Will The Real DOO-WOP Please stand up-who are you

[TheFonz]

Pennies From Heaven - Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners

Some would say that this isn't a Doo Wop song. Let's hear some opinions............

 

[SfanGoch]

Although released in 1960 (the tail end of the DooWop era), the arrangement and orchestration makes it sound more like an updated "Big Band" style, than as a DooWop. I guess that means "no".

I'm a purist when it comes to what I consider a strictly DooWop sound. Recordings containing a four or five part harmony, distinctive bass singer, possessing a slightly raw street sound, etc. Take, for example, "Love Is A Vow/Valerie" by The Mello Harps, released on the Do-Re-Mi label (Do-Re-Mi 203) in 1955:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znWIIuplPZc

Nothing more than a standup bass is used. You can't ask for a better example of the group harmony sound than these two songs.

Arrangements that contain a dominant string acompaniment, a cleaned up, overproduced and antiseptic sound fall into the "Pop" category. That is my opinion. This sound is a precursor to Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound", which I can't shoehorn into the "DooWop" category. It's a differentiation exemplified by songs like "Sh-Boom" recorded by the Chords and covered by the Crewcuts; and, "Little Darlin'" by Maurice Williams and The Gladiolas, which was covered by The Diamonds. Same songs; different sounds. The Skyliners, along with the Passions, Marcels and the the Shirelles, among others, all fall into the "Pop sound" area. Their styles and deliveries are great; but, it just ain't DooWop.

Jimmy Beaumont might have been singled out as the best male vocalist of the group era; but, he was more "Pop" than DooWop. People like Willie Winfield, of the Harptones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liOXh6w4X6E&feature=related

James "Pookie" Hudson of The Spaniels:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZpvnY1CefQ&feature=related


Joe Duncan of The Vocaleers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfB4RnqdvTU&feature=related


George Grant of The Castelles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzlMBhDua5U


Rudy West of The Five Keys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RlVlHNNM7g&feature=related


Cleo Perry of The Inspirators:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5_-4Gp4DqM

Sollie McElroy of the Moroccos, and former original lead of the Flamingos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMHKp8F9zvE&feature=related


Herman Dunham of The Solitaires:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QWllbHMA6A&feature=related


Sonny Til of the Orioles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZBoFqgT5nI

all can be rightly cited as the premier male vocalists of the group era, as it relates to vocal group harmony/DooWop-style music. Anything else is music for the masses, to borrow the title from a Depeche Mode album. That term fit WCBS-FM to a tee after Joe McCoy gutted the playlists in the 1980s. Anything that would be considered real DooWop was replaced by more commercially acceptably "Pop" sounding tunes from 1958 onward. Hence, the music most people associate with "DooWop" is the material by the Skyliners et al; not the vocal group harmony from the pioneer groups and their musical descendants. I apologize for going off on a tangent; but, I have a deep love and appreciation for the music and, as I stated previously, I'm a purist when it comes to categorizing it.

 

[Silkie]

Barbara Ann - The Regents

 

[GridLeakBias]

Sonny Til and the Orioles
8)

 

[kenrayc]

The Marcels

 

[hornet61]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKqRMUbGGgM

 

[Silkie]

Outstanding there, Hornet! One good turn deserves another:

http://www.tropicalglen.com/

 

[GridLeakBias]

First time to hear this one - nice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDE_q7hQaZ4&feature=related

 

[TheFonz]

Outstanding there, Hornet! One good turn deserves another:

http://www.tropicalglen.com/

Great site, Silkie. Love those Cashbox charts. And the video archives are priceless. The Teddy Bears (1959) with Phil Spector playing guitar is awesome!

 

[hornet61]

Outstanding there, Hornet! One good turn deserves another:

http://www.tropicalglen.com/

Great site, Silkie. Love those Cashbox charts. And the video archives are priceless. The Teddy Bears (1959) with Phil Spector playing guitar is awesome!

thanks, silkie,GLB and Fonze for sharing....Kenny Vance former member of Jay and the Americans, and later Professor LaPlano and the Planotones in the movie "American Hot Wax"..has become my addiction of Modern Doo-Wop..enclosed is his video of Looking For An Echo..theme song from a movie called "Looking For an Echo" starring Armand Assante..featuring the sounds of Kenny Vance...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFW6Ax52Eiw&tracker=False

 

[radioman148]

Outstanding there, Hornet! One good turn deserves another:

http://www.tropicalglen.com/

Very cool!

 

[hornet61]

Pennies From Heaven - Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners

Some would say that this isn't a Doo Wop song. Let's hear some opinions............

Sometimes I contradict myself when It comes to the Skyliners, I think they are more doo-wop than Little Anthony, not as Doo-Wop as Facinators, Eternals,Vocaleers,Vocaltones, The Trophies, etc. Their best Doo-Wop song IMO is "It Happened Today" with all their "shooby di wah's"

Tough question........ I sure loved their music the late Janet Vogel was a great compliment to Jimmy Beaumont, Her lead vocals on "I Can Dream Can't I" With that lush Skyliner string arrangement and alot of Pizzicato is a great piece, and their version of "I'll Be Seeing You" it tops.

