At Co & Ce- The Complete Singles & More
Omnivore, 2023
8/10
Listen to At Co & Ce- The Complete Singles & More
Although they saw success in high school as The Val-Aires, it wasn’t until after college and the army that the members regrouped as The Vogues to really make an impact, and it resulted in many charting singles that are collected here for the first time, i.e. the A- and B-sides to all eight original Vogues singles from 1965–1967, plus seven tracks from 1996’s out-of- print You’re The One: The Best Of The Vogues (The Co & Ce Sessions).
“You’re The One” starts the listen with scrappy drumming and warm vocal harmonies, as a soulful version of pop unfolds, and it isn’t long until the doo-wop influenced “Nothing To Offer You” showcases the sublime vocal interaction amid fluid bass lines as well as some very high notes being hit.
Further along, “Please Mr. Sun” illustrates very smooth and expressive vocals in the dreamy climate, while the raw and harmonic “Midnight Dreams” moves with a longing, emotive appeal that seems tailor made for youthful love.
Closer to the end, the swift and upbeat “Brighter Days” shows the band in a more firm climate, and “How Wonderful Our Love Is” is an animated and highly melodic late album highlight that allows all the member’s vocal talents to shine.
If you’ve seen the movies Good Morning, Vietnam or Big Fish, or the TV show The Drew Carey Show, you’ve already heard The Vogues, and this release culls together some of their best that easily proves why they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
The release includes production by Grammy winner Lee Lodyga and Cary E. Mansfield, with restoration and mastering thanks to the Grammy winning engineer Michael Graves. There’s also new liner notes from Scott Schinder, which have been approved by both remaining original members of the band, Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko.
Travels well with: Dave Clark Five- All The Hits; The Cowsills- Rhythm Of The World