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Detroit's The Royals were a quintet of autoworkers who got together to harmonize in their spare time. Levi Stubbs (Four Tops) and Jackie Wilson both passed through the group before the lineup settled down to the five-man core featured on this compilation. They were signed to King/Federal by Johnny Otis in 1951, and their first waxing was "Every Beat Of My Heart," a classic that was later a huge hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips. Lead singer Charles Sutton has a pleading, soulful high baritone, perfect for the smooth love songs that were the group's trademark during its brief stint on Federal. Many of their early sides, including the fragile love songs "Starting From Tonight" and "Moonrise," were written by their guitar player and arranger, Alonzo Tucker, gems that hold their own against any of the better-known R&B ballads of the day. Although they sold poorly on first release, these early singles became sought after items for doo wop aficionados in subsequent years.
When one of the original members was drafted, he was replaced by a young Hank Ballard, who soon dominated the group's sound. When they recorded "Get It," a suggestive Ballard tune, they got their first chart success and moved from doo wop balladeers to rock 'n' roll singers. The sides immediately got more raucous with screaming sax, Ballard's wild hand-clapping rhythms and the racy lyrics that got "Work With Me Annie" banned on white radio stations even as it hit #1 on the R&B charts. Many of these sides were subsequently re-credited to Hank Ballard and The Midnighters. It's interesting to hear the transition from sincere romantics to rowdy rockers, but no matter what they're singing or how it's arranged, the vocal talent of the Royals/Midnighters is undeniable.
*Note to doo wop fanatics (who probably know this already): The Royals that recorded the 24 tunes here have no relation to the "5" Royales, who recorded for Apollo, or the Royals signed to OKey and Venus.
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