Doo-wop was the urban sound of New York City as the 1950s began. It started with teenage black singers harmonizing on street corners and spread to neighboring Italian, Puerto Rican and other youths. As the title of this six-disc set indicates, doowop is recognized as one of rock ’n’ roll’s roots.
Most of the recordings collected here are from later in the ’50s when doo-wop was cracking the hit parade. The producers of It All Started cast their net widely. Along with such unimpeachable doo-wop acts as the Dell Vikings and The Clovers, they have included R&B groups such as The Coasters and The Drifters, who may have been influenced by the sound. Not everything here is doo-wop as properly defined, but virtually every track boasts outstanding vocals.
