Lou Christie says...
" It Should Have Been a Hit ! "
Archive Page April 2021
Doo Wop & More
Here's another Double Doo Wop from the early rock and roll archives.
The first song is from The Flamingos ... one of the premiere vocal groups of the 50's & 60's.
The Next tune is from a group very few have ever heard of ... The Quin-Tones. This song from 1958 is their only hit. It sold close to a million copies from which they received no royalties.
Give these two songs a listen. They deserve it.
New Pick-from Lou
Double Doo Wop
" Love Walked In "
~The Flamingos ~
&
" Down the Aisle of Love "
~The Quin-Tones ~
PlayBack Sunday write up for the Flamingos;
Fall of '21 "Love Walked In"
This Doo Wop group was formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950's and are known for their cover versions of great pop standards. They have since been hailed as one of the finest & most influential vocal groups in Pop and Doo Wop music history. They received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1996, were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Doo Wop Hall of Fame in 2004. This song of theirs from 1959 was written by George & Ira Gershwin. It was the followup to their big hit "I Only Have Eyes for You". We here at ISHBAH feel it should have been a much bigger hit for this group.
Here are two Rock Solid entries for Lou's Double Doo Wop pick this week.
The first song is from one of the very first female Doo Wop groups. These gals have a street named after them in the Bronx ... that's a Big Deal!
Lou's second pick is from this legendary vocal group from his hometown, Pittsburgh.
Sit back, relax and give these two gems a listen & reminisce.
Play Back Sunday
Double Doo Wop
" Every Night (I Pray) "
~The Chantels~
&
" Lonely Way "
~The Skyliners~
Doo Wop helped to bring Americans together through it's music, harmony and simple stories of hope for the future and the passion of Love.
Here are two early Doo Wop groups that helped bring us together way back when.
Some things never change. We all need an Earth Angel.
Playback Sunday Fall '21
Our first Doo Wop group this week was formed in Los Angeles. They began as a gospel group, The Santa Monica Soul Seekers, in the late 1940's. In 1955 the group was signed to Modern Records. Our second group is best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts. The song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but had a three-week run at #1 on the R&B chart and was later used in the Back to the Future movies.
Play Back Sunday
Double Doo Wop
" Why Don't You Write Me? "
~The Jacks~
&
" Earth Angel "
~The Penguins~
The Pentagons from San Bernardino, California helped to make the early 60's the era of neo-doo-wop renaissance, in which they sang classic 50's vocal harmonies that evoked the past, with full orchestrated support that reflected the coming soul era.
The Dubs, formed from the merging of two short-lived vocal groups in Harlem, New York did their part on the east coast.
These two pioneering DooWop groups helped spread the music from sea to shining sea ...the Atlantic to the Pacific and all points in between.
Play Back Sunday
Double Doo Wop
" Don't Ask Me "
~The Dubs~
&
" To Be Loved "
~The Pentagons~
Our First group on this Double DooWop was inducted into the Rock n'Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 ...an honor they "Sincerely" deserve. Our second entry this week is a DooWop standard we're sure you all know & love.
Grab your BackStage Pass here and enjoy the show.
Lou's on the line ...
it's for you!
Listen now
Both groups featured in this weeks Double Doo Wop are in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Our lead off group was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. They perfected the distinctive rhythm-and-blues vocal technique called "blow harmony" through which each singer's blown breath becomes part of a deeply resonant harmonic sound. These legendary groups, one from Connecticut and the other from Ohio helped define the early Rock & Roll era. So sit back and enjoy these two early gems and Doo Wop the night away.
Play Back Sunday
Double Doo Wop
"Most of All"
~The Moonglows~
&
"In the Still of the Night"
~The Five Satins~
Shirley Gunter is often credited with helping jumpstart the popularity of R&B girl groups in the 1950's. She grew up in a musical family, her brother Cornell Gunter went on to become a member of the Coasters. In her early teens, Shirley formed a group called "Shirley Gunter & The Queens" with Blondene Taylor, Lulu Bee Kinney and Lula Mae Suggs.
Etta James recalled in her autobiography that "The Queens were the first female group where all the gals could sing".
Here's a song of theirs from 1954 that was the first record to be written & performed by a group of young black women.
We here at ISHBAH feel it should have been a bigger hit for the gals... and it was a big hit later for the Crew Cuts.
Give a listen & a vote here on ISHBAH.
Play Back Sunday
" OOP SHOOP "
~ Shirley Gunter
& The Queens ~
Chris Montez and Kathy Young were two teenagers from California in the early sixties. Chris grew up in Hawthorne, California, the hometown of the Beach Boys. His first hit song at 19 landed him a tour of England where his opening act was a rising band called The Beatles. The collarless jacket Chris wore on stage at that time inspired The Beatles to follow suit. Kathy Young, from Santa Ana, California meanwhile had a million selling hit on her hands at the tender age of 15.
