Time: 70:08
File: MP3 @ VBR ~317K/s
Released: 2022
Styles: Rock, R&B, Latin
Art: Front & Back
01 Andre Williams & The Don Juans - Going Down To Tia Juana (3:02)
02 Brice Coefield - Cha Cha Twist (2:35)
03 Los Rebeldes Del Rock - Dulces Tonterias (2:16)
04 Gloria Irving - I Need A Man (2:20)
05 Ivory Joe Hunter & The Ivorytones - I Got To Learn To Do The Mambo (2:45)
06 Lee Andrews & The Hearts - Show Me The Merengue (2:58)
07 Penguins - Hey Senorita (2:08)
08 Los Llopis - Quito A Poquito (2:48)
09 The Dootones - Ay, Si, Si (2:28)
10 The Ontarios - Lovers Mambo (1:44)
11 Ruth Brown & Group - Mambo Baby (2:44)
12 The Platters - Shake It Up Mambo (2:41)
13 The Echoes - Aye Senorita (2:42)
14 Calvaes - Anna Macora (2:22)
15 Calvaes - Mambo Fiesta (2:20)
16 The Charmers - The Mambo (2:03)
17 Richie Ray (Vocal Bobby Cruz) - Parisian Thoroughfare (2:36)
18 Note & Toe & The Grenadiers - I Got A Cold (2:48)
19 The Colts - Lips Red As Wine (2:18)
20 New Yorker's 5 - Cha Cha Baby (2:19)
21 Los Mustang - No Lo Ves (2:43)
22 Los Locos Del Ritmo - Vengan Todos A Bailar (2:47)
23 The Crows With Melino & His Orchestra - Mambo Shevitz (2:14)
24 Eddie Kochak - Mambo Araby (2:37)
25 Baldemar Huerta Con Los Romanceros - No Seas Cruel (2:24)
26 Eddie Bo - We Like Mambo (2:31)
27 Los Xochimilcas - Que Se Mueran Los Feos (2:12)
28 Jack Don Ray - Shake Shake Sonora (2:32)
The first outing featuring vocal harmony groups with added Latin influences arrived in 2021 under the heading, ‘Vocal Group Harmonies – Let’s Go Latin’ on Koko Mojo. Since that first album release, the reception was particularly warm given that this was new musical territory explored by the record label, and one packed with variety due to traditional cultural rhythms mixing with established rhythm and blues and an emerging rock and roll sound. With album #1 proving a success, the decision was made to compile a second volume and issued with a simple brief to “Let’s Go Latin Again”. Due to the positive response given to the first CD, ‘Vocal Group Harmonies – Let’s Go Latin Again’ increases its track list to include an extra three songs compared to its predecessor and therefore totalling twenty-eight songs altogether. As mentioned, the approach of this series assumes much interest in those vocal groups from the Latin quarters of America and offers a platform to an earlier generation of Latinos with a keen interest in the rhythm and blues sounds of the times. Such was the impact that Black African American rhythm and blues was either duplicated or presented with added Latin influences. The songs selected for ‘Vocal Group Harmonies – Let’s Go Latin Again’ provides examples of these influences and focuses on the years beginning with 1954 and concluding in 1963. More notable is the inclusion of artists that will certainly have a few listeners searching on the net for any available information given the obscurity of what is largely on offer here. There is familiarity, however, to begin with and comes from reliable Andre Williams and on this occasion featuring The Don Juans during the track ‘Going Down To The Juana’. Despite the established name of Andre Williams, the song adheres to rhythm and blues yet pulls from Latin sources giving the song a light overall feel and one that sounds pared back. From such a bright beginning, the rest of the album continues to flourish with quality all the way from extremely rare doo wop via The Charmers with ‘The Mambo’, rhythm and blues exotica from the Calvaes and song ‘Anna Macora’ and once more with different number and equally fine ‘Mambo Fiesta’. Delving deeper into Latin-American flavours mixed with rock ‘n’ roll is Los Locos Del Ritmo and ‘Vengan Todos A Bailar’. The second volume ‘Vocal Group Harmonies – Let’s Go Latin Again’ is not only a rock and roll album with a difference, but one that contains much quality, not to mention plenty of obscurities that will keep any listener entertained for many weeks to come.
Vocal Group Harmonies: Let's Go Latin Again
