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RHYTHM & BLUES, SOUL & DOO-WOP
The Valentines -> The Volumes
| THE VALENTINES THE VALENTINOS THE VALIANTS THE VELOURS THE VELVET ANGELS |
THE VELVETS THE VIBRATIONS VITO & THE SALUTATIONS THE VOLUMES |
| THE VALENTINES | Collectables 5405 | Best Of The Valentines - Rama Recordings 1955-1957 | ● CD $13.98 |
| `Richie' Barrett & The Valentines were a short-lived
Philly-Sugar Hill group beloved by hardcore doo-wop aficionados. But to
me they sound like the adult equivalent of Frankie Lymon & The
Teenagers, who also recorded for George Goldner in East Harlem. The
quintet is backed by the extremely impressive Jimmy Wright Combo on such
moderately pleasing ballads as Why (Rama 56), Hand Me Down Love
(Rama 55) and the previously unreleased Sweetheart of Mine (56).
The 15 cut set includes jumpers, one of which - Woo Woo Train -
became Boston D.J. Arnie Ginsberg's coveted theme song. Good sleeve notes. (OLN) THE VALENTINES: Don't Say Goodnight/ Falling For You/ Hand Me Down Love/ I Love You Darling/ I'll Never Let You Go/ If You Love Me, Pretty Baby/ K-I-S-S- Me/ Lily Maebelle/ My Story of Love/ Nature's Creation/ Sweetheart of Mine/ The Joe Smith Theme/ Twenty Minutes/ Why/ Woo Woo Train |
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| THE VALENTINOS | Clifton 1014 | Treasure Chest - Acapella Gems Through The Years | ● CD $15.98 |
| 26 tracks, 68 min., recommended. The work of this fine
latter-day vocal group is presented here in performances from three widely
separated sessions, five cuts from 1981, eight from 1987, and 13 from
1991. The vast majority of their repertoire is composed of cover versions
of 50's and 60's doo-wop numbers. The program here includes My Vow to
You (originally by the Students), The Wind (originally by the
Diablos), Never Let Me Go (originally by Johnny Ace), Oh My Love
(originally by the Drifters), and Close Your Eyes (originally by
the Five Keys). Most lead vocals are handled either by long time member
Sonia Rivera or one time member James Myers. Fine music for those who
enjoy the old sound performed anew. Fine sound, graphics, and notes. (DH) |
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| THE VALIANTS | Stompin' Tide 9206005 | This Is The Nite | ● CD $18.98 |
| 28 tracks from L.A. R&B group and affiliated groups and
solo outings. Material ranges from straight doo-wop ballads (their only
hit, the title song), to up tempo swingers and a few wild Little Richard
flavored items. |
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| THE VELOURS | Onyx 2001 | Remember With The Velours | ● CD $17.98 |
| 20 tracks, 47 mins, recommended Jerome Ramos and the Velours
sung smooth, pretty, soulful ballads like Can I Come Over Tonight/
Romeo/ This Could Be The Night, and My Love Come Back, all
unforgettable classics of the mid/late 50's doo-wop genre. One of
Brooklyn's finest groups whose style was both polished and professional.
(OLN) THE VELOURS: Blue Velvet/ Can I Come Over Tonight/ Can I Walk You Home?/ Crazy Love/ Daddy Warbucks/ Hands Across the Table/ Honey Drop/ I Promise/ I'll Never Smile Again/ Little Sweetheart/ Lonely One/ Lover Come Back/ My Love Come Back/ Remember/ Romeo/ Sweet Sixteen/ This Could be the Night/ Tired of your Rock &Rollin'/ What You Do to Me/ Where There's a Will |
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| THE VELVET ANGELS | Relic 7067 | I'm In Love | ● CD $13.98 |
| 19 tracks, 46 min., recommended. Descended in part from the
Diablos, whose best known record is The Wind, laid down for
Detroit's Fortune Records in 1954, the Velvet Angels hit the New York area
sometime in the early 60's. They experienced some local success as
performers but apparently never landed a regular recording contract.
Nonetheless, their fine a cappella rehearsal tapes eventually fell into
the hands of Eddie Gries (one half of the Relic Records team) who put out
two Angels records on his Medieval label in 1964. This CD, an expanded
reissue of Relic LP 5004, offers the bulk of their studio and home tape
recordings. Highlights include the title cut, Johnny Johnny/ Jungle
Fever/ Fools Rush In, and It's Too Soon to Know. A group well
worth listening to, fairly characterized by Donn Fileti as "the
Persuasions before the Persuasions performed anywhere as a group."