 

[Silkie]

The Skyliners were among those doo-wopp groups that were called "the royalty of doo-wopp", but how about this one by The Majors?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gni877WYGw

 

[TheFonz]

Pennies From Heaven - Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners

Some would say that this isn't a Doo Wop song. Let's hear some opinions............

Sometimes I contradict myself when It comes to the Skyliners, I think they are more doo-wop than Little Anthony, not as Doo-Wop as Facinators, Eternals,Vocaleers,Vocaltones, The Trophies, etc. Their best Doo-Wop song IMO is "It Happened Today" with all their "shooby di wah's"

Tough question........ I sure loved their music the late Janet Vogel was a great compliment to Jimmy Beaumont, Her lead vocals on "I Can Dream Can't I" With that lush Skyliner string arrangement and alot of Pizzicato is a great piece, and their version of "I'll Be Seeing You" it tops.

One of the last singles the Skyliners did for Calico Records was a song called "Believe Me". There is no doubt that this is a Doo Wop song. I guess it's fair to say that a group can sing Doo Wop without being classified as a "Doo Wop group".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSXp_ltMX2o

 

[Starbucks]

Re: Will The Real DOO-WOP -who are you..I Have the Definitive Answer.

And That Is .....The Great "Wynonie Harris".....1948 "Good Rockin Tonight". The reason I say this is because it is the earliest pre-rock recording that will easily blend in with the rest of the first generation oldies recordings and oldies stations like 50's on 5 and other first generation oldies stations in the past. Comprised of the Doo-wop groups, Fat's Domino, Bill Haley, Crystals , early Motown, Chubby Checker, and even the Boys of Bandstand era... and pretty much to where the Beatles started. I would say it wouldn't be much of blend of the pop explosion and beyond era (especially in these times)....but this was the first true rocker, even mentioning the word "Rock' before it was tokened Rock N' Roll. Yes there were a few others before him like the 5 Red Caps, Charles Brown or the Three Blazers, The Ravens, and few other bird groups dating back as far as after the 2nd World War....but they mostly recorded ballads with a slight beat,recordings were flat or sounded more be-bop and jazzish, then Rock and Roll or Doo-wop. Even Big Joe Turner (He is runner up) recordings go back to the late 30's with partner Pete Johnson. But is all jazz/blues and didn't start sounding pre -rock/R&B till 51'. He was pioneering. Wynonie let it out like he was at a rock concert. His covers didn't quite match him even including Elvis. He was the man that was for things to come. Try to top me on that one.

 

[GridLeakBias]

Re: Will The Real DOO-WOP -who are you..I Have the Definitive Answer.

.....The Great "Wynonie Harris".....1948 "Good Rockin Tonight". ....but this was the first true rocker, even mentioning the word "Rock' before it was tokened Rock N' Roll.

I agree with you on the great talent of Wynonie Harris, but disagree that his sound can be considered in the Doo-Wop genre. Wynonie Harris began his R&B success as a Blues Shouter, his first major hit being his 1948 cover of Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight". Another R&B chart hit was "All She Wants To Do Is Rock".

The term "rock", however, was not used by Wynonie or any of the other early blue shouters as a musical term or descriptor, rather it was a common slang/euphemism term referring to "sexual intercouse." The use of this word "rock" or the phrase "rock and roll" as a euphemism for sexual intercourse predates the music genre [by that name] by many years.

For those interested: Top blues shouters from the late 40s into the early 50s include (in addition to Wynonie): Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Rushing, Jimmy Witherspoon, Roy Brown, H-Bomb Ferguson, Piney Brown, Smiley Lewis, Jimmy Smith (aka Kansas City Jimmy) and Max "Blue" Bailey. Most of these did not enjoy the recording success of Harris or Turner, although Smiley Lewis had a short term visit into the white listening audience with his rendition of "I Hear You Knocking" (#2 R&B), which was later recorded by Fats Domino and Gale Storm.
8)

Edit: Where did the term "blues shouter" come from? Well, in the old dinosaur days before the advent of amplified microphones or when the poor orchestras or bands could not afford amplification, the vocalists had to shout in order to be heard over the percussion and horn sections. There you have it boys and girls.

 

[hornet61]

I Love Wynonie....another good one is "Bloodshot Eyes" is great for radio play and "Good Rockin tonight" is some what subtle in content compared to the Wynonie Classic "Keep On Churnin". He should have recorded for Trojan records.

The Kings are Fat Domino and Big Joe Turner whose dicograpghy is a monster body of work of Dance Classics.
Big Joe:
Corrina
Shake Rattle abd Roll
Flip,Flop and Fly
Boogie Woogie Country Girl
Honey Hush
The Chicken and the Hawk
Lipstick, Powder and Paint.

Fats too many to list