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Philadelphia was a hugely active, powerful and influential city in the pop music of the late 1950s and early ‘60s, partly reflecting the creative and commercial energy of the Italian-American community there. 

A number of successful independent record companies were established there, which mostly had one or two highly successful acts and a number of lesser-known ones, who also had hits. 

Acrobat has compiled two 3-CD collections to bring together all the hits from these labels during these years, and this first volume is devoted to the Swan label, with the songwriting and production team of Bob Crewe and Frank Slay at its core, Chancellor label, whose founders and driving forces were Robert Marcucci and Peter De Angelis, and Guyden, a sister label of Jamie (see Vol. 2) plus the small imprints Landa and XYZ. 

Swan’s biggest names, who had multiple hits, were Freddy Cannon, Danny & The Juniors, Dicky Doo & The Don’ts and Billy & Lillie, plus many who had one-off successes, while  Chancellor’s principal stars were Frankie Avalon and Fabian, along with Jodie Sands and many others with one or two hits. 

Just about every track in this 91-track 3- CD set was a Top 100 or Hot 100 chart entry, so it’s a thoroughly entertaining insight into a particular aspect of the music scene of the time, with plenty of collectable obscurities alongside the big names.  
 
Tracks

CD 1
1. CLICK CLACK Dicky Doo & The Don'ts (Swan 4001) 1957 
2. LA DEE DAH Billy & Lillie (Swan 4002) 1957 
3. HAPPINESS Billy & Lillie (Swan 4005) 1958 
4. NEE NEE NA NA NA NA NU NU Dicky Doo & The Don'ts (Swan 4006) 1958 
5. FLIP TOP BOX Dicky Doo & The Don'ts (Swan 4006) 1958 
6. LEAVE ME ALONE Dicky Doo & The Don'ts (Swan 4014) 1958 
7. LUCKY LADYBUG Billy & Lillie (Swan 4020) 1958 
8. TEASIN' The Quaker City Boys (Swan 4023) 1958 
9. TEARDROPS WILL FALL Dicky Doo & The Don'ts (Swan 4025) 1958 
10. TALLAHASSIE LASSIE Freddy Cannon (Swan 4031) 1959 
11. BELLS, BELLS, BELLS (THE BELL SONG) Billy & Lillie (Swan 4036) 1959 
12. OKEFENOKEE Freddy Cannon (Swan 4038) 1959 
13. WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS Freddy Cannon (Swan 4043) 1959 
14. CHATTANOOGA SHOE SHINE BOY Freddy Cannon (Swan 4050) 1960 
15. CALIFORNIA HERE I COME Freddy Cannon (Top Rank JAR309) 1960 
16. INDIANA Freddy Cannon (Top Rank JAR309) 1960 
17. THE URGE Freddy Cannon (Swan 4053) 1960 
18. JUMP OVER Freddy Cannon (Swan 4053) 1960 
19. HAPPY SHADES OF BLUE Freddy Cannon (Swan 4057) 1960 
20. TWISTIN' USA Danny & The Juniors (Swan 4060) 1960 
21. HUMDINGER Freddy Cannon (Swan 4061) 1960 
22. MUSKRAT RAMBLE Freddy Cannon (Swan 4066) 1961 
23. PONY EXPRESS Danny & The Juniors (Swan 4068) 1961 
24. BUZZ BUZZ A-DIDDLE IT Freddy Cannon (Swan 4071) 1961 
25. TRANSISTOR SISTER Freddy Cannon (Swan 4078) 1961 
26. BACK TO THE HOP Danny & The Juniors (Swan 4082) 1961 
27. FOR ME AND MY GAL Freddy Cannon (Swan 4083) 1961 
28. FLYING CIRCLE Frank Slay And His Orchestra (Swan 4085) 1961 
29. TWISTIN' ALL NIGHT LONG Danny & The Juniors (Swan 4092) 1962 
30. TEEN QUEEN OF THE WEEK Freddy Cannon (Swan 4096) 1962

