Customer Reviews

The Jive Five - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
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Fabulous group from the late 50's & 60's and still going strong. Won't be disappointed with this CD with hits like, My True Story, Begging You, These Golden Rings and What Time Is It. Their only missing hit not on this CD is I'm A Happy Man. Eugene Pitt and The Jive Five, it doesn't get any better!

Tremendous group with great harmony, lead singer (Eugene Pitt), sing-a-long tunes. All 14 tunes are great. I was too young to appreciate their music in the late 50's and early 60's but glad I discovered them now.

Those "boys" can sing up a storm. Where other Doo-Wop groups have one or two great hits on an album this one contains most all of the best hits.

Saw a 1999 video of their performance in Pittsburgh and influenced me to purchase their hits. They are still "jumpin", "jiving", and "fivin". What a great tribute to the music industry.

I was a little boy, but I remember my sisters (who were teens) played this record "What Time Is It". I could not stay away from the record player every time that song was played. Even the flip "Begging You Please" was just as hot. This CD is one of the best doo-wop cd's. My favorite is "Never Never". They were on Tv this weekend and they still "Got it". You won't be dissapointed.

Eugene Pitt, while with The Genies, had a minor Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1959 on the Shad label when Who's That Knocking? made it to # 71 in April. When further hits evaded the group, even on the R&B charts, he, along with fellow Brooklynites Billy Prophet, Jerome Hanna, Richard Harris, and Norman Johnson, formed The Jive Five and wrangled a contract with Beltone.

They then had Joe Rene arrange a ballad written by Pitt, My True Story which, b/w When I Was Single, rose to # 1 R&B/# 3 Hot 100 in September 1961. The follow-up Never, Never, also with the backing of Rene's orchestra, didn't fare as well, however, topping off at # 74 Hot 100 in December b/w People From Another World, nor did their next single, What Time Is It?, break any records, finishing at # 67 Hot 100 in October 1962 b/w Beggin' You Please.

When in December (by which time the billing had changed to The Jive Five with Eugene Pitt) These Golden Rings b/w Do You Hear Wedding Bells? could only manage a weak # 25 R&B, the group had suddenly run out of hits. A move to the Sketch label didn't improve their fortunes either and it wasn't until 1965, after another move, this time to United Artists, that they returned to the charts with I'm A Happy Man b/w Kiss, Kiss, Kiss (# 26 R&B/# 36 Hot 100).

That single is missing from this set, as is their next charter which didn't come until 1968. At this stage they had changed labels yet again and, with Musicor, had a minor # 34 R&B hit with Sugar (Don't Take Away My Candy) b/w Blues In The Ghetto.

In 1970, after Johnson's death, the group re-organized, adding Casey Spencer, changed the spelling of their name to The Jyve Fyve, got a new contract with Decca, and managed to take I Want You To Be My Baby b/w Give Me Just A Chace to # 50 R&B. These, too, are missing.

While this group certainly wasn't any threat to contemporaries like The Impressions, The Miracles, or The Contours, they had a nice sound, and if you purchase this CD you won't be disappointed by any of the selections. It's just too bad the producers couldn't have managed to include all their hits.

I bought this cd for my mother and she just loves it. She was so happy that I was able to find this cd on Amazon.com. She was very surprised when it arrived and grateful that I found it.

I love "What Time is it", that is the reason I bought this cd then I played the rest of the songs and started playing the other songs on the cd as many times. "Never Never" and "My True Story" I started playing alot of and enjoying the songs and the words to the songs. This is really an excellent Cd. I really like the group also they still sound the same.

The CD is very good.......I would say 80% of the hits are on it. My husband really enjoys it