Search - Old Town Doo Wop :: Old Town Doo Wop, Vol. 3

New York City doo wop

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 08/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"OLD TOWN RECORDS was organized in 1953 by Hy Weiss. To save start-up costs its original yellow block print logo 45 labels were trimmed from a Brooklyn, NY paper company's letterheaded stationery. Their first recording group was the 5 Crowns, who were stolen from JUBILEE. At the time, OLD TOWN's offices were located on Harlem's 125th St.



The original subsidiary label, PARADISE was created in June of 1955. Three months later the company relocated to 7th Ave. When PARADISE faded in early '57, WHIZ Records was spun from it. This same year, the successful Weiss and his brother Sam also became distributors for ARGO, CINDY and END and eventually handled the ACE, BULLSEYE, CO-ED, COMBO, GONE, TIP-TOP, VEE-JAY and VIN labels. (Collectors are surely familiar with most of these.)





The 28 tracks on Vol.3 of ACE's OLD TOWN series span the years 1955-64 and include (as indicated) unreleased and one stereo track, plus some issued on a 1985 MURRAY HILL LP. Audio quality is excellent, with only the occasional selection dubbed from vinyl.



PROGRAM--



[2:32] Crazy Love - ROYALTONES ('56)

[2:25] Indian Girl - CAPRIS ('58)

[2:13] Starlight Tonight - INSPIRATIONS ('58)

[2:42] You Know You're Doin' Me Wrong - HARPTONES ('55)

[2:59] I Beg Your Forgiveness - CO-EDS ('56)

[2:27] Possibility - CROWNS ('64--stereo)

[2:34] My Heart (I'm Blue Without You) - KEYTONES ('59--unreleased)

[2:18] Jingle Jingle - TREMAINES ('58)

[2:40] The Wedding - SOLITAIRES ('55)

[2:35] My Faith - FI-TONES ('57)

[2:56] Darling, Listen to the Words of This Song - Ruth McFadden & SUPREMES ('55)

[2:23] I Love You Baby - Peggy Farmer & HARPTONES ('55--unreleased)

[2:37] Give Me Your Love - 4 PHAROAHS ('58)

[2:23] Gloria - CLEFFTONES ('55--released '85)

[2:30] The Last Round-Up - SUPREMES ('56--unreleased)

[2:27] I'm in Love - CO-EDS ('56)

[2:28] Please Give Me One More Chance - GENE MUMFORD & SERENADERS ('57)

[2:19] Why Must I Love You? - ESQUIRES ('58--unreleased)

[1:47] Life Is But a Dream - EARLS ('61)

[2:26] Tonight - SUPREMES ('56)

[2:54] Think - UNIVERSALS ('60--released '85)

[2:12] Oh What a Feeling - INSPIRATIONS ('58)

[2:44] School Girl - HARPTONES ('55--released '85)

[2:48] Latin Lover - ROYALTONES ('56)

[2:44] Guess Who? ('55--unreleased)

[2:30] China Girl - 4 PHAROAHS ('58)

[2:19] Moon Shining Bright - TREMAINES ('58)

[3:08] You're Going to Need My Help Someday - HARPTONES ('55--released '85)



TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 71:00"