Review: Collectables Records assumes that we know the story of the legendary Lads from Toronto using a chance opportunity to appear at NYC's Le Ruban Bleu as a springboard to worldwide fame and fortune; their fresh, upbeat sound defining jazz/pop music in the 50s and early 60s. There's not a single biographical note in the liner notes, just a list of the 28 songs and when they were recorded. Let the music do the talking-fair enough! "Turn Back," "Rocks in My Bed," "He Who Has Love," "Gotta Go to the Fais Do Do," "Harmony Brown," the silly "Cleo and Meo" and "Do You Know What Lips are For," the Polka tune "Oh, That'll Be Joyful," "I've Got Four Big Brothers," the sexy, funny "A Little Bit" and "Guess What the Neighbors'll Say," the dramatic "Fountain of Youth," "Our Lady of Fatima," "Got A Locket in My Pocket" and the latest-recorded song, 1969's "The Sheik of Chicago"aside from occasional hits like "No, Not Much" and "Standing On The Corner," we've never heard most of this (band accompanied) material. But the butter-smooth harmonies that soar to breathtaking, ringing heights, innocent romantic lyrics and general silliness are still a joy, whether the song was a near-hit or merely an album-filler. "Collection" is a rare, surprising winner, pure, uncut 1950s romantic jazz/pop from one of the great male vocal quartets of all time!

Songlist: Turn Back, Rocks in My Bed, I Hate Myself in the Morning, Risin' Sun, He Who Has Love, Anymore, All I Desire, Gotta Go to the Fais Do Do, Harmony Brown, Cleo and Meo, Do You Know What Lips Are For, Oh, That'll Be Joyful, Pledging My Love (Forever My Darling), I've Got Four Big Brothers (To Look After Me), A Little Bit, Moments to Remember, I'll Never Know, No, Not Much!, Standing on the Corner, It's So Easy to Forget, Guess What the Neighbors'll Say, The Fountain of Youth, Sunday, Who Do You Think You Are?, Our Lady of Fatima, Got A Locket in My Pocket, Two Other People, The Sheik of Chicago

Review: You all know the story of the 4 young men from Toronto, who auditioned over the phone for a 2-week gig at NY's Le Ruban Bleu, which turned into a 30-week booking, a tour, a recording contract and many, many hits. This is another of those "2 lps on one CD" that we love so much, and that is such a good value. The fresh, upbeat, jazzy, best-selling sound of the Four Lads (all big-band accompanied) is heaped on our plates like strawberries and whipped cream. 20 hits, the first 8 a live stage show, performed before fans who raved over songs like "Bye and Bye," "God Bless Us All," "My Blue Heaven," "The Wabash Cannonball" and "What Can I Lose;" the next 12 a smorgasbord of romantic winners with miles of violins: "Fly Me to the Moon," "Like Someone In Love," "While We're Young," Leonard Bernstein's "Tonight," Sammy Cahn's "Time After Time" and "I'll Never Stop Loving You," "An Affair To Remember" and "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing." Fresh, jazzy pop, heart-tugging slow-dance music-it's all here, and all wonderful, by four lads whose influential sound defined the 1950s and early 60s.

Songlist: Stage Show:, The Opening Show, Bye and Bye, When You and I Were Young, Maggie, God Bless Us All, My Blue Heaven, The Wabash Cannonball, What Can I Lose, Medley: Swixie Bop, Love Affair:, Invitation, Fly Me to the Moon, Just Say I Love Her, Like Someone in Love, While We're Young, Magnificent Obsession, Time After Time, Tonight, I'll Never Stop Loving You, A Fellow Needs A Girl, An Affair to Remember, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

Review: The Four Lads transition from singing together as Canadian choir boys, to stardom at New York's Le Ruban Bleu, to being voted America's favorite vocal group, is the stuff of music industry legend, but it's their fresh, jazzy, exuberant sound that we're interested in. Blessing again the record executive who first combined two classic lps on one CD for the price of one, we have 24 tracks here, all orchestrally accompanied, but the emphasis is on the four amazing singers. On "Breezin'," are songs like "That Old Feeling," "Someone Like You," "Long Ago (And Far Away)," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Come To Me" and "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening." On "Sunny," there's "The Things We Did Last Summer," "Bidin' My Time," "Makin' Whoopee" "Dancing In The Dark," "Lazy River," and "Side By Side." A generous helping of the Lads' contagiously jazzy, 60s nightclub sound!

