4 CD Set - The Definitive

History of Vocal Groups in Words, Pictures and Music

The unwritten rules for doo-wop groups were deceptively simple: name your group
after a bird (the Wrens, the Flamingos) or a car (the Cadillacs, the El
Dorados), practice your two-, three-, or four-part harmonies on a neighborhood
street corner or in the back of a candy store, and sing songs about how much you
love your baby. It might have seemed like an obvious formula, but getting it
just right was never easy. When it worked, that formula created some of the most
joyful and unforgettable music of the 20th century. From the Orioles ("It's Too
Soon to Know") to Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers ("I Want You to Be My
Girl"), this four-CD collection is without a doubt the definitive
introduction to the rock & roll vocal music of the 1950s and early '60s.
--Percy Keegan