Cheap Doo Wop at 50, Volumes 1 & 2 (DVD) (George Veras) Price
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Veteran soul stylist Jerry Butler, who hosts the show, is himself a legitimate bridge between the street corner symphonies of the '50s and the more sophisticated urban pop and soul that succeeded them. Butler shepherds a lineup including current editions of the Platters, the Del-Vikings, Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners, the Penguins, the Cadillacs, the Moonglows, the Flamingos, and other fondly remembered groups. A competent if not exactly inspired revue band accompanies all the acts, taped performing on a set decorated with oversized portraits of '50s icons like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, with a few vintage hot rods parked alongside to hammer home the nostalgic thrust of the night.
More impassioned doo-wop fans and rock historians, however, will be a tougher sell. If the groups indeed carry the names associated with the hits, many feature reconstituted lineups with few of the members actually heard on the original singles, a practice that can be traced back to the '60s (as with the Platters). Alternatively, more authentic lineups, like The Marcels (heard performing their galloping version of "Blue Moon" for the first time in decades), reflect their advancing years in rough vocal edges or arrangements transposed to lower keys. Given the show's inspiration (Rhino's exemplary Doo Wop Box anthologies, which unearthed both big hits and forgotten gems and placed the music and performers in a rich historical context), it would have been intriguing to provide some documentary context. --Sam Sutherland
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | George Veras |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 1999 |
| MANUFACTURER: | Rhino Video |
| MPAA RATING: | NR (Not Rated) |
| FEATURES: | Color, Black & White, Box set, Dolby |
| TYPE: | Music Video - Soul |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| # OF MEDIA: | 2 |
| UPC: | 603497665723 |
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Customer Reviews of Doo Wop at 50, Volumes 1 & 2
A Class Reunion with Class Though I'm too young to have gone to school and dated during the doo-wop period, these songs were still definitely on the radio when I grew up in the sixties. The vocal harmonies and musical 'innocence' appealed to me then, as now.
I first saw some excerpts of this concert on PBS during a fund drive, and was delighted to find it available on DVD now. I was unprepared for the fantastic sound and visual quality of the DVD compared to what I'd seen on PBS. It truly leaps out of your stereo speakers! Whatever these well-seasoned performers may have lost in vocal youth over the years is well-compensated by the improved sound quality over those old scratchy 45's!
Unlike your typical rock concerts of today, this is a concert where the performers are accessible and immediate. And, of course, most of the audience was around for these songs when they were issued, so they are well-mannered and allow us to hear the performers.
There is an overwhelming feeling of love and good vibrations coming from the audience and performers alike. This is not the wild orgasmic devotion of kids at a modern rock concert, but a mellow and enthusiastic appreciation. The audience often joins the performers when prompted in clapping, singing, etc.
Jerry Butler is an excellent MC for the performers, all of who gave their best for these performances. Naturally, with the passage of so many years, some of the original singers aren't here. I found it most noticeable with the Platters, where Herb Reed did an excellent job, but he ain't Tony Williams. Gene Chandler's 'Duke of Earl' performance is awesome. So many moments were touching here, but my favorite Harvey Fuqua's performance with the Moonglows of the 'Ten Commandments of Love'. Mr. Fuqua's voice belies the fact that he's in his seventies, and his weather-worn face and strong voice combined with the beautiful backup of the Moonglows takes this performance into the sublime. It was obvious the audience felt the same.
So many young people have no idea of this fairly brief period in the fifties and early sixties. I showed this DVD to my thirteen year old niece and she was wiped out by the music. It's good-time music in a way that doesn't exist any more, maybe never will again.
So, ignore the expanded waistlines and gray hair, and be transported back to a time that seems so recent, yet so far, far away from today's music. This DVD is a keeper, and a great demo for the medium.
Great Show
For those of you out there who enjoy the sounds of Doo Wop this DVD is for you and is certainly a keepsake for anyone who remembers that period of time or who just enjoys listening to good music. I found this musical presentation to be very good in it's own way and it seemed to have captured some fine musical moments in here worth watching such as Gene Chandler's vocal on "Duke Of Earl" and Jerry Buttler's soulfull rendering on "Your Precious Love" which were the two exciting highlights for me on this disc. This is one video presentation I think worth buying because it gathers together some of the finest performances ever assembled in one place and that it is truly a concert event that may never happen again in our lifetime. Or in any future lifetime. I found the sound quality of this DVD to be very good and the visual quality not to bad eather. So what are you waiting for? Go out and buy this.
A must-have for music lovers
Watching Doo Wop 50 is like sitting down and eating an old fashioned banana split or hot fudge sundae... You remember what it was like, but you'd forgotten how good it really is!!
Not only is the music still pure and simple, but the class and sophistication used to tell the tales of love lost and found makes hearing it just that much better.
Many of the groups featured on this DVD actually sound more mature and better than when they originally recorded. On the other hand, it brings a tear to your heart to hear Jimmy Beaumont struggle to pour his soul into "Since I Don't Have You."
I'm not a DVD fanatic--far from it, but I bought this one simply to hear and see many of my favorite groups perform one last time. Many of these groups will never be seen again, and it's too bad that they weren't given the forum to perform extended sets. Still, where else will you see (and hear) the Spaniels sing "Stormy Weather", the Jive Five with Earl Pitts sing "What Time Is It?", or the Marcels sing "Blue Moon"?
You don't need the DVD to hear the music--God knows you can drop into any discount store and find a compliation of most of this music; but it's worth the few extra bucks to see the creased pants, the shining shoes, the hand gestures, and the appreciation these groups have for people that love their music.
It's not grunge---it's not hip hop or country rock. It was a period of time that many can only appreciate because they've been there. Sit back and take bite out of that sundae and savor how good it is...one more time.
symphonies the night.
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