By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Some time ago, Blogfinger received an email complaining about our music. The writer, a young woman, said that she wasn’t even born yet when the Doo Wop era kicked in. Others complained about the Doo Wop concerts in the Great Auditorium. It is true that the Doo Wop scene in the GA has seemed, in recent years, as sort of a museum piece, yet the crowds keep coming.
For those of you who were not here in the ’50’s, the advent of this new form of music–rock and roll–had a powerful effect on the teenagers of that time, just like music of an era always does for its particular time in the spotlight.
One of the early songs that had a grip on the souls of kids and musicians in 1954 was “Gloria.” There was something about it that drew you in. Dion said that “Gloria” was a “litmus test” for groups wanting to gain recognition in that world.
This is what the song sounded like in 1954 as performed by Speedo and the Cadillacs. (This video is a current rendition)
For a modern interpretation, listen to the marvelous Kenny Vance and the Planotones recreating “Gloria.” (below)
And, by the way, we got a glimpse of what will happen in the future to this music and these groups last Saturday night when Freddie Parris and the Five Satins did a spectacular set of close harmonies and new music merged with the old. And singing the high notes was a young woman, and the sound was special. —Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
KENNY VANCE with his version of Gloria:
Reblogged this on Blogfinger and commented:
Someone sent a comment about our 2013 article re: “Gloria” a very special girl of the fifties. This piece reverberates into the past because Kenny Vance has been sidelined, and Doo Wops will not return this summer to the Great Auditorium after many years of marking the start and the end of the summer concert season in Ocean Grove.
Very good version by The Darchaes,but this will always be Earl Carroll’s song.
Doc,
A real Asbury Park band doing Gloria, Nicky Addeo and the Darchaes. Nick
Addeo is an Asbury legend and one of his band members Sam Siciliano ran the
advertising department of the Asbury Park Press for many years.
He has the voice of an angel and plays at the Wonder Bar once in a while.
Tom
Thank you. I had no idea about those later versions. Paul
Not to mention all the other versions of Gloria, by Them, Shadows of the Night, Van Morrison, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Laura Branigan, Patti Smith, U2, Manhattan Transfer
Nice story Paul. For in depth info on the song, Google Gloria Leon Rene song. Interesting history for all you Doo-Wop fans like myself.