Customer Reviews

Nobody But You

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

 

 

The Lafayettes were from Baltimore (Towson, actually) and their
popularity was pretty much limited to the Baltimore area plus
nearby Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, and Richmond.
They produced only two records (four sides) on the RCA label
--- all included on this CD (available on CD at last!).
I was a fan of the group during their short tenure on the
recording scene in 1962 - 63.
The group and their signature song "Life's Too Short"
(their only charted title, though only at #87)
were featured in the original movie "Hairspray",
representing their appearance on Baltimore's TV teen
dancing "Buddy Deane Show" (much to the dismay of
Dick Clark in Philadelphia).
Since the CD contains only four tracks, it becomes
a proportionately expensive CD --- more than $2 per
track. Record collectors and real oldies music buffs
(primarily from the Baltimore area) will enjoy it and
probably won't mind the cost --- really not all that
bad compared to some other pricey CD's that I've seen
listed by some vendors.
I am a dedicated record collector (and have both of
their original 45 rpm records) and highly recommend
this CD to Baltimore area collectors and to anyone
who likes great early 60's rock & roll --- the music
sounds good!

Although there are only four songs on this rather pricy CD, I was pleasantly surprised with it. Three of the four songs are really great. The song "Life's Too Short" that was featured in the original "Hairspray" movie (John Waters) is one of my favorites. Since I am from Baltimore and they were a local band, I think it was well worth the price for this collector's item.

To supplement the other review: This group was also big at the University of Maryland where I saw them live. Life's too Short was their signature song. It shared one thing with the Kingsmen's classic, Louie, Louie in that it was thought to have an obscenity in the middle of it. Whatever the words are, it is a great song! Can probably find it on a compilation, though, for a lower price.

Although I don't yet have this CD (just discovered it's existence) I'm giving it "5 stars" based on content. The group's follow-up single, "Caravan Of Lonely Men" was also a hit in Baltimore, as well as being another fine effort, though on nowhere near the scale of "Life's Too Short". I had the pleasure of seeing The Lafayettes in 1964, though their big hit was, by then, nearly two years in the past. Their live performances were superb ! A group that deserved much more exposure and success than their very brief tenure in the spotlight.