The two young Californians teamed up as "Chris & Kathy" on this song that Chris co-wrote with Barry DeVorzon.
In our book this song of theirs is a Hit! Give a listen & a vote here on ISHBAH.
Play Back Sunday
" All You Had To Do Was Tell Me"
~Chis Montez
Kathy Young~
&
Hand claps, sleigh bells, tamborines & harmonies.
Let's warm up this Cold Cold Winter with some Hot Hot Music from The Pixies Three.
This song from the girl group from Hanover Pennsylvania can warm up any Cold Cold Winter.
Play Back Sunday
" Cold Cold Winter "
~ The Pixies Three ~
Wasn't it nice to come home from school and have a favorite radio station to listen to or a certain record or favorite TV show to catch on Thursday night?
Remember waiting for I Love Lucy, Your Hit Parade, or the Jackie Gleason Show?
Boy wasn't life a lot simpler then! We had time to think, feel, and come to our own decisions.
Let's bring those feelings & great memories in to the New Year and give Lou & Lesley's new song "Don't You Remember?" another spin.
Happy New Year.
"Don't You Remember?"
~Lou Christie & Lesley Gore~
"Now it's time to say goodbye to all our family"
That was the last thing you heard on the Mickey Mouse Club every night. When Annette Funicello was the sweetheart of America.
We are thinking ahead of the new smile we want to put on your face next year. New talk ...new ideas ... and great records to hear once again.
So stay safe ...stay tuned and don't forget your backstage pass.
~ LOU
Here is the 100th song pick on ISHBAH !
It's an unreleased single written and sung by:
Lou Christie & Lesley Gore
The song is called "Don't You Remember?"
Give it a listen and you'll never forget.
Song Pick # 100!
New Song Release
"Don't You Remember?"
~Lou Christie & Lesley Gore~
If it feels like life has you up in the air lately ... up on a tightrope without a safety net below and you're looking for some commiseration & empathy you should revisit this song of Lou's this Play Back Sunday.
Lou is singing with the awesome trio of Peggy, Denise & Bernadette from Jessica James & the Outlaws and the Angels.
Play Back Sunday
" Trapeze"
~ Lou Christie ~
Every Back-up Singer that I have worked with on my records had to have something special, something unique, something no one else could copy.
Well ... right on time, and always in tune were, Peggy Santiglia, Bernadette Carroll and Denise Ferri.
Very sad news came this weekend when I heard of the passing of Denise. Denise was a very exceptional person, with her kindness, her sweetness, her sincerity and her beauty! Laughing, we did a lot whether it was rehearsing or at the microphone. There was always a twinkle in her eyes.
Denise you will make a beautiful Angel. Thank You for being in my life and helping me in so many ways.
Remember Love goes on forever.
~ LOU
" We'll Be Making Out "
~ Jessica James & The Outlaws ~
This vocal group from Chicago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 by none other than Frankie Valli.
As Billboard Magazine said of them "They are universally hailed as one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in pop music history, the Flamingos defined doo wop at it's most elegant and sophisticated."
Here is a song of theirs that didn't go as far up the charts as some of their hits but here on ISHBAH we feel that it should have been a Hit.
Give it a listen and a vote and let us know what you think.
Play Back Sunday
" Time Was "
~ The Flamingos ~
In 1963 this singer had a Big Hit. It was her only hit and considered a one-hit-wonder. However with her amazing voice she went on to be one of the singers on The Red Skelton Show, the Danny Kaye Show, The Carol Burnett Show and in the 70's with Sonny & Cher.
She was the singer on the Rice-a-Roni, "The San Francisco Treat" commercial and many others as well as being a singer on several TV show themes including Flipper, Batman, Love American Style, and most notably The Partridge Family.
Elton John said her voice on Pat Boone's hit "Speedy Gonzales" was his inspiration for "Crocodile Rock"
Here on ISHBAH we feel her follow up single "In His Car' should have been her follow up Hit.
Give it A Listen & A Vote here ...
Play Back Sunday
" In His Car "
~ Robin Ward ~
This song was written by a famous songwriter with many hits under his belt. It's sung by the lead singer of a legendary million selling R&B group, produced and backed with the "Motown Wall of Sound" and it somehow got lost in the shuffle.
This gem could have ... and should have been a hit & we think it could be a hit today.
Give it a listen & vote and let us know what you think here on this Play Back Sunday.
Play Back Sunday
" On And Off "
~ David Ruffin ~
Listen to all the songs from Lou's Album
~Paint America LOVE~
