Customer Reviews

Doo Wop Box

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once again, the highest praise for Rhino Records. This box set, while pricey, is worth every dime. There is no place to find this much classic music in any one (or two or ten) disc package.

These discs have a great range, from the finger popping rhythms of The Turban's "When You Dance" (which according to the extensive liner notes was the first recording of the background sound which gave the genre the name "doo wop"), and the Cadillac's "Speedo" to the Marcell's classic "Blue Moon". Of course, the many tributes to love are well represented too, with The Five Keys "Glory of Love", The Five Satin's "In The Still of the Night", and my personal favorite of this style, The Flamingoes timeless "Lover's Never Say Goodbye".

Aside from these all well known gems, it is also a repository of some lesser publicized classics wonderfully interspersed with those songs now the staples of many oldies stations. It is also the only place I am aware of with the greatest named doo-wop group of all time: Vito and the Salutations, and their inimitable (and seldom heard) rendition of "Unchained Melody". It is so different from the Righteous Brothers and a wonderful piece of music.

I grew up in New York listening to this music first on the corner and then on the radio. It brings back wonderful memories of warm summer nights, and the talented (and not so-talented) guys harmonizing on the streets.

WOW! Well, after reading the reviews written here for this set, I went out yesterday and bought it, pretty much on a whim! But this was one of those rare occasions where my whim has actually paid off in spades! First of all, I should say that I'm 19 years old (okay, I'll be twenty in eleven days, but I'm still a teenager at heart!) so, needless to say, I never had the opportunity to sit at a Bronx apartment stoop, harmonizing with four other guys about lost love and moonlit nights. But sometimes, when I listen to this music, I feel like I could very well have been there in a past life! And as far as this set goes, well, it's pure magic! From the first note 'til the last, this box takes a thorough and enjoyable look at the entire doo-wop genre. I learned more about doo-wop's history from the amazing companion booklet than I ever have from any other source. I always used to think that all doo-wop was pretty much the same no matter what year it was released in. Not so! In fact, as it turns out, the doo-wop sound changed so rapidly that you can hear subtle changes in the musical approach from YEAR to YEAR! And in fact, doo-wop falls into three distinct sub-eras; the initial R&B movement of the late forties when groups like The Ravens splintered off from more traditional black vocal groups of earlier years, the acceptance of the music by white America in the mid-fifties and its fusion with rock & roll, and the early 60's doo-wop revival, due in large amount to Italian groups like Dion & the Belmonts, and conscientious record collectors who brought doormant singles to deejays, who made hits out of them YEARS after they were recorded! That means that doo-wop, in some form or another, existed actively in three decades! That's a lot of great music, and this set tackles all of it with outstanding gusto! As a bit of an early-rock historian myself (at least in my own mind ;-), I do have a small bone to pick with the head compiler of this set, who asserts that while groups like the Ink Spots were catering to a mostly white pop audience in the 30's and 40's, the Orioles recorded the first "real" doo-wop tune "It's Too Soon to Know" in 1948. As popular as that theory is and as widely-held as it is among doo-wop aficianados, I'm afraid I just don't see it. The Orioles don't sound any more "doo-wop" than the Ink Spots themselves did! In fact, in my mind, the Ink Spots have just as much doo-wop street cred as the Orioles do, and they started all the way back in 1939 with their countrified, harmonically-satisfying ballad "If I Didn't Care". The Orioles didn't really have any quality to distinguish them from the Ink Spots, so I'd have to say that the first "real" full-fledged doo wop tune was the SECOND song on this set "Count Every Star" by the Ravens, from all the way back in 1950! A beautiful song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it, especially when I hear that soaring falsetto doing vocal loop-de-loops at the beginning! While this whole set is pure gold, I'd have to say that the first disc is my favorite because it encompasses the spirit of pure black streetcorner music, before it became commercialized and before it was fodder for novelty tunes. My favorites of this set are the really obscure old gems from the days when this was the stuff you REALLY didn't want your parents to hear, some of these that I had never even heard before, like "Gee" by The Crows, "Why Don't You Write Me?" by The Jacks (I wish to Heaven that I could find out who that lead vocalist is, he's fantastic!), "Mary Lee" by The Rainbows, "Come Back My Love" by the Wrens, "I" by The Velvets, "Hearts of Stone" by the Jewels, "Sh-Boom" by the Chords, "A Sunday Kind of Love" by the Harp-Tones, "Story Untold" by the Nutmegs, and OF COURSE "Count Every Star" by the Ravens! The later days of doo-wop are just as great to listen to and maybe even more developed stylistically, but never again was it at its purest, most emotionally tormented form. The later discs in this set are fabulous also, with all the feverish and fun doo-wop rockers that were to come along in the rock era and some truly classic and well-known tunes by the Skyliners, the Cadillacs, the Dell Vikings, the Capris, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers etc. as well as some of the great white and Italian streetcorner groups that picked up and carried the torch of doo-wop in the revival period, but I think the last two discs are brought down just a TAD by one or two not-so-great novelty tunes that wouldn't have been missed if they had stayed in the doo-wop vaults (did we REALLY need "Pizza Pie" by Norman Fox & the Rob-Roys?! Uggh!). All criticisms aside, this is still THE set to buy! And even though it's a bit pricey, the informative and lovingly rendered booklet alone is worth half of the price tag just for what you'll learn from reading it, and you get some really rare songs here (from all three eras) that you WON'T find in other collections and, probably, many that you've never heard before and that you'll be glad you met! If you lived through this period, you'll relive some priceless memories, and if you're like me and you didn't see this music's heyday, now is the perfect chance to get it and create some priceless memories of your own!

Keep rockin'!

I have purchased both boxes of this Doo Wop set and I am truly amazed at what I've bought. I am 50 years old, so I vaguely remember some of the songs and others I had never heard. This is some of the best music in the world. I grew up in the 60s with Motown, etc. and love that music to death. This is different and lets me know that I was a generation behind the truly great music. The way the vocalists use their voices to mimic instruments is truly amazing. I am not musically inclined - I just love good music and I rate these two box sets at the top of my list.

What actually surprised me most of all was how high the quality was on these recordings. They are original recordings and I think they sound fuller than some of the recordings that are out today. If your age is fifty or older, I know you will enjoy these cd's. I can't stop listening to them. My old motto used to be "I'm stuck in the 60s" but for now I have to change it to "I'm back in the 50s".

Enjoy!

Doo Wop has not been treated this great ever. Once again, Rhino has done a fantastic job. Many phases of the music is sampled. The familiar is here, but the real gems are the songs that are not played on oldies radio stations because they weren't hits. Many of the original recordings are featured, such as "sincerily" by the Moonglows, not the tepid remake by the McGuire Sisters. How about "Little Darli" by the Gladiolas, not the Diamonds. As an afterthought, there is a great booklet with the set. The price may seem a little high, but try to get these songs on four discs anywhere else. It's impossible!!! This set is for the novice and expert of the Doo Wop idiom. After hearing this, I am saving up to buy the second set. One reviewer said it was not as good as this set. If it is half as good, it will be worth the price. Absolutely wonderful stuff!!!

One of my favorite box sets. You'll love the hits and the gems you'd forgotten or never heard before. If the price is too high for your interest in Doo Wop, consider getting the one-CD Rhino compilation drawn entirely from this box set, "The Best of Doo Wop Uptempo" (but again, you don't need both, as all the tracks on that CD are in this set). This box set has an outstanding booklet with essays, group photos, and historical track information. Excellent remastering. Pricey, but a very good value. Highest recommendation.

Let me start out by saying, "If you love Doo Wop, you'll love this collection!" Kudos to Rhino for assembling a wonderful set of 101 Doo Wop classics!"

There are so many recognizable classic songs in this box set. Here are just a few that I love:

Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnite, Sh-Boom, Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine), Only You (And You Alone), The Great Pretender, Get A Job, Tears On My Pillow, 16 Candles, A Teenager in Love , Blue Moon

And many more!!!

I love this music and I wasn't born until the sixties! If you were growing up in the fifties, I don't know how you could possibly pass up this collection. I'm sure it will bring back many a fond memory and have you humming, snapping your fingers and dancing for hours on end!

By the way, there were many songs I didn't know, but they have become dear to me too.

The sound quality is excellent for the age of these recordings. The songs may very well sound better than you ever remember hearing them in the past.

The 4 CDs are handsomely packaged in individual jewel cases and a beautiful and informational booklet accompanies the set.

Highly recommended!

I read the price tag on the "Doo-Wop Box" and blanched. Then I clicked on the list of tracks on the CDs and freaked for days. If there was ever a treasure trove of great doo-wop, this is it. "Oh Gee" by the Crows. "Money Honey" by Clyde McPhatter, not Elvis Presley's knock-off; good though that was, it can't touch Clyde's original. "At My Front Door" by the El Dorados (how many times did my friends and I bop to "Crazy little mama come a-knockin', come a-knockin' at my front door, door, door"). "Story Untold" by the Nutmegs (one of the best doo-wop hits of all time). "Why Don't You Write Me" by the Jacks. "Mary Lee" by the Rainbows?!!? That one used to be the Holy Grail of doo-wop back in the day. And so it goes. The Channels, the Heartbeats, the Platters, the Teenagers, the Teenchords (Louis Lymon, the lead, was Frankie Lymon's little brother), the Cadillacs, the Moonglows, the Cleftones, the Platters, the Dells, the Chantels, the Flamingos, the Paragons, the Jesters, and dozens more, they're all here. This is doo-wop nirvana.

