The Five Keys Collection 1951-58

Doowop and R&B vocal group The Five Keys were often called “the group’s group” because they were top class exponents among the doowop fraternity whose style and technique many other groups tried to emulate, and who were instrumental in shaping the genre during the early 1950s. Starting life as The Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, they evolved to become The Five Keys, signing to Aladdin Records in 1951, and later moving to Capitol in 1954, with whom they stayed until 1958. This great-value 85-track 3-CD set comprises their A & B sides for both Aladdin and Capitol during these years, which encompassed their R&B and pop chart career, the repertoire ranging across both new compositions and imaginative interpretations of Great American Songbook standards. It also includes titles from their 1957 album “The Five Keys On Stage”, which were not otherwise recorded as singles. It features all their career hits, including the R&B No. 1 “The Glory Of Love”, and the Top 5 R&B hits “Ling Ling Tong” and “Close Your Eyes” plus the Top 20 hits “’Cause You’re My Lover”, “The Verdict”, “Gee Whittakers” and “Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind”. It’s a comprehensive overview of the primary era of their career, when they enjoyed their greatest success and influence, and a fine showcase for the complex and sophisticated harmonies which made them such a definitive doowop group.