The Four Knights - Oh Baby! Best Of Vol. 1

Artist:

Four Knights (The)

UPC:

824046403027

Description:

The Four Knights have never gotten the kind of respect that other black vocal groups of their era received -- there are no box sets or other multi-disc European reissues of their music. Indeed, until EMI`s British division released this hourlong CD, the only way to get their music without tracking down the original platters was to find an obscure European-made bootleg. Part of the problem was that their smooth vocal sound was almost more pop than R&B, a fact borne out when their first nationally charting Capitol single, "Sentimental Fool" b/w "Sunshine," made it to number 23 on the pop listings but was absent from the R&B chart. Most of their music took the form of slow romantic ballads, broken up by the occasional harder "rhythm" number such as "I Go Crazy." This 22-song compilation assembles the group`s singles, including some B-sides, in beautifully glittering sound, exquisitely delineating the four voices even when they work in unison, as on "The Glory of Love." It`s astonishing that "I Wish I Had a Girl" b/w "The Way I Feel" never charted. Gene Alford`s high tenor, which anticipated the singing of Clyde McPhatter (especially on "A Million Tears"), is the dominant solo voice (though bass Oscar Broadway even gets a spot on "Oh Happy Day"). The a cappella singing is so quiet and elegant that it more resembles the work of Nat King Cole than the work of the typical R&B vocal group -- though the Platters come to mind -- and it`s no surprise that Cole used the group on one of this own albums. ~ Bruce Eder

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. I Get So Lonely (When I Think About You)

Album Information

Release Date:

06/15/2004

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Oldies

Subgenre:

Doowop

Label:

Acrobat (USA)

Catalog Number:

4030

Original Release Year:

2004

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

n/a

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