The Newbeats Golden Classics Edition

When Bread And Butter came out and I heard it on my transistor radio at the age of nine, I thought I was listening to a black group with a female lead singer. Not even close: Three white men in their twenties.

Now - to that falsetto: You either like it...or hate it. (Think Frankie Valli, Lou Christie, Bee Gees). This guy's voice could saw a 2x4 in half. Plus, unlike most, he adds vibrato to it. That being said, I can handle the voice... because he can handle it - strong and in tune. it. But listening to 18 songs straight through can be tiring.

What I do like about the tracks is the variety of songwriters involved: Gerry Goffin/Carol King, JD Loudermilk, Doug Kershaw and others I'm not familiar with. Jay Turnbow and Larry Parks wrote Bread And Butter. Turnbow was in a band called the Ivy Jives, and Parks was a drummer who toured with Roy Orbison.

I also enjoyed not only the quality of the recordings, but the quality of the musicians involved. Beyond Bread And Butter, I didn't hear any stand-out tunes. Yes, they charted a few more times, but I'll bet most of us will remember them only for bread, butter, toast and jam...which is good eating!