The Hits Collection 1930-56

The Crests were a ground-breaking multiracial pop/doowop group formed in the mid-1950s when singer Johnny Mastrangelo joined forces with a doowop quartet comprising three African-Americans and one Puerto Rican – as time went on Johnny Mastrangelo became Johnny Masters, Johnny Mastro and then Johnny Maestro as he turned to solo recording as well. Having had a minor hit on the Joyce label, they signed to Coed Records, and in 1958 had a major success when “Sixteen Candles” was a US No. 2, kicking off a career which brought several more chart successes through into the ‘60s as Tony Middleton and James Ancrum took over lead vocal duties from Johnny Maestro. This great-value 51-track 2-CD set comprises the A & B sides of their singles on the Coed, Trans Atlas, Selma and Times Square labels from these years as The Crests, Johnny Masters, Johnny Maestro and Johnny Maestro & The Original Crests, plus the tracks from their album “The Crests Sing All Biggies” not otherwise released on singles. It features all their ten pop and R&B chart entries from this era, including the pop No. 2 and R&B No. 4 “Sixteen Candles”. It’s about as comprehensive a selection of their work from this era that could be assembled and captures a highly distinctive style of music that ranges through doowop, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and pure teen pop.