The Flamingos Collection 1953-61

The Flamingos were one of the many doowop vocal groups of the 1950s whose group name was borrowed from that of a bird – The Robins, The Penguins, The Orioles and The Ravens were among the others. They are regarded as one of the genre’s very best and most talented groups, and Billboard magazine wrote of them: “Universally hailed as one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in pop music history, the Flamingos defined doo wop at its most elegant and sophisticated.” Like so many of their peers, they suffered from the fact that one of their biggest R&B hits was covered for the pop market by a mainstream artist – in their case, it was Pat Boone recording their landmark song “I’ll Be Home” to score a pop No. 1. This great value 80-track 3-CD set comprises almost all the titles which they release during this primary period of their career, and comprises all their A & B sides released on the Chance, Parrot, Checker, Decca and End labels along with the tracks from their first three LPs “The Flamingos”, “Flamingo Serenade” and “Flamingo Favourites” which were not otherwise released on singles. It naturally includes all the dozen or so hits they had during this time, including “I’ll Be Home”, and their biggest pop hit “I Only Have Eyes For You”. Including substantial booklet notes, this provides an entertaining overview of their most important work, ranging with ease across R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and ballad styles, and is a worthy showcase for their distinctive talent.