The ageless appeal of the musical genre known as “doo-wop” is chronicled in this extremely joyful historical deep dive into its origins, evolution and influence on other styles of music developing simultaneously and appropriation by later musical styles. News to me was the fact that it was an organic emergence in the inner cities on the east coast - Philadephia, Baltimore and New York City – in the 1950’s. It was performed by underprivileged, mostly black teenagers with no instruments, or musical training who would perform a capella vocal harmonies on the city streets at night with the streetlights acting as a stage spotlight and an ad hoc audience of their peers. Hence film’s title. Often there would be competing groups on different blocks in some neighborhoods. The lyrics were innocent, romantic and naïve with syncopated rhythms and catchy tunes.

The musical historian, Charlie Horner, and nearly everyone else credits Frankie Lymon , the 13-year old who headed up The Teenagers, with being the first Do-wop performer to reach country-wide audiences and fame. Their iconic “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” jettisoned them into instant stardom, chart-topping popularity, recording contracts and TV appearances. Wilson asserts that this, like almost all African-American music has its roots in the tight harmonies of gospel as first performed in the late 1940’s by The Orioles, who were managed by a Jewish white song writer named Deborah Chessler from Baltimore, and scored their biggest hit in 1948 with “It’s Too Soon To Know”. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. The instant stardom of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers was massively influential on other inner city communities. In particular the Italian-Americans produced Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And let us not forget the fantastic girl groups which were coming into their own at this time – The Staples Singers, The Chantels, and The Crystals. La La Brooks of the Crystals has insightful thoughts on the differences between the male and female experience on the road.

Besides the political and anthropological insights to be gleaned from following the music, which includes rampant racism, professional exploitation, the machinations of the music industry (Phil Spector, Barry Gordy, Alan Freed, Clive Davis, The Brill Building), globalization (The Beatles, the British invasion) which temporarily eclipsed the forward momentum. The revival of popularity of a capella vocal harmony performers in the 1970’ with Sha Na-Na, enVogue and N’Sync signals a much broader and more beautiful message to be taken from this musical history. It is so rich with recollections from a broad spectrum of iconic characters who were so integral in this fertile period and have such wise and prescient observations and insights that it emphatically invites further investigations into the importance of music and its function in society. It also invites comparisons to the evolution of rap and hip-hop into global popularity and influence as an inner city phenomenon.

The film’s final scene, a recording session in 2016 of “Stand By Me” sung by Straight No Chaser, a new a capella group, which included three of the singers from the earlier era, (La La Brooks, Vito Picone and Charlie Thomas) is a rousing anthem and would bring down the house if it could be shown in a theatre. Alas, in this time of Coronavirus shut down and social distancing, it is only available on demand. Better than nothing. Definitely the ticket to get you out of isolation syndrome. Maybe this moment will inspire a new musical genre. The Quarantine Blues? You heard it here first.

Apr 2 Film Review: STREETLIGHT HARMONIES

Apr 3 Book Review: Great Women Artists

Apr 1 Women Crush Wednesday: Kata Geibl

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