Cameo

Cameo

ASIN: B0006H327U

Track Listings

1. Jazz Goes to Siwash

2. Suze Bluze

3. Grey Flannel

4. Angel Eyes

5. G Tune

6. Sandy Shoes

7. Cameo

8. Love Me or Leave Me

9. Them There Eyes

Tracks:

Brick House - Commodores
Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band
Shining Star - Earth Wind & Fire
Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang
Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
Car Wash - Rose Royce
Tell Me Something Good - Rufus
Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
Shaft - Isaac Hayes
Fire - Ohio Players
Flashlight - Parliament
(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again - L.T.D.
Good Times - Chic
Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen
Word Up - Cameo
Early In The Morning - The Gap Band
Don't Stop The Music - Yarbrough & Peoples
Super Freak - Rick James

The Best of Bobby Rydell: Cameo Parkway 1959-1964

Average customer rating:

The Best of Bobby Rydell: Cameo Parkway 1959-1964
Bobby Rydell
Manufacturer: Abkco
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Teen Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of Chubby Checker: Cameo Parkway 1959-1963
The Best of 1961-1966
The Best of the Dovells 1961-1965
The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966
Johnny Tillotson - 25 All-Time Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000B8I8XM
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Please Don't Be Mad
All I Want Is You
We Got Love
Kissin' Time
I Dig Girls
Wild One
Ding-A-Ling
Swingin' School
Little Bitty Girl
Volare
Sway
That Old Black Magic
I Wanna Thank You
Butterfly Baby
Good Time Baby
I've Got Bonnie
I'll Never Dance Again
Third House (In from the Right)
Wildwood Days
Cha-Cha-Cha
Best Man Cried
Forget Him
World Without Love
Jingle Bell Rock
Message from Bobby

Average customer rating:

The best of albums never covers all!!
Wonderful Band But Songs Missing
The title sucks !!! - I'd replace half of these tracks
Old School
Cameo

The Best of Cameo
Cameo
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music

R&B | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of the Gap Band
Greatest Hits
Zapp & Roger - All the Greatest Hits
Rick James: The Ultimate Collection
The Best of Con Funk Shun

ASIN: B000001DYS
Release Date: 1993-05-18

Tracks:

Word Up
Single Life
Candy
Shake Your Pants
Rigor Mortis
Attack Me With Your Love
Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck
Sparkle
Back & Forth
Flirt
She's Strange (12' Rap Version)
I Just Want To Be
Skin I'm In
It's Over

Amazon.com

Some memorable recording artists just didn't make good albums. Larry Blackmon's Cameo was one such example--their domain was the 12- inch and the 45 single. As a result, The Best of Cameo is the place to start and finish with one of dance music's most distinctive, and unabashedly fun-loving, ensembles. Slick, funny, and endlessly funky, Cameo's blend of squeaking keyboards, compu-beats, cartoon vocals, and extended jams synthesized a new brand of disco for a post- disco age. This set is the band at its best, with triangle-headed bandleader Blackmon leading his troops through ballroom classics like "Single Life," New Wave-styled wonders such as "Rigor Mortis," and bouncy, Prince-seasoned singles like "Word Up." And it lays light on the ballads--never our heroes' strong point. Trust me--you'll want this as the soundtrack for your upcoming '80s-revival party. --Don Harrison

Customer Reviews:

The best of albums never covers all!! .......2006-08-18

I have been a Cameo fan since the late seventies! My first actual album purchase of Cameo was Cameosis, but I was able to listen to their earlier recordings through friends. I am fortunate to have every album, from their first release Cardiac Arrest to Word up on vinyl and c.d.!! A true Cameo fan I am!! My point is that the best of albums will never cover the essence of any group! Especially if you know the group's style inside and out. Even the anthology doesn't have song such as, Is This The Way, I Owe It All To You, For You, or Better Days, and theres still many I've failed to mention! There is nothing like playing Feel Me, Cameosis, Knights Of The Sound Table, Alligator Woman, and other albums and enjoy them from begining to end. One more thing, I was blessed to find an album from the funkmeister himself Larry Blackmon, titled East Coast. It was Larry Blackmon's and Gregory Johnson's along with the late, and legendary Gwen Guthrie on vocals first venture. That album came out in 1972. It's cool to have that album in my collection to show the growth in Larry Blackmon's writing pryor to Cameo. Heres some trivia for any true Cameo fan! The name of the band was originally going to be New York City Players!!

