Essential Collection For Early Girl Group & Female Doo Wop E
FMJ | 10/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Before the Chantels came to fame there were the Hearts, another group of young teens from Harlem and the Bronx. Under the management of Zell Sanders, the group had rotating membership and morphed into affilate groups including the Jaynetts of "Sally 'Go Round The Roses" fame.
The original group of girls are known mostly for the hit "Lonely Nights" which featured Joyce West on lead. However, this collection includes subsequent releases from later groupings of Hearts that featured most notably Baby Washington. Washington, of course, would later go on to solo fame with several R&B hits inlcuding "The Time" and "That's How Heartaches Are Made." Here we hear a younger but clearly recognizable Baby Washington doing lead on several songs, including the bluesy "Congratulations Honey," one of the strongest tracks on the compilation.
A bigger treat are the other tracks featuring the lead vocals from other group members from subsequent Hearts line-ups including Lezli Valentine, Ruth Artis, and Cynthia "Hartsy Maye" Cox, all of whose lead tracks have long been unavailable on cd. The collection also includes "Dear Abby," which was long overdue for inclusion on a compilation.
The cd includes lengthy liner notes featuring interviews with Baby Washington, Louise Harris Murray, and Betty Harris (later of "Cry To Me" fame). The cd is a must for fans of 50s female R&B, Baby Washington, and the early girl group sound."