Get it while you can. (DH) THE VELVET ANGELS: Baby I Wanna Know/ Be Ever Wonderful/ Blue Moon/ Fools Rush In/ For Sentimental Reasons/ I'm In Love/ Im In Love/ It's Too Soon To Know/ Johnny, Johnny/ Johnny, Johnny/ Jungle Fever/ Let Me Come Back/ Let Me Come Back/ Lola/ Mary/ Old Macdonald/ Since You've Been Gone/ When You're Smiling/ Your Love |
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| THE VELVETS | Ace CDCHD 625 | The Complete Velvets | ● CD $22.98 |
| 30 tracks, 72 min., recommended Virgil Johnson & The
Velvets will always be known for their Monument Recording of Tonight
(Could Be The Night), one of the great ballads of 1960. They should
not be confused with Charles Sampson's group that recorded for Bobby
Robinson's Red Robin/Fury Labels. Tonight was to be their only
chart record, maybe because they didn't tour (as Virgil Johnson was a
teacher), or simply because Monument Records didn't promote them enough,
or maybe because their sound was not R&B enough. The recordings
include a few of Roy Orbison's songs, Time And Again, Spring
Fever, Laugh, plus a lovely version of Lana, 6 years
before Orbison's own MGM version. Other highlights include The Love
Express, If and the very soul-ish Baby The Magic Is Gone,
their last single. The CD includes 13 previously unissued tracks that
first came to light on a 1991 Japanese Sony CD, including Virgil Johnson's
composition Who Has The Right - an unassertive song that includes a
hint at what may be the real reason why The Velvets were just a regional
success - that mixing black & white people (& music) was not the
pattern in Texas. Today, Virgil Johnson is retired from being the
Principal of Lubbock, TX's Dunbar High School (1968-1993) and was inducted
into the Buddy Holly West Texas Walk of Fame in 1994. (EL) THE VELVETS: Alicia/ Almost But Not Quite/ Baby The Magic Is Gone/ Be Ever Mine/ Bird Dog/ Crying In The Chapel/ Dawn/ Don't Let Him Take My Baby/ Here Comes That Song Again/ Husbands And Wives/ I Can Feel It/ I'm Trusting In You/ If/ Kiss Me/ Lana/ Laugh/ Let The Fool Kiss You/ Let The Good Times Roll/ My Love/ Nightmare/ Poison Love/ Spring Fever/ That Lucky Old Sun/ That's Out Of My Line/ The Light Goes On, The Light Goes Off/ The Love Express/ Time And Again/ Tonight (could Be The Night)/ Who Has The Right/ You Done Me Bad |
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| THE VIBRATIONS | Black Tulip 39220 | Doo-Wop Delights | ● CD $17.98 |
| 31 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended Terrific collection of rockin' R&B and doo-wop ballads from the early/ mid 60s by this fine group from Los Angeles. The Vibrations originally started life as The Jayhawks in the mid 50s (recently reissued on Flash 109) and became The Vibrations in 1960 with a slight change in personnell. The songs feature the powerful pipes of Jimmy Johnson who is equally at home with a soulful ballad or rasping his way through a rocking dance number. Includes their hits The Watusi and Peanut Butter - the latter when they moonlighted as The Marathons. There are lots of other goodies like hot up tempo versions of standards Over The Rainbow and Since I Fell For You, dance numbers like Doin' The Slop/ New Hully Gully and Junkernoo THE VIBRATIONS: All My Love Belongs To You/ Anytime/ Cave Man/ Continental With Me Baby/ Dancin' Danny/ Doin' The Slop/ Don't Say Goodbye/ Down To New Orleans/ Feel So Bad/ I Had A Dream/ Junkernoo/ Let's Pony Again/ Love Me Like You Should/ May The Best Man Win/ New Hully Gully/ Oh Cindy/ Over The Rainbow/ Peanut Butter/ People Say/ Serenade Of The Bells/ Since I Fell For You/ So Blue/ So Little Time/ Stop Right Now/ Stranded In The Jungle/ Sweet Slumber/ The Watusi/ Time After Time/ Wall Flower/ What Made You Change Your Mind/ You're Mine |
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| THE VIBRATIONS | Collectables 6421 | The Very Best Of The Vibrations | ● CD $13.98 |
| Fine collection of rockin' R&B and doo-wop ballads by this group from Los Angeles recorded for Checker, Atlantic, Arvee and Okeh between 1961 and 1968. Includes their hit Peanut Butter issued as by the Marathons, their original version of Hang On Sloopy plus The Watusi/ Since I Fell For You/ So Blue/ Sloop dance/ Canadian Sunset and more. | |||
| VITO & THE SALUTATIONS | E-Z CD 601 | Unchained Melodies - Their Complete Recordings | ● CD $18.98 |
| 32 tracks, 76 min., recommended The generous program here
offers the complete recordings of this latter day Italian-American vocal
group. Recording for a variety of labels between 1962 and 1966, Vito
Balsamo and his Salutations scored their biggest hit with an uptempo
version of Unchained Melody in 1963. Many of their other tracks
were reprises of earlier doo-wop classics performed in an exaggerated
falsetto lead/rapid fire bass style. Program highlights include the above
mentioned hit, plus Gloria, Your Way, Hello Dolly, Get
a Job, I Look at the Moon, Let's Untwist the Twist, Over
the Rainbow, Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Zoom, My
Hero, and I'd Best Be Going. General production values bespeak
a high quality reissue, complete with informative notes, solid sound
quality, and several vintage photos of the group. (DH) |
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| THE VOLUMES | Collectables 5032 | I Love You - Golden Classics | ● CD $11.98 |
| Includes Angel/ You Put A Spell On Me/ Miss Sillhouette/
Bells/ I Love You, etc. |
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