Wonderful Band But Songs Missing.......2006-03-07

Cameo was a Funk band that originally resembled Funkadelic with hard funk and humouristic lyrics, they were not afraid to use horns and other catchy instruments that perfectly suited the 70's music. In the 80's with Hip Hop emerging Cameo switched style a little and istead of using Horns they switched to Synthesizers, Drum Machines and a more pop influenced image, In the mid 80's they also scored some of their biggest hits like "Word Up" "Candy" "Single Life" and "She's Strange" that all were hybrids of the best that market had to offer (pop, funk, rock, hip hop). Thier main singer and leader was Larry Blackmon, but Tomi Jenkins also sang vocals, third key member was Nathan Leftenant. From 1977 when their first album "Cardiac Arrest" was released to the mid 80's they released loads of albums, none of them were bad though, even if many of the Cameo albums came released 6 months inbetween and some are hard to purchase. However, back then in the 70's and 80's many albums just contained the inadequate number of 7-8 songs on a LP. Instead of releasing one with atleast 10-12, it feautures 7-8 and many of those songs were too long. The Album version of "She's Strange" is over 7 minutes for example. That's why it would be better to buy a compilation of Cameo instead of go for a single LP, the problem with "Best Of" albums with Cameo is that they're inadequate and many songs are missing out, there is no remastered version and no bonus tracks either. This particular version is from 1993, (i.e 13 years ago) But it's still better then the other compilations found on Amazon. It seems like each of the compliations feature the top hits but miss out some minor hits each but adds other that weren't feautures on another album.

Missing songs I would have liked to see are: Freaky Dancin', Just Be Yourself, She's Mine, Post Mortem, Keep It Hot, You Make Me Work, Funk Funk, It's Serious, Insane, We're Goin' Out Tonight, Style, I Want It Now.

Overall, Everything is relative, I could live without some of these songs, but this album is not fully complete either and unfortunately there aren't any other that is either. If You're a casual fan or if you just like some of the top hits, go for it but for more devout fans this collection isn't complete.

The title sucks !!! - I'd replace half of these tracks.......2005-03-25

Any one who was around at the time when Bands like Cameo, Parliament/Funkadelic, the Barkays, etc, were laying down the funkiest grooves will know that this is a poor representation of the best of Cameo. There are way too many Cameo Anthems missing, such as 'It's serious', 'Post mortem', 'Funk funk', 'Throw it down', etc, as well as killer ballads like 'love you anyway', 'Feel me', etc. If you want an awesome Cameo album (still not 'The best of' - but their nearly all here) get Anthology [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED].

I wasn't gonna post this but I had to step up to this poor editorial review. The guy has totally lost the plot, because Cameo DID make some good albums - 'Feel me', & 'She's strange' immediately spring to mind. And as for 'a new brand of disco for a post- disco age'... come on Amazon, get some creditables in who KNOW about the music!!!!! Only in their later days did Cameo cross-over into the pop/commercial market with 'She's strange'. Cameo's hallmark was their refreshingly raw FUNK sound, which was anything but DISCO.

Old School.......2002-12-28

Just buy it, you know it's good. Cameo was smooth, is smooth. Com' on now, it's Old School.

Cameo.......2002-10-10

Cameo is great, but this album overlooks 'Hangin' Downtown'. Cameo did great funk dance songs but also some great funky ballads too.

The Best of ? & the Mysterians: Cameo Parkway 1966-1967

Average customer rating:

fine garage rock.
don't do it!
Finally the Real Deal
~ cool ~
Landmark Upper Midwest Garage Rock Soul

The Best of ? & the Mysterians: Cameo Parkway 1966-1967
? & the Mysterians
Manufacturer: Abkco
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

The Best of 1961-1966
The Best of Chubby Checker: Cameo Parkway 1959-1963
Listen, Listen: The Definitive Collection
The Best of the Dovells 1961-1965
The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966

ASIN: B000B8I8XC
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

I Need Somebody
Stormy Monday
You're Telling Me Lies
Ten O'Clock
Set Aside
Up Side
"8" Teen
Don't Tease Me
Don't Break This Heart of Mine
Why Me
Midnight Hour
96 Tears
Girl (You Captivate Me)
Can't Get Enough of You, Baby
Got To
I'll Be Back
Shout (Pt. 1 & 2)
Hangin' on a String
Smokes
It's Not Easy
Don't Hold It Against Me
Just Like a Rose
Do You Feel It
Do Something to Me
Love Me Baby (Cherry July)
Midnight Hour [#]
96 Tears [#]

Customer Reviews:

fine garage rock........2007-03-26

this cd contains the original stuff: the 1966-1967 cameo parkway recordings. make sure you get this and not the later/older stuff by this band. for a long time these recordings were not available, so i was quite the happy camper when i saw that they were being re-released a couple of years ago. ? and the mysterians are more than just "96 tears," the song that they are known for. there are 25 garage rock songs here that all deserve a listen. this band was something of a flint, michigan version of van morrison's great mid-sixties band "them." ? and the mysterians were a bit less biting, a little less menace about their sound, than "them," but otherwise i think the comparison is fair. i much recommend this cd to all seeking some audio travel into the past world of 60's gargage rock.

don't do it!.......2006-06-07

This band is horrible. Not 'rock and roll' at all. Talentless. The organ player is the most obnoxious, amateur piece of garbage ever. Don't waste your money on this, seriously.

