Song:My Juanita
Album:The Doo Wop Box
This is an odd track on Rhino's 4CD box set The Doo Wop Box because it's not an original doo wop classic. It's Johnny Maestro performing a live version of a doo wop classic. Along with his group Brooklyn Bridge, he had some success in the late 60s. He was born Johnny Mastrangelo May 7, 1939 in Brooklyn, NY and was the lead singer of The Crests, best known for the doo wop classic Sixteen Candles. My Juanita was one of their previous songs and was a regional hit in New York. Maestro left The Crests to go solo and had a couple of Top 40 hits with What A Surprise & Model Girl in 1961. In 1967, The Del Satins were looking for a new lead singer. They were best known for backing up Dion's solo records. Les Cauchi of The Del Satins ran into Maestro and he joined the group. Then they got together with a horn band called Rhythm Method and were renamed Brooklyn Bridge. They signed with Buddah Records and reached #3 on the pop charts in 1968 with the Jimmy Webb song The Worst That Could Happen. Brooklyn Bridge continued to record into the early 70s with some success. When things wound down, Maestro downsized Brooklyn Bridge and the group has been touring the oldies circuit for years performing classic Crests songs and Brooklyn Bridge songs. They were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 2005. So this version of My Juanita isn't the original version but it is authentic. Here's Johnny Maestro & Brooklyn Bridge performing My Juanita on WLIW in Long Island 1984.
This IS the original version of "My Juanita". Johnny Maestro wrote the song and recorded it with The Crests in 1957. Another misconception about Johnny--he was not born in Brooklyn NY. He's from the lower east side of Manhattan (Little Italy). Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge have been together since 1968, with four original members still in the group. This video is from 1994.
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This version is the final track on CD4 of The Doo Wop Box. It is a live version that was recorded by Maestro for the box set. That's why it's odd because everything else on the box set is original doo wop.
ReplyDeleteNow I understand what you're saying. Instead of using The Crests' original recording of "My Juanita", the song was re-recorded for the box set.
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