The Doo Wop crowd. Saturday night June 25, 2011. Ocean Grove. Photo by Paul Goldfinger, suspended in mid-air for this photo shot.
By Paul Goldfinger
It was a beautiful evening for the Doo Wops. All the doors were open, and sea breezes were keeping the large audience comfortable. We were sitting towards the rear of the orchestra section, and I used ear plugs because the sound system roared as if it were designed at Cape Canaveral. A new lighting array directly above the stage poured colored lights vertically down through the smoke machines and horizontally in a moving pattern like giant measles.
Four groups performed including The Platters, The Drifters, The Toys and The Passions. The most interesting of the acts was the “girl group” The Toys. The original Toys, from Jamaica, New York, had a few hits, most notably “A Lover’s Concerto” from 1965. They only were together for about five years back in the 60’s, but the lead singer, Barbara Harris, who is now eligible for Medicare, has assembled a new three-woman version of the Toys, and they were lively and fun last night.
The best and most unique part of their act was a medley of greatest hits by a variety of “girl groups” including the Bobbettes (Mr. Lee), the Chantels (Maybe), The Shirelles (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? ), the Crystals (Doo Run Run) and the Supremes (Stop in the Name of Love).
Music removed because of copy-write issues.
Thanks for correcting that typo. I agree with you about the quality of the imitators. They not only are not as good as the originals, but the quality is often awful. Paul
Does anyone ever do editing or research before they write these articles? I never heard of the Shantelles (sic) but I sure remember the Chantels. It’s not a very big deal, but if someone wants to be a journalist, three musts are editing, fact checking and reserach. I love Doo Wop, but these shows sadden me since there are no original Platters or Drifters still alive. All of these acts may sound good, but they are imitators, and I prefer to listen to the original recordings by the original artists.
Thanks. I fixed it. Paul
Mr. Lee was a Bobbettes release.