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RHYTHM & BLUES, SOUL & DOO-WOP

The Valentines -> The Volumes

THE UNTOUCHABLES
THE VALENTINES
THE VALENTINOS
THE VALIANTS
THE VELOURS
THE VELVET ANGELS
THE VELVETS
THE VIBRATIONS
VITO & THE SALUTATIONS
THE VOLUMES
 

THE UNTOUCHABLES Madison 1001 Good Night Sweetheart, Goodnight ● CD $18.98
28 tracks from this West Coast group recorded between 1960 and 1969. The groups personnell changed over the years and they changed the groups name too so that in additional to songs released as by The Untouchables it also includes sides as by The Alley Cats, Happy Tones, Del-Mars, Surgeons and others! The group performed in a variety of style including straight doo-wop, Drifters style R&B with strings, Olympics style novelty songs, a bit of soul and a bit of pop. Sound quality on some tracks is pretty muffled.

 
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

 
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)

 
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.

 
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

 
THE VELVET ANGELS Relic 7067 I'm In Love ● CD $14.98
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

 
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

 
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 plus ballads like All My Love Belongs To You/ So Blue/ I Had A Dream and more. (FS)
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

 
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)

 
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.

 
THE VOLUMES Chex 1002 From Doo-Wop To Northern Soul ● CD $18.98
34 track collection of sides from the 60s by Detroit group who had their greatest success in 1962 with the fine doo-wop ballad I Love You recorded in a garage studio. Their early 60s sides were mostly doo-wop featuring the expressive lead vocals of Ed Union. Their later sides were in urban soul vein and featured leads by Gerald Mathis and Jimmy Burger.
THE VOLUMES: A Way To Love You/ Aint' That Lovin' You/ Angel/ Come Back Into My Heart/ County Jail/ Dreams/ Gotta Give Her Love/ Hello Operator/ I Can't Live Without You/ I Cried For Your Love/ I Got Love/ I Just Can't Help Myself/ I Love You/ I Love You (outtake)/ I Love You Baby/ I Wanna Be Your Man/ Maintain Your Cool/ Miss Silhouette/ Monkey Hop/ My Kind of Girl/ My Road Is the Right Road/ Oh My Mother In Law/ One Way Lover/ Our Song/ Roly Poly/ Sandra/ Teenage Paradise/ The Bells/ The La La Song/ The Train/ Where Are You/ Why/ You Got It Baby/ You Put A Spell On Me

 
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