The Dell Vikings "For Collectors Only" (Fee Bee 1956-1957)

This really isn't for collectors only -- it is the only single collection of the group's stuff that shows the full range of this sadly underrated vocal group…...As it is, its mere existence as a mid-priced double CD, alongside the presence of the two best-of compilations from MCA and Mercury, makes collecting the best Dell Vikings material extremely complicated. Collectables Records got access to the complete recordings that the original group made for Fee Bee Records, which covers their history from 1956 through 1957, overlapping with the history of the Mercury version of the group. This includes the hit version of "Come Go With Me," as well as "Whispering Bells" (both of which appear on MCA's best-of in those very same versions) and their other early tracks. Collectables also got access to an extraordinary body of outtakes -- a magnificent fast version of "I'm Spinning" that's completely different from the version that appears on both the MCA and Mercury best-of discs. There are distinctive outtakes of "Willette" and oddities such as the Joey Biscoe single "What Made Maggie Run," on which the group sang backup in a hurried attempt to get them out before the public again after that first hit. More important are tracks like "Uh Uh Baby," a fast jump number that shows the group at about its rockingest and nimblest, with a killer guitar solo courtesy of Joe Lopes. Other highlights include radiant outtakes of "Girl, Girl" and "Cold Feet" (done a cappella), little snippets of session chatter (amazing the stuff survived 40 years), and rehearsal and audition versions of the group's songs and generally the fullest account possible of the history of the Fee Bee Records version of the group that you'll ever see.(Bruce Eder, Allmusic)

trax disc 1:
01 Come Go With Me (Master) 02 When I Come Home 03 I'm Spinning (Fast Version) 04 Over The Rainbow 05 Girl, Girl (Outtake) 06 Uh Uh Baby (Baby Let Me Be) 07 How Can I Find True Love (1956 Version) 08 Willette 09 Cold Feet (Acappella) 10 Marguerite 11 There I Go 12 What Made Maggie Run 13 Little Girl 14 Senorita 15 Don't Be A Fool 16 I'm Spinning 17 Down By the Stream 18 Yours
trax disc 2:
01 Whispering Bells 02 You Send Me 03 Woke Up This Morning 04 In The Still of the Night 05 Little Billy Boy 06 Willette (Outtake) 07 Cry Baby (Acappella) 08 How Can I Find True Love (Master) 09 The White Cliffs of Dover 10 You Said You Love Me (Outtake) 11 I Want To Marry You 12 Cold Feet 13 Watching The Moon 14 Down in Bermuda 15 Understand 16 Heaven and Paradise 17 Girl Girl (Master) 18 Come Go WIth Me (Audition)
…served by Gyro1966...