Loop de Loop: The Very Best of Johnny Thunder

Not to be confused with Johnny Thunders, the legendary junkie guitarist of the New York Dolls and the Heartbreakers, Johnny Thunder was a dynamic R&B and rock & roll singer who originally sang as a backing vocalist for the Drifters and the Ink Spots. He had a hit in 1963 with "Loop de Loop," and an infectious dance number reminiscent of Hank Ballard or a more soulful Chubby Checker. Although he had another minor hit a few years later with "Make Love to Me," a duet with Ruby Winters, during the early '60s he wasn't able to successfully follow up "Loop de Loop." Nevertheless, even if they didn't chart, a few of his subsequent singles were pretty good, as evidenced by Collectables' Loop de Loop: The Very Best of Johnny Thunder. It's certainly not flawless -- a few of the songs are shameless attempts to replicate "Loop de Loop," and others are simply silly -- but for archivists of early-'60s R&B and rock, it's worth a listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine