"…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...
