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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 second volume is devoted to the Cameo label, founded by the songwriting and production team of Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe, assisted by David Appel, and its sister label Parkway, with the same personalities at its head, plus the Jamie label, founded by Harold Lipsius, who also acquired Guyden. 

Cameo’s biggest stars, who had multiple hits were Charlie Gracie and Bobby Rydell, plus notable names like Dee Dee Sharp and The Orlons, along with many who had one-off successes. Parkway’s principal star was Chubby Checker, along with The Dovells, while many of Jamie’s hits came from guitarist Duane Eddy.

Just about every track in this 94-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. BUTTERFLY Charlie Gracie (Cameo 105) 1957 
2. FABULOUS Charlie Gracie (Cameo 107) 1957 
3. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS Charlie Gracie (Cameo 111) 1957 
4. WANDERIN' EYES Charlie Gracie (Cameo 111) 1957 
5. BACK TO SCHOOL AGAIN Timmie "Oh Yeah!" Rogers (Cameo 116) 1957 
6. SILHOUETTES The Rays (Cameo 117) 1957 
7. DADDY COOL The Rays (Cameo 117) 1957 
8. COOL BABY Charlie Gracie (Cameo 118) 1957 
9. YOU'RE THE GREATEST Billy Scott (Cameo 121) 1957 
10. SHAKE A HAND Mike Pedicin Quintet (Cameo 125) 1958 
11. BAD MOTORCYCLE The Storey Sisters (Cameo 126) 1958 
12. DINNER WITH DRAC John Zacherle (The Cool Ghoul) (Cameo 130) 1958 
13. OVER THE WEEKEND The Playboys (Cameo 142) 1958 
14. MEXICAN HAT ROCK The Applejacks (Cameo 149) 1958 
15. NINE MORE MILES (THE "FASTER-FASTER" SONG) Georgie Young and The Rockin' Bocs (Cameo 150) 1958 
16. INTERMISSION RIFF Bernie Lowe Orchestra (Cameo 153) 1958 
17. SING SING SING Bernie Lowe Orchestra (Cameo 153) 1958 
18. ROCKA-CONGA The Applejacks (Cameo 155) 1958 
19. BUNNY HOP The Applejacks (Cameo 158) 1959 
20. KISSIN' TIME Bobby Rydell (Cameo 167) 1959 
21. WE GOT LOVE Bobby Rydell (Cameo 169) 1959 
22. I DIG GIRLS Bobby Rydell (Cameo 169) 1959 
23. WILD ONE Bobby Rydell (Cameo 171) 1960 
24. LITTLE BITTY GIRL Bobby Rydell (Cameo 171) 1960 
25. SWINGIN' SCHOOL Bobby Rydell (Cameo 175) 1960 
26. DING-A-LING Bobby Rydell (Cameo 175) 1960 
27. VOLARE Bobby Rydell (Cameo 179) 1960 
28. SWAY Bobby Rydell (Cameo 182) 1960 
29. GROOVY TONIGHT Bobby Rydell (Cameo 182) 1960 
30. CHERIE Bobby Rydell (Cameo 186) 1961 
31. GOOD TIME BABY Bobby Rydell (Cameo 186) 1961

