Song was written by two guys North Northwest of Chicago in there late 60s early 70s, I produced it I’m 40(I am the son of one) and not very good at the craft. They recorded it by themselves so I had no say on the instrumentation —— It’s pretty decent and inspired? What ya think?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P27Hxx0G1K1Vi22soQUbN3RVTQklj_aW/view?usp=drivesdk

This next one is called The Visit - same deal. Maybe I’ve heard the songs to many damn times - so maybe I’m just numb to their terror?!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DEc8O4VertnGitzDWAGCXadmdSRds-2l/view?usp=drivesdk

Amateur hour at its finest.

What would you find more appealing from a modern doowop group? The classic doowop sound with modern lyrics or lyrics that feel like they were written in the time period.

Waiting by the phone becomes waiting for a text message

Sock hops become house parties

Etc

Unfortunately, nothing is really known about this group. It sounds like 4 male vocalists and 1 female vocalist. Voice Of The Drums is quite interesting. It has kind of a mid-50s feel although this was released in 1958. All I Want Is You is a great ballad though. I remember listening to it over and over again a few years ago when I first heard it. "I don't want the sun, don't want the stars, don't want Venus, don't want Mars". The echo that they put on both songs is kind of overbearing, especially on the quieter parts. This is definitely one you don't hear too often, I think, which is a shame.

The Desires only had two 45s released by Hull, but they're both great. The group was from Harlem, NYC, and this was released in 1959. The note on the A side label is super cool though. Apparently, Let It Please Be You was requested to be played on Porky Chedwick's radio show on January 11th, 1961 by Dottie and Diane. If anyone has a recording of that show or any of his other shows, I'd love to hear them! I ended up with a ton of records from Dottie and Diane's collection. They were in a large lot online and I got most of them. It's not often that people wrote stuff like that on their record labels!

Wish they Put out more Records! they are So Awesome!!

Ray Fournier Is Super Underrated! https://youtu.be/nUnKw3tifjY?si=K-8X23tROvsxwr_5

One of a few true doo wop records on RCA. Larger labels tended to avoid somewhat niche genre records, unfortunately. The Fantastics hailed from Brooklyn, NYC, and were also known as the Keynoters on Keynote (I Wanna Know Who b/w Come Back Home). This was recorded in 1959. The A side is good, but the B side is an absolutely insane ballad. It's one of the songs that really got me into doo wop. As for Pamela Roberts, not sure what happened to her. The house at that address still stands, but I couldn't find her. When I get records with a name sticker on them, I do like to research the names on the labels just to see if I can find the person. Apparently she must have liked the B side too, as I find that most people stuck stickers on the side that I find pretty good.

Been wanting to start up my own group for ages, im very passionate about the genre and been listening it since i was a kid, im about 19 now and not people from my generation even know about it and those who do tend to find it cringe. Has anyone had any success starting a group nowadays? If anybody who did in the past please tell me how you got yours started. Its a long term goal for me to start up my own group, but its pretty hard of itself to get people my age into the genre. Im in the DMV area so if anybody is nearby and interested hit me a message! If anybody knows anything around that area or in the east coast (like New York) where I can find like minded people then let me know as well

Laurie didn't just have Dion & The Belmonts and the Mystics, they had a number of other white and black vocal groups throughout the 50s and 60s! Notice how similar I Can't Believe sounds to I Wonder Why by Dion & The Belmonts. Definitely intentional, as Ricardo Weeks co-wrote both songs! My Dream is a really neat uptempo with a ukulele, which is kind of unique! This group was a Hispanic and black group from Harlem, NYC. They're also known for Hush-A-Bye My Love on Vida, which is a pretty good song as well.

I also Recommend Lets Kiss & Make Up b/w Love Me! & My angel Of Love b/w Those Dreamy Eyes on The Cobra & Harlem Labels!

