Kissin' at the Drive-In

Contains material recorded before Gary Shelton changed his name to Troy Shondell.
Recorded between 1957 and 1959.
Personnel: Gary Shelton (vocals, piano); Everett Barksdale, Don Heath, John Pizzarelli, Steve Bledsoe (guitar); Warren Luckey (saxophone); Bert Keyes (piano); Doug Morris, Joseph "Kaiser" Marshall (drums).
Audio Mixer: Mark Wilder.
Recording information: Boulevard Recording Studios, Chicago, IL (1957-1959); Columbia Recording Studio, New York, NY (1957-1959); Universal Studios, Chicago, IL (1957-1959).
Illustrators: Troy Shondell; Hans Peter Zdrenka; R.A. Andreas.
Photographers: Troy Shondell; Hans Peter Zdrenka; R.A. Andreas.
This 24-track import is credited to "Gary Shelton aka Troy Shondell" because of the artist's chart success under the latter name. This cross-licensed collection of late-'50s recordings includes a variety of teen-oriented numbers such as the title track and "Teenage Love Call," as well as a few decent rockers such as "Maybe Later, Baby" and "Honey Bee." Shelton's music is essentially teen idol pop with dramatic vocals that aren't always appealing. A few songs are presented in dubbed and undubbed versions, with and without echo, or with alternate takes which diminishes the listenability of this already marginal music. The bottom line is that this is a package only for collectors, who will value the excellent liner notes, session info, pristine mastering, and otherwise exemplary packaging for which Bear Family Records is known. ~ Greg Adams