Many A King
Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 09/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sequel Records from Great Britain has put together a great compilation from the Jubilee & Josie record groups with music recorded from 1954-1958. Several tracks were previously unreleased. This disc is a time capsule, with excellent sound quality and restoration. I recently pulled out The Best of the Cadillacs, which was prompted by adding this volume to my collection. The Cadillacs' lovely doo-wop ballad "Gloria" opens the set. Their delightful "I Wonder Why" is also here in all its doo-wop glory as well as an unreleased uptempo track, "Jelly Bean." The Cookies do a Neal Sedaka tune, "King of Hearts," "Kingdoms tumble & castles crumble & many a king has lost his crown." The Charioteers' version of "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate" that predated the Olympics' hit version from 1960 was previously unreleased and sounds like a bridge between big band jazz and early rock & roll. The Emanons' "Wish I Had My Baby" is an uptempo gem with xylophone and 50s harmonies. The same band sends your toe slapping concrete on the previously unreleased "Itty Bitty Mama." King Toppers' "Walkin' & Talkin' the Blues" makes feeling blue feel good, "Since my baby's been gone, my heart's in misery." "Nobody Knows" by The Kansas City Tomcats works a sound Ray Charles would soon perfect. The 25 tracks on this compilation wind the clock back & sound delightfully dated. Enjoy!"