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#6 Pop
Before there was the angelic youthful tenor of the pre-teen Michael Jackson, there was a teenager named Frankie Lymon. He sang lead on “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” propelling his group, The Teenagers, right on up the Pop charts!
The young Frankie influenced everyone from Ronnie Spector to Berry Gordy, who would later pattern his cross-over success on the musical template that Frankie Lymon laid out for the Pop Music industry.
I recall vividly being so excited by the youthful MJJ and sharing his music with my musical mentor, my Father. Daddy like MJJ but would repeatedly tell me that he was just a copy of Frankie Lymon. And of course eventually, when my musical taste matured, I realized how right he was. But I also wish my Dad had lived to here the entire development of MJJ musical talents during the span of his in credible solo career.
The composer of this song has been in dispute for years — but I can say that whoever wrote it made a classic hit song for the ages.
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#2 Adult Contemporary, # 6 R&B & #7 Pop
The proof of the song’s classic stature is that almost 30 years after it’s release, the cover version of “WDFFIL” by Diana Ross zoomed up the charts just as Lymon’s original release had done decades before.
Which of these two renditions is your fave and why?
Now please enjoy Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers first live TV performance of “WDFFIL” in 1956 and Diana Ross’ 1981 promotional video for “WDFFIL.”
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#1 R&B, #11 Pop
If you have been around OSML since the beginning you may remember that I blogged about this Orioles’ classic cover, “Crying In The Chapel,” back in 2008. And you may also recall that this song has a very special place in my heart so not only am I blogging about it again but I may do so again in the future.
If you are new here please listen to this beautiful ballad covered by the Baltimore male vocal group, active from 1946-1954, that were part of the master blueprint for what Doo-Wop & R&B were to become -- The Orioles!
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#4 Pop
June Valli covered the song in 1953 as well and charted quite high. She has an awesome voice IMHO.
This was Valli’s (the one time voice of Chiquita Banana) biggest hit.
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#4 Country & Western, #6 Pop
And of course here is the original version by Darrell Glenn that I had not yet heard at the time of my first post, but have since purchased and want to share here for your listening pleasure. The original charted well both Pop and Country Western in 1953.
Besides Glenn’s original and The Orioles and June Valli Covers ( all three versions hits in 1953), Rex Allen’s cover charted #8; Ella Fitzgerald’s cover charted #15 and an Art Lund cover charted #23 all in 1953.
Two of my favorite subsequent cover versions are by The Platters and Mahalia Jackson.
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#1 Easy Listening #3 Pop, #1 U.K.
Here is Elvis’ cover version recorded in 1960 for a Gospel LP, but released as a single in 1965.
Lastly here is a later version of a performance by latter day Orioles performing “CITC” to replace the video that has been removed from the previous post on this topic. Enjoy this beautiful ballad one more time right after you vote for your favorite.
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#3 R&B, #11 Pop
Two brothers from Baltimore moving on to Chicago and finally to New York were the the spark of the evolution of what became the Flamingos. As far as names go they started as the Swallows, but changed to the Five Flamingos when they found out there was another vocal group going by that name back in Baltimore.
They ultimately became The Flamingos and had their most memorable hit with the remake of a 1934 song “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
I think that these men blended their voices in sweet harmonies and moved on stage such that they set the standard for what a great male vocal group should be. I don’t think anyone in Popular Music surpassed them until the Classic Temptations came along in the Sixites and perfected the sweetest blend of voices as arranged by Mr. Eddie Kendricks and the smoothest steps in unison as choreographed by Mr. Cholly Atkins.
Still performing today, as Terry Johnson’s Flamingos, you may read the detail of their history and get current on their performances and music at their website. Just click on the link.
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Just as The Flamingos covered this Eddy Duchin classic over 20 years after its introduction and had it appear on their first LP — Jermaine Jackson covered the Flamingos’ version over a decade later and the song appeared on his first LP. I BTW Jermaine’s first solo venture apart from the J5 was his best outing IMHO.
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To round out this post I thought I would share the original version of this Great American Songbook classic by Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra.
Please enjoy all three and be sure to vote and comment to share you opinions of which you prefer and why.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] 1955: #1 R&B, #8 Pop Composed by group members Curtis Williams, Gaynel Hodge, and Jesse Belvin, and based on the chord structure of “Blue Moon,” “Earth Angel” was the only big hit for the California based group the Penguins. “Earth Angel” was also one of the first (if [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] #3 R&B, #12 Pop “Since I Don’t Have You” was the biggest hit for this Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania quintet that was inducted in to The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. This is one of my favorites of the era. I was pleased as punch to see a [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] #3 R&B ; #17 Pop “Speedoo” was the big hit for The Cadillacs, formed in Harlem New York and active from 1953 to 1962, and the song that cements their place forever in Doo-Wop history. If you have never heard this song you must have been living under [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Composed By Maurice Williams and sung by him with his group The Gladiolas (formerly called the Royal Charms and eventually to change their name once more) the great Cha Cha tune “Little Darlin’” reached #11 on the R&B charts in 1957. [Audio clip: view full post to listen] [...]
