In Honor Of The Late Rocker Chuck Berry Who Helped Make It All Possible-*When Doo Wop Bopped- An Encore- The Music Of The 1950s

Click on the headline to link to a "YouTube" film clip of The Capris performing their "doo wop" classic, "There's A Moon Out Tonight".

In Honor Of The Late Rocker Chuck Berry Who Helped Make It All Possible-*When Doo Wop Bopped- An Encore- The Music Of The 1950s

CD Review

Old Town Doo Wop, Volume One, Ace Records, 1992

I have been doing a series of commentaries elsewhere on another site on my coming of political age in the early 1960s, but now when I am writing about musical influences I am just speaking of my coming of age, period, which was not necessarily the same thing. No question those of us who came of age in the 1950s are truly children of rock and roll. We were there, whether we appreciated it or not at the time, when the first, sputtering, moves away from ballady show tunes, rhymey Tin Pan Alley tunes and, most importantly, any and all music that your parents might have approved of, even liked, or at least left you alone to play in peace up in your room hit post World War II America like, well, like an atomic bomb.

Now strictly speaking “Doo Wop” is not really rock and roll, but rather a second cousin to it coming out of the black-dominated rhythm and blues tradition. The fantastic harmonics, precise rhythmic patterns, and smooth lyrics reflect that tradition more than the over-heated, guitar-driven, solo-singer rock performances that drove most of us to the dance floor back in the day. The kind of rock and roll that most of us children of the genre listened to, went wild over and spent that precious disposable income on was the rockabilly, hillbilly, black country blues variation that Sam Phillips and Sun Records first produced in the early 1950s and that Elvis, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis came to be exemplars of. But some of us, when we had a little extra cash, definitely bopped “doo wop” as part of our coming of age, especially if some dreamy girl (or guy for shes) was falling all over herself to listen to. Remember to be young was to be ready.

So what still sounds good on this CD compilation to a current AARPer and some of his fellows who comprise the demographic that such 1950s compilations “speak” to. No one came out of the 1950s without having at least listened to “There’s A Moon Out Tonight” by the Capris. Or “Remember Then” by The Earls, “Message Of Love” by The Laurels, and “Walking Alone” by The Solitaires. Now this sub-genre is a very acquired taste, to be sure, but if you need a “doo wop” primer here is a place to start.


There's A Moon Out Tonight

Artists: The Capris

There's a (moon out tonight) whoa-oh-oh ooh
Let's go strollin'
There's a (girl in my heart) whoa-oh-oh ooh
Whose heart I've stolen
There's a moon out tonight (whoa-oh-oh ooh)
Let's go strollin' through the park (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

There's a (glow in my heart) whoa-oh-oh ooh
I never felt before
There's a (girl at my side) whoa-oh-oh ooh
That I adore
There's a glow in my heart I never felt before (ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Oh darlin'
Where have you been?
I've been longin' for you all my life

Whoa-uh-oh baby I never felt this way before
I guess it's because there's a moon out tonight

There's a (glow in my heart) whoa-oh-oh ooh
I never felt before
There's a (girl at my side) whoa-oh-oh ooh
That I adore
There's glow in my heart
I guess it's because

There's a moon out tonight
Moon out tonight
Moon out tonight
Moon out tonight
There's a moon out tonight

*Once Again, On The Time Of The Teenage Musical “Counterrevolution-Old Style

A YouTube's Film Clip Of The Shirelles's Doing "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"



CD Review

Rock ‘n’ Roll All #1 Hits: Volume One, various artists, Original Sound Entertainment, 1988



I have spilled much ink, some might say too much ink, describing the teenage musical “counterrevolution” of the late 1950’s-early 1960’s, the time between the decline of classic rock’n’roll of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis Bo Didderly, Chuck Berry and the like and the fresh breeze of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the other denizens of the British invasion. So be it. I confess that I, like millions of American teens, suffered through the music of Sandra Dee, Bobby Vee, Fabian, Leslie Gore and others of that ilk. Without much overt complain, if also without great enthusiasm I might add. However, in fairness, not every tune of the period was unalloyed brass. A few jumped then, and some fifty years later still stand up. That is what this ‘greatest hits’ compilation is all about.