There are four CDs in the Doo-Wop Box, with a total of 101 songs. The first CD spans approximately seven years from 1948 to 1955, leading off with the first doo-wop hit, "It's Too Soon to Know" by the Orioles. The second CD encompasses what I'd call the golden age of doo-wop, from 1955 to 1957. This is where you'll find "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" and "I Want You to Be My Girl" by the Teenagers, "Speedo" by the Cadillacs, "Devil or Angel" by the Clovers, "A Thousand Miles Away" by the Heartbeats, "Desiree" by the Charts, "The Closer You Are" by the Channels, "Church Bells May Ring" by the Willows, and sixteen other great songs. The third CD goes from 1958 through 1960 and includes "Been So Long" by the Pastels and "Little Star" by the Elegants and "A Teenager in Love" by Dion and the Belmonts (two of the few white doo-wop groups). The last CD spans the three years between 1960 and 1963 and is probably the weakest of the four; this was around the time when doo-wop was dying out on the airwaves and the great groups from the Fifties had long been disbanded.

Not only do you get four CDs with the "Doo-Wop Box", but the box itself is constructed to last; none of your flimsy cardboard that falls apart when you take the first CD out, this box will be on your shelf in good condition for years. The accompanying booklet, with great photographs and abundant information about all the groups, is a prize in itself. And the sound quality, digitally remastered from the originals, is terrific. "The Doo-Wop Box" is worth every dime of its pricey price tag and more.

Could "The Doo-Wop Box" be any better than it is? Well, if Rhino had only included two of the greatest doo-wop tracks ever recorded, "The Wind" and "You Are" by Nolan Strong and the Diablos, I would have been in paradise. But even without these, "The Doo-Wop Box" represents the very best in doo-wop collections. This is the gold standard. Nothing else comes even close.

Judy Lind

Mention rock n' roll's founders and hear the equivalent of Mount Rushmore: Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, etc. Hundreds of vocal groups filed under the category "doo wop" rate little mention. Their music is relegated to late-night informercials (usually starring somebody in a black leather jacket), run behind period movies and TV shows, played on Sunday night oldies shows, and shoved to "various artists" shelves in the back of record shops.

"The Doo Wop Box," from the archivists at Rhino Records, gives this musical style the scholarly treatment it long deserved. Rare photographs, essays, and artist profiles comprise a booklet making the music more enjoyable musically and understandable historically.

Even at its length (101 songs over four CDs) the set has its omissions for contractual and other reasons. (Being originally from the Philadelphia area, it would've been nice to have heard anything from The Four J's "By Love Possessed" to the Safari's "Image of A Girl" to the Harlem Globetrotters doo-wop single "Rainy Day Bells.") But what is here serves as rock n' roll's alternate universe, filled with gorgeous melodies (The Elegants, Danleers, Flamingos, Five Satins) intricate group interplay (the Silouettes #1 "Get A Job," the Clovers, the Orioles), wild novelty songs "Rama Lama Ding Dong," the Cadillacs' "Speedo," the Boss Tones' hard-to-believe-even-after-you've-heard-it "Mope-Itty-Mope") jump-starts to long careers (the Belmonts, Dells, Crests) and one-hit wonders (practically the rest of the set). This box, and its companion volume only hinted at in the booklet, is THE essential purchase for fans of this genre; despite its length and cost, it covers every inch of ground on the subject scholarly and lovingly.

There are actually two box sets. The first one goes back to the precursors of doo wop in the 1940s, and goes chronologically. Most of the greats (and near-greats, and some not-so-greats) are included, from Earth Angel to Eddie My Love all the way up to the late '50s and a few in the 60's. The second box set has more misses, but still many that you'll remember and love. I wish they weren't so expensive -- about $16 per CD even though it's a set -- but the enclosed lengthy booklets (all in English so they reall are long) are fascinating, delving into various aspects of the history of individual songs and artists in particular, and the genre in general. The re-mastering is brilliant -- eerie at first because they sound clearer and better than the originals. Purists might find that a drawback, but the rest of us will love it: clear as a (whispering) bell.

I grew up listening to this music. I'm 55 and was a mere child at the very beginning of rock and roll. These doo-wop records have stood the test of time because the music and intentions are Real! There is nothing contrived or phony about these songs, it's pure teenage angst, done seriously yet sometimes with humor. I received Volume I as a Christmas gift and near the end, I was in tears. I never realized this music as an art form, but it really is. Doo-Wop was a way of mimicking musical instruments with your voice, featuring a strong tenor, bass and some falsetto. The next week I had to get Volume II. Rhino sound once again is excellent quality, better than an original 45 back in '58, and of course the booklet that comes in the boxed set features dates, group members and their fate. Outstanding!