Search - Regents :: Barbara Ann

Another Goldner Product

09/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Crows, Wrens, Five Budds, Valentines, Pretenders, Heartbeats, Rainbows, Channels, Lewis Lymon & The Teenchords, and The Regents all had three things in common. They hailed from the metro New York City area, they all worked for one of George Goldner's labels, and they had few - and in some cases no - hit singles.



However, unlike most of the others who were literally hauled off the street corners to record for Goldner, The Regents [lead Guy Villari, Tony "Hot Rod" Gravagna, Don Jacabucci, Sal Cuomo, and Chuck Fassert] began life as The Desires in 1958, when they first cut Barabara-Ann [named for Fassert's sister] as a demo.



In 1961, when the tiny Cousins label released Barbara-Ann under their new name, The Regents, the group had already broken up. Goldner, seeing it get some fairly decent airplay locally, took over distribution with his Gee label, and by June it had peaked at # 7 R&B and # 13 Billboard Pop Hot 100 nationally b/w I'm So Lonely. Five years later The Beach Boys, with Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean fame on lead vocal, had a # 2 hit with it.



Goldner quickly released two more of their earlier cuts that summer, and in August, Runaround [NOT the same song as the one by The Three Chuckles in 1954 and later The Feetwoods], made it to # 28 Hot 100/# 30 R&B b/w Laura My Darling [the last track in this set].



It isn't clear if Goldner tried a single again with some of the other cuts, or tried to get the group back together, but in any event that was it insofar as hits were concerned. Like the others mentioned above, The Regents had an unremarkable sound. Certainly nothing like the more successful Goldner groups, such as The Chantels. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, and Cleftones.



In this instance Collectables does us completists a favour by including both hits and their B-sides."

Classic 1950's Sound

Carl Berg | MA. | 03/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A great album for any one who wants to here those

1950's "Rock N Roll" sounds. This CD has every thing from

"Doo-Wop" to the jumping jitterbug of "Barbara Ann" with it's heavy sax. Most people only know the Beach Boy's version of this song, recorded some 10 yrs. later (which pales in comparison to The Regents). In my opinion this CD is a must have for someone

looking to experience the 50's



"