Among the myriad doo wop compilations and label retrospectives on the market, few are as consistent or as potent as the first volume in Ace's
Old Town Doo Wop series. Founded in 1953 by brothers
Hy and Sam Weiss, Old Town was one of the premier record labels of the early rock & roll era, with a sprawling catalog spanning the breadth of pop, R&B and blues, but doo wop was its bread-and-butter.
Hy Weiss' penchant for all-night sessions yielded not only a wealth of material but a signature sound that boasted an emotional intensity and otherworldly beauty matched by few rival labels. Another
Weiss trademark -- the "$50 handshake," (aka: payola) guaranteed that Old Town releases were staples of radio play lists, and the label notched a series of crossover hits including
the Capris' sublime "There's a Moon Out Tonight" and
the Earls' "Remember Then," both included here -- other highlights include
the Harptones' "(My Success) It All Depends on You" and
the Fiestas' "Last Night I Dreamed."