Songlist: Breezin' Along With The Breeze, That Old Feeling, Swingin' Down The Lane, Someone Like You, You Were Meant For Me, Hit The Road to Dreamland, Long Ago (And Far Away), That's My Desire, Someone To Watch Over Me, I'll String Along With You, Come To Me, A Loverly Way To Spend An Evening, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, The Things We Did Last Summer, Taking A Chance On Love, Biden' My Time, Makin' Whoopee, Sentimental Journey, These Foolish Things, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, Dancing in the Dark, Lazy River, The Way You Look Tonight, Side By Side

Review: Canadians Bernie Toorish, lead tenor; Brank Busseri, baritone; Jimmie Arnold, second tenor and Connie Codarini, bass; began singing together as, in fact, lads, at St. Michael's Cathedral Choir School in Toronto. They polished their harmonies at night, and obtained a try-out engagement at the Ruban Bleu in New York. It stretched into 30 solid weeks, and the Lads were on their way to being voted America's favorite vocal group. This is 2 LPs (originally released in 1959-60) on one CD, both orchestrally accompanied, all contagiously jazzy and exuberant as the lads demonstrate their versatility with ballads, old-time favorites, racing rhythm numbers and popular standards. This is night club entertainment at its finest!

Songlist: The Old Oaken Bucket, Alouette Means "Skylark", Comin' Through The Rye, Grandfather's Clock, Love's Old Sweet Song, Swanee River, Mexicali Rose, Just How Much I Love You, When I Grow To Old To Dream, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland, All of You, It's All Right With Me, It Had To Be You, The Party's Over, Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Postive, Honeysuckle Rose, Some Of These Days, Anything Goes, You're Nobody 'till Somebody Loves You, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You, Nobody, Ace In The Hole

Review: Their sound was quintessential Fifties: bright, melodic, sentimental and uncomplicated. Often working with greats like Mitch Miller and Frank Loesser, the Four Lads have contributed some great songs to fifties pop music. This collection includes the very best of this group. Selections include novelty songs such as "Gilly, Gilly Ossenfeffer" and their first gold record hit "Istanbul." Also included are many of the songs written by Bernie Toorish under his pen name of Dazz Jordan, like "The Mocking Bird" and "My Little Angel," written for his wife. Since their arrival in America in 1950, this Canadian quartet has left us with many moments to remember.

Songlist: The Mocking Bird (Original 1952 Version), Somebody Loves Me, Down by the Riverside, Istanbul (not Constantinople), Gilly, GIlly, Ossenfeffer, Katzenellen Bogen by the Sea, Skokiaan, Rain Rain Rain, Moments to Remember, No, Not Much!, Standing on the Corner, My Little Angel, A House With Love in it, The Bus Stop Song (A Paper of Pins), Who Needs You, I Just Don't Know, Put A Light in the Window, There's Only One of You, Enchanted Island, The Mocking Bird, The Girl on Page 44, Happy Anniversary

Review: The original Fab Four!

Songlist: Another op'Nin, Another Show, So In Love, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Why Can't You Behave, We Open In Venice, Bianca, Where in The Life That Late I Led, Too Darn Hot, Wunderbar, Way Out West, I Wish I Were In Love Again, The Lady is a Tramp, Where Or When, All At Once, Johnny One Note, I Got The Sun In The Morning, My Defences Are Down, I'm An Indian Too, The Girl That I Marry, Doin' What Comes Natur'lly, They Say It's Wonderful, There's No Business Like Show Business

Review: A great compilation of some of this vocal group's top hits.

Songlist: Standing on the Corner, Who Needs You?, Magnificent Obsession, The Mocking Bird, No Not Much, There's Only One of You, Tonight, Somebody Loves Me, Fly Me to the Moon (in Other Words), Istanbul (not Constantinople), Moments to Remember, Together Wherever We Go, Time After Time, Breezin' Along With The Breeze, Why Can't You Behave?, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing