Thanks for sharing Jim. My dad is from Jersey City, so I grew up listening to all the oldies he would play and doo wop is always a staple in my iPod's rotation. I've never particularly cared for Dion (though I do enjoy his music with the Belmonts), it just sort of seems hokey and lame, like the watered-down, PC version of the time that all the old people at Lead East are into. I really enjoy some of the less commercially popular doo wop, Lee Andrews and the Hearts, The Five Discs, The Nutmegs, The Classics... all realllllly good stuff.
Link was a great! Do wop was not as big on the west coast. I'm not saying that you never heard Dion, but it was not the only thing as I suspect it was in NY.
i love the old doo-wop too. I'm not nearly old enough to remember it from when it came out but i grew up going to car shows every other weekend and that's what got me into it. One song (it's not really doo-wop) that they played at every show was "Runaway"... i don't think that came out until 1960 (?), but MAN what a great tune. far as Link being better than Clapton... as a musician i'd have to say "no way", but i do think Link is cooler and i like his music better. "Rumble" is one of those incredibly rare songs that is just perfect in every way. Best instrumental of all time, IMO. Here's a video of him in the 70's, i think it's pretty good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUHz0i8_ziA
Dion and the Belmonts rule. That said, I personally am very partial to "original" pure Rockabilly (not the Punk influenced stuff), as well as Blues, Swing, Be-Bop and R'n'R. As for the 50's, I wasn't there but I recon that if any Hepcat actually had a radio in his Rod, he'd be listening to what ever he could tune into that he dug.
Do you know the website? I looooooooove Doo Wop. Not an expert or even a "-phile"-just love it. P.S. Anybody know if there is a way to download youtube audio to a computer or Ipod?
Met Dion at an AA meeting here in Boca Raton in the early nineties. Listen to his stuff often. Listen to Link's stuff a lot too. I think Southern Culture on the Skids have a little Link Wray influence.
You can't even compare this to anything clapton does!! this is bush league!! Repeating noise!! Listen to the original "crossroads" ( when clapton was about 23 yrs old)& tell you your not swept away by it. Link is good but hes no clapton JimV
Picked up a Link Wray album back in the 80's and was hooked on this music ever since. Just a side note, on the internet, go to pandora.com and put in Link Wray, or anybody you want and it will play anything related to that music. I use my Iphone and plug right into the stereo and crank it up.
Cool57.......DVDVideoSoft will rip audio from YouTube. http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/... It's free and works great. Fitysix
I wasn't around NY in the 50's but I was in the Air Force in NJ '61-'65 and I listened to WABC and Cousin Brucie and I think he's still around there ... I hear Imus talkin' about him from time to time.....
Bruce Morrow, i think he's still around hawkin CDs on infomericals. where were you McGuire? remember WIBG or WBIG? something like that? JimV
i already said he doesn't compare to Clapton in the talent department, but he did have a knack for writing simple yet cool songs. I've heard Crossroads about a million times just like everybody else, it's a great tune... can't say I'm "swept away" by it though. the late great Roy Buchanan once said, "there is no best guitar player in the world- it just depends on what you like".
I am not old enough to of grown up in the 1950's but i am extremely passionate about that era, collect rare vintage vinyl, and think (for the most part) the type of music one listened to may of depended on geographics. If one lived in Philly,Jersey, or NY you would expect them listened to The Del Vikings,Quotations,The Gladiolas ( "Little Darlin") or the Carnations. If those that grew up in places like Memphis,Virginia,Nashville, Mississippi, Texas ,etc i'm sure guys like Gene Vincent,Carl Perkins , Jack Earls, Billy Lee Riley was on your menu.....then again that region also brought out my personal favorites..... stuff that was known as "Race Music" back then......cats like T Bone Walker, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and all the kings !.....Albert,B.B. & Freddy. For the folks that grew up out here in California.....kids might of listened to "West coast" doo wop....The Olympics , Rosie & The Originals, or Tony Allen just to name a few. Of course i'm sure everyone listened to Buddy, "E", Chuck Berry,Little Richard, or the Everly Bros. across the land.... I'm sure that 1% of you Hambers will appreciate listening to Ruth Brown and watching some real jiving dancers tear it up. Enjoy <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ypZRBs8TVIg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ypZRBs8TVIg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
And Clapton is a very nice gentleman ( I met him in Clarksdale Ms. a couple years back) , a good guitarist , but he aint no Django Reindhart or Stevie Ray Vaughan ! "Skrapmetal" and i will debate anyone on that !
for the record i want to say that i do love me some Eric Clapton (own 3 of his albums if you count Cream and Derek and the Dominoes). He's not a 50's musician so there's no point in talking about him anyway! oh and another awesome 50's musician? Jerry Lee Lewis, one of my all time favorites. You'd never know it from most of his well known songs, but he could PLAY
"Originally Posted by Jimv You can't even compare this to anything clapton does!! this is bush league!! Repeating noise!! Listen to the original "crossroads" ( when clapton was about 23 yrs old)& tell you your not swept away by it. Link is good but hes no clapton JimV" The original Crossroads was written and performed by Robert Johnson.
oh yeah, good call. That's where he supposedly sold his soul to be able to be a great blues player. I love the real early blues, Robert Johnson is good but i like his friend Son House a little better. Check this one out if you're into that stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdgrQoZHnNY
I download as much of the really old stuff as I can think of and find. I thank you guys for doin' a little "name-dropping"...some I hadn't heard of. ( especially you, axle ) ..........cool man. -- Rick
QUOTE=RodStRace;4498362]Link was a great! Do wop was not as big on the west coast. I'm not saying that you never heard Dion, but it was not the only thing as I suspect it was in NY.[/QUOTE] This statement is just not 100% true, I grow up in San Pedro, Ca and doowop was the music everyone was listening to at that time. Johnny Otis was big in the Los Angeles area as were the Penguin of Earth Angel flame, the Medallions with Buick 59, Do Julian & the Meadowlarks. Dootone Records was in down town L.A. a great doowop label. Dig the Three Ton of Joy background singers. It doesn't matter who you think is the best music man as long as you enjoy their music. Who's the best musician is like, who has the best car, it doesn't matter. CRUISER
The expense of a $36.00 plane ticket kept Dion from a airplane ride with Richie Valens and the Big boper!