Dick Fox is doing it again! Another Doo Wop concert with rocking performances by big leaguers.
Emil Stuccio, dressed to the nines, with glitter shoes has become the resident emcee who knows, personally and professionally, the acts he introduces tonight.
Tonight’s line-up will open with a group performance and then alternate with a solo performer, group performance, solo performer, group performance and close with a solo performer. WHEW! That’s a lot of fun,Emil!
THE MARCELS!!
Anybody who will listen has heard how much I love watching them jump, dive, spin, stomp and gesture their way through their songs. With red shoes and accessories, they swing into ‘Heartache’ as if this was their Junior Prom and we are all aged 16 years. Somebody here probably is that or younger, but for this song, this night, we all think we are and flirt the part to the stage and back.
And then the High School Memories Medley:
Emil Stuccio, dressed to the nines, with glitter shoes has become the resident emcee who knows, personally and professionally, the acts he introduces tonight.
Tonight’s line-up will open with a group performance and then alternate with a solo performer, group performance, solo performer, group performance and close with a solo performer. WHEW! That’s a lot of fun,Emil!
THE MARCELS!!
Anybody who will listen has heard how much I love watching them jump, dive, spin, stomp and gesture their way through their songs. With red shoes and accessories, they swing into ‘Heartache’ as if this was their Junior Prom and we are all aged 16 years. Somebody here probably is that or younger, but for this song, this night, we all think we are and flirt the part to the stage and back.
And then the High School Memories Medley:
What’s Your Name
I Only Have Eyes For You
Earth Angel
Sincerely
In The Still of the Night
For A Million Years
Where each member of the group takes lead in a song and clearly demonstrates that not only can they vocalize together, but singly they each come out on top. And they complete their segment with the 1961 #1 song in the WORLD: BLUE MOON. What a great opener they are!
He has been referred to as the King of Falsetto, and has been using this voice style since he was 12 years old. In a flashy neon pink suit and stylish hat, EDDIE HOLMAN takes the stage.
He is a talker. He is a relater of stories. He is a salesman ... of himself and his merchandise. So appropriately, his first song is ‘It’s All In The Game’. The audience sways into this melody of love and grooves into his story lines as he talks about his love for his wife Sheila and their popular songbook. The most requested song from other artists to record is ‘I Love You’, which Eddie performs next. It is not just a person to person love, but a love of the music industry and we, its audience.
To finish his set? Why it just must be ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’. An interesting side-note is that later that night when I returned to my hotel, it was Eddie Holman I saw sitting outside enjoying the beautiful still summer night air. I smiled in appreciation and memory of the show I had seen earlier.
He has been referred to as the King of Falsetto, and has been using this voice style since he was 12 years old. In a flashy neon pink suit and stylish hat, EDDIE HOLMAN takes the stage.
He is a talker. He is a relater of stories. He is a salesman ... of himself and his merchandise. So appropriately, his first song is ‘It’s All In The Game’. The audience sways into this melody of love and grooves into his story lines as he talks about his love for his wife Sheila and their popular songbook. The most requested song from other artists to record is ‘I Love You’, which Eddie performs next. It is not just a person to person love, but a love of the music industry and we, its audience.
To finish his set? Why it just must be ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’. An interesting side-note is that later that night when I returned to my hotel, it was Eddie Holman I saw sitting outside enjoying the beautiful still summer night air. I smiled in appreciation and memory of the show I had seen earlier.
Closing the first act, Emil brings out THE DUPREES!
Six wonderful songs filled with harmony and romance that defines The Duprees. After the smooth opening of ‘Have You Heard’, someone in the audience yells out “Happy Birthday, Tony”! It is Tony Testa’s 76th (I think) birthday and the other three Duprees lead us in a never for sale version of Happy Birthday. 70 is the new 50? B***S*** says he!
Six wonderful songs filled with harmony and romance that defines The Duprees. After the smooth opening of ‘Have You Heard’, someone in the audience yells out “Happy Birthday, Tony”! It is Tony Testa’s 76th (I think) birthday and the other three Duprees lead us in a never for sale version of Happy Birthday. 70 is the new 50? B***S*** says he!
Mack the Knife
Tara’s Theme (My Own True Love)
For Your Love
The Duprees have taken ‘For Your Love’ and turned it into a song that screams “Only The Duprees can do this now.” And just when the air is thick with romance, Phil Granito jumps into action with his Jackie Wilson medley. The man is a mass of double joints. We have toys in our classroom called Betty Spaghetti. Long noodle like arms and legs that can be twisted into any shape. That is Phil Granito, the Betty Spaghetti of the music scene.
All must end with their signature song. For The Duprees, of course, it is ‘You Belong To Me’ from 1962. Joe Stafford recorded it a decade earlier but The Duprees hold the magnetism of those pyramids along the Nile. Oooooooh.
