Marcels - Summertime (1992)

The Marcels were one of the best doo-wop groups of the early sixties. Born and bred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this racially-mixed group established their own style of exaggerated bass vocals accenting sometimes frantic, double-time harmonies and riffs. They took a staid Rodgers and Hart 1934 standard, "Blue Moon," and propelled it to #1 in an exciting rush up the 1961 charts.

The Marcels were one of the first r&b groups to be honored with an LP release almost immediately on the heels of their initial chart topper. One listen to the April, 1961 Colpix "Blue Moon" LP proves that the Marcels were a class act. They had learned their r&b lessons from their predecessors very well, but they were far more than just mere imitators. Colpix stayed with them for three years and over a dozen singles, despite their dwindling fortunes after "Blue Moon," "Summertime," and "Heartaches."

This compact disc contains 24 prime cuts by the Marcels, many of which were early rehearsals and demos for future session possibilities. Their first manager, the late Jules Kruspir, thoroughly rehearsed the group and encouraged them to sing or practice what are now rock & roll standards. Several tantalizing tapes were found in Kruspir's effects after he died. They eventually were purchased by Ed Engel of Crystal Ball Records in New York City, who issued the bulk of these songs on two Marcels' Crystal Ball albums in the eighties.