by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)
Doo-Wop is a style of rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll vocal music most popular in the 1950s and ’60s. The term “doo-wop” is derived from the sounds made by the group as they provided the harmonic background for the lead singer.
Doo-Wop music is before “the time” me and most followers of Good Black News and these weekly playlists. Though there isn’t a genre called “musically transportive to that time period,” Doo-Wop tracks have been used on many film and television scores for that very reason.
[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:79gPXRTKRHqlPGQO2YycNG”]
It started in African-American neighborhoods all around the United States including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, and Washington, DC.
Though its roots can be found as early as the records of the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots in the 1930s and ’40s, Motown’s premier groups like The Shirelles and Temptations of the 1960s and ’70s were based in this classic doo-wop style.
Berry Gordy’s songwriting powerhouse, Smokey Robinson, had early hits with The Miracles that were straight Doo-Wop songs. Its influence has been felt on punk, alternative rock, and modern R&B artists.
I’ve gathered classics by The Platters, The Flamingos, Little Anthony and The Imperials, The Orions, The Moonglows, and many others for this playlist. Do enjoy.
And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.