CD 2
1. DOIN' THE CONTINENTAL WALK Danny & The Juniors (Swan 4100) 1962 
2. WOMAN IS A MAN'S BEST FRIEND Teddy & The Twilights (Swan 4102) 1962 
3. PALISADES PARK Freddy Cannon (Swan 4106) 1962 
4. WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN SUMMER'S GONE Freddy Cannon (Swan 4117) 1962 
5. THAT'S LIFE (THAT'S TOUGH) Gabriel And The Angels (Swan 4118) 1962 
6. THE PUSH AND KICK Mark Valentino (Swan 4121) 1962 
7. IF YOU WERE A ROCK AND ROLL RECORD Freddy Cannon (Swan 4122) 1962 
8. WILD WEEKEND The Rockin' Rebels (Swan 4125) 1962 
9. I LOVE MY GIRL Cozy Morley (Chancellor 1001) 1957 
10. WITH ALL MY HEART Jodie Sands (Chancellor 1003) 1957 
11. DEDE DINAH Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1011) 1958 
12. I'M HAPPY The Four Dates (Chancellor 1014) 1958 
13. YOU EXCITE ME Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1016) 1958 
14. GINGER BREAD Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1021) 1958 
15. SOMEDAY (YOU'LL WANT ME TO WANT YOU) Jodie Sands (Chancellor 1023) 1958 
16. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1026) 1958 
17. WHAT LITTLE GIRL Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1026) 1958 
18. I'M A MAN Fabian (Chancellor 1029) 1959 
19. VENUS Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1031) 1959 
20. TURN ME LOOSE Fabian (Chancellor 1033) 1959 
21. A BOY WITHOUT A GIRL Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1036) 1959 
22. BOBBY SOX TO STOCKINGS Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1036) 1959 
23. TIGER Fabian (Chancellor 1037) 1959 
24. I CRIED Joseph Damiano (Chancellor 1039) 1959 
25. JUST ASK YOUR HEART Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1040) 1959 
26. TWO FOOLS Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1040) 1959 
27. COME ON AND GET ME Fabian (Chancellor 1041) 1959 
28. GOT THE FEELING Fabian (Chancellor 1041) 1959 
29. HOUND DOG MAN Fabian (Chancellor 1044) 1959 
30. THIS FRIENDLY WORLD Fabian (Chancellor 1044) 1959 
31. WHY Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1045) 1959 
32. SWINGIN' ON A RAINBOW Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1045) 

CD 3
1. ABOUT THIS THING CALLED LOVE Fabian (Chancellor 1047) 1960 
2. STRING ALONG Fabian (Chancellor 1047) 1960 
3. DON'T THROW AWAY ALL THOSE TEARDROPS Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1048) 1960 
4. TUXEDO JUNCTION Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1052) 1960 
5. TOGETHERNESS Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1056) 1960 
6. DON'T LET LOVE PASS YOU BY Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1056) 1960 
7. KISSIN' AND TWISTIN' Fabian (Chancellor 1061) 1960 
8. A PERFECT LOVE Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1065) 1960 
9. THE PUPPET SONG Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1065) 1960 
10. ALL OF EVERYTHING Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1071) 1961 
11. CALL ME ANYTIME Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1071) 1961 
12. WHO ELSE BUT YOU Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1077) 1961 
13. VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1081) 1961 
14. TRUE, TRUE LOVE Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1087) 1961 
15. YOU ARE MINE Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1107) 1962 
16. THE MASQUERADE IS OVER The Five Satins (Chancellor 1110) 1962 
17. PARTY LIGHTS Claudine Clark (Chancellor 1113) 1962 
18. A MIRACLE Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1115) 1962 
19. DON'T LET ME STAND IN YOUR WAY Frankie Avalon (Chancellor 1115) 1962 
20. NEED YOU Donnie Owens (Guyden 2001) 1958 
21. SUDDENLY Nicky Dematteo (Guyden 2024) 1959 
22. THAT'S MY KIND OF LOVE Marion Worth (Guyden 2033) 1960 
23. KOOKIE LITTLE PARADISE The Tree Swingers (Guyden 2036) 1960 
24. TOO YOUNG Bill Forbes (Guyden 2041) 1960 
25. POP-POP-POP-EYE The Sherrys (Guyden 2068) 1962 
26. OO-LA-LA-LIMBO Danny and the Juniors (Guyden 2076) 1962 
27. DANCIN' THE STRAND Maureen Gray (Landa 689) 1962 
28. MEDITERRANEAN MOON The Rays (XYZ 605) 1960 
29. MAGIC MOON (CLAIR DE LUNE) The Rays (XYZ 607) 1961