Gaines – said to have massively influenced a singer beloved by all Vocal Group collectors – Jimmy Ricks of The Ravens. And you can hear why Ricks was so enamoured – Gaines' deep velvet tone lift every song to another place. Fabulous clarity returns with "I Know" by The Jubalaires where Andy Kirk fronts amazing Brass and Guitar. The gorgeous standard "I Sold My Heart To The Junk Man" is represented here by a clean-as-a-whistle transfer for The Basin Street Boys where Ormond Wilson sadly tells all his lady friends that "...he'll never fall in love again...” (though I've heard they’re not so sure). Two very rough transfers come at you next – "Cover The Waterfront" and "My Baby" and while the lovely melodies impress – there's no escaping the fact that the wall of cackle and clicks make them hard going as a listen.

Better is "P.S. I Love You" sung by Lead Tenor John Jordan of The Four Vagabonds – as lovely and as nostalgic a tune as a filmmaker could wish for. A welcome bopper arrives in sparkling form as the awesome Bass Singer Jimmy Ricks does that Jerome Kern classic "Ol' Man River" for The Ravens – thankfully keeping it upbeat - the suffering explored in the song somehow pushed into the background. Two more beautiful melodies "Don't You Think I Oughta Know" by Bill Johnson and "I'm Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" by The Five Bars are badly wrecked – but they're such gorgeous songs and strong performances – I can fully understand their inclusion is not just about rarity value. Thankfully the clarity on The Scamps version of Duke Ellington's "Solitude" is fabulous – piano and voices like they were in the room. The Big Three Trio liven things up with "...Hey Mo! Tell old Tom...hurry on down...the party is on...were gonna drink a little whiskey...after awhile..."

Things go into the legendary with "It's Too Soon To Know" by The Orioles fronted by the suave and silver-toned Sonny Til - a sex symbol of the day for African-American teenage girls (the equally terrific George Nelson holds the second half of the song sounding not unlike a young Louis Armstrong). Another professing-my-love "my angle, my dear" song comes in the sweet shape of The Deep River Boys singing "Recess In Heaven" while the vocal bopper "Loch Lomond" assures us that The Rockets have all been to Scotland (well maybe not). And on it goes to Preacher Brown who's in both celestial and congregational trouble because a "...long tall brown skinned gal made him lay his bible down..." (oh dear). Saving us all from the flames of desire is the wistful "You're Heartless" by The Four Tunes – another audio winner with stunning clarity. Aside from the R&B jaunt of The Robins on a wonderfully clear "If It's So Baby" - two of the compilation's final four - "A Kiss And A Rose" by The Charioteers and "Wrapped Up In A Dream" by The Four Knights are amazingly evocative – dripping the sob-pillow longings of hopeless romantics the world over...and would we have it any other way.

To sum up – I had honestly felt that Volume 1 in this series would be an Audio Disaster Area because of transfer problems with discs so staggeringly old (and as I’ve highlighted - in some cases it is). But man oh man the clarity on the others is stunning. And like its 1950 follow-up – '1939 to 1949' is dominated by unashamedly smoochy tunes – an out-and-out 'romantic' compilation that positively drips old movies nostalgia – and personally I love that.

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...