Customer Reviews

The Best of The Bob Crewe Generation: Music to Watch Girls By

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"Music To Watch Girls By" (the Diet Pepsi-Cola jingle) was transformed into a top 15 smash hit, which led to several successful albums. Bob Crewe has personally selected the best 18 tracks from those albums, which are included in "The Best Of The Bob Crewe Generation." The songs are a mix of well-known pop songs plus several Bob Crewe originals. As a bonus track, the mono single version of "Music To Watch Girls By" also appears. Most of these songs are being issued on CD for the very first time.

What great sounds there were in the sixties! The tune "Music to Watch Girls By" is even better in stereo, but kudos to the record label for including the mono version as well. These are mostly instrumental covers of sixties pop tunes and standards; for me, the standouts are a downtempo "Let's Hang On" and the theme from "Barbarella." Bob Crewe wrote the liner notes; these are unintentionally humorous, as the far-from-humble Crewe brags about how he composes and arranges without knowing how to read music or play an instrument. Crewe doesn't explain why "Birds of Britain" and "Street Talk," the only other Bob Crewe Generation singles to hit the Billboard charts in the latter part of the sixties, aren't included in this "Best of" compilation. They should have been.

I was looking for this record to become a CD as I still own a vynil mono sound record. Recordings and sound are great.
I look forward to see the album " Let me touch you " released in CD. For collectors and Bob Crewe fans this album is very very good.

This will probably not appeal to too many. You have to actually like the 1960s version of "Big Band". If you do like that sort of thing, you will probably like this.

There is much reason to compare this to some of Herb Alpert and the TJB type of music. It has a bit less flavor and used a bigger band but it is the same sort of instrumental romp, heavy on brass, which features simple but catchy tunes.

These guys are not as good as the TJB and the quality of the recordings (One is even Mono!) is not as high as that of Herb Alpert but it is still an enjoyable session.

The only common thing between Bob Crewe Generation (BCG) and Herb Alpert's TJB's is the use of brass, being the maximum similitude in "Music to watch girls", where trumpets are played almost in the same tone and style than Herb Alpert, but the rest of Bob Crewe recordings are in their own category. Of course, I like also TJB's but Bob Crewe has made wonderful arrangements for this collection of songs. While Herb plays his music from the heart, Bob Crewe plays from the brain. I think that the imaginative arrangements made by Bob are in some way nearer to the Esquivel style, (considering Esquivel as the master of arrangement). In Bob Crewe music you will find nice and sophisticated arrangement with saxes, strings, imaginative percussion and even some almost subliminal voices in between the instruments. All this, recorded with superb channel separation, with a sound far better than any Herb Alpert session that suffered from a more basic recording quality. If you like instrumental music from the sixties, I recommend this record . (Even when this record is well remastered for CD, the stereo vinyl version has a more rich and deep tones)

I like Bob Crewe's sound better than Herb Alpert. Don't get me wrong. I still love the TJB. But Bob Crewe's sound is ALL AMERICAN, without the sombreros (credit to a prior reviewer). Buy it! You won't regret it.

... groovy mid-60's easy listening - Austin Powers would approve.

I couldn't believe that I was able to find this little known group from the 60's that made some great music. I was pleasently surprised that you had there best of CD & it has not disappointed. A great listen, Randy Miller

Bob Crewe was involved in the Dynovoice label in the 1960s, home of bands like The Toys ("Lovers Concerto,") and Eddie Rambeau ("Concrete And Clay.")


Music To Watch Girls By is Crew and an orchestra covering these and many other 1960s hits--"Winchester Cathedral," "Theme From A Man And A Women,"


What could have been really bad is pretty good. This album is not rock, but if you can imagine how Herb Alpert and the Tjuana Brass would have treated this music, Crewe is not far off. If this is easy listening, it is easy listening you can swing to.

Makes great beds for on the air DJs. Need more? Check out the Dynovoice compilation Bob Crewe Presents The DynoVoice Story - The Label That Had to Happen

Brings back wonderful memories and instantly upbeats your mood...not to mention dance to the tunes!