Includes liner notes by Charlie Horner.
The Five Satins defined the doo-wop era; it was a reissue of their classic 1955 single "In the Still of the Night" which sparked the doo-wop collector frenzy of the early '60s, the first instance of rock and roll nostalgia. However, unlike most doo-wop groups-the style was filled with glorious one-hit wonders-the Connecticut group had a long and successful career. (They even had a charting single in 1975 under the name Black Satin!) Lead singer Fred Parris and crew were close-harmony geniuses, as smooth as the older vocal groups that had inspired them, but with a fluidity and rubbery rhythmic sense that set them apart even from many of the doo-wop groups. This collection hits all of the highest points, with their defining song leading off 23 other tracks of hushed ballads and bouncy uptempo numbers, "Our Anniversary" and the beautiful "Weeping Willow" among the highlights.