Customer Reviews

Walking Along: Very Best Of

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This group may not have made the top of the list but several selections on this album are classics in by book. And their harmony equaled that of the harptones. I guess its just a matter of choice. I could listen to "Sinned" and "The Angels Sang" forever and never get tired of hearing them.
My only disappointment, as with most albums, are the filler songs one has to endure.

Back in 1951, a young vocal group from the New York City area calling themselves The Mello-Moods, cut a record for the Red Robin label called Where Are You (Now That I Need You) and saw it go to # 7 on the R&B charts that February. Among the group were Alvin "Bobby" Baylor and tenor-guitarist Monteith "Monte" Owens who, sometime in late 1953, would join with Herman Curtis Dunham, Pat Gaston, Bussy Willis and Bobby Willams to form The Solitaires. That's the basic history of the group and while the entire story, including personnel changes over the years, is much more involved, it would fill several pages - far too much to include in a review like this.

The essence of their story is that, between 1954 and 1961, they cut a slew of singles for Hy Weiss' Old Town Records, a label specializing in Doo-Wop - and not one made the national R&B or Pop charts. Not because the records were no good - but rather due to the limited promotional ability of Weiss who had a number of acts recording for him and all competing for air/juke-box play and record sales at the same time (Billy Bland, The Cleftones, The Valentines, The Royaltones, Robert & Johnny, The Supremes (not the later Motown legends) and The Keynotes, to name a few). In fact, the label would not have its first actual national hit until May 1958 when Robert & Johnny had We Belong Together go to # 12 R&B/# 32 Pop on Old Town 1047.

But of all the various Doo-Wop groups to emanate from the New York City area back then, The Solitaires developed the largest cult following and, in one form or another, are still entertaining today in Oldies gatherings, and this excellent release from Collectables, with background notes by Marv Goldberg, gives you most of those singles releases. Their first, Blue Valentine b/w Wonder Why, came out in 1954 on Old Town 1000, followed that same year by Chapel Of St. Clair b/w If I Loved You (Old Town 1003 - both missing here), Please remember My Heart b/w South Of The Border (Old Town 1006 and 1007 - only the A side here), and Lonely b/w Chances I've Taken (Old Town 1008).

Four more followed in 1955: I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance b/w Girl Of Mine (Old Town 1010), What Did She Say? b/w My Dear (Old Town 1012), The Wedding b/w Don't Fall In Love (Old Town 1014), and Magic Rose b/w Later For You Baby. The patter continued in 1956 with these four releases: The Honeymoon b/w Fine Little Girl (Old Town 1019), The ANgels Sang b/w You've Sinned (Old Town 1026), You're Back With Me (not here) b/w a re-release of You've Sinned (also on Old Town 1026), and Nothing Like A Little Love b/w Give Me On More Chances (Old Town 1032 - the B-side is missing here).

By now a major label would have dumped them, but Weiss saw that they were hugely popular locally and were selling just enough records in and around New York to pay the bills so, although the releases were cut back, he kept recording them. The only 1957 release was, as it turns out, their best with Walking Along doing very well on a local basis b/w Please Kiss This Letter on Old Town 1035. A year later the white group, The Diamonds, covered it and had it go to # 29 Pop in November 1958 - but they had the promotional backing of Mercury Records.

Just two releases came out in 1958, Big Mary's House (not here) b/w a re-release of Please Remember MNy Heart (Old Town 1059) and Embraceable You b/w `Round Goes My Heart (Old Town 1066). Neither of their final two singles are here either - Light A Candle In The Chapel b/w Helpless (Old Town 1071) in 1959, and Lonesome Lover b/w Pretty Thing (Old Town 1096) in 1961. The cuts I Really Love You So (Honeybabe) and The Thrill Of Love don't appear to have been released as singles.

All in all, a pretty thorough retrospective on one of the best Doo-Wop groups ever to record and who would surely have had a lot more commercial success with the backing of a major label.