Finally the Real Deal.......2006-02-27

After decades of having to listen to remakes Cameo has finally released the origional recordings on CD. One of Americas true great garage bands.

~ cool ~.......2006-02-16

Here's what "cool" was all about in 1960. Unfortunately, the year was 1966 and "cool" had moved on to psychedelic rock, leaving ? and the Mysterians in the rear view mirror... except for a little ditty called '96 Tears' that unashamedly shot its minimalist self all the way up to #1 on the national charts. This lone track, miraculously manifesting itself in my backyard of Saginaw and Bay City, Michigan, stands with 'Louie Louie' and 'Satisfaction' as one of the defining hits of 1960's rock. It demonstrates that what's cool in any era stays cool. Louis Armstrong was cool in 1928, and his cool is still cool today. Elvis was cool in 1968, and that cool is still cool today. And just as Ricki Lee Jones defined cool in the 1970's, ? defined his own brand of cool in the 1960's. So I say, "Once cool, always cool".

? and the Mysterians logged two Top 40 hits in 1966 ('I Need Somebody', which leads off this collection, rose to #22 as the follow-up to '96 Tears'), and if life was fair they would have scored another Top 40 selection with 'Do Something To Me'. This disc includes all of these tracks, as well as both of ?'s full-length albums presented in their entirety. Their first album is clearly the better of the two. And as the band established a funky, stripped-down rock sound, that disc worked it's way up to number 66 nationally. Their follow-up album took on a fuller, deeper sound featuring more echo and bass, and at times their recordings took on a Young Rascal-ish or Tommy James and the Shondells-ish sound. I prefer the original, garage-laden take from the first LP.

The best segment on this 27 track collection is offered in the first six tracks. There are loads of great hooks and memorable, though simplistic melodies to be had. Most of the tracks are funky rock tracks, with the exception of the bands cover of 'Stormy Monday' (which ?'s silky vocal delivery is perfectly suited to), and the fifth track, 'Set Aside', a piano-driven standard instrumental blues number. From time to time, such as on 'Why Me', where the sound evolves dangerously close to bubblegum music, the band demonstrates their diverse capabilities, but nothing is better than when these Texans churn though their funky minimalism.

Some of the compositions on the disc, the large majority of which were penned by band members, are certainly 'second-tier' in quality, such as '"8" Teen' and 'Don't Break This Heart Of Mine', and these lesser tracks appear with greater frequency on the band's second album. The weakest strand of tunes begins with track 18, 'Hangin' On a String', and proceeds through track 22, 'Just Like a Rose', with the exception of the guitar-driven funk of 'It's Not Easy' on track 20. There is also, unfortunately, a shameless '96 Tears' imitation, 'Can't Get Enough Of You, Baby'. It might have been a decent song had '96 Tears' never existed, but this is an obvious attempt to cash in on what should have remained an unimitated melody. This faux pas is more than compensated for, however, by the inclusion of a '96 Tears' alternate take, a slower and more bluesy stereo version, as the last track. The boys also offer up a nice cover of The Isley Brothers 'Shout' (more slick than rugged, however, which the composition deserves), and their own version of 'Midnight Hour', not to be confused with Wilson Pickett's dynamo number, but a sweet composition nonetheless. Most of the 27 tracks, even those straying from the band's most successful formula, possess redeeming qualities, not the least of which is ?'s smooth voice, matched only by his cool persona.

For quite some time, quality digital recordings of ? were difficult to come by. Cameo-Parkway records, perhaps best known as Chubby Checker's label, finally got around to remastering and reissuing the catalogs of their top performers in 2005, and ? and the Mysterians were included in the lot. The band represents a slice of rock and roll not readily occupied by other bands of the era. Perhaps their biggest distiction was to sound minimalist in an era of excess and experimentation. However they are to be defined, their value must be experienced to be appreciated. This package includes informative liner notes from Jeff Tamarkin, and several period photograph and displays of memorabilia. Unfortunately, lyrics are not included, and despite three track listings, no where are running times for the tracks offered, although most tracks seem to struggle to pass the two minute barrier. But that's cool, too. Dig it.

