The story of Chicago’s Bandera imprint is really the story of a lady called Vi Muszynski, who seems to have had a really good ear for doo wop. The 26 tracks here, of which around a dozen come from The Impressions’ early output, are at the rawer end of the market; recorded roughly between 1959-64, they’re closely connected to the R&B roots that gave birth to doo wop – and are all the better for it.
The Dialtones’ great, youthful lead vocals kick things off with real intent on a previously unreleased Oh Why Oh Why, and is followed by a rocking cover of Joe Caldwell’s Rowdy Mae by The Epics (not the Philly Group). The Impressions tracks include For Your Precious Love, I’ve Got A Girl and two versions of Sweet Was The Wine (the latter of which was also cut at a later date by The Marcels). Meanwhile, The Majestics’ Run Run Daddy is a fine, fast rocker and The Boomerangs’ 1964 tracks include a previously unreleased Love Causes People To Go Insane – as would missing this.