Opening the second act Emil brings out the former lead singer of the Most Listened to Group of 1967: DENNIS TUFANO of the Buckinghams.
I don’t get to see Dennis as often as I would like to, and knowing that he presents different show styles, I now wonder what his set list choice will be tonight. It’s a Buckinghams night! ‘Don’t You Care’ is the lead song with my favorite, ‘Hey Baby’ coming on next. Jim Holvay, who wrote many of The Buckinghams hits, wrote his songs around his vision of one particular girl. Her name is the title of the next song, ‘Susan’. It is puzzling that with all the effort, love and skill of his songs that these two did not end up together. Such is song writing.
Dennis works the revolving stage as if he lives here. He has, however, played here less than five times. The time span between performances at The Westbury Theatre is getting shorter. We obviously are getting smarter!
I enjoy the tone and quality of his voice and his audience management skills. There are also many sighs from those enjoying his romantic delivery and charming good looks. Speaking of romantic, his next song is ‘How Can I Be Sure’ of Rascals fame. This is a super smooth song coming from Dennis who follows it up with ‘Mercy, Mercy, Mercy’. Oh yes, THIS is my favorite Buck’s song. We can’t leave without hearing the Bucks’ first hit, ‘Kind of a Drag’. The Chicago horns sound (here furnished by Hell’s Kitchen Horns) that announces its start is distinctly descriptive in recognition. Everyone here is getting standing ovations and Dennis plies us with one more song: ‘I’ll Go Crazy’. OH YEAH! THIS one is my favorite Buckingham’s song! What a thrill to see Dennis as he enacts the feelings of “If you leave me, I’ll go crazy”. Easy to see how The Buckinghams made this James Brown song THEIR hit.
JAY SIEGEL's TOKENS are not only known for lyrical and often romantic hits, they have produced other hit groups and sparked the solo career of Neil Sedaka.
Yes, Neil started out as a Token. I am thinking the same thing: there are a myriad of joke possibilities just from that one statement. But I am more interested in talking about this music. The BEAUTIFUL music that Jay, Kurt and Bill recreate in each performance. ‘Tonight I Fell In Love’ starts the set; and while some of the audience will be falling in love tonight, I am hopeful that the remaining lot can identify with ‘I’ll Always Love You’. Whether you are together now or live together in memory, these two songs cover the emotions. But AHHHHH! For me, nothing compares to ‘A Portrait of My Love’, for nobody can paint a dream. With the falsetto harmonies and the poetry embraced in melody, I float into a world where love is the rule.
Two of the hit groups produced by Jay and The Tokens are The Happenings and The Chiffons. Hearing The Tokens sing ‘See You In September’ and ‘One Fine Day’ gives an appreciation for the strategy that can create successful recordings. These are examples of good (The Happenings and The Chiffons) coming out of good (The Tokens).
I don’t need to tell you their final piece. If ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ isn’t known and loved by you, then you have been living under a rock or just not living life as you should. After hitting the #1 spot TWICE with different generations, it has become a song that will connect families, environmental groups, Disney lovers and different languages. After all, our dreams are just a-wim-away.
I don’t get to see Dennis as often as I would like to, and knowing that he presents different show styles, I now wonder what his set list choice will be tonight. It’s a Buckinghams night! ‘Don’t You Care’ is the lead song with my favorite, ‘Hey Baby’ coming on next. Jim Holvay, who wrote many of The Buckinghams hits, wrote his songs around his vision of one particular girl. Her name is the title of the next song, ‘Susan’. It is puzzling that with all the effort, love and skill of his songs that these two did not end up together. Such is song writing.
Dennis works the revolving stage as if he lives here. He has, however, played here less than five times. The time span between performances at The Westbury Theatre is getting shorter. We obviously are getting smarter!
I enjoy the tone and quality of his voice and his audience management skills. There are also many sighs from those enjoying his romantic delivery and charming good looks. Speaking of romantic, his next song is ‘How Can I Be Sure’ of Rascals fame. This is a super smooth song coming from Dennis who follows it up with ‘Mercy, Mercy, Mercy’. Oh yes, THIS is my favorite Buck’s song. We can’t leave without hearing the Bucks’ first hit, ‘Kind of a Drag’. The Chicago horns sound (here furnished by Hell’s Kitchen Horns) that announces its start is distinctly descriptive in recognition. Everyone here is getting standing ovations and Dennis plies us with one more song: ‘I’ll Go Crazy’. OH YEAH! THIS one is my favorite Buckingham’s song! What a thrill to see Dennis as he enacts the feelings of “If you leave me, I’ll go crazy”. Easy to see how The Buckinghams made this James Brown song THEIR hit.
JAY SIEGEL's TOKENS are not only known for lyrical and often romantic hits, they have produced other hit groups and sparked the solo career of Neil Sedaka.
