The Vogues At Co & Ce - The Complete Singles & More
- Greatest Hits |
- Oldies |
- Pop
Release Date: February 24, 2023
Label: Omnivore
The Vogues' first collection of all A- and B-sides from Co & Ce Records, it includes their timeless classic, "Five O'Clock World," plus rare tracks from the vault - eight tracks on CD for the first time and many more making their digital debut.
Formed in high school as The Val-Aires in 1958, Bill Burkette, Don Miller, Hugh Geyer, and Chuck Blasko recorded their first single for a local label. They were successful enough that in time, they found themselves performing on television, as well as on bills with the Drifters, the Platters, and the Dells. After school, members of the group joined the Army or went to college, but instead of going their separate ways, they found themselves coming back together and decided to record again, this time renamed as the Vogues.
Producer Nick Cenci (Tommy James And The Shondells, Lou Christie) took them into the studio to record a cover of Petula Clark’s “You’re The One,” originally released on Blue Star Records. That track led to the Vogues signing with Co & Ce Records, and with new distribution, the single reached #4 on the charts. Their follow-up single, “Five O’Clock World” achieved the same chart position and stayed in the public eye for decades after with its use in the films Good Morning, Vietnam and Big Fish, and perhaps most importantly, as the theme to The Drew Carey Show. Hit covers by other artists followed including versions by Hal Ketchum and Julian Cope. In addition to those smash hits, the Vogues also released five non-LP singles, including the Top 30 “The Land Of Milk And Honey.” After their run with Co & Ce, the group moved on to Reprise Records, scoring a pair of Top 10 singles in 1968. They called Reprise home until 1970, and released four albums for the label. In 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Now here for the first time, the A- and B-sides to all eight original Vogues singles from 1965–1967 have been collected on At Co & Ce – The Complete Singles And More. This compilation marks the CD and digital debut of material that has been unavailable for nearly 60 years. In addition to those singles, the set also includes seven tracks from 1996’s out-of- print You’re The One: The Best Of The Vogues (The Co & Ce Sessions), featuring songs written by P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri, Roger Christian/Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, and Don & Dick Addrisi. Produced for release by Grammy® winner Lee Lodyga and Cary E. Mansfield, with restoration and mastering from Grammy® winning engineer Michael Graves, the set also contains new liner notes from Scott Schinder, which have been approved by both remaining original members of the band, Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko.