2/5/10 – Juniors Vs. Teenagers Cat Fight!
Posted: February 5th, 2010 | Author: Matt The Cat | Filed under: Doo Wop | Tags: Doo Wop, Friday Night Cat Fight, Matt The Cat, Podcast | 8 Comments »I Promise To Remember
This week, we get to the bottom of a doo wop classic! This week’s song, “I Promise To Remember” was co-written by and originally recorded by Jimmy Castor with his 1956 group, The Juniors. It failed to go anywhere, until Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers cut their own version. The Teenagers hit #57 on the pop charts and #10 on the R&B charts during the summer of 1956 with “I Promise To Remember. Listen to both of the versions and then decide which one you DIG the MOST and VOTE!
We wish the legendary Porky Chedwick a very happy 92nd birthday with a little tribute at the end of this week’s podcast.
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Hi; good job, Matt! I liked both versions, but went with Frankie this week.
This one isn’t even close for me. The Juniors are quite good on backing vocals, and the distant sound of the production in the Teenagers’ recording also is a point in the original’s favor, but Frankie Lymon just kicks Jimmy’s butt on lead vocal, giving my vote to the Teenagers’ recording. Frankie pretty much did that to everybody in this period. He would have to be on a very short list of all-time great pop male vocalists, pre-puberty.
I promise to remember Matt that you are the best of the best on putting down the shows that you do !! Its always a pleasure to hear youre beautiful voice and youre fabulous Cat Fights !! It has become a Friday night ritual just like a Italian dinner at my favorite restaurant in Brooklyn N.Y.
My choice this week off the menu is Frankie Connie Francis Lymon !! Yum Yum
While I can’t and won’t try to compete with Yum Yum’s prose I will also vote for Frankie. And I am certainly enjoying the Doo Wop Thursday show from January 2003, thank you so much Matt for sharing all of this with us. That 2003 show is very, very good. Virginia
Tough choice for me this week. I was very familiar with the Teenagers’ version but Jimmy and the Juniors got my vote. The background singers and the sax were the deciding factors for me. By the way, Yum Yum, what was the name of your favorite restaurant? Mine was Luigi’s on Flatbush Avenue.
This one is simple – Jimmy and the Juniors. While Frankie lays Jimmy to waste as far as the vocals there’s just so much more going on musically in the Jimmy and the Juniors version to keep me listening – just check out the drumming – wow, too good! (who did the drumming Matt?) The production on the Frankie Lyman version is pretty bad. His vocals stand out, but the rest of the band sound like there off in another room or in the bathtub. Ya it’s definitely Jimmy and the Juniors for me.
Matt: The night prowl clip from ’03 was new for me, as I had not subscribed to XM by that time. It was so good to hear a Doowopp Thursday from so far back, and to learn that you used to play not one, but 2, jive 45’s per night! Sure wish you could do a nightly Internet show with the same themes as before. If only you could, wow, I might even listen to Harlem sometimes! (LOL)
Matt, I’ve missed Friday nights with you for awhile due to a job change, so I try to catch you when I can. Went with Frankie Lyman tonight because of his superior vocal. It sure was good to hear Pork the Tork. I sure miss those good old days growing up in Pgh.
Keep doing what you do so well on these Friday nights and I sure hope you get back on the air sometime soon. God Bless!