listening to Doo Wop

by **Mike Atherton** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:00 am

Frankie and his boys were wonderful, startling, innovative, for one single, very good for two singles, and after that, can you play something else please? I quite agree that their stratospheric falsetto sound does not make for easy long-term listening: I own their Gold Vault Of Hits LP but I don't think I have ever played it right through in one sitting. But I do remember when I first heard 'Sherry' on Radio Luxemburg, and the thrill it gace me because it was so different, it pushed back the boundaries of pop vusic as this then 12-year old had previously known them.
Later records on which they toned the top notes down a bit, such as 'Let's Hand On' and 'Working My Way Back To You' and the Valli solo 'Let's Hang On', are easier on the ear and the nerves!

by **Adam Blake** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:24 am

Yeah, I worship and adore American pop from that era but The Four Seasons never really touched me like the girl groups or Motown or Brill Building or even Spector. It's the same with The Beach Boys: I know they're good, I know I ought to like them - but I just don't.

by **Mike Atherton** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:59 am

What I like about the Beach Boys, apart from their undoubted musical and harmonic skill, is that their music, almost uniquely, sounded like its subject matter: listen to 'Surfing USA' and you can feel the fresh air and the warmth of the sun . Didn't rate them too much after about 1967 though.

As for the Spector girl groups, much of their appeal came from the rich, soaring and angular voice of the great Darlene Love. Check her recent CD compilation 'So Much Love; for lots of great (non-Spector) pop and soul tracks.

by **Adam Blake** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:44 pm

Mike Atherton wrote:As for the Spector girl groups, much of their appeal came from the rich, soaring and angular voice of the great Darlene love.

Yeah, but I'm still in love with Ronnie...

by **garth cartwright** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:56 pm

some of the 4 Seasons 45s are hugely exciting - Rag Doll, Walk Like A Man, silence is golden - I'll never forget the start of The Wanderers when one of the gang is being chased by the baldies with WLAM on the soundtrack. Admittedly, I never sit thru more than a few of their tunes on a Best Of but boy when I hear those tunes I love 'em. Also, when a kid in NZ they had big hits with December 63 and Who Loves You. Great songs! And Frankie singing My Eyes Adored You - pure sopranos! And Grease - just great. I'm a fan!

by **Dayna** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:31 pm

Sherry was a favorite of mine. I also loved Walk Like A Man & Rag Doll. Those were all what my Mom played all the time & they're on our oldies station too.

by **Dayna** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:43 pm

I really love things I've heard by Clyde McPhatter. There was one I heard by The Bosstones that really had a Bo Diddly Beat & I loved that.

by **Mike Atherton** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:00 pm

Adam, I hear you - I think I first realised I was male when i saw The Ronettes on TV.,

by **Dayna** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:18 pm

I liked some things by Frankie Valli but sometimes his voice was a little annoying. It's true. I sort of liked the deeper voices better but sometimes higher ones were good too. This was a list of Doo Wop songs I heard one night while listening to my oldies station. I loved them all & wish I could have them. I know I will eventually.

The Drifters-It Was Such a Night
The Bosstones-Mope-Itty Mope; Has the Bo Diddley beat.
The Tokens-Love Potion Number 9
The Diamonds-The Church Bells May Ring
The Olympics-Dodge City
That's Rock and Roll-The Coasters
The Flamingos-Ladder of Love; This was pretty!
Do I want You- The Marbiles; This was a J. Geils song!
There was just one on that I liked a lot, but didn't get it all. Little Joe---(Happy Nights), couldn't find it.
Johnny Angel and The Halos-
Louie, Louie- Richard Barry and The Pharohs
Frankie Lymon- Goodie, Goodie; I like this a lot.
Del Vikings-Come On Go With me
Bongo Love
The Mystics- Hushabye sure is pretty when there's crickets chirping outside!

by **Adam Blake** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:21 am

I think my all time favourite Doo-Wop record is "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos from 1959. Perfection... With some nice chords quite outside the usual range of the genre. I'll happily post a chord chart if anyone would like it.

by **NormanD** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:43 am

Adam Blake wrote:I think my all time favourite Doo-Wop record is "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos from 1959. Perfection... With some nice chords quite outside the usual range of the genre. I'll happily post a chord chart if anyone would like it.

Yes please!

by **Mike Atherton** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:12 am

...which reminds me that Tommy Hunt, who was in The Flamingos in the late 1950s though I am not sure if he was on that record, has just published his autobiography 'Only Human'. Not a deep read, but a fascinating and sometimes surprising one.

by **Adam Blake** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:47 am

NormanD wrote:
Adam Blake wrote:I think my all time favourite Doo-Wop record is "I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos from 1959. Perfection... With some nice chords quite outside the usual range of the genre. I'll happily post a chord chart if anyone would like it.
Yes please!

OK then. It's in C major. Steady rolling 6-8 rhythm. The song is built around a chord change which could be written three different ways: C to C11, C to Gm7 over C, or C to Bb6 over C. For ease of writing I'm going to call it C to C11 but if you're playing it on the guitar it's just the top five strings barred at the the third fret with nothing else held down (which gives you: C - F - Bb - D - G)

I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU

Intro:
(out of tempo) Bb7/ G7/ D7

Verse 1:
C / C11 (x11)
C/ C7/

Chorus 1:
Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/
Am7/ Am7/ Abm7/ Abm7/

Verse 2:
C/ C11 (x3)
C/ C7/

Chorus 2:
Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/
D7/ D7/ D7/ D7/
Gm9/ Gm9/ C7/ C7/
Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/
Bb6/ Bb6/ Bb/ Bbm/
F/ F/ Db9/ Db9/

Verse 3:
C/ C11 (x3)
C/ C7/

Chorus 3:
Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/ Fmaj7/
D7/ D7/ D7/ D7/
Gm7/ Gm7/ C7 (push) rall.

C/ C11 (repeat to fade)

by **Dayna** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:39 am

I just heard a Doo Wop song that had a little psychedelia in it. I couldn't catch the name of it, but the band was called 3rd Dimension & The Thing. I couldn't find it either. It was good.

It's too bad you can't hear the music they're playing now!

by **Dayna** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:56 am

The Plantetones --The Way You Look Tonight...

Oh this is so beautiful! It's giving me chills. It's prettier than Sinatra's!

listening to Doo Wop

Who is online