Needless to say we are not dealing here with the broader social issues of the time that got a full airing by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and later those Beatles and Stones. What we have here is songs that reflected the concerns of teenagers then (and now, as well) about love, thwarted love, longings for love, two-timing boyfriends or girlfriends, flirts, what to do on Friday night, what to do on Saturday night and how to get through the rest of the week to get to those nights. And if that were not enough whether we were “cool”, “hot”, “in” or out”. Nobody said being a teen then (or now) was easy.

So what is good here? If somebody asked me to list some of the songs that remain in my head from this teenage period (giving a little thought and prompting to the effort) several of these songs would make the list. Certainly The Chiffons “He’s So Fine” with their great harmony would make any list. Dion’s finger-snapping “Runaround Sue” (the dread of every “red-blooded” male teen of the time) the same. Del Shannon’s “Runaway” for sure. The Shirelles’ ode to teenage sexual temptation “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” absolutely. Nor can one leave out “Duke of Earl”. However, if you have only one to pick it must be The Dixie Cups’ “Chapel Of Love”. That song says it all about the ends of teenage love- getting hitched and living happily ever after. Naturally, right? You don’t believe me about this song. In the mid-1990’s The Dixie Cups performed this song at the Newport Folk Festival, of all places. This audience, for the most part, was composed of older, wiser survivors of love’s trial and tribulations. The place went crazy when the group did this number. Enough said.


"Runaround Sue"-Dion

Here's my story, its sad but true
It's about a girl that I once knew
She took my love then ran around
With every single guy in town

Ah, I should have known it from the very start
This girl will leave me with a broken heart
Now listen people what I'm telling you
A-keep away from-a Runaround Sue

I miss her lips and the smile on her face
The touch of her hair and this girl's warm embrace
So if you don't wanna cry like I do
A-keep away from-a Runaround Sue

Ah, she likes to travel around
She'll love you but she'll put you down
Now people let me put you wise
Sue goes out with other guys
Here's the moral and the story from the guy who knows
I fell in love and my love still grows
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
Keep away from-a Runaround Sue

She likes to travel around
She'll love you but she'll put you down
Now people let me put you wise
Sue goes out with other guys
Here's the moral and the story from the guy who knows
I fell in love and my love still grows
Ask any fool that she ever knew, they'll say
Keep away from-a Runaround Sue


Dixie Cups - Chapel of Love Lyrics

Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin' to the chapel of love

Spring is here, th-e-e sky is blue, whoa-oh-oh
Birds all sing as if they knew
Today's the day we'll say "I do"
And we'll never be lonely anymore because we're

Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin' to the chapel of love

Bells will ring, the-e-e sun will shine, whoa-oh-oh
I'll be his and he'll be mine
We'll love until the end of time
And we'll never be lonely anymore because we're

Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And we're gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin' to the chapel of love

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Goin' to the chapel of love
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
FADE
Goin' to

*In The Time Of The Teenage Music Counterrevolution- The Music Of The Everly Brothers

A YouTube's Clip Of The Everly Brothers Doing "All I Have To Do Is Dream".



CD REVIEW

The Everly Brothers: All-Time Original Hits, Rhino Records, 1999



There was a time in my youth, in the late 1950's, just after the hullabaloo of the original emergence of rock&roll as a threat to national security with the rise of the likes of Bill Halley, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry and the like had subsided and before the British invasion that revitalized rock had surfaced teenage popular music hit a bump in the road. During that time young male singers like Ricky Nelson, Bobby Dee, Fabian, Conway Twitty and the singers under review, the Everly Brothers, emerged or were pushed forward to fill in the blanks. This was a period where there was a conscious effort to tone down, sweeten up and bastardize rock. Although the Everly Brothers cannot be said to have been the cultural force behind that movement, after all they just wanted to sing, make money and be popular with the girls, they certainly benefited from this shift in the popular music industry. Other more sinister adult forces led the charge to this homogenized music.

