Frankie Lymon's meteoric rise to superstardom in 1956 (and his subsquent crash) has been well-documented. As the lead singer of the most successful of the teenage doo-wop groups, Frankie's precocious talent resulted in hits such as 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love,' 'I Want You To Be My Girl' and 'Goody Goody,' songs that are memorable still. The sixteen tunes on this CD were recorded between 1955 through 1958; most were issued on George Goldner's Gee label. Frankie's adolescent tenor was confident, his interpretative skills well-developed, and his pitch stable; unfortunately for him, as his voice matured, it no longer was the attraction it once was. To hear Frankie sing 'I'm Not A Know It All' and 'I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent' hold a pathetic irony, but regardless, these songs are the defining sound of 1950's pop |
