Search - Robins :: Rockin With the Robins

The robins finally get some flight!

recordharpy | coventry, rhode island United States | 03/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am, without a doubt, the biggest fan of the vocal group the robins that you would be hard pressed to come by. so when i saw this cd for sale last year i jumped for joy! finally! To sum up a few quick things before the review, i can say that this group has been TERRIBLY neglected in its own country. The only time anyone seems to have a chance to listen to them is on a coasters anthology, or a package set that will feature the same ol stuff. "riot in cell block nine (richard berry lead...we know!),framed(included merely as a tease to a answer to "riot", but at least bobby nunn sang lead.and "smokey joes cafe" which gives the listener NO idea of the robins" mark on r+b history and thier extreem influence in the west coas vocal group scene. This cd,ROCKIN WITH THE ROBINS.does some justice to that finally. yes it is an import, and yes it may take a couple of weeks to arrive.but if you havent heard these guys in thier formative stages, its worth the wait!!!! The orginal group here consists of bobby nunn(lead on most tracks/bass vocals),ty terrell(another unnderated lead singer),billy and bobby richards(twins, so at least you know who they are on all the cheap photos),and grady chapman, who joined at a bit of a later date.other members came and went from the inception of the group as the FOUR BLUEBIRDS,under johhnyotis" supervision, through the name change to the robins(still with otis)..all or most of the songs recorded with johnny otis are on this cd!although not credited.nor are thier any liner notes that have any kind of enlightment to them, and we STILL dont get a name under the picture of "who is who".those are a few weak spots. another extreemly annoying thing is although the extreemly rare "recorded in hollywood" sides are on this cd, we arent told who the female lead is on some songs. but these are small shortcomings for such a fantastic cd full of early robins. we get the four bluebirds version of "my baby done told me",which has such a cool jive you cant help but move!(the song was later recut for rca victor..we will get to that later!). we get the first 78s done as the robins..both "around about midnight"(unavalible since a sixties imperial lp!) and "dont like the way your doin" from their one and only aladdin release.(try and find one). after this, we are treated to most of the sides recorded with otis for the 'savoy" label ,and also some majorly rare "recorded in hollywood" sides.("fallen star" is one of the most beautifull songs ive ever heard, sadly lost and ignored by "doowop" knowledgables)."when gabrial blows his horn" with maggie hathaway on lead(YES..THATS THE FEMALE LEAD!!!!),no punches are pulled. we also get the little esther recordings done with robins and otis backing. then, finally, we get the modern 78 by "bobby nunn and the robbins" singing rockin/thats what the good book says. choice! summed up, we get the sides done for the crown label which led to the meeting of liber and stoller and then...nuttin. it stops. and we are left playing it all over and over again despite the terrible lack of information given,waiting for the next cd where the group strikes at rca victor and makes history. why 4 stars and not five? ONLY because of the lack of who is who and who sings what.buy it!!! enjoy it!!!!!"