Paragons & The The Harptones - Paragons Vs. The Harptones (Mod) [CD]

When it comes to describing the unique New York doo-wop sound of the 1950s and early 1960s, you would be hard pressed to find two groups that defined that style better than The Harptones and The Paragons. There are a few factors that make up the magic of The Harptones' music: their catchy, infectious, sometimes haunting, melody lines, their easy, close harmony, which is synonymous with the early Harlem vocal group sound, the smooth and soothing tenor lead of Willie Winfield, and the sophisticated quality of their well-written compositions, many of which were composed by their pianist and arranger, Raoul J. Cita. They remain one of the most beloved, respected, and revered New York vocal groups and truly set the bar for most aspiring East Coast street-corner harmonizers of the day. The Paragons were a 1950s New York doo-wop quintet that hailed from Brooklyn, and first signed by Paul Winley, for his Winley Records label. With Julius McMichael's distinctive high tenor up front, The Paragons were at the forefront of New York street-corner harmony in 1957 with their Winley label debut, pairing the lovely ballad "Florence" with the lively jump tune "Hey Little School Girl," followed by a string of successful singles. In the summer of 1959, music history was made with the release of The Paragons Meet The Jesters LP, one of the best-selling doo-wop platters of the decade. The final hurrah for the Paragons was the classic January 1964 LP on the Andy Leonetti owned Musictone label titled The Paragons vs The Harptones (but it's The Paragons Meet The Harptones on the back of the cover). Although a Leonetti label, it contained some Winley masters ("Florence," "Let's Start All Over Again," and "Doll Baby"). The other tunes were "Blue Velvet," "(Come On) Baby Take My Hand," "Wedding Bells," and the previously-unreleased "Danny Boy" (led by Alan Moore and recorded for Leonetti). The pairing of these two iconic groups featured some of their best material, including the massive Harptones hit "A Sunday Kind Of Love" - and possibly one of the greatest doo-wop songs of all time, "Blue Velvet," performed majestically by The Paragons. "The Paragons vs. The Harptones" is presented here newly remastered, with the recordings sounding just as fresh and exciting as when they were first released.