Big Top was formed in the late 50s as an offshoot of the Hill & Range publishing empire, and was based with them atop the famed Brill Building on Broadway. Already well established in the country and R&B fields, the owners sought to grab a slice of the fast-emerging pop market, though, with a few notable exceptions, only ever getting some of the crumbs.
The big acts here are Del Shannon and Johnny & The Hurricanes, from whom we have a couple of hits each, so we need to look beyond these for deep catalogue interest. Arlene Smith turns in an impassioned He Knows I Love Him Too Much, The Chiffons provide backing vocals on Andrea Carroll’s The Doolang, Marci & The Mates pleasantly ape The Drifters on Suddenly We’re Strangers, and former doo woppers The Dynamics broach new territory with the somewhat muzzysounding Misery. Spector collectors should also note that his production of Sammy Turner’s Raincoat In The River can also be found. The rest is a swathe of teen pop, answer discs and rocky instrumentals. For some, Flashback, the stomping handclapper from the VIPs (who have been hanging around the Motown recycled riff bin) will be worth the price of admission alone.
