Very Best Of

I enjoyed the Vibrations for a long time especially seeing them perform in Philadelphia at the Uptown. They were so good they use to go against The Temptations as a Battle Of the Groups. All their songs were hits in Philadelphia and were well played on the radio alot. "Cindy" was the best song I use to hear alot. "Watusi Time" also "Watusi" was the popular dance everybody love to do. Great CD I love it all.

if you are a music/oldies lover , this cd is just fabulous across the board in all ways possible. the listeners will truly love this one/

good for what they sung

excellent kind of music for me. Recomend this kind of music to the baby boomers who enjoy this kind of relaxation and listening music.

Various members of the L.A. R&B vocal group The Vibrations, which had seven hit singles from 1961 to 1968, actually appeared on record as far back as 1956 and, to the mid-1970s, totalled something in the neighbourhood of 60 singles for several different labels, their sound often so different, depending on who took the lead and the type of song, that it was impossible to hear them on radio and say, definitively "that's The Vibrations." Here in this Collectables release you get all seven hits in excellent sound reproduction to go along with some of their better non-hits and three previously-unreleased tracks (9,11 and 16).Second tenor Carl Fisher and baritone Dave Govan were members of a 1955 unrecorded group known as The Heart Thrills before Fisher hooked up with lead Jimmy Johnson, bass Carver Bunkum (as well as Cleo White and Rene Beard) as The Jayhawks to record Counting My Teardrops b/w The Devil's Cousin in 1956 for the legendary Flash Records own by L.A. record store owner Charlie Reynolds (Flash 105). Neither White nor Beard were around for the next release, but Govan had joined, to take the comedy tune Stranded In The Jungle to # 9 R&B and # 18 Pop Top 100 that summer on Flash 109 b/w My Only Darling.Then, for the next several years, following the arrival of first tenor Richard Owens and bass Don Bradley, an inter-changing mix of personnel appeared on record as The Jayhawks, Earl Palmer & The Jayhawks, The Vibes, Danny Tyrell & The Cleeshays and Sonny Knight with The Cleeshays for labels such as Aladdin, Allied and Eastman, but with no further hits. Until early 1961 when, now operating as The Vibrations, Johnson, Fisher, Owens, Govan and Bradley had The Watusi climb to # 13 R&B/# 25 Pop Hot 100 on Checker 969 b/w Wallflower. That was actually their fourth of thirteen Checker releases (to 1963) and in addition to the hit, here you also get their first release, So Blue (Checker 954 in 1961), Oh Cindy (Checker 1002 in 1961) and Since I fell For You (Checker 1038 in 1963).After that lone hit came a bit of controversy when Arvee Records, feeling they needed a single on the market while their main group, The Olympics, were on tour, convinced The Vibrations to do some moonlighting and record Peanut Butter (using the same tune as The Olympics' (Baby) Hully Gully) which was released on Arvee 5027 as by The Marathons b/w Talkin' Trash. Unfortunately, as the record began it's climb to # 20 Hot 100/# 25 R&B, Checker/Chess learned of the fraud and had it stopped. The group then re-recorded the tune at the Checker facility and it was released on the subsidiary Argo 5027 as well as Checker 1790 billed as The Vibrations Named By Others As The Marathons or The Vibrations Recorded As The Marathons with Down In New Orleans as the flipside.Arvee, which owned the name The Marathons, then cobbled together a new group to release a Sonny Bono tune called Tight Sweater b/w C. Percy Mercy Of Scotland (Arvee 5038) and Chicken Spaceman b/w You Bug Me Baby (Arvee 5048) but neither charted, nor did they have anything to do with The Vibrations. In the meantime, they had gone hitless until early 1964 when, now with Atlantic Records, My Girl Sloopy topped out at # 28 Hot 100 (the R&B charts were suspended for all of 1964) on Atlantic 2221 b/w Daddy Woo-Woo. In 1965 the hit would be covered by Little Caesar & The Consuls under the same title as well as The McCoys and The Ramsey Lewis Trio as Hang On Sloopy.Over a year would pass before their next hit, a cover the 1954 Errol Garner Trio entry Misty, which finished at # 26 R&B/# 63 Hot 100 on Okeh 7230 b/w Finding Out The Hard Way, followed in late 1966 by their cover of The Beatles' And I Love Her (# 47 R&B/# 118 Hot 100 Bubble Under on Okeh 7257 b/w Soul A Go-Go and, in May 1967, Pick Me which ended up at # 39 R&B on Okeh 7276 b/w You Better Beware. Their last hit then came in May 1968 with Love In Them There Hills finishing at # 38 R&B/# 93 Hot 100 on Okeh 7311 b/w Remember The Rain. That last is the only B-side of their hits offered in this volume.You also get these uncharted singles: Sloop Dance b/w Watusi Time (Okeh 7206 in 1964); Gina (Okeh 7238 in 1966), Canadian Sunset (Okeh 7241 in 1966); `Cause You're Mine (Epic 10418 in 1968).

If I hadn't lost my Vibrations album in the 70's, it would have been worn out by now. So glad to find their music again. I like all their songs and the sound of the 60's but also because of the wonderful harmonizing on songs like "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" or "Gina" and most especially "Misty"

This song is not listed but I felt it was one of their best. The group is great, good vocals, range is out-of-site and I have been looking for their music for 20 years. I'm not sure if I focused my comments on album's content, but I would like to hear more and find out what other album's are out there.

For years I knew the Vibrations for their one big hit "The Watusi," the song "Peanut Butter," recorded under their alias The Marathons, and their lesser known orginal version of "Hang On Sloopy" called "My Girl Sloopy." I bought this cd on a whim and wow, what a discovery! The group absolutely ranks with the best of the male peers including the Motown male groups. It's criminal that "Oh Cindy" was not a national hit. Their version of "Misty" and "And I Love Her" are standouts.The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I don't know their complete catalog to say if these cuts are truly "the very best." However, just hearing this cd makes me want to delve into their catalog even more. The Vibrations' music is an essential for any serious classic R&B collector. You might as well start with this collection.