Search - Jack Smith :: Sings Jack Jack Jack

Surprise to See On CD

Richard F. Mentz | ERIE, PA United States | 11/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All the songs from this CD are from the late 40s. I bought it for the song "Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo)" which I heard on the radio a long time ago. I bought it mainly for the background singers - The Clark Sisters. In fact most of the songs are by Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters and are from old 78s on the Capitol label. The Clark Sisters were with Tommy Dorsey known as "the Sentimentalists" and had two big hits "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "Chicago".

They made some albums under the Clark Sisters for the Dot label and Coral label in the late 50s and early 60s that are fabulous. Two CDs are available by them. Sing Sing Sing and Swing Again/A salute to the great vocal groups. They do versions of some great big band numbers adding lyrics and some vocalese where there are no words.



They sound quite a bit like the King Sisters. Also they could be compared to the Manhattan Transfer or Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross.



The liner notes give a background on Jack Smith, but nothing on the Clark Sisters. When the liner notes were written, Jack Smith was still alive and living in his 90s.



Jack Smith has a pleasant voice. At the time he probably was competing with Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters or Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye with the Andrews Sisters"