Song:Been So Long
Album:The Doo Wop Box
This is another obscure classic from the Rhino 4CD box set The Doo Wop Box. This is the second of two doo wop groups called The Pastels. Been So Long was their one hit in 1958. The Pastels were led by lead singer and main songwriter Big Dee Ervin (born DiFosco Ervin Jr. July 8, 1939 in New York City). First tenor Richard Travis, second tenor Tony Thomas and baritone Jimmy Willingham were the other members. They started when all four guys were in the US Air Force in Greenland in 1954. They were all transferred to Washington, DC and after performing in local clubs, decided to go after a record contract. They signed with Hull Records and when Been So Long showed signs of taking off, Hull licensed the song to Chess Records and Chess released it on the Argo label in Jan. 1958. Been So Long reached #4 on the R & B singles chart and #24 on the pop singles chart. The Pastels struggled after that and follow up singles were unsuccessful. The Pastels split up in early 1959. Big Dee Ervin continued in the music business and had a hit in 1963 with his version of Swinging On A Star. It did well in England. Ervin would continue to record and write songs and even recorded as the disco artist DiFosco in 1976. He died of a heart attack on Aug. 27, 1995 at age 56. Here's a video for Been So Long by The Pastels.
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