MUSICAL DECADES - 1950s - Doo-Wop

This week I'd like to take you back to the 1950s. Built upon vocal harmony, doo-wop was one of the most mainstream, pop-oriented R&B styles of the time. Singers gathered on street corners, and in subways, generally in groups of three to six. They sang a cappella arrangements, and used wordless sounds to mimic instruments since instruments were little used: the bass voice singing "bom-bom-bom", a guitar rendered as "shang-a-lang" and brass riffs as "dooooo-wop-wop".

During a career that spanned four decades, Johnny Cymbal (born John Hendry Blair; February 3, 1945 – March 16, 1993) made an impact on popular music worldwide as a songwriter, singer, performer and record producer. During those years, in addition to his rock and roll anthem, "Mr. Bass Man", he was responsible for hit records including: "Teenage Heaven", "Cinnamon", "Mary In The Morning", "Rock Me Baby" and "I'm Drinking Canada Dry". Cymbal thought of himself as a songwriter; throughout his life he kept diaries of ideas and notes for future use.

Let's kick it off today with a guy wanting to sing like his idol. Johnny recorded his self-penned, "Mr. Bass Man" with Ronnie Bright from the Valentines doing the bass voice. "Mr. Bass Man" became an instant worldwide smash, going to #16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 in Japan and Argentina, #24 on the UK Singles Chart, and charting in every country where charts existed.

The Valentines first formed in 1952 in the Sugar Hill district of Harlem as a quartet, harmonizing on the corner of 151st Street and Amsterdam Avenue. They were one of the most highly regarded American doo-wop groups from the mid-1950s. Their records are highly sought by collectors.

Although they never had a record on the national hit parades, they were extremely popular in New York and the East Coast in general and had many regional big sellers. The stage performances of the group were sellouts and their harmonizing and choreography in sequence were amongst the most accomplished of their time. Influenced both musically and in their showmanship by The Cadillacs, The Solitaires, and The Flamingos, The Valentines were able to contribute an innovative stage presentation, outstanding vocals, and some unique performances.

Danny & the Juniors are a doo-wop and rock and roll quartet from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They started to sing together when they were 13 and 14 years old. Formed in 1955, they are most widely recognized for their 1958 hit single "At the Hop" (recorded the previous year in 1957) and "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay".

Arthur "Artie" Singer (February 1, 1919 – May 2, 2008) was an American songwriter, music producer and bandleader. He was the co-writer and producer of the hit songs "At the Hop" and "Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay".

The Marcels were an American doo-wop group known for turning popular music songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group was named after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave, by the bass singer's younger sister.

Many people were surprised to hear a new version of the ballad "Blue Moon", that began with the bass singer saying, "bomp-baba-bomp" and "dip-da-dip." It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It went to number one in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and UK Singles Chart. In the US, their additional revivals in the same vein as "Blue Moon"—"Heartaches" and "Melancholy Baby"—were less successful, although "Heartaches" peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually sold over one million copies worldwide.

Here they are years later reprising their big hit.

The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh and were best known for their 1959 hit "Since I Don't Have You". They also hit the Top 40 with "This I Swear" and "Pennies from Heaven". Other classics include "It Happened Today" (1959), "Close Your Eyes" (1961) and "Comes Love" (1962).

Taken from their self-titled album and released in late 1958, “Since I Don't Have You” reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 7 on the Cash Box Top 100. It was also a top five hit on the 1959 R&B chart. Highlighted by lead singer Jimmy Beaumont's powerful vocals, and the counterpoint between his falsetto and Janet Vogel's soprano, on her final chorus, the song is considered by many, including oldies fans, one of the best "heartbreak" ballads ever recorded.

The Del-Vikings (also known as The Dell-Vikings) are an American doo-wop musical group, formed in 1955 by members of the United States Air Force stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They recorded several hit singles in the 1950s, and continued to record and tour with various lineups in later decades. The group was notable for being one of the few racially integrated musical groups to attain success in the 1950s.

Their first hit came in December 1956 with "Come Go with Me" which propelled the group into the Top 10 on Billboard's pop chart, peaking at #4 and becoming the group's highest-charting song. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The song was later featured in the films American Graffiti (1973), Diner (1982), Stand by Me (1986) and Joe Versus the Volcano (1990).

This ends Musical Decades for this week. Thanks for listening and I hope to see you here next time.

(The information used in this post is from Wikipedia.)

Dominique "Nik" Petersen is an aficionado of "oldies" music and the author of Dr. Hook and Me:  A Fan's Journal/Scrapbook. Read about it and her other books at the website:

www.nikdesignsgraphics.com