Various Artists - Old Town Doo Wop, Vol. 1 (CD)

All Music Guide

Among the myriad doowop compilations and label retrospectives on the market, few are as consistent or as potent as the first volume in Ace's Old Town Doo Wop series. Founded in 1953 by brothers Hy and Sam Weiss, Old Town was one of the premier record labels of the early rock'n'roll era, with a sprawling catalog spanning the breadth of pop, RB and blues, but doowop was its breadandbutterHy Weiss's penchant for allnight sessions yielded not only a wealth of material but a signature sound that boasted an emotional intensity and otherworldly beauty matched by few rival labels. Another Weiss trademarkthe "50 handshake," a.k.a. payolaguaranteed that Old Town releases were staples of radio playlists, and the label notched a series of crossover hits including the Capris' sublime "There's a Moon Out Tonight" and the Earls' "Remember Then," both included hereother highlights include the Harptones' "(My Success) It All Depends on You" and the Fiestas' "Last Night I Dreamed."

- Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide