Best of 1961-1965

Dovells | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B000B8I8YG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,638 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

All eight chart hits and 13 more long-lost tracks from this all-time great Philly vocal group! Includes Bristol Stomp; You Can't Sit Down; Do the New Continental; Bristol Twistin' Annie; Hully Gully Baby; The Jitterbug; Betty in Bermudas; Stop Monkeyin' Aroun'; No, No, No; Foot Stompin'; Mope-itty Mope, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't sit down any longer!, October 23, 2005

By 

S. Paradoa (Miami, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of 1961-1965 (Audio CD)

The wait is over. This collection brings us the official release of the original Parkway recordings of the five man Philadelphia group led by lead singer Len Barry. The set consists of 21 tracks total, including all eight of the Dovells' Hot 100 hits. Every track is in mono except "1-2-3" which is in stereo. You get their five top 40 hits and six b-sides, plus album cuts and Len's solo single releases for the label (that failed to chart). It's interesting to hear the group's remakes of three hits of the day: "Mope-itty Mope" (by the Boss-Tones from '59), "Foot Stompin'" (by the Flares from '61), and "Baby Workout" (from '63 by the great Jackie Wilson). As an added bonus, the set closes with Len's top five solo hit from '65 (when he was on the Decca label). The digital sound is terrific. A four page essay (written by Jeff Tamarkin, who also authored the essay for the Cameo Parkway box set released in May 2005) plus five pages of credits and chart info detail their short career (by the time Len went solo the group was down to a quartet in just three years). Most fans and collectors will be satisfied (you can't beat the price). Highly recommended.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stompin', Twistin' and I Can't Sit Down!, October 18, 2005

By 

Paul Warren "rhythm reviewer" (Farmington Hills, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of 1961-1965 (Audio CD)

This CD is a good overview of The Dovells hit years and a bit beyond. I (and many others) have been waiting several years (20 or so) for The Dovells recordings to be issued on CD, so I am very pleased to have this CD in my possession. It contains their charted hits, a few B-sides, a few LP cuts, three Cameo releases under Len Barry's name and his big solo hit on Decca, "1-2-3". Liner notes detailing The Dovells' story and their encounter with the 42nd President is also included. If you've been waiting to capture "Bristol Stomp", "Bristol Twistin' Annie", "You Can't Sit Down", "Do The New Continental" and "1-2-3" all on one single CD at a bargain price, then wait no more and order this one. Be sure to check out the Cameo-Parkway Story box set too.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All The Dovells' Parkway hits are now here!!, February 18, 2006

By 

sixties4ever "Bobby" (Salinas, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of 1961-1965 (Audio CD)

This is part of Abkco Records' Cameo/Parkway series.
Along with Chubby Checker, The Orlons, Bobby Rydell, Dee Dee Sharp, The Tymes and ? (Question Mark) & The Mysterians.......The Dovells were part of the missing Philly recordings in the CD era.

But now they are all here in clear, clean, crisp digital sound!

The Dovells were: Len Barry (lead singer) Jerry Gross (first tenor) and Mike Freda, Arnie Satin & Danny Brooks. By 1962 they were reduced to a quartet.

The Dovells' first chart record narrowly missed the #1 spot on Billboard. It rested at #2 in 1961. That record was "Bristol Stomp".

This package contains all their hits including: "Do The New Continental", "Hully Gully Baby", "You Can't Sit Down"....and surprisingly "1-2-3" the solo hit by Dovells' lead singer Len Barry that reached #2 in 1965 after the Dovells chart run was over.

The mood is upbeat for the most part here. The "do-the-dance" songs are many.

Listening to the better Dovells' hits like "You Can't Sit Down" and "Do The New Continental" it is clear that given their unique blue-eyed soul approach, they could have easily been as successful as The Four Seasons. Unfortunately, unlike the Four Seasons, The Dovells were supplied with a lot of substandard material: "Bristol Twistin' Annie", "Dance The Froog" et al.

They were at their best wailing on R&B tinged numbers....not trite dance songs. Their version of "Baby Workout", included here, is the equal of Jackie Wilson's original!
Len Barry's feel for R&B is evident throughout this material. His voice backed by the other Dovells had a definite polished soulfulness.
This CD is highly recommended to any fan of good time '60s pop music.