CD 2
1. THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC Bobby Rydell (Cameo 190) 1961 
2. THE FISH Bobby Rydell (Cameo 192) 1961 
3. I WANNA THANK YOU Bobby Rydell (Cameo 201) 1961 
4. THE DOOR TO PARADISE Bobby Rydell (Cameo 201) 1961 
5. JINGLE BELL ROCK Chubby Checker and Bobby Rydell (Cameo 205) 1961 
6. I'VE GOT BONNIE Bobby Rydell (Cameo 209) 1962 
7. LOSE HER Bobby Rydell (Cameo 209) 1962 
8. MASHED POTATO TIME Dee Dee Sharp (Cameo 212) 1962 
9. I'LL NEVER DANCE AGAIN Bobby Rydell (Cameo 217) 1962 
10. THE WAH-WATUSI The Orlons (Cameo 218) 1962 
11. GRAVY (FOR MY MASHED POTATOES) Dee Dee Sharp (Cameo 219) 1962 
12. SWEET GEORGIA BROWN The Carroll Brothers (Cameo 221) 1962 
13. I'M THE GIRL FROM WOLVERTON MOUNTAIN Jo Ann Campbell (Cameo 223) 1962 
14. THE CHA CHA CHA Bobby Rydell (Cameo 228) 1962 
15. RIDE! Dee Dee Sharp (Cameo 230) 1962 
16. DON'T HANG UP The Orlons (Cameo 231) 1962 
17. NIGHT TIME Pete Antell (Cameo 234) 1962 
18. THE POPEYE WADDLE Don Covay (Cameo 239) 1962 
19. THE CLASS Chubby Checker (Parkway 804) 1959 
20. THE TWIST Chubby Checker (Parkway 811) 1960 
21. TWISTIN' U.S.A. Chubby Checker (Parkway 811) 1960 
22. WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' GOIN' ON Chubby Checker (Parkway 813) 1960 
23. THE HUCKLEBUCK Chubby Checker (Parkway 813) 1960 
24. PONY TIME Chubby Checker (Parkway 818) 1961 
25. DANCE THE MESS AROUND Chubby Checker (Parkway 822) 1961 
26. GOOD, GOOD LOVIN' Chubby Checker (Parkway 822) 1961 
27. LET'S TWIST AGAIN Chubby Checker (Parkway 824) 1961 
28. BRISTOL STOMP The Dovells (Parkway 827) 1961 
29. THE FLY Chubby Checker (Parkway 830) 1961 
30. DO THE NEW CONTINENTAL The Dovells (Parkway 833) 1962

CD 3
1. LA PALOMA TWIST Chubby Checker (Parkway 835) 1962 
2. SLOW TWISTIN' With Dee Dee Sharp (Parkway 835) 1962 
3. BRISTOL TWISTIN' ANNIE The Dovells (Parkway 838) 1962 
4. DANCIN' PARTY Chubby Checker (Parkway 842) 1962 
5. HULLY GULLY BABY The Dovells (Parkway 845) 1962 
6. LIMBO ROCK Chubby Checker (Parkway 849) 1962 
7. POPEYE Chubby Checker (Parkway 849) 1962 
8. THE JITTERBUG The Dovells (Parkway 855) 1962 
9. MOOVIN' N' GROOVIN Duane Eddy & His 'Twangy' Guitar (Jamie 1101) 1958 
10. REBEL-'ROUSER Duane Eddy & His 'Twangy' Guitar (Jamie 1104) 1958 
11. RAMROD Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1109) 1958 
12. CANNONBALL Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1111) 1958 
13. THE LONELY ONE Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1117) 1959 
14. YEP! Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1122) 1959 
15. FORTY MILES OF BAD ROAD Duane Eddy  & The Rebels (Jamie 1126) 1959 
16. LINDA LU Ray Sharpe (Jamie 1128) 1959 
17. SOME KIND-A EARTHQUAKE Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1130) 1959 
18. BONNIE CAME BACK Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1144) 1959 
19. SHAZAM! Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1151) 1960 
20. BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUNG Duane Eddy  & The Rebels (Jamie 1156) 1960 
21. KOMMOTION Duane Eddy  (Jamie 1163) 1960 
22. PETER GUNN Duane Eddy  & The Rebels (Jamie 1168) 1960 
23. PEPE Duane Eddy, His 'Twangy' Guitar  & The Rebels (Jamie 1175) 1960 
24. SOUND OFF Titus Turner (Jamie 1177) 1961 
25. THEME FROM DIXIE Duane Eddy (Jamie 1183) 1961 
26. RING OF FIRE Duane Eddy (Jamie 1187) 1961 
27. DRIVIN' HOME Duane Eddy  & The Rebels (Jamie 1195) 1961 
28. MY BLUE HEAVEN Duane Eddy  & The Rebels (Jamie 1200) 1961 
29. CARAVAN PT. 1 Duane Eddy (Parlophone R4826) 1961 
30. I WONDER (IF YOUR LOVE WILL EVER BELONG TO ME)  Pentagons (Jamie 1201) 1961 
31. YOU'LL LOSE  A GOOD THING Barbara Lynn (Jamie 1220) 1962 
32. SECOND FIDDLE GIRL Barbara Lynn (Jamie 1233) 1962 
33. YOU'E GONNA NEED ME Barbara Lynn (Jamie 1240) 1962