GENE CHANDLER The Duke Of Earl LP Vinyl NEW 2013

TRACKLISTING

Duke Of Earl
Stand By Me
Festival Of Love
Daddy's Home
I Wake Up Cryin'
Turn On Your Love Light

Nite Owl
I'll Follow You
Big Lie
Kissin' In The Kitchen
So Many Ways
Lonely Island

Limited Edition 180g vinyl reissue of the chart-topping Chicago Soul singer's 1961 album in stereo. Includes the US No.1 hit 'Duke Of Earl' and 'Nite Owl'. Gene Chandler is best-remembered for his 1962 novelty Doo Wop No.1 'Duke Of Earl', 1970's 'Groovy Situation 146;, and his later Disco hit 'Get Down' (US R&B No.3 / UK No.11) in 1978. The singer born Eugene Dixon cut his teeth performing as a teen on Chicago's south side in the early 50s with The Gaytones vocal group before joining the R&B quintet The Dukays in 1957. With Dixon singing lead, the group recorded four sides for Nat Records in 1961 of which 'Duke Of Earl' was one but the label declined to release it, opting instead for 'Nite Owl' which became a sizeable R&B hit later that year. Producers Carl Davis and Bill 'Bunky' Sheppard then shopped 'Duke' around eventually licensing the track to Vee-Jay who decided to release it by Dixon as a solo singer. Thus, Gene Chandler was born and with him an unlikely Rock'n'Roll on stage persona which included the aristocratic trappings of top hat, cape, cane and monocle! Indeed, the 'Duke' made a guest appearance in 1962's danceploitation movie 'Don't Knock The Twis't and even spawned a distaff answer disc by Vee-Jay's Pearlettes (check out CHARLY665D 'Boys Can Be Mean'). Released at the end of 1961 in both stereo and mono formats, The Duke Of Earl peaked at No.69 on the US album chart the following Spring. Chandler left Vee-Jay in 1963 electing to record mid-tempo Soul for Constellation where he charted nine singles, and later at Chess, Brunswick and Mercury. A Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, Chandler has also enjoyed a successful career as a record producer and continues to perform. Chandler's only Vee-Jay long-player (and one of the very few to chart for the label), the stereo edition of The Duke Of Earl has long been a sought after Rock'n'Roll rarity owing to the small quantity sold at the time. Subsequent Vee-Jay reissues may have purported to be in "Stereophonic" sound but were in truth mono pressings packaged as stereo. Moreover, whilst disparate stereo cuts have emerged on CD since the 1990s, the sound quality has tended to be patchy at best. Released to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of legendary Chicago independent label Vee-Jay, Charly are pleased to present The Duke Of Earl in glorious stereo on vinyl for the first time since its original release. Limited Edition release replicates the original 1961 stereo album on heavy weight vinyl - This album has never been reissued in stereo on vinyl before - Includes the hits 'Duke Of Earl' and 'Nite Owl'