Doin' The Bird - The Rivingtons

Doin' The Bird

The Rivingtons

Liberty LRP-3282

1963

Awhile back I had a hankering to hear some Johnny Rivers and while I was leafing through my collection of his albums I noticed this album adjacent to them on the shelf.  I was very surprised because I had no memory of ever buying it.  I don't even know why I would have bought it because I'm not a fan of the group and I've never really liked the only song of theirs that I know, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow."  I'm guessing that I came across a cheap copy at the flea market and took a chance on it out of curiosity.  That's what happens when you have too many records and your memory is deteriorating.  It's not a bad problem to have, since it is like getting a new record all over again although it has also resulted in me buying records I already have.  My memory has gotten so bad that I have created an inventory of my records that I can store on my phone which has eliminated the problem for the most part.  Anyway I pulled this out and gave it a spin and was genuinely impressed by it.  I have little use for novelty records which I think is a term that is apt for "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and its retread on this album "Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow."  "Kickapoo Joy Juice" is also in this vein.  All three are driven by the nonsensical bass vocal riffs of Rocky Wilson Jr. and are inane in a mildly amusing manner.  The self-penned "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is insanely catchy, a true ear worm that I can't really hate but which I can't really like either.  It created a new dance called "The Bird" which is depicted on the back cover of the album.  I tried it out and felt like an idiot.  "Mama-Oom-Mow-Wow" was also written by the group and shamelessly copies the hit but has a more fussy arrangement that is distracting.  The hit's simplicity was part of its stupid appeal.  "Kickapoo Joy Juice" lacks the deranged intensity of the other two songs which exposes the song's dumbness but I still enjoy the song for the most part.  The saving grace for all three songs is the quality of the vocals which rescues them from their idiocy.  Lead vocalist Carl White has a terrific voice reminiscent of Jackie Wilson and the group's harmonies are first rate.  Most of the remaining tracks are rhythm and blues bangers that they have applied their bass heavy formula to.  My favorites include a rocking cover of Billy Ward's "Have Mercy Mercy Baby" and their own jumping composition "Old Time Love" in which White sings his heart out.  The group can't come close to matching Little Richard's energy on "Long Tall Sally" and "Slippin' and Slidin'" but their versions are still quite stimulating.  They don't fare as well with "Unchain My Heart" which will always belong to Ray Charles and their version sounds tame by comparison.  Unchastened they also cover another song associated with Charles, "You Are My Sunshine" but this one is more successful.  It is a very passionate and dynamic performance and features one of White's strongest vocals.  The self-penned" Love Pill" gives Rocky a chance to sing a couple of verses himself and he doesn't come close to giving White any competition, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable track.  Their composition of "Happy Jack" is also fun.  Their self-penned "Standing in the Love Line" offers a respite from the goofiness of so much of the album offering a conventional rhythm and blues love song that shows the group can be compelling playing it straight too.  That is my biggest takeaway from this album.  It took a dumb gimmick to get this band a hit single, but they had the chops to be so much better.  I like their non-novelty songs so much that I feel bad that they were not more successful.  A group this good should have made a bunch of albums.  Maybe if their hit had come earlier, they might have, but coming in at the end of the doo-wop era blunted its impact as did the release of the Trashmen's even more idiotic cover of it "Surfin' Bird" later in the year.  For me this album is a happy surprise and I'm grateful I took a chance on it at some point in the past.  I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't appreciate its charms more at the time, but I guarantee I won't be forgetting I have it any time soon.  Recommended to fans of the Coasters.