Search - Various Artists;The Dandeliers :: Chop Chop Boom

Too hot for oldies radio!

David A. Bede | Singapore | 12/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, the name of the group comprising the first eight tracks on this collection is really Danderliers, not "Dandeliers." So if you found this CD despite the misspelling, congratulations! You've stumbled onto a buried treasure in more ways than one.



The States and United labels comprised one of the first successful black-owned record companies, and they provided some of Chicago's best R&B in the years immediately before rock and roll emerged in the mainstream. Unfortunately, most of these records were never heard outside Chicago in their own time, and quite a few great recordings never saw release at all - until this CD came along. Better late than never. This is a terrific sampler of the two labels' output, apparently culled from the master tapes as the sound quality is as good as the performances themselves.



The Danderliers were the only group represented here to have a national hit, "Chop Chop Boom." That shuffling rocker is here, of course, but their finest moment is the opening track, "Shu-wop." Both are fast doo-wop at its absolute best. (That term wasn't around in 1955, but as those song titles suggest, the Danderliers had a lot to do with its emergence as the name of the genre!) They could also handle ballads well, as shown by "My Autumn Love" and "My Loving Partner." Both are a bit harder edged than most better-known doo-wop ballads, as were most States releass. "She's Mine" is one of the more commercial sounding numbers here, but it has a great chorus and bridge that will have you bopping along for plenty of listens.



Next up are the Hornets, who finally became famous in the 1980s because a copy of their lone 45 sold for nearly $10,000. This copy of "Lonesome Baby" and "I Can't Believe" will run you a bit less than that, and their three previously unreleased sides are even more interesting. "Reelin' and Rockin'" and "Big City Bound," both fast jump tunes with great harmonies, are among the collection's best.



The other groups are even more obscure (according to the liner notes, nothing is known about some of them), but their performances shouldn't be. The Strollers' bluesy "Go Where My Baby Lives" is instantly catchy. The Drakes' "Mellow Daddy" has some of the raciest lyrics found here, a reminder that at least some of these songs were aimed at adults rather than teenagers. None of the three songs by the Palms ever saw release in their own time, but their selections are my favorites. "Girl of Mine," which owes more than a little to Artie Shaw's "Non Stop Flight," always warrants a reach for my repeat button, while "I Knew I Had a Chance" is wonderfully raunchy and features a great sax break.



Like most Chicago R&B, most of these songs are quite a bit rougher than the doo-wop classics that still turn up on oldies radio. They're a LOT less likely to call images of '50s sock hops and necking in the back seat to mind. But if you like the smoother stuff found on collections like the Rhino Doo Wop Boxes, this is a good next step for your collection."