That said, on their own terms the brothers were hardly the worst of the lot in presenting this kind of music to their teenage public, especially those adoring, dreamy-eyed white suburban girls whose allegiance drove their material up the pop charts. Some of their work, included for your inspection here, can and should be considered classics of this dark period in American teenage music. While the Everly Brothers on their best days will never have the force of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll", Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock" or Jerry Lee's "Breathless', their clean, well produced music and okay instrumentation will survive on the second or third echelon of the rock pantheon.

Who, from that generation, can forget the panic lyrics that drive the story line of "Wake Up Little Susie" or the very danceable "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and "Let It Be Me". Teen angst, meaning not having a boy or girl friend is well represented by "Crying In The Rain" and "Cathy's Clown". Can't you just visualize those old school gym dances now. Ya, that is what the brothers were successfully catering to don't you know. For those of us who could not dance, were girl-shy or lacked the proper boffo- haired appearance of the singers of the period we got our chances later but for those guys handy with a slick comb this was their time-and the Everlys'.


Wake Up Little Susie Lyrics
Artist(Band):The Everly Brothers

Wake up, little Susie, wake up
Wake up, little Susie, wake up
We’ve both been sound asleep, wake up, little Susie, and weep
The movie’s over, it’s four o’clock, and we’re in trouble deep
Wake up little Susie
Wake up little Susie, well

Whatta we gonna tell your mama
Whatta we gonna tell your pa
Whatta we gonna tell our friends when they say “ooh-la-la”
Wake up little Susie
Wake up little Susie, well

I told your mama that you’d be in by ten
Well Susie baby looks like we goofed again
Wake up little Susie
Wake up little Susie, we gotta go home

Wake up, little Susie, wake up
Wake up, little Susie, wake up
The movie wasn’t so hot, it didn’t have much of a plot
We fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot
Wake up little Susie
Wake up little Susie, well

Whatta we gonna tell your mama
Whatta we gonna tell your pa
Whatta we gonna tell our friends when they say “ooh-la-la”
Wake up little Susie
Wake up little Susie
Wake up little Susie

All I Have To Do Is Dream Lyrics
Artist(Band):The Everly Brothers

Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I’m dreamin’ my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I’m dreamin’ my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

FADE
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream



Bye Bye Love Lyrics
Artist(Band):The Everly Brothers

CHORUS:
Bye bye love
Bye bye happiness, hello loneliness
I think I´m-a gonna cry-y
Bye bye love, bye bye sweet caress, hello emptiness
I feel like I could di-ie
Bye bye my love goodby-eye

There goes my baby with-a someone new
She sure looks happy, I sure am blue
She was my baby till he stepped in
Goodbye to romance that might have been

CHORUS

I´m-a through with romance, I´m a-through with love
I´m through with a´countin´ the stars above
And here´s the reason that I´m so free
My lovin´ baby is through with me

CHORUS

Bye bye my love goodby-eye
Bye bye my love goodby-eye

FADE: Bye bye my love goodby-eye
Bye bye my love goodby-eye



Cathy's Clown Lyrics
Artist(Band):The Everly Brothers

CHORUS
Don’t want your lo-o-o-o-ove anymore
Don’t want your ki-i-i-i-isses, that’s for sure
I die each time I hear this sound
“Here he co-o-o-o-omes, that’s Cathy’s clown”

I’ve gotta stand tall, you know a man can’t crawl
But when he knows you tell lies and he hears ‘em passin’ by
He’s not a man at all

CHORUS

When you see me shed a tear and you know that it’s sincere
Dontcha think it’s kinda sad that you’re treatin’ me so bad
Or don’t you even care

CHORUS

FADE
That’s Cathy’s clown
That’s Cathy’s clown