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Abkco

Cameo Parkway 1957-1967

    • Based on 66 reviews
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Format: MP3 Music, August 3, 2005


Description

Special packaging: hinged digi. The Cameo Parkway boxed set that we all have been dreaming of, 115 tracks including 74 chart hits! Painstakingly assembled from the best sources possible (98% from the original tapes), and all in original mono, the tracks include performances by all of the label's stars and it's one-hit wonders. A booklet tells the fascinating story of this label. Nervous and retiring, Bernie Lowe hardly seemed the stuff of an indie-label pioneer. But when the musician and former music-school teacher teamed up with former student/struggling comedy writer Kal Mann in a fledgling songwriting partnership that eventually saw Elvis score with their "Teddy Bear," the die was cast. The pair had launched Cameo the previous year in Lowe's Philadelphia basement, showing a quick knack for scoring chart success with MOR pop (Charlie Grace's "Butterfly"), novelty kitsch (Zacherle's "Cool Ghoul"), and teen-idol rock (Bobby Rydell and others)--the latter thanks largely to serving as talent farm/bullpen for Dick Clark's then Philly-based American Bandstand. But it was Chubby Checker's era- defining dance smash "The Twist" that saw the label's fortunes soar (still the only record to claw its way to the top of the charts in two different years). This generous, 115-track, four-disc anthology of the label's long out-of-print catalog details those highlights and more, wending its way through even unlikelier novelty fare (Clint Eastwood's rasping tribute to his Rawhide TV character, "Rowdy"; RFK impersonator "Senator Bobby" orating a dizzy cover of the Troggs' "Wild Thing") to such '60s garage-rock staples as ? and the Mysterians' classic "96 Tears," the first American release by the Kinks, and promising early sides by Bob Seger. --Jerry McCulley

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.24 x 5.16 x 0.94 inches; 5.29 ounces


Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ ABKCO


Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2005


Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 28, 2007


Label ‏ : ‎ ABKCO


Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA


Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 4


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • The Big Ones Are On Cameo-Parkway!
With this Abkco release the one remaining missing piece of the history of early rock `n roll is finally officially available domestically on compact disc. With a generous 115 tracks (about half hitting the top 40) on this long overdue four disc set many fans and collectors will certainly be pleased (at least for now). This box covers a decade of recordings by some of the most popular artists on the radio and record charts before rock `n roll drastically changed forever. The packaging will never please everyone. Because this box set is small (slightly larger than the size of two standard jewel cases) storage is easy. I recommend getting the four discs in jewel cases right away (instead of using the retro cardboard sleeves included in this set). The re-mastering is excellent! Great sound is what every fan of these songs would demand and most will not be disappointed. Of course since every track is in mono (with the one exception being the stereo version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Patti LaBelle and her Blue Belles on disc three) some will argue that the label could have released the stereo mixes where available. Since every track sounds incredibly clean, crisp, and clear (better than it did coming out of your AM transistor radio) that issue is minor. Only four of the tracks were dubbed from vinyl (the original master tapes were used for all of the remaining tracks). The 44 page booklet includes a seventeen page essay detailing the history of the label. Of course the booklet includes liner notes on each track along with credits, Billboard chart info, etc. The booklet is just barely over the size of a 4.5 inch square and I had no problems reading the small print. Harder on the eyes are the pictures, picture sleeves and samples of the original labels that were included. The four discs look like your old vinyl thanks to the black color used on both sides of the discs. Songwriters Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe formed the Cameo label in Philadelphia at the end of `56. In 1957 Dick Clark was hosting from Philadelphia his popular dance show "American Bandstand" on the ABC network. These local artists were on the national show frequently and their songs were often played over and over again on the show. Soon the artists on Cameo (Bobby Rydell, the Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, etc.) and Parkway (Chubby Checker, the Dovells, the Tymes, etc.) were household names. Opportunities for future "best of " discs that cover the individual careers of Bobby and Chubby would help complete the story that this box set only begins (some would argue that the Dovells, the Tymes, the Orlons, and Dee Dee merit their own hits collections as well). Abkco may release these highly anticipated compilations before the end of 2005 (stay tuned). The first disc starts off with a couple of big hits from `57. Charlie Grace's number one hit "Butterfly" and the follow-up top 20 hit "Fabulous." The Rays big chart hit "Silhouettes" along with the flip side "Daddy Cool" are also included (both tracks are vocal group harmony classics). Then comedian Timmie Rogers hit the top 40 with "Back to School Again." 1958 brought more success with local horror movie host John Zacherle's "Dinner with Drac" and Dave Appell's Applejacks. Both of the Applejacks' top 40 hits are included. Dave Appell was one of Cameo's most important signings, as he went on to co-write hits for many of the other artists. In `59 Bobby Rydell (born Robert Ridarelli) had his first of eighteen solo top 40 chart hits with "Kissin' Time." That tune plus his six top ten hits are included in this set. Chubby Checker scored his first top 40 entry with "The Class" in the summer of '59. Just over a year later Chubby (the former chicken plucker known as Ernest Evans) had all of America dancing to his version of "The Twist." Those two recordings plus three more of Chubby's twenty solo top 40 hits are included in this set. Chubby's hit duet with the teenage Dee Dee Sharp ("Slow Twistin') plus two more duets with Bobby Rydell can also be found here. Dee Dee was the label's most successful solo female artist. All of Dee Dee's four top ten solo recordings are on disc two. The Orlons (all five of their top 20 hits) and the Dovells (with three top 40 hits) are well represented. Disc two even has minor chart entries by Jo Ann Campbell, Candy & the Kisses and Clint Eastwood (years before he won his first Academy Award). The third disc includes three top 40 hits by the Tymes plus the top ten instrumental hit "Caste Your Fate to the Wind." We're also treated to the top 20 novelty hit version of "Wild Thing" recorded by Senator Bobby (voice impressionist Bill Minkin) from early '67. Disc three also has tracks by Johnny Maestro (after he left the Crests), the Kinks (with two tracks they recorded before they scored with "You Really Got Me"), and former Beatle Pete Best. The fourth and final disc includes three chart hits by ? and the Mysterians (the punk-rock quintet from Saginaw, Michigan). Rounding out the collection are several tracks by artists that all went on to bigger success elsewhere (Bob Seger, the Delfonics, the Five Stairsteps, and Eddie Holman) plus minor top 40 entries by Chris Bartley, the Ohio Express and Bunny Sigler. By this time Thom Bell and Kenny Gamble were at the label writing and producing, but their talents would blossom elsewhere. Once the British Invasion (the Beatles, the Stones, the Animals, etc.), the powerful R&B sounds on the Stax, Volt, and Atlantic labels (Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, etc.), and the sound of young America coming out of Detroit's Gordy, Motown and Tamla labels (the Miracles, the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations, etc.) took control of the airwaves (and the charts) there was no room for the Cameo-Parkway label. Of course Dick Clark moving his national dance program to the west coast in the mid sixties did not help either. Mann and Lowe sold the label in 1965 and the company eventually moved to New York. By the summer of 1967 the label was sold to Allen Klein. All these years latter we finally get to revisit these recordings in glorious re-mastered original mono. Worth the wait in deed! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2005 by S. Paradoa
    • Many recordings
As I listened to this, I was surprised to hear many hard to get recordings. Like being transported back in time.
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024 by L. A. Cathey
    • C'mon Baby, Lets Do The Twist - Finally!
First thing, thanks to Abkco and everyone involved for getting off their lazy butts and finally releasing this box set - 'bout time, doncha think? If you've ever searched the net over the years looking for any scraps of information about why the Cameo/Parkway catalog has never seen the CD light, you'd discover a truckload of reasons, excuses, promises, and rumours ranging from owners Alan & Jody Klein's greed/reluctance/laziness (Abkco's Phil Spector box wasnt a big seller though it recieved a lot of press), a never-paid tape storage bill, missing/destroyed master tapes, unpaid royalities to artists (I hope they get paid this time!) plus other legal tangles that kept this great music from being re-released on CD for over 20 years. The Cameo-Parkway box is finally here and oldies fans should rejoice (and throw a limbo party!) Like other reviewers I'm a little disappointed with the packaging - I was expecting a LP sized box with jewel cases simular to Abkco's Spector and Rolling Stones box sets, not a small CD case with paper sleeves. This legendary material deserved a better packaging job. The all-black CD's are good looking, though I think reproductions of the original C/P labels (simular to Rhino's Nuggets boxes) would have been cooler than the basic design they used. The liner notes are well written, giving a general informative overview of the label's history and producers with a extensive track list for each CD. But there is precious little information here about the famous and obscure artists who created this music. Hopefully that will be made up on the individual artist CD's coming out later this year, maybe. But this music is something else! (BTW: None are cheap K-Tel remakes!) The remastering quality of all this material suprasses any unauthorized "import" CD's or even the original 45's which many were poorly mastered and pressed on cheap vinyl or styrene (hard brittle plastic that wore out quick under a heavy tonearm). To hear the Ray's doo-wop classic "Silhouettes" from the original master tapes after all these years of noisy vinyl is simply breathtaking! Many other cuts benefit as well, especally the cheaply recorded "dance craze" material. Everything's in it's pure un-remixed monophonic glory, except for one track: Patti Labelle And Her Blue Belles "You'll Never Walk Alone" which is in true stereo. All the big Top 40 C/P hits are here with many rarities - I think the tracks licenced from UK Pye could have been removed for other worthy American tracks. The early Kinks, Ivy League and Sounds Orchestral tracks have all been re-released overseas by Castle UK and other labels, so it seems a little redundant to have them here, unless you havent heard them before and don't have them in your collection. The track listing on CD's 3 and 4 get a little haphazard for anyone who wants to hear these songs chronologicly, it's strange to hear tracks from 1967 right after 1964 (even if its "Bobby the Poet"). C/P had quite an eclectic catalog of artists. Besides having future compilations on Chubby, Dee Dee, Bobby (and I hope) ? And The Mysterians, The Orlons and Len Barry's Dovells, I hope Abkco will release compilations based on a theme (dance crazes, garage bands, rare R&B and UK northern soul). Abkco should also "open the vaults" to other reissue labels like Rhino, Sundazed, Eric, Collectables, Ace and Castle so they can licence the C/P catalog. C/P released many fine rarities that realy need to be reissued. If Abkco doesnt want to do this, please allow other labels do the research and digitizing work so future generations of music fans and pop culture historians can benefit! Despite some flaws (Where's the Bronzettes "Hot Spot"?), this box set is fantastic. Right now this is the ONLY place youre going to find this material in it's original form, from the best available master tapes. It's a must-buy for any 50's-60's oldies fan to complete his/her collection, especally if you love to dance. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2005 by BillyG in Texas

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