Walter "Dootsie" Williams' Los Angeles-based independent Dootone Records was an active imprint from 1951 to 1963, releasing close to 200 singles during that time (for legal reasons, the name was changed to Dooto Records in 1957), most of them by homegrown street corner vocal groups. As this fine set shows, the quality level was high for these releases, and
Williams' sparse production insured that the song was always the thing. There's so much to like here, including the Pipes' wry "Let Me Give You Money," Charles McCullough's moving and powerful "You're Not Too Young," the Fabulous Pearls' exuberant "I Laughed So Hard," the impressive "Down the Road" by the Dootones, and Vernon Green's bouncing "Rocket Ship," but there really isn't a lame track in the whole set, making this a wonderful introduction to a wonderful label. ~ Steve Leggett