(Rhino)
The first Doo Wop Box in 1994 (Rhino's best-selling box set ever) clearly couldn't contain, over its 101 tracks, enough of the doos, waaaaahs, dow-wows and oo-wee-ooohs from the '50s and early '60s. So we get a sequel, and it's as vital and as full of surprises and memories as the first. This box dishes up 101 more platters from 1951-63, extolling heartbreak, longing, devotion and joy. There are hits that stopped time at thousands of high school dances and on millions of car radios, whether cruising or stationary - as well as lesser-known songs that have influenced music to this day. Where would Boyz II Men be without The Platters? Nowhere, man, nowhere.
Included are such essential sides (back when records had sides) as "Rubber Biscuit" by The Chips (laced with jailhouse slang, and covered by the Blues Brothers), "Ruby Baby" by The Drifters, "The ABC's of Love" by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (a major influence on '60s girl groups and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound), and The Platters' "My Prayer." Here as well is my personal fun favorite of the entire vocal group era, "Mr. Lee" by The Bobettes, girls from P.S. 109 in New York singing about a teacher they can't stand. And that's just on Volume Two!
The other discs include such hits as "Secret Love" by The Moonglows and Leiber and Stoller's "Smokey Joe's Cafe" (both Vol. 1, 1951-55) by The Robins - a precursor to the Drifters and Coasters, and featuring "Louie, Louie" songwriter Richard Berry.
Vol. 3 (1957-60) is highlighted by a number of great singles that competed with the likes of Elvis and Buddy, including The Shirelles' "Dedicated to the One I Love" and Dion and the Belmonts' "Where or When." And on Vol. 4 (1960-63), there's The Cleftones' "Heart and Soul," Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl," The Penguins' strange take on "Earth Angel" ("Memories of El Monte"), The Duprees' "You Belong to Me" and Jive Five's "What Time Is It?" (the latter two, incidentally, covered in the '80s by Marshall Crenshaw), among many, many others.
Those songs may give this collection a commercial reason to be, but many of the obscure titles - like "The Door is Still Open" by The Cardinals, "Look in My Eyes" by The Chantels, "Arabia" by The Delcos, or the absolutely wild "Babalu's Wedding Day" by The Eternals, to name but three. These make the package a wealth of wide-eyed wonder, with two- and three-minute gems you may have never heard before now.
While the singing and harmonies define the form, these sessions used instruments as well, and the arrangements played a large role in the birth and evolution of real rock'n'roll, as it emerged from late-'40s jazz, and gospel and rhythm and blues "race music." The Crows' "I Love You So" is here; its original 1951 B-side "Gee" - included on the first box set - is widely considered one of the earliest true rock'n'roll records. There's tinkling keyboards and brush drumming on the ballads, and steaming saxes on the uptempo numbers - and a lot of soul throughout.
Influential and popular as it was in its day, doo wop couldn't last, and its singers, songwriters, producers and session musicians (and dozens of tiny record labels now revered by collectors) were swept aside by the first British Invasion and the ascension of self contained pop groups like The Beatles.
The box set's 80-page book has some informative, brightly written essays that show a true fondness for the subject, as well as a comprehensive track-by-track history by singer Billy Vera and an array of publicity photos of the groups that made the music - and history in the process.
