Belmonts Laurie, Sabina & United Artists Sides, Vol. 1 CD

In their Dion-less career, the Belmonts were in an awkward place. The vocal-group doo wop they had sung with Dion was going out of style, and they tried on various approaches for size without getting much success with any of them. For all that, they were more successful than most 1960s doo wop acts, and this 30-track compilation of material from 1961-66 has all half-dozen of their charting records, including their biggest and best, "Tell Me Why." At times, unfortunately, it is obvious that they're trying to imitate the stuff Dion was having solo success with at the time, as on "Come on Little Angel." The rest of the disc is inconsistent, and widely variable stylistically. "I Don't Know How to Cry" tries for an uptown New York R&B-pop sound; others are traditional slow doo-wop ballads; "Have You Heard" is a midtempo ballad in the style of the Duprees; "Ann-Marie" is Beach Boys-influenced; "I Got a Feeling" is a Jay & the Americans cop; etc. There are occasional above-average tunes like the group original "I Confess," but most of the cuts are mediocre. Includes some previously unissued material, and three tracks they participated in as the backup group to Buddy Sheppard (billed as the Holidays). ~ Richie Unterberger

Full Title - Laurie, Sabina & United Artists Sides Vol. 1. Hailing from the Bronx, The Belmonts took their name from the area's Belmont Avenue. With Dion they scored such hits as 'A Teenager In Love' (No 5) but this was a short relationship & after Dion went solo, they continued to gain hits with such songs as 'Tell Me Why' (No 18), 'Come On Little Angel' (No 28), 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' (No 57) & the doo wop classic 'I Need Someone' (No 75). This CD features 30 tracks, not only sides made for Laurie & Sabina (many previously unissued) but also, for the first time ever, their complete United Artists recordings from 1964 (spread over this & its companion CD & including two previously unreleased tracks). The music tells both the story of a group that was a very important milestone in the era of doo wop music & also the birth of New York's white group sound. Ace. 1995.

Adapter: George David Weiss.