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Doo-wop is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated among African-American youth in the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.
The Ad Libs were an American vocal group from Bayonne, New Jersey, United States, primarily active during the early 1960s. Featuring their characteristic female lead vocals with male "doo-wop" backing, their 1964 single "The Boy from New York City", written by George Davis and John T. Taylor, in 1965 was their only major Billboard Hot 100 hit.
"Denise" is a song written by Neil Levenson. The song was inspired by his childhood friend, Denise Lefrak. In 1963, the song became a popular top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, when recorded by the American doo-wop group Randy & the Rainbows. A cover version by the American new wave group Blondie, re-titled "Denis", reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1978. Dutch actress and singer Georgina Verbaan covered "Denis" in 2002 and reached number 30 on the Dutch Singles Chart.
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American doo-wop/R&B vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Originally the (Royal) Charms, the band changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959.
The Olympics are an American doo-wop group, formed in 1957 by lead singer Walter Ward. The group also included Eddie Lewis, Charles Fizer (tenor), Walter Hammond (baritone), and Melvin King (bass) and except for Lewis were friends in a Los Angeles, California, high school.
"Doo Wop " is the debut solo single from American recording artist Lauryn Hill. The song is the lead single from her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It was written and produced by Hill. The song was officially released in October 1998, after it was initially released as a radio only single, two months prior.
Garnet Mimms is an American singer, influential in soul music and rhythm and blues. He first achieved success as the lead singer of Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters, and is best known for the 1963 hit "Cry Baby", later recorded by Janis Joplin. According to Steve Huey at AllMusic, his "pleading, gospel-derived intensity made him one of the earliest true soul singers [and] his legacy remains criminally underappreciated."
"Little Bitty Pretty One" is a 1957 rock and roll song written and originally recorded by Bobby Day. The same year, the song was popularized by Thurston Harris. Produced by Aladdin Records, and featuring the Sharps on backing vocals, Harris' version reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Best-Sellers chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart.
"In the Still of the Nite", also subsequently titled "In the Still of the Night", is a song written by Fred Parris and recorded by his Five Satins. While only a moderate hit when first released, it has received considerable airplay over the years and is notable as one of the best known doo-wop songs, recorded by artists such as Boyz II Men and Debbie Gibson. It is heard in several films, such as The Buddy Holly Story and Dirty Dancing, and in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman.
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written for the film Dames (1934) when Dick Powell introduced it. Several successful recordings of the song were made in 1934 and later there were charted versions by The Flamingos (1959) and Art Garfunkel (1975).
"Silhouettes" is a song made famous by the doo-wop group the Rays in 1957. A competing version by the Diamonds was also successful. In 1965 it was a number 5 hit in the US for Herman's Hermits, and in 1990 it was a number 10 hit in the UK for Cliff Richard.
Randy & the Rainbows are an American doo-wop group from Maspeth, New York.
Les Cooper was an American doo wop musician, best known for his hit rock instrumental "Wiggle Wobble".
The Sensations were an American doo-wop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Carrie Lucas is an American R&B musician, born in Carmel, California. In 1976 she was signed to Soul Train Records. Lucas made six albums over seven years with Soul Train and Solar Records.
Bobby Hendricks is an American R&B singer who charted two hits in the late 1950s. Hendricks was a member of The Swallows, The Flyers, and sang lead with The Drifters, before becoming a successful solo act.
Doo-Wops & Hooligans is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on October 4, 2010, by Atlantic and Elektra Records. After the release of the EP It's Better If You Don't Understand (2010), Mars' writing and production team, the Smeezingtons, began working on the album with Needlz, Supa Dups and Jeff Bhasker as producers. Doo-Wops & Hooligans draws on a variety of influences. Lyrically, the album visualizes carefree optimism along with failed relationships, pain and loneliness. It was promoted primarily through the Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010–2012) and a co-headline tour with Janelle Monáe, called Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (2011), along with a number of television appearances. The album title was chosen to reflect simplicity and appeal to males and females.
"Daddy's Home" is a famous song by American doo-wop group Shep and the Limelites. The song was written by the three members of the band, James "Shep" Sheppard (1935–1970), Clarence Bassett (1936–2005) and Charles Baskerville. The group recorded the original version of "Daddy's Home" on February 1, 1961, and it was released on Hull Records in March 1961 with the B-side being "This I Know".
"Talking to the Moon" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The song was first unveiled on Mars' debut extended play, It's Better If You Don't Understand (2010), as its last track. It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Albert Winkler, and Jeff Bhasker, while production was handled by the Smeezingtons in collaboration with Bhasker. "Talking to the Moon" is a pop and R&B power ballad about a failed relationship, solitude, and sadness. Instrumentally, the track relies on drum percussion and piano.
"Remember Then" is a pop song written by Tony Powers and Beverly Ross, and first recorded in 1962 by doo-wop vocal group The Earls. Original copies of The Earls' version, on the Old Town label, show only Powers as the writer, while some later versions give a writing or co-writing credit to record producer Stan Vincent. BMI lists all three as co-writers.
References
- ↑ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 184. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ↑ Barry & the Tamerlanes - Chart History - The Hot 100 Archived 2015-12-28 at the Wayback Machine , Billboard.com. Accessed September 27, 2015
- ↑ "Hot R&B Singles", Billboard , November 23, 1963. p. 22
- ↑ Biography, AllMusic
