During the 1950s and early ’60s, the recording studios in New York were filled to capacity with R&B performers, mainstream vocalists and teenage upstarts, all seeking to mine the primeval rock & roll seam. It really was open season, in that anyone with enough chutzpah could have a stab at this largely untried and untested format. The subsequent onslaught brought about a host of fresh names, including Barbara Evans and Danny Valentino. But, whilst many of those seeking success would only deliver an occasional single, newcomers like Neil Sedaka, Jeff Barry and Bobby Darin would go on to enjoy lengthy careers both as artists and songwriters.

Classy Sugar provides a birds-eye view of the sessions that were colonized by such seasoned pros as saxman ‘King’ Curtis, guitarist George Barnes, drummer Panama Francis, and piano wizard Bert Keyes. This Manhattan melodrama also served as a training ground for the new breed of producers, managers, agents and song pluggers who would one day end up running the music industry that employed them. As you might expect, there is no shortage of surprises and hard-to-find gems that serve to make Classy Sugar the Pure Essence of New York Rock & Roll.

Tracklist:

Side 2:
01 One-Sided Love Affair (Elvis Presley)
02 Hip Couple (Jeff Barry)
03 Groovy (Joe Dodo and The Groovers)
04 Elevator Operator (The Rays)
05 Big Fat Woman (Bobby Freeman)
06 Yes Sir! (The Cues)
07 Hurtin’ Inside (Brook Benton)
08 (We’re Gonna) Jump for Joy (Joe Turner)

Side 3:
01 Be Baba Leba (Thurston Harris)
02 You’d Better Move (Bobby Brookes)
03 Let’s Do The Slop (Little Joe and The Thrillers)
04 Yes I Will (June Batemon)
05 Why Baby Why (LaVern Baker)
06 No Wheels (The Chordettes)
07 Flat Tire (The Del Vikings)
08 Stampede (Danny Valentino)

Side 4:
01 The Wobble (Jimmy McCracklin)
02 Bullmoose (Bobby Darin)
03 Out Of My Mind (The Platters)
04 Pitter Patter Boom Boom (The Jaye Sisters)
05 Souvenirs (Barbara Evans)
06 Miss Orangatang (Lincoln Chase)
07 I Feel Like A Million (Mamie Bradley)
08 Flip, Flop And Fly (The Goofers)