The Paragons Meet The Jesters (Jubilee JLP-1098)

And so we reach the end of Joan’s short series of Jubilee LPs featuring those biker hooligans on the cover. I refuse to make any further comment on that unbelievable cover art. Issued in 1959, this album was actually the first in the series and took the form of a “battle of the bands” in which two NYC doowop groups, The Paragons and The Jesters lined up against each other.

All recordings on this album were originally released as singles on the Winley label with the exception of The Jesters “I Laughed” / “Now That You’re Gone” which was released on Cyclone Records, a subsidiary of Winley, which was named after its owner Paul Winley. This company had a connection to Jerry Blaine of Jubilee Records via his Cosnat distribution company, hence the presence of these sides on a Jubilee album.

On his marvellous website, Marv Goldberg remembers the impression this album made on him:

“It's hard to imagine a more quintessential New York sound than the Paragons and the Jesters. Yell at me all you want, but to this day, I still can't tell them apart. More than that, I can't remember hearing a single tune by either of them until the Paragons Meet The Jesters album was released in mid-1959. And yet, when I heard the album, it all sounded so right. This was the way New York music was supposed to sound.”

Now read all about these groups here in Marv Goldberg’s R&B Notebooks:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Paragons/paragons.html

and here:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Jesters/jesters.html

Ripped from vinyl (except for track 12) at 192 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/7qQgMKjC/file.html

1. Florence / The Paragons (February 1957)
2. Please Let Me Love You / The Jesters (October 1957)
3. So Strange / The Jesters (May 1957)
4. Let's Start All Over Again / The Paragons (July 1957)
5. Now That You're Gone / The Jesters (June 1958)
6. The Vows Of Love / The Paragons (March 1958)
7. Hey Little School Girl / The Paragons (February 1957)
8. I'm Falling In Love / The Jesters (October 1957)
9. Love No One But You / The Jesters (May 1957)
10. Stick With Me Baby / The Paragons (July 1957)
11. I Laughed / The Jesters (June 1958)
12. Twilight / The Paragons (March 1958)