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 DooWopDJ's 
R&B and DooWop CD Reviews
 
THE VIBRATIONS

"Doo-Wop Delights"

Black Tulip #39220
Barcode: None

Review first published: 04.08.2002

1955 is the year. A kid from Brooklyn moves to Los Angeles. With his experience at street corner singing and the shows at the Apollo and Brooklyn Paramount, he forms a vocal group. The group was the Jayhawks. Having a run of four years recording with limited success as the Jayhawks, Vibes and Cleeshays, they decide to change their name once again and move to other recording realms.

1960 comes and the group now calls themselves the Vibrations. This change of name and recording labels definitiely worked for Richard Owens - lead, James Johnson - 1st Tenor (kid from Brooklyn), Carlton Fisher - 2nd Tenor, David Govan - Baritone & Don Bradley - Bass.

The Vibrations recorded well into the 70’s.

This CD covers the Vibrations’ earlier recordings. 1960-1963. Even their moonlighting stab as the Marathons!! Got some great smooth ballads and some raucous movers & groovers. Thirty-one (31) tracks from the Vibrations await you here.

All tracks as Vibrations unless otherwise noted:

1. All My Love Belongs To You - ’61 Checker (Beautiful Ballad starts us off) play

2. The Watusi - ’61 Checker (The group’s biggest hit!)

3. Serenade Of The Bells - ’61 Checker LP (Nice remake of the Bobby Mansfield & the Wrens release from ’55 on Rama)

4. Over The Rainbow - ’61 Checker (Rockin’ this classic)

5. Anytime - ’62 Checker (Still a rockin’)

6. So Blue - ’60 Bet and Checker (Very nice ballad)

7. Stop Right Now - flipside of #1 (The Rock side)

8. Continental With Me Baby (The Continental) - ’61 Checker (Another Dance tune)

9. May The Best Man Win - ’63 Checker (These guys like ya dancin’ apart! Uptempo again)

10. Oh Cindy - flipside of #4 (Cha Cha to this one) play

11. Since I Fell For You - flipside of #9 (This Classic in a quicker beat)

12. Doin’ The Slop - ’60 Checker (One more dance craze number)

13. The Cave Man - flipside of #12 (Alleyyyyyyy OOOOp! LOL)

14. I Had A Dream - ’61 Checker LP (Dance Real Close now! Nice!!)

15. Love Me Like You Should - flipside of #6 (Enough of the slow stuff!!!! Yup! Rocker!)

16. Let’s Pony Again- flipside of #5 (What the Hey!! Another Dance Craze)

17. Down To New Orleans - Marathons ’60 Arvee, Argo & Chess (Good Uptempo)

18. The New Hully Gully - ’62 Checker (Sure it is! Another Dance to learn)

19. You’re Mine - unreleased Checker (Killer version of Dean Barlow’s great ballad)

20. Dancin’ Danny - ’63 Checker (These guys are a bartenders best friend! Keepin’ ya rockin’ and thirsty!)

21. People Say - ’61 Checker LP (But! When they do do a ballad! WOW!!)

22. Little Time (s/b So Little Time) - flipside of #12 (Hey! Two ballads in a row!)  play

23. Stranded In The Jungle - ’61 Checker (Why Not! The song that was their first hit as the Jayhawks)

24. What Made You Change Your Mind - flipside of #16 (Title sounds like it might be a ballad. It AIN’T!!)

25. The Junkeroo - flipside of #8 (Of course one more dance to learn)

26. Feel So Bad - ’60 Checker (Very good ballad)

27. Wallflower - flipside of #2 (Nudded Rocker!)

28. Time After Time - ’61 Checker LP (Ballad here)

29. Peanut Butter - flipside of #17 (There BIG HIT as the Marathons)

30. Don’t Say Goodbye - flipside of #23 (Latin beat)

31. Sweet Slumber - ’61 Checker LP (At least they end the CD with you dancing cheek to cheek!)

As the Vibrations, the group had over 80 recordings. 1960 into the early 70’s. This CD is a taste of their earlier recordings in the DooWop style. Brand new release for 2002. Look for it where you buy your oldies. As always, need help finding it, drop me an E.

In Harmony:

Bruce (DooWop DJ)

ellupo@comcast.net