The 1950s doo wop group singing style was an important part of the development of rock and roll and R&B. But by the early 60s, it went out of fashion. The trend was towards slicker production, harmony and vocalizing rooted in gospel, and Motown. Original records by these groups became collector's items by the early 60s.
To this day, first pressings of records by Black groups of the 50s are among the most expensive and sought after items in record collecting. A small group of these collectors started a radio show in the early 60s at a college radio station in the Bronx. The show was called Time Capsule and in essence, it was the first of its kind—a rock and roll oldies show. Time Capsule didn't focus on the hits. In fact, the more obscure, the better.
In 1962, in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, a group of young singers got together and started an a capella group. That is, just voices, no band. They were soon discovered by Frank Zappa. The Persuasions, as they were called, would become one of the first groups to revive the sound of the 50s.
The Persuasions gained a huge following after they were assigned to the major Capitol record label in the early 1970s. As I mentioned previously, a New York DJ named Gus Gossert had a radio show that featured the groups of the 50s and called it doo wop. Throughout the 70s, more and more of these doo wop radio shows popped up around the country, usually on Sunday nights. By the mid-70s, the doo wop revival was well underway.
Artists like Billy Joel:
The Manhattan Transfer:
Pete Wingfield:
The Capris:
…all had pop hits that brought back the old doo wop sound. Some of the original groups of the 50s, such as the Moonglows, the Nutmegs, and Earl Lewis with the Channels, made new recordings, went on tour for shows and concerts, and found new audiences among younger generations who fell in love with the sound of the 50s.
Listen to the segment, above.