Landmark Upper Midwest Garage Rock Soul.......2005-12-05

The Cameo Parkway box set ("Cameo Parkway 1957-1967") released earlier this year included the Mysterians' garage rock standard, "96 Tears," along with their debut album's leadoff, "I Need Somebody." Having been sequestered in Allen Klein's vaults (along with the rest of the Cameo Parkway catalog) for nearly forty years, the freshness of the master tapes blew away the cobwebs grown over countless gray-market remastered-from-vinyl reissues. This follow-up volume, one in a set of eight to drill down on specific Cameo Parkway artists, fleshes out the rest of the Mysterians' seminal mid-60s recordings.

Though the band couldn't be expected to wax another side as fully realized and potent as "96 Tears," the rest of their catalog is no slouch. There's a Stax-like funkiness underpinning the band's garage rock, making these tunes danceable in a more seductive manner than their coastal contemporaries. The band wrote most of their own material, and picked up a few purpose-built tunes (like the super-fine "96 Tears" knock-off -- and Smash Mouth cover hit -- "Can't Get Enough of You Baby") and covers that include bluesy readings of "Stormy Monday" and The Isley Brothers' "Shout." The slower (and stereo) unreleased take of "96 Tears" is a nice addition, if only for how well it shows the supercharged power of mono mixing on the original.

This CD includes the whole of the Mysterians' two Cameo albums ("96 Tears" and "Action"), both sides of their last Cameo single ("Do Something to Me" b/w "Love Me Baby (Cherry July)"), and a pair of unreleased stereo alternates from 1966 ("Midnight Hour" and "96 Tears"). The only side that seems to be missing is the A-side of their single as The Semi-Colons, "Beachcomber." Ironically, the B-side ("Set Aside") is present, as it was on the debut album. All tracks are true stereo, except for mono on #1, 6, 7, 11, 12, 21, 22, 24, and 25. Jeff Tamarkin's liner notes are heavy on the hipster-ese, and the art direction is light on photos; both minor quibbles given the riches in the grooves. [©2005 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

The Best of Chubby Checker: Cameo Parkway 1959-1963

Average customer rating:

4 and a half stars because of "Limbo Rock"
It's a shame this doesn't include all his top 40 hits...
THIS RELEASE WAS WELL OVERDUE,AND WELL WORTH THE WAIT
Let's limbo some more!
Finally...The Original Recordings

The Best of Chubby Checker: Cameo Parkway 1959-1963
Chubby Checker
Manufacturer: Abkco
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of Bobby Rydell: Cameo Parkway 1959-1964
The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966
The Best of 1961-1966
The Best of the Dovells 1961-1965
The Best of the Tymes 1963-1964

ASIN: B000B8I8XW
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Dancin' Party
Twist
Toot
Class
Twistin' U.S.A.
Hucklebuck
Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
Pony Time
Dance the Mess Around
Good, Good Lovin'
Let's Twist Again
Fly
Slow Twistin' - Chubby Checker, Dee Dee Sharp
Popeye the Hitchhiker
Limbo Rock
Let's Limbo Some More
Hooka Tooka
Loddy Lo
Hey, Bobba Needle
Birdland
Surf Party
Twist It Up
Twistin' Round the World
Jingle Bell Rock

Customer Reviews:

4 and a half stars because of "Limbo Rock".......2006-06-11

Unlike other reviewers, I won't quibble about the 3 missing
titles or the sequencing (I think "Dancin' Party" lead off
the CD because of the lyrical content; give it a listen). But my issue is with the very end of "Limbo Rock". If you still have "Limbo Rock" on vinyl in your collection, listen to the end of the vinyl version and then listen to the end of the CD version. It sounds to me like the drum flourish that closed "Limbo Rock" was tacked on a second time. No, my CD is NOT scratched! Hmmmm.....

HOWEVER, overall it is WONDERFUL that ABCKO has finally released
not only the ORIGINAL Chubby hits on CD, but nearly everything
else from Cameo-Parkway, almost all of which has been very hard to come by on CD. If you're not as fussy as I am about "Limbo
Rock", this CD is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (By the way, my favorite
is "The Class"! Hysterical!)

It's a shame this doesn't include all his top 40 hits..........2005-12-04

After waiting 20 years for Chubby Checker's original cameo-parkway hits to appear on cd, why did they have to leave off three of this top 40 hits? Too bad. I guess I STILL have to keep my old vinyl copies of the three missing songs: "Twenty Miles", "Lazy Elsie Molly", and "Let's Do the Freddie".

I would have rather had these than tracks that weren't hits (like "Toot" whose background music sounds like "Short Shorts" by the Royal Teens".

THIS RELEASE WAS WELL OVERDUE,AND WELL WORTH THE WAIT.......2005-11-03

THIS DISC IS GREAT.NOW WE CAN HEAR ALL HIS TOP 10 HITS ON ONE ALBUM.WE GET THE ORIGINAL HITS,NOT THE REMAKES,THAT SHOW UP ON OTHER CD COLLECTIONS.THE SOUND IS EXCELLENT.ITS BEEN AWHILE,BUT I AM GOING TO LIMBO,AFTER I FINISH THIS REVIEW.ENJOY THE MUSIC,IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT.

Let's limbo some more!.......2005-10-24

The wait is over. This collection brings us the official release of the original Parkway recordings of one of the era's most successful male solo artists. The set consists of 24 tracks total, all in mono, including 22 that hit the Hot 100. Missing are three top 40 hits ("Twenty Miles" that peaked at #15 in 1963, "Lazy Elsie Molly" that peaked at #40 in July of 1964, and "Let's Do the Freddie" that hit #40 in May of 1965). However, the b-side to the original release of "The Twist" along with one album cut are thrown in. The tracks are not in chronological order, but the digital sound is supreme. A four page essay (written by Jeff Tamarkin, who also authored the essay for the Cameo Parkway box set released in May 2005) plus five pages of credits and chart info detail the career of the former chicken plucker turned king of the dance crazes. Most fans and collectors will be satisfied (you can't beat the price). Highly recommended.

Finally...The Original Recordings.......2005-10-21

Why it took Cameo Parkway so long to release this muisc on CD is unclear to me, but it's nice to have the original recordings finally released after being unavailable for decades.

This 24-track collection presents 18 of his 21 hits that he recorded for the label. [The only missing hits are "Twenty Miles" (#15, 1963) and "Lazy Elsie Molly" and "Let's Do the Freddie" (both peaked at #40 in 1964).]

Checker's best known song is, of course, "The Twist." The song was so popular, it is the only song to reach No. 1 on the pop chart in nonconsecutive years (1960 and 1962). He also had million-sellers with "Let's Twist Again" and "Limbo Rock." Additional dance craze top ten hits included "Pony Time," "The Fly," "Popeye (The Hitchhiker)" and a duet with labelmate Dee Dee Sharp on "Slow Twistin'." Checker also had a holiday hit with labelmate Bobby Rydell on "Jingle Bell Rock."

My only quarrel with this collection is the sequencing. It should have been in chronological order, starting with his 1959 debut "The Class." And if you aren't going to do that, at least start with his signature song, "The Twist," not 1962's "Dancin' Party." With that aside, this is an enjoyable collection of dance songs. No serious lyrical content, just plain fun music. RECOMMENDED

Average customer rating:

Third And Best Of Mid '80s Trilogy
80's Funk Classic....Now 20 Years Old!!
Million selling masterpiece!
Great Nu Wave R&B album the begining of the end for this genre
One of the funkiest '80s albums!

Word Up!
Cameo
Manufacturer: Mca Special Products
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

She's Strange
Cameosis
Secret Omen
Gap Band IV
Zapp

ASIN: B000001FKH
Release Date: 2002-07-22

Tracks:

Word Up
Candy
Back And Forth
Don't Be Lonely
She's Mine
Fast, Fierce & Funny
You Can Have The World

Customer Reviews:

Third And Best Of Mid '80s Trilogy.......2006-08-10

Cameo--as a group and in terms of ideas--really hit it's best period in terms of popularity and creativity from late 1983 to early 1987 with it's three albums in that period. "She's Strange", "Single Life" and "Word Up" had the group pared down from it's Earth, Wind, and Fire-sized band of the late 1970s to the Larry Blackmon/Tomi Jenkins/Nathan Leftenant core that carried these albums. "Word Up" is, in many ways, Blackmon's Magnum Opus--"Strange" was very good, "Single Life" was brilliant (Besides, can we ever forget the video for the title track--with Blackmon in the wedding dress?), but "Word Up"--the catchprase in the New York clubs in the mid-80s-- had those quirky lyrics that Blackmon created mixed with those stone dead funky beats and the hard-rock guitar...and, of course, the Morricone whistle in the title track and "Back And Forth". Plus the video for "Word Up"--remember LeVar Burton as the cop trying to catch Blackmon? Plus, I think this was the first video in which Larry wore the infamous fire-red codpiece...
Which leads me to saying something that many will consider sacrilege. The best track on this album ISN'T the title track (Allow me a second to duck), it's "Back And Forth". Why? First of all, it's just a great beat--many Old Schoolers think this was easier to do the Electric Slide to than "Word Up" (Cabbage Patch, y'all!!!). The vocal arrangement, especially in the chorus with Leftenant echoing Blackmon ("Back {back} and forth (and forth)..."). Plus, that absolutely stunning guitar bridge (Boy, if ANY song on the album should have been done full-length in video...).
Nothing Cameo and Larry Blackmon did after this album could top this performance--this was the one album that great artists have where everything in terms of artistry, popularity, pure talent and unbridled full-bore funk comes together, and nothing done after that can capture that whole package again.
"Word Up" is Cameo's best, and most perfect performance.

