This CD from the now-defunct Relic label, is still available from some "oldies" music dealers. The liner notes by Donn Fileti are informative, providing a good outline of the group's career, but contain a few factual errors.
R&B vocal group historian Marv Goldberg has an in-depth article about The Crickets available on line which corrects the errors in the liner notes.
The group originally consisted of Harold Johnson (tenor and guitar), Eugene Stapleton (tenor), Leon Carter (baritone), Rodney Jackson (bass), and Grover "Dean" Barlow (lead). Their first recordings (4 songs) were made for entrepreneur Joe Davis in December of 1952, who immediately leased them to the MGM label, which released them in 1953. In April of 1953, the group cut 7 more songs for Davis, which he began releasing on his new Jay-Dee label in July.
In the fall of 1953, Davis broke up the original Crickets and had Barlow form a new Crickets group which consisted of Robert Bynum (first tenor), William Lindsay (second tenor) and Joe Dias (bass), the lead singer, of course, was Barlow. In November or December 1953 this group cut 4 songs for Davis, but the group lacked the cohesion necessary for success - they didn't want to rehearse and perfect their material, so this aggregation was dissolved.
A third Crickets group, consisting of Barlow and Lindsay, with the addition of Bobby Spencer (baritone) and Fred Barksdale (bass), was formed which cut the group's final 2 sides in January of 1954.
It has been theorized that lead singer Dean Barlow's voice was "too good" for the group to find success in the R&B market of 1953-54. But I believe that the fact that they recorded for Davis, a relatively minor player in the R&B arena, albeit a colorful character, probably was at least as much to blame. Davis retained ownership of the "Crickets" name, and is said to have won a substantial financial settlement from the Buddy Holly group in 1958 for their use of the name. Unlike many in the R&B field, he was also a jealous guardian of music ownership - of the 17 songs on this CD, 16 are published by "Joe Davis, ASCAP." In fact, an out-of print biography of Davis is titled "Never Sell A Copyright." Davis was also a player in the "party record" business in the late 1950s - early 1960s; I recall seeing several LPs of off-color songs on his Celebrity label, featuring album covers with scantily-clad women, on display in various shops in New York City's Times Square area at that time.
In listening to this CD, the background vocals on track 2 struck me as familiar - "Rond�, rond�, boppa doo, ron-ron.." - This same refrain was copied at least twice in later recordings - Teenage Love by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and I Met Him On A Sunday by the Shirelles. A subtle influence on later works by the Crickets group that didn't like to practice!
Davis released Crickets records in a rather indiscriminate order on his Jay-Dee and Beacon labels, so I have indicated which group cut each track by a number in the listing below.
Get this one if you can find it.
Track listing :
1. Be Faithful - (Beacon #104) Nov 1954 - #1
2. Your Love - (Jay-Dee # 785) Dec 1953 - #2
3. I'll Cry No More - (MGM #11507) Jun 1953 - #1
4. Changing Partners - (Jay-Dee #785) Dec 1953 - #2
5. My Little Baby's Shoes - (Jay-Dee #786) Jan 1954 - #2
6. Dreams And Wishes - (Jay-Dee #777) Feb 1953 - #1
7. Milk And Gin - (MGM #11428) Feb 1953 - #1
8. I'm Not The One You Love - (Jay-Dee #781) Sep 1953 - #1
9. You're Mine - (MGM #11428) Feb 1953 - #1
10. Fine As Wine - (Jay-Dee #781) Sep 1953 - #1
11. When I Met You - (Jay-Dee #777) Feb 1953 - #1
12. For You I Have Eyes - (MGM #11507) Jun 1953 - #1
13. Just You - (Jay-Dee #786) Jan 1954 - #2
14. Are You looking For A Sweetheart - (Jay-Dee #789) Feb 1954 - #3
15. Never Give up Hope - (Jay-Dee #789) Feb 1954 - #3
16. I'm Going To Live My Life Alone - (Jay-Dee #795) Oct 1954 - #1
17. Man From The Moon - (Jay-Dee 795) Oct 1954 - #1
