5 / 8
Mickey had tackled a duet with Sylvia Vanderpool for Cat, but their fame
exploded with the release of
Love ls Strange
in 1956. This was the only big
hit on Groove and bizarrely enough the label folded soon afterwards – the
acts moving to RCA’s VIK label. It was the company’s last attempt at an all-
black music series. The powerful Mickey and
Sylvia track included here was the single
release prior to their big hit and their only
other outing on Groove.
The other artists on this album have now
mostly vanished from the scene - the Du
Droppers began their career as a quartet
answering the bawdy
60 Minute Man
with
Can‘t Do Sixty No More
for Red Robin.
They recorded many sides for RCA and
Groove and included here are both sides
of the very first Groove issue,
Dead Broke
c/w
Speed King
(G-0001). The three other
romping titles here include an unissued
take of
Smack Dab In The Middle
made at the same
session as the issued E.P. version. Apart from leader Bob Kornegay who later
recorded novelty R&B for Herald, they have left no trace. The other members
were Julius Ginyard and usually Willie and Harvey Ray. The Five Keys are
5