The title is surprisingly accurate.
The Turks
, a smooth vocal quartet little remembered outside of hardcore
doo wop
collectors' circles but much beloved by those in the know, recorded only four sides for
Bob Keene
's
Keen Records
label, and those were from 1958, long after the group's initial splash in the Los Angeles vocal scene alongside
the Platters
,
the Penguins
and
the Flamingos
. However, this reconstituted lineup of
the Turks
included the legendary
Jesse Belvin
, one of L.A.
's most legendary figures, and the four songs --
"Okay,"
"It's You,"
"Father Time"
"My Baby"
(this last one was never completed) -- are all hugely enjoyable examples of the form featuring
Belvin
's interplay with
' lead singer
Gaynel Hodge
. The rest of this 49-minute disc, however, is filled out with rehearsal takes and studio chatter that's of interest only to die-hard fans. ~ Stewart Mason