Search - Duprees :: Best of Duprees

When it's good, it's VERY good. . . . . .

John A. Kuczma | Marietta, GA USA | 01/23/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Best of the Duprees (Rhino) suffers from a problem common to all too many Greatest Hits/Anthology collections; the Duprees, good as they were, simply didn't have enough top of the line songs to make such an album hold together.During their three year run from August of 1962 to July of 1965, the Duprees hit the charts eight times. Of those, four hit the Top 40, but only once did they crack the Top 10. That success came with their first release, an excellent cover of the Jo Stafford classic "You Belong to Me." The Duprees' version peaked at number 7 and was a mainstay of the late DooWop era during its 13-week stay on the Billboard Top 100.The group struck next with "My Own True Love", an impressive vocal version of Tara's Theme from the movie Gone With the Wind, reaching number 13 in October of 1962.Perhaps their best song from a strictly musical perspective was 1963's "Have You Heard?", a heart-tugging teen angst ballad that really works. The song features the group's best vocal harmonies, displaying just how good the fully matured DooWop sound was.As with all Rhino productions, the mastering of this album is superb, which is not necessarily a good thing in this case. All of the original material (and these are all original tracks) was recorded on analog tape, and the limitations of that medium come through with a discernible hiss on several cuts. Rhino's meticulous dedication to precise and honest mastering also reveals one of the group's biggest weaknesses, lead singer Joey Vann's (Joseph Canzanno) tendency to try and force more power from his clear, penetrating tenor voice than it actually possessed. The unfortunate part is, Joey didn't need it. His voice was spectacular on it's own account, and his fellow Duprees backed him up with all the power he could ever use, and more.Is this truly a Greatest Hits collection? Probably not. Is it worth the price? Without a doubt. If you are a fan of the early days of Rock & Roll, and particularly the DooWop sound, do yourself a favor; pick this CD up and say "You Belong to Me!""

Here's Something Better

DONNA M. VIOLINI | LYNDHURST, N.J. United States | 09/22/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"For all you fans of Joey Vann & the "Original Duprees", I would highly recommend purchasing the 2 CDs from Sundazed Records "You Belong to Me" and "Have You Heard". Both these cds have the original versions of the songs (that were recorded in 1962-1964) and are the exact duplicates
(or the closet I've ever heard) to their 2 original albums.There's also the 2 CD collector set called
"For Collectors Only" (on Collectable Records) which covers the Joey Vann (original lead singer from 1962-1964) & Mike Kelly (lead singer from 1965-1978) years which is also very good.For all you trivia buffs it also includes the last 2 songs that Joey Vann recorded (in 1965) as a solo artist.If you like the original Joey Vann versions, then definately go for The Sundazed Records 2 CDs.....but if you want the remastered enchanced versions of all Duprees songs with both lead singers, the Collectables Records 2 CD set is for you.Another CD that's very good (with Mike Kelly on lead) and a different change of pace is "The Heritage Masters" CD. And check out the one and only website about
"The Original Duprees" at www.theduprees.com (It's Awesome!!)Whichever one(s) you choose..enjoy the memories and
happy listening to the best group ever!!
Ciao,DonnaMarie"

Disagree with NJRockets review

VinceC | 04/03/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"It is ludicrous to even mention the fact that The Duprees have lasted so long and can still be seen in Atlantic City considering the fact that there is not one original member of the Duprees in the group that is seen in Atlantic City. This is a major problem with many groups purporting to be from the 50's and 60's. The Duprees appearing today is a perfect example of caveat emptor ... buyer beware for those readers who don't read Latin! For those of us who were Duprees fans, this is a not to be missed CD of the original Duprees with the incomparable sound of Joey Vann and harmony that is hard to match. They did Joni James proud in their remake of a number of her hits. It is nostalgia personified hearing the original Duprees."