80's Funk Classic....Now 20 Years Old!!.......2006-07-09

That's right! Cameo's 'Word Up!' CD is now 20 years old, and I agree with Funkman, there SHOULD'VE been a reissue of 'Word Up' by Polygram, but they must be on da pipe again, so I remastered the joint MYSELF, and included Extended Remixes for 'Word Up!', 'Candy', and 'Back & Forth'. If you have proper CD audio enhancing software, you can do the same thing. The 3 extended remixes I used can be found on Cameo's 'Funk Essentials - 12 Inch Collection' CD, which is also a must have in it's own right. Cameo...WHERE ARE YOU ?? WE NEED DA FUNK!!
Peace, SD
(of 'Chaka's World')

Million selling masterpiece!.......2006-06-30

This the album that broke Larry and the boys 2 the mainstream.Larry himself said "the only difference between this album and the previous 11 is that the record company finally gave it a major push,not bad after all these years huh?".This album shows why cameo had survived along with zapp,prince,and a couple of others,"The Synthesizer" Blackmon embraced it instead of running from it. he brang cameo into a new direction "Electro Funk" you could not run from hearing "Word Up" on the radio in 86.There should be a special addition of this album with notes and interviews of how this funk masterpiece came together.I've said before and I'll say it again BET are insulting Cameo buy not giving them a lifetime achievment award.

Great Nu Wave R&B album the begining of the end for this genre.......2005-07-30

I love this album and it comes when I think personally the tail end of the Nu Wave R& B genre (soon to be replaced by New Jack Swing and later Hip- Hop)with the smash crossover Word Up. This album is the final trio of great albums starting with 1984's "she's strange" and ending with this statement the last gasp of a great genre.

Cameo was now pared down to a three piece group with other players from the cameo universe (Charlie Singleton, Bernard Wright and Aaron Mills)and It brims with the electro funker title track (with great horns ending the song)and the rocker " Candy" which is one of the great songs they have recorded. with it's searing guitar solo and the videos were even better with great visuals .And the ballads "Back and Forth" and "Don't Be Lonely' are excellent songs. while the album "single life" was in the middle of the "nu wave r&b craze this album completes it. If I was a "jheri curled nU Wave soilder" I would "run" not "walk" to the store and get this great album.

One of the funkiest '80s albums! .......2005-04-27

This 1986 album really put Cameo at the top of their game! I still hear Word Up to this day! Even that spectacular 83-second section between 1:57 and 3:20! The funk beds, the W-O-R-D Up! chants and the thundering beats and rhythm guitar make for one of the best funk sections of a song since the Parliament/Funkadelic era! Candy continues that thundering sound right after Word. Back and Forth is just as good as they smooth it out a bit, yet keep it funky. The ballads on here are just as good before shifting to more funk afterwards. They tend to go a more jazzy route on the ballads,especially on Don't Be Lonely. Most people complain that the album is too short, but Cameo packs a lot of funk within these 7 songs! Definitely the best album when they were a 3-man group! They won an American Music Award in January of 1988, which was well deserved, given the hard work that they put on that Word Up album and the hits that came from it in '86 and '87. Larry Blackmon's production is still high charged right here! And his infamous OWWWWWWWs are all over this album. They still love to recycle from the previous album, as the whistle from the Single Life album is heard again in Word Up. In a year when Janet Jackson's Control dominated much of '86, this was another strong runner up to it. Cameo's best album since their '70s efforts is still a classic to this day to me! Funky, funky, funky!!!!!!!

Slow Jams: The Timeless Collection, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Slow Jams: The Timeless Collection, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: The Right Stuff
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music

Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music

1970s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

The Greatest Slow Jams
Slow Jams: The Timeless Collection, Vol. 2
Maximum Slow Jams
Favorite Love Songs from the Slow Jams Collection
Pure Slow Jams

ASIN: B000002TQ2
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Intro - Slow Jams
Between The Sheets - Isley Brothers
Lady I Love you - O'Bryan
You And I - O'Bryan
Cause I Love You - Lenny Williams
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Wildflower - New Birth
I Just Wanna Be Your Girl - Chapter 8
Tonight Is The Night (Live) - Betty Wright
I'm Going Down - Rose Royce
Why Have I Lost You - Cameo

Average customer rating:

Class of 62 Rules!
It's about time! A treasure for early boomers!