Yes, Neil started out as a Token. I am thinking the same thing: there are a myriad of joke possibilities just from that one statement. But I am more interested in talking about this music. The BEAUTIFUL music that Jay, Kurt and Bill recreate in each performance. ‘Tonight I Fell In Love’ starts the set; and while some of the audience will be falling in love tonight, I am hopeful that the remaining lot can identify with ‘I’ll Always Love You’. Whether you are together now or live together in memory, these two songs cover the emotions. But AHHHHH! For me, nothing compares to ‘A Portrait of My Love’, for nobody can paint a dream. With the falsetto harmonies and the poetry embraced in melody, I float into a world where love is the rule.
Two of the hit groups produced by Jay and The Tokens are The Happenings and The Chiffons. Hearing The Tokens sing ‘See You In September’ and ‘One Fine Day’ gives an appreciation for the strategy that can create successful recordings. These are examples of good (The Happenings and The Chiffons) coming out of good (The Tokens).
I don’t need to tell you their final piece. If ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ isn’t known and loved by you, then you have been living under a rock or just not living life as you should. After hitting the #1 spot TWICE with different generations, it has become a song that will connect families, environmental groups, Disney lovers and different languages. After all, our dreams are just a-wim-away.
The man who closed the show tonight was a sex symbol and idol in the 1960’s, and from the reaction of the women in the audience tonight, he still is! From the moment LOU CHRISTIE hits the stage singing ‘I'm Gonna Make You Mine,’ the women in the audience move forward in their seats to get a better view.
As he sings, things start to heat up and the sweat on the brow appears. Lou reminisces about running home after school to watch Bandstand and The Mickey Mouse Club. Annette was Lugee Sacco’s first love. As he sighs over remembering Annette, the women next to me sigh over him.
Lou’s voice is strong and reaches the original falsetto keys with ease … at least it appears so. Visual humor on how this is done as he sings a medley of first hits (The Gypsy Cried, Two Faces Have I, Rhapsody In The Rain) finally snaps the resistance of the ladies in my row, and I hear the cry, “Take it off!” I know they mean his jacket, but I am still startled and have a deer in the headlights look as my eyes become the size of saucers. Lou resists the plea to remove his jacket, pleading age restraints. Didn’t work.
As he sings ‘Beyond the Blue Horizon’ there is a calm and a peace resumes. It is calm that is doomed! As the opening strains of ‘Lightning Strikes’ begin, the women who will not take “No” for an answer fill the hall with their cries, and Lou begins “strip-teasing”. That is when the jacket is removed from the shoulders and then is coyly replaced, as the song hits a crescendo. (Yes, I DID think of synonyms for “crescendo” that apply more for these women, but face it … they’ve had enough for one night!) An encore of ‘Never My Love’ that is soulful, intense in feeling, and dynamic in vocal strength sends all home with a knowledge of money well spent.
I loved tonight. Every act was totally involved in their performance and each drew me in and made me love them. The photos are from Sonny Maxon of The Sonny Side of Rock and Roll. Given the restrictions of Westbury when taking photos, he was happy to be able to get what he could. Unfortunately, none of Jay Siegel’s Tokens came out so I am sending a video of another performance from them at Westbury for which I was also present.
I wonder if there is a Blue Moon outside tonight?
As he sings, things start to heat up and the sweat on the brow appears. Lou reminisces about running home after school to watch Bandstand and The Mickey Mouse Club. Annette was Lugee Sacco’s first love. As he sighs over remembering Annette, the women next to me sigh over him.
Lou’s voice is strong and reaches the original falsetto keys with ease … at least it appears so. Visual humor on how this is done as he sings a medley of first hits (The Gypsy Cried, Two Faces Have I, Rhapsody In The Rain) finally snaps the resistance of the ladies in my row, and I hear the cry, “Take it off!” I know they mean his jacket, but I am still startled and have a deer in the headlights look as my eyes become the size of saucers. Lou resists the plea to remove his jacket, pleading age restraints. Didn’t work.
As he sings ‘Beyond the Blue Horizon’ there is a calm and a peace resumes. It is calm that is doomed! As the opening strains of ‘Lightning Strikes’ begin, the women who will not take “No” for an answer fill the hall with their cries, and Lou begins “strip-teasing”. That is when the jacket is removed from the shoulders and then is coyly replaced, as the song hits a crescendo. (Yes, I DID think of synonyms for “crescendo” that apply more for these women, but face it … they’ve had enough for one night!) An encore of ‘Never My Love’ that is soulful, intense in feeling, and dynamic in vocal strength sends all home with a knowledge of money well spent.
I loved tonight. Every act was totally involved in their performance and each drew me in and made me love them. The photos are from Sonny Maxon of The Sonny Side of Rock and Roll. Given the restrictions of Westbury when taking photos, he was happy to be able to get what he could. Unfortunately, none of Jay Siegel’s Tokens came out so I am sending a video of another performance from them at Westbury for which I was also present.
I wonder if there is a Blue Moon outside tonight?
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
