Gene Forrest and Eunice Levy were one of the boy/girl duos, like Shirley & Lee, who were an integral element of the R&B scene in the late 1950s and early 60s – they were both from Texas, but met up in Los Angeles when they were both in their early ‘20s and trying to forge careers as R&B songwriters and singers in the mid-1950s.
Gene Forrest initially made records for John Dolphin’s Recorded In Hollywood label and then Aladdin, before they teamed up as Gene & Eunice to record their song “Ko-Ko-Mo” for the small Combo label, and then re-recorded it for Aladdin to score a debut hit. They went on to have a couple more hits as they recorded together into the 1960s.
This 41-track 2-CD collection comprises most of their A & B sides on the Recorded In Hollywood, RPM, Combo, Aladdin, Case and Lilly labels from these years, with some solo recordings as well as performances as a duo.
It includes Gene Forrest titles with The Eddie Beale Fourtette, Freddie Simmons Quintet, Gene Forrest Combo and The Four Feathers, and Eunice Levy recordings with the Jake Porter Combo.
It features their three R&B and pop hits - “Ko Ko Mo” and “This Is My Story” from 1955, and “Poco Loco” from 1959, bookending the most successful part of their career.
They were very much part of that particular era in pop/R&B, and this is about as complete an overview of their core career as we could assemble, and it makes for thoroughly entertaining listening.
Tracks
CD 1
1. IT WAS YOU Gene Forrest & The Eddie Beale Fourtette (Recorded In Hollywood 172) 1951
2. EVERYBODY'S GOT MONEY Gene Forrest & The Eddie Beale Fourtette (Recorded In Hollywood 172) 1951
3. HOLLYWOOD BOUND Freddie Simmons Quintette (Recorded In Hollywood 190) 1952
4. ACHING AND CRYING Gene Forrest & His Orchestra (RPM 376) 1952
5. WIGGIE Gene Forrest & The Four Feathers (Aladdin 3224) 1954
6. DUBIO Gene Forrest & The Four Feathers (Aladdin 3224) 1954
7. I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU Eunice Levy with Gene Forrest & The Four Feathers (Combo Unreleased) 1954
8. KO KO MO (I LOVE YOU SO) Gene And Eunice (Combo 64) 1954
9. YOU AND ME Gene And Eunice (Combo 64) 1954
10. KO KO MO Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3276) 1955
11. YOU AND ME Gene and Eunice (with Johnny's Combo) (Aladdin 3276) 1955
12. THIS IS MY STORY Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3282) 1955
13. MOVE IT OVER BABY Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3282) 1955
14. FLIM FLAM Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3292) 1955
15. CAN WE FORGET IT? Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3292) 1955
16. HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND Gene and Eunice (with Johnny's Combo) (Aladdin 3305) 1955
17. I GOTTA GO HOME Gene and Eunice (with Johnny's Combo) (Aladdin 3305) 1955
18. I'LL NEVER BELIEVE IN YOU Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3315) 1956
19. HOOTCHY KOO Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3315) 1956
20. LET'S GET TOGETHER Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3321) 1956
CD 2
1. I'M SO IN LOVE WITH YOU Gene And Eunice (Aladdin 3321) 1956
2. BOM BOM LULU Gene & Eunice (Aladdin 3351) 1956
3. HI DIDDLE DIDDLE Gene & Eunice (Aladdin 3351) 1956
4. STRANGE WORLD Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3374) 1957
5. THE VOW Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3374) 1957
6. DON'T TREAT ME THIS WAY Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3376) 1957
7. DOODLE DOODLE DOO Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3376) 1957
8. THE ANGELS GAVE YOU TO ME Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3414) 1958
9. I MEAN LOVE Gene and Eunice (Aladdin 3414) 1958
10. POCO LOCO Gene & Eunice (Case 1001) 1959
11. GO ON KOKOMO Gene & Eunice (Case 1001) 1959
12. AH! AH! Gene & Eunice (" Poco-Loco Kids") (Case 1002) 1959
13. YOU THINK I'M NOT THINKING Gene & Eunice (Case 1002) 1959
14. WITHOUT LOVE Gene & Eunice (Case 1005) 1960
15. YOU DRIVE ME BUGGY Gene & Eunice (Case 1005) 1960
16. SUGAR BABE Gene & Eunice (Case 1007) 1960
17. LET'S PLAY THE GAME Gene & Eunice (Case 1007) 1960
18. SEND ME SOME ONE Eunice Levy and Jake Porter's Combo (Combo 165) 1960
19. ONLY LOVERS Eunice Levy and Jake Porter's Combo (Combo 165) 1960
20. GOT A RIGHT TO KNOW Gene and Eunice (Lilly L-330) 1962
21. EVER LOVIN' BABY Gene and Eunice (Lilly L-330) 1962
