But their catalog is one of doo-wop’s finest, led by the definitive version of doo-wop’s definitive ballad, “Gloria.” Throw in “Peek-A-Boo,” on which the group out-Coastered the Coasters (“Look in the dark, you see my face -aaaaaaaaaaaaa! Don’t try to hide, I’m every place!) Who could ask for more? If the Cadillacs had done nothing more than the classic “Speedo,” they’d be remembered. These may not be the greatest in your ears, but, for one reason or another, each sticks out in mine. Many of your favorites - and mine - will be left out due to space limitations. Then, I realized how hard it would be to limit the list to 20 when every doo-wop group was so good. When I received this assignment - the 20 greatest doo-wop groups - I thought it would be fun. All you needed were some voices, but a street corner was an added bonus. Doo-wop could be sung anywhere, by anyone, at any time. (By the way, if Pat Prince finds a photo of the Boss-Tones, he automatically wins “editor of the year.”)įour guys could walk down Main Street in the rain singing “Every time it rains it rains,” and, of course, the bass voice would take over with “Pennies From Heaven.” The key? No instruments. Each knew his part, and it sounded great. All that was needed was one bass voice to go “mope-itty mope mope de mope mope mope” and the rest of the gang chimed in. What made doo-wop so popular? Shower rooms after football practice when you could put five or six teenagers - usually all male - in a ready-made echo chamber.
Last year, in an outdoor concert, I had the pleasure of seeing doo-wop legends The Duprees and Vito and The Salutations perform live. Described as “irreplaceable icons of popular culture,” Wildwood’s doo-wop-style hotels and motels, placed on a national list of endangered places a few years back, emphasize the town’s dedication to keeping the doo-wop culture alive and well. Wildwood stakes a claim as the birthplace of rock and roll because Bill Haley And The Comets first performed “Rock Around The Clock” there in 1954.