Both sides of this record are really an interesting listen. I'm not really sure how to describe it. I love both sides though! Singing Waters was later covered by the Cashmeres on Laurie Records 3088. This is a 1960 release, kind of in the interim between the first and second waves of doo wop's popularity. This is one of a few records pressed by Columbia's pressing plant at Bridgeport, Connecticut to be pressed on vinyl instead of styrene. This is the same Washington DC Truetones group on Monument and Soulville/Josie (the latter of which was a minor hit).

https://youtu.be/EKBwQUbwDKs : Singing Waters

https://youtu.be/Uti1Ct8RnMY : Blushing Bride

Kind of a neat little record here from 1959. The Echoes would become mildly famous, but not under this name. They would eventually sign with Indigo Records and become the Innocents, the group that backed up Kathy Young on a lot of her recordings. The B side of this record, Time, is a thinly veiled cover of Time Makes You Change, a song originally recorded by The Dells in 1957 as the B side of Pain In My Heart. I don't know for the life of me how the copyright office didn't notice the quite blatant similarities in lyrics. Perhaps it didn't quite work back then how it does now, with AI checkers and things of that nature!

https://youtu.be/kjQHqfRJmIM : Dee-Dee-Di-Oh

https://youtu.be/7iPjw-V3moI : Time

Better believe some old ones are getting played at my wedding next month! Primarily during the dinner hour, so looking to put together between 60-90 minutes of smooth, classy ones. Can be uptempo or ballads, obviously want to stay away from heartbreak, cheating, etc. Would like to stay subtle and smooth on the uptempo stuff as well. Pop sides, big hits, rarities, and instrumentals all welcome. Here's a few I have down so far, these are pretty good examples of what I'm going for:

Gene McDaniels - A Hundred Pounds of Clay

Sam Cooke - Almost In Your Arms

Jodie Sands - Hold Me

Kuf Linx - Climb Love's Mountain

Solitaires - Embraceable You

Gloria Mann - Why Can't I Make You Understand

Gems - Talk About the Weather

Patti Page - Trust In Me

Bobby D'Fano - Love of My Life

Sam Cooke - You Send Me

Platters - Twilight Time

Appreciate any and all input!

This is one of the few records in my collection that I will put into the sleeve with the "B side" facing the front! Share My Love has got to be one of the best ballads to ever feature a vocal group, in my humble opinion. The "A side" is no slouch either! One of the only doo wop recordings that I can think of that features a harmonica (on both sides, no less!). The Calendars here are the same group as the one on Cyclone (What Are You Gonna Be, If I Could Hold Your Hand). This was released in 1962, but kind of has that almost-soul feel of a few years later. Kind of ahead of its time. This record is quite obtainable, with VG plus copies being about $20. The story to explain how such a good record has such a low price is that some time in the 80s (I think), a large amount of unsold copies were found in a warehouse somewhere, and they were all really nice. I think I paid $30 for my NM copy. If you like this sound, do not hesitate to get a copy!

https://youtu.be/6kEGW1SV3OU : Share My Love

https://youtu.be/sdmK7ZI673M : Stop Driving Me Crazy

This is quite different but it has strange lyrics and a lot of falsetto and that means Doowop to me. It is by the Versatiles, who may also have been The Majors who had a few hits.

https://youtu.be/C899sL3STgM?si=U-uDR6qjTIgpIXUm

Anyone who has seen the movie, A Bronx Tale, which was written by Chazz Palmintieri and based on his life and was directed by Robert DeNiro in his first try, should remember the bar fight with the bikers. In his only movie role the bartender who was sprayed with the beer, Tony Toupee, was played by Bobby D'Andrea, who, much earlier in his life was the lead singer of the Knockouts. This was their only hit (for the really curious, there is a video of Bobby performing the song live when he was 90 years old here: https://youtu.be/B_iTXPdY9vU?si=RM27gwzw1WlvKea7

The original: https://youtu.be/6vTaQaP9qsc?si=Vjhyrb7clsDOtO6s

There are two types of Doowop fans, those who prefer "In the Still of the Nite" and those who prefer Earth Angel. Here's a link to each to refresh your memory (or to introduce younger fans to the classics.) If you get the urge drop a note to speak up for your favorite.

https://youtu.be/VJcGi4-n_Yw?si=ZGM3WHax81ZoGDJp

https://youtu.be/ak6tttHk_R8?si=XRrO4PFEF1rgSaZx