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Shirley and Lee were a teenage duo who had a string of R&B and pop hits during the 1950s and early 60s, becoming known as The Sweethearts Of The Blues and establishing a style which critics have seen as influencing later musical developments in ska and reggae. Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee were both born in 1936, and a 1950 demo made by Shirley made its way to Eddie Messner of Aladdin Records, who teamed her with Lee to record as a duo under the name of Shirley and Lee - their debut single Im Gone was an R&B No. 2 hit in 1952. This set comprises the A & B sides of all their releases as a duo, plus their solo singles as Shirley Gee and Leonard Lee, on the Aladdin, Lamp, Warwick, 7 Arts & Imperial labels during this era. It features es all their eight career R&B and pop hits as a duo, including the 1956 R&B No. 1 Let The Good Times Roll and the other R&B Top 10 entries Im Gone, Feel So Good and I Feel Good. Its a comprehensive overview of their career in this line-up and an entertaining showcase for their distinctive and influential style. REVIEWS “You may know them best for the million selling Let The Good Times Roll, but that anthem is only part of their story. They started as early as 1950 and by 1952 were placing recordings on the sepia charts, well in advance of most of the recognised pioneers of rock'n'roll. And rock'n'roll they were, and if you don't believe me, check out the unbeatable 1954 cut Keep On. This is a double CD covering the decade from 1952, with a generous 62 tracks covering their time recording for Aladdin, Imperial, Warwick and other imprints and not a duff one amongst them” – John Howard ***** (Vintage Rock Issue 43) “This is all pretty good pop, but what makes it worth your attention is the wonderful, wonderful band - the aggregation of geniuses who peopled Cosimo Matassa's studio in New Orleans, and who created so much amazing rocking art, behind so many rock'n'roll masterpieces. There are some masterpieces here too! If you can get over Shirley's voice, and you may not be able to, there is some superb New Orleans rocking R&B pop here, and that's fine by me. ” – Pete Bowen (Now Dig This Issue 436) “This 62-track compilation with generous playing time is a good place to start and mention must be made straight away about the Paul Watts 15-page write up accompanying this release. A terrific read that tells us all we need to know about the couple and recordings. An enjoyable release that deserves our attention and is highly recommended.” – Keith Scoffham (Blues & Rhythm Issue 341)
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