Cameo Parkway -25..

Convention wisdom has it that in the gap between Elvis joining the army and the emergence of the Beatles there was a vacuum in pop music filled by fabricated performers all called Bobby. This is precisely the period of the films Shag (in which someone mocks an Elvis soundtrack album) and Hairspray.Well, it may not have been the most profound time in pop but this CD of acts on the Cameo Parkway label from the early 60s is hugely enjoyable. This feels like pop in its purest form: dance-orientated, a side-order of soul, but not about much more than having a good time. And even if Dick Clark (who escaped the payola scandal which brought down Alan Freed) had an interest in the label and plugged the songs on his TV shows, they are, to my ears, irresistible. Yes, there's a Bobby (Rydell, whose name was taken in vain for the high school in Grease), and he's heavily represented on this compilation, but somehow it all sounds wonderful, in that hear-it-umpteen-times-then-cast-it-aside-forever kinda way characteristic of undiluted pop: there's a turbocharged version of Volare and a song called Cha-cha-cha which has an appealing strain of melancholy, as well as gleefully demolishing rival dances ("throw Locomotion in the ocean," etc).And there's a whole catalogue of dances here, from Dee Dee Sharp's Mashed Potato Time (later parodied as "Monster Mash"); variants on the Twist, which reminded me that Chubby Checker has a leathery, powerful voice which sails over the accompaniment like a blues shouter; the Bristol Stomp; the Pony; the witless but somehow memorable Limbo Rock; the Watusi ... manufactured, maybe, but well manufactured, and if you want a single CD to sum up the early sixties, this is the one.A footnote: all this may have been swept aside by the Beatles, but their saviour or nemesis, Alan Klein owns this material, and up until now had resisted all efforts to get him to issue this music on CD. Now that it is available, it's been well worth the wait, and the remastering (mono) has a punchiness which makes it sound like what I've heard of the viny originals. Enjoy - but don't look for meaning. Oh, and there's even a garage rock classic at the end. Though as that, too, is infernally catchy it merits its place. If you don't want to splash out for the 4 CD box set, all the hits are here.

Very substantial reviews on this cd,and I agree with everything that has been said.You knew what you were getting with Cameo Parkway. 2 to 3 minutes of fantastic dance music which really brightened up your day.Crisp percussion,solid handclaps,and a 15 second sax solo which would blow you away.Just a few notes.Thanks for the 2 classic Tymes tracks,wonderful stuff.Listen to Ride by Dee Dee Sharp and marvel at the power of the bass drum especially on headphones.? And The Mysterians surely listened to the backing track of Dinner With Drac before recording 96 Tears.One other thing,John Zacherle sounds amazingly like Spike Milligan to me.Listen closely and see if you agree.