Cameo Parkway: The Greatest Hits
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Abkco
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of Charlie Gracie 1956-1958
Hard to Find Jukebox Classics 1956
The Best of Bobby Rydell: Cameo Parkway 1959-1964
Hard to Find 45s on CD, Volume 9: 1957-1959
Hard to Find 45's on CD: Sweet Soul Sounds

ASIN: B000ICLT46
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Tracks:

Twist - Chubby Checker
Bristol Stomp - The Dovells
Wild One - Bobby Rydell
Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp
Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes) - Dee Dee Sharp
Wah-Watusi - Orlons
Slow Twistin' - Chubby Checker, Dee Dee Sharp
Swingin' Scool - Bobby Rydell
We Got Love - Bobby Rydell
Butterfly - Charlie Gracie
Silhouettes - The Rays
So Much in Love - The Tymes
Limbo Rock - Chubby Checker
Dinner with Drac, Pt. 1 - John "Cool Ghoul" Zacherle,
Don't Hang Up - Orlons
South Street - Orlons
You Can't Sit Down - The Dovells
Ride! - Dee Dee Sharp
Pony Time - Chubby Checker
Let's Twist Again - Chubby Checker
Cha-Cha-Cha - Bobby Rydell
Volare - Bobby Rydell
Wonderful! Wonderful! - The Tymes
96 Tears - Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell
96 Tears - ? & the Mysterians

Customer Reviews:

Class of 62 Rules!.......2007-05-14

Good compilation of Philly area hits of the rock era. It nicely filled a
gap in my oldies collection. Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, Orlons,
and what a nice surprise: Charlie Gracie doing "Butterfly"! This is
a collection worth having, Only question I have, why did they take so long releasing it?

It's about time! A treasure for early boomers!.......2006-12-01

I know Cameo/Parkway released a box set of all their hits earlier. But that cost at least $50 and featured many obscure recording that most folks never heard of unless you lived in Philly. This best of set captures the essence of those great Cameo/Parkway records that were never released on CD until now. For any kid who grew up during the late 50's and 60's, this CD is a treasure of all the great hits, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, The Dovells, The Tymes (featuring one of the most beautiful pop records ever "So Much In Love",The Rays (Sillouettes),Charlie Gracie (Butterfly) "Dinner With Drac" etc. It takes me back to high school when these songs jumped out of your transistor or car radio. Most of these songs were recorded between 1957 and 1964 and they were all huge hits. I can't understand why they were never available until now. So kick back and relax and hear these hits for the first time in new improved sound. A must for early boomers!

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Cameo

Average customer rating:

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Cameo
Cameo
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 R&B | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Ohio Players
Greatest Hits
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Gap Band
Ultimate Collection
Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000058TCR
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Word Up
Single Life
Candy
She's Strange
Attack Me With Your Love
Back And Forth
I Just Want To Be
Why Have I Lost You
Sparkle
Keep It Hot
Freaky Dancin'

Average customer rating:

Cameo Parkway 1957-1967
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Abkco
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music

R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music

General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found
Hard to Find 45's on CD: Sweet Soul Sounds
The Best of 1961-1966
The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966
The Best of Chubby Checker: Cameo Parkway 1959-1963

ASIN: B00081U6IW
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Tracks:

Butterfly - Charlie Gracie
Fabulous - Charlie Gracie
Race For Time - Jerry Arnold & The Rhythm Captains
Sing Sing Sing - Benie Lowe Orchestra
You're The Greatest - Billy Scott
Over The Weekend - The Playboys
Night Time Pete Antell
Memory Lane - The Hippies (Formerly The Tams)
Silhouettes - The Rays
Daddy Cool - The Rays
Back To School Again - Timmie Rogers
The Class - Chubby Checker
Bad Motorcycle - The Storey Sisters
Shake A Hand - Mike Pedicin Quintet
Dinner With Drac Part 1 - John Zacherle
Mexican Hat Rock - The Applejacks
Nine More Miles - Georgie Young and The Rockin' Bocs
Birds And Bees - The Temptations
Two Weeks With Pay - Georgie Young and The Rockin' Bocs
Rocka-Conga - The Applejacks
Kissin' Time - Bobby Rydell
We've Got Love - Bobby Rydell
The Twist - Chubby Checker
Wild One - Bobby Rydell
Swingin' School - Bobby Rydell
Pony Time - Chubby Checker
Teach Me To Twist - Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell
Let's Twist Again - Chubby Checker
Bristol Stomp - The Dovells
The Wah Watusi - The Orlons
Merry Christmas - The Cameos

Tracks:

Slow Twistin' - Chubby Checker (with Dee Dee Sharp)
Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp
Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes) - Dee Dee Sharp
Don't Hang Up - The Orlons
Ride - Dee Dee Sharp
Do The New Continental - The Dovells
The Popeye Waddle - Don Covay
Limbo Rock - Chubby Checker
The Cha Cha Cha - Bobby Rydell
Volare - Bobby Rydell
Sweet Georgia Brown - Carroll Bros.
Back To School One More Time - Jerry Blavat
(I'm The Girl From) Wolverton Mountain - Jo Ann Campbell
Rowdy - Clint Eastwood
Forget Him - Bobby Rydell
Mother Please! - Jo Ann Campbell
Come On And Dance With Me - Billy Abbott and The Jewels
Groovy Baby - Billy Abbott and The Jewels
The Jam Part 1 - Bobby Gregg and His Friends
You Can't Sit Down - The Dovells
South Street - The Orlons
Everybody South Street - The Taffys
Do The Bird - Dee Dee Sharp
Not Me - The Orlons
Cross Fire! - The Orlons
(Everybody Do) The Swim - The Marlins
The 81 - Candy and The Kisses
Daydreamin' Of You - The Dreamers
Swans
Jingle Bell Rock - Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell

Tracks:

So Much In Love - The Tymes
Wonderful! Wonderful! - The Tymes
Just One Chance - The Sparklettones
I'll Be True - Johnny Maestro
Hey Good Lookin' - Billy Abbott and The Jewels
Somewhere - The Tymes
You'll Never Walk Alone - Patti LaBelle and Her Blue Belles
Danny Boy - Patti LaBelle and Her Blue Belles
Cast Your Fate To The Wind - Sounds Orchstral
It Only Took A Minute - Joe Brown and The Bruvvers
Long Tall Sally - The Kinks
Boys - Pete Best
You Still Want Me - The Kinks
League
Tossing & Turning - The Ivy League
She's Fallen In Love With The Monster Man - Screamin' Lord Sutch
Wild Thing - Senator Bobby
Little White House - Len Barry
Fool, Fool, Fool - Joey and The Flips
Gilr From New York City - The GTOs
Society Girl - The Rag Dolls
Soldier Baby Of Mine - Candy and The Kisses
S.O.S. (Heart In Distress) - Christine Cooper
Because of My Heart - Frankie Beverly and The Butlers
Heartaches Away My Boy - Christine Cooper
Got To Run - Vickie Baines
My Boy - The Stylettes
White Christmas (3 O'Clock Weather Report) - Bobby The Poet

Tracks:

Agel Of The Morning - Evie Sands
The Love Of A Boy - Evie Sands
This Can't Be True - Eddie Holman
World Of Fantasy - The Five Stairsteps
Come Back - The Five Stairsteps
Am I A Loser - Eddie Holman
Danger! She's A Stranger - The Five Stairsteps
Meet Me In The Church - Bobby Marchan
You've Been Untrue - The Delfonics
Get A Hold Of Yourself - The Persians
He Don't Really Love You - The Delfonics
The Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven - Chris Bartley
The Grass Will Sing For You - Lonnie Youngblood
I (Who Have Nothing) - Terry Knight and The Pack
Beg, Borrow And Steal - Ohio Express
96 Tears - ? & The Mysterians
I Need Somebody - ? & The Mysterians
East Side Story - Bob Seger and The Last Heard
Can't Get Enough Of You, Baby - ? & The Mysterians
Respect - The Rationals
Marchan
Let The Good Times Roll & Feel So Good - Bunny Sigler
Heavy Music Part 1 - Bob Seger and The Last Heard
Lovey Dovey/You're So Fine - Bunny Sigler
Sock It To Me Santa - Bob Seger and The Last Heard

Amazon.com

Nervous and retiring, Bernie Lowe hardly seemed the stuff of an indie-label pioneer. But when the musician and former music-school teacher teamed up with former student/struggling comedy writer Kal Mann in a fledgling songwriting partnership that eventually saw Elvis score with their "Teddy Bear," the die was cast. The pair had launched Cameo the previous year in Lowe's Philadelphia basement, showing a quick knack for scoring chart success with MOR pop (Charlie Grace's "Butterfly"), novelty kitsch (Zacherle's "Cool Ghoul"), and teen-idol rock (Bobby Rydell and others)--the latter thanks largely to serving as talent farm/bullpen for Dick Clark's then Philly-based American Bandstand. But it was Chubby Checker's era-defining dance smash "The Twist" that saw the label's fortunes soar (still the only record to claw its way to the top of the charts in two different years). This generous, 115-track, four-disc anthology of the label's long out-of-print catalog details those highlights and more, wending its way through even unlikelier novelty fare (Clint Eastwood's rasping tribute to his Rawhide TV character, "Rowdy"; RFK impersonator "Senator Bobby" orating a dizzy cover of the Troggs' "Wild Thing") to such '60s garage-rock staples as ? and the Mysterians' classic "96 Tears," the first American release by the Kinks, and promising early sides by Bob Seger. --Jerry McCulley

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music