Artist:The Eternals
Song:Babalu's Wedding Day
Album:The Doo Wop Box II
Here's another obscure doo wop classic courtesy of Rhino's 4CD box set The Doo Wop Box II. The Eternals already had a hit with Rockin' In The Jungle and this song was the victim of legal wrangling. The Eternals were a standard doo wop group formed in the Freeman Street neighbourhood of The Bronx. There were black groups and white groups. These guys were Puerto Rican. Lead singer Charlie Gerona, first tenor Fred Hodge, second tenor Ernie Sierra, baritone Arnie Torres & bass Alex Miranda started out in junior high as The Gleaners. Gerona started writing Coasters influenced novelty songs. They started calling themselves The Orbits and Christmas In The Jungle got some airplay on local New York radio. DJ Cousin Brucie Morrow got his pal Bill Martin to manage them and he took them to veteran A & R man Morty Craft to record on his Melba label. The song became Rockin' In The Jungle and they were now The Eternals. Craft released the song on his new Hollywood label and it was a big hit in New York and got some national attention in 1959. Babalu's Wedding Day was the follow up but legal problems between Martin and Morrow prevented wider distribution of the song. Babalu's Wedding Day was kept alive by becoming a jingle for WABC DJ Bruce Lewis. George Villenueva was brought in as new lead singer and The Eternals attempted to recover in 1961 but legal issues killed them again and they split up in 1962. Of course they reformed in 1972 and have been touring the oldies circuit ever since. Here's The Eternals performing Babalu's Wedding Day on a recent PBS doo wop special.
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