There was a ton of do wop groups named after birds, namely the Larks, Crows, Cardinals and Wrens, to name just a few. Highest of the fliers were The Ravens, originally consisting or Jimmy Ricks, Warren Suttles, Leonard Puzey and Henry Oliver, but later including Maithe Williams, Richie Cannon, and others. What separated The Ravens from all other vocal groups was that bass vocalist Ricks was usually the lead singer, creating a molasses toned texture to every piece. The mix of his ebony dark vocals with creative do wopping support was a style that endured from swing to bebop to R&B and beyond.
In all of the songs, you can hear hints of other vocal bands such as the Ink Spots, particularly when Marshall’s delicate falsetto comes to the fore on “Searching For Love” or a take of “September Song”. The harmonies, OH THE HARMONIES, well they are a delight, whether the “Zoot Zoot” on Mills Brotherish “Deep Purple” or their famous “Silent Night” that was later ripped off by tons of vocal groups.
They had a number of big hits, all based on irresistible KC-boogie blues, such as “Write Me A Letter”, “Rock Me All Night” and “ Send For Me If You Need Me”. Dinah Washington jumps in for “Out In The Cold Again” and “Hey Good Lookin’”. The band does some hip reading of standards like “The Lonesome Road” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” while adding a dash of The Coasters to their takes of “That’ll Be The Day” and “Lazy Mule”. If you’re not singing along to this band by the time you’re halfway through the first disc of this 4 disc set, you’ve got some serious issues.