 |
From the Vault...
01/16/2011
#1238 |
|
info
The Elegants
"The Best Of The Elegants"
© Collectables Records
Rating:
|
track listing
Little Star
Getting Dizzy
Please Believe Me
Goodnight
True Love Affair
Pay Day
Little Boy Blue
Get Well Soon
Still Waiting
Rain Rain
True Love Affair
(Alternate Take)
Little Boy Blue
(Alternate Take)
|
WSVNRadio Archives
The Elegants related sites:
|
|
|
The Elegants
"The Best Of The Elegants"
Sunday, August 19, 1958 was a special day for the group The Elegants. Their song, "Little Star" would reach
#1 on the Billboard chart for one week, and one week only. In looking at the "math" : The 7 days would be
from August 19 - 25. I had heard that during this week and year, Michael Jackson was born. Looking up his birthday,
it was listed as August 29, 1958. Either way you look at it, there was a "Little Star" born, that being Michael Jackson,
a youngster who would become a household name with his brothers as The Jackson 5, and of course, his solo career would
be far exceptional. The only sad thing to mention, is that not only was Michael Jackson a "Little Star," even through
his adulthood, and untimely death, he would always be that little child.
But for the music group that originally made "Little Star" famous, it would be their only song people would
remember. Collectables Records have always provided complete best of's of little well-known groups who would be famous
for less than a handful of hits. The Best Of The Elegants is the group's complete Hull recordings, from 1958-1959.
Lead by vocalist Vito Picone, he, like many other italian singers of the early decades of rock n roll, would place The
Elegants into music history, with "Little Star." Unfortunately, like his fellow italiano counterparts, such as
Dion DiMucci (Dion & The Belmonts), and Frankie Valli (The Four Seasons) to name just a few, The Elegants would not achieve
greatness with more than the one song that they were famous for. In this collection, there is a great sound of the
commonday doo-wop sound. The history behind the remaining songs from this collection pretty much appeared on the chart,
and dropped out of sight.
"Getting Dizzy" was the flip side of "Little Star," as this song has a close, but not exact resemblance
to another doo-wop hit, "Oh Little Girl Of Mine. The other common doo-wop'ers are here: "Please Believe Me"
is typical, yet songs such as "Goodnight" and "True Love Affair" are better.
But the rest of the remaining tracks seem to point in the "same ol, same ol" direction. No doubt, the doo-wop sound
is good here, its just these songs didn't make the "must play" lists: "Pay Day," "Little Boy Blue," "Get Well Soon,"
"Still Waiting," and the unreleased "Rain, Rain." There are alternate takes of "True Love Affair" and
"Little Boy Blue," but it would have been better to hear alternate take(s) of "Little Star."
The ending liner notes sums it up: If for nothing else, the Elegants deserve to be remembered for giving us one
of the more delightful, happy songs of the 1950s. If you enjoy the white vocal group style popular in the late fifties,
sit back and enjoy this small bonanza of goodies.
"This small bonanza of goodies" is a great line. Its good doo-wop music. Its what the late 1950s was all about.
Good music. Happy vocals. It's Still Rock n Roll to me.
NOTE: Lead vocalist Vito Picone is still alive and well, as he performs with the Elegants. Check out their website,
TheElegants.net.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Collectables Records
|
|
