Monday, February 04, 2013

Vinyl Obscurities - Doowop finds

I've come across a few excellent doowop 45s in recent days - at car boots and in charity shops - which I thought might be worth a mention. Check out the Youtube clips.
1. The Accents - Wiggle Wiggle/ Dreamin' and Schemin'. Released in 1958 on Coral Q 72351.
The Accents were a black doowop group from LA who had just one 45 release in the UK. Written by group member Robert Draper it's a fairly obvious take on Thurston Harris's Little Bitty Pretty One, but a good one. The record came out when 'sack' dresses were in style and the lyrics suggest girls don't have to be pretty or wear fine clothes - just 'wiggle' in their sack dress. B side is a run of the mill slow doowop number.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZTOvNQLDGE
2. Nino and the Ebbtides - Lovin' Time/ Stamps, Baby, Stamps. Released in 1962 on Mr Peacock MP 117.
Nino and the Ebbtides, from the Bronx, made a number of records before having a hit with Those Oldies But Goodies, which battled against a rival version by Little Caesar and the Romans. This later 45 is a great double sider for the short-lived Mr Peacock label set up by Larry Utall, who later changed its name to Mr Peeke after objections from Houston-based Peacock records.. Apparently the guys passed up the opportunity of recording The Wanderer before Ernie Maresca offered the song to Dion. They broke up in 1965. This little known (to me at any rate) 45 is an absolute gem - give both sides a listen.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7_lQsOBLgQ  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFd29az_JlY
3. The El Capris - Ivy League Clean/ They're Always Laughing At Me. Released on Paris 525.
This is another cracking doowop 45 recorded by a group which started out in Pittburgh in 1954, Despite several records, and having written (Shimmy Shimmy) Ko Ko Bop, a later hit for Little Anthony and the Imperials, they failed to make much of an impact and this excellent double sider also had little success.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPXIyDtSh5Q   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3_PR9iMDYs

1 Comments:

At 9:00 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

great finds Nick - particularly the Accents. Rare as rocking horse poo and twice as tasty!!!
John S

 

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