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TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

#401 GOODY GOODY Frankie Lymon
In 1954, The Premiers added a new member: Frankie Lymon. Not long after signing with the Gee label, the boy band adopted new name The Teenagers. Their latest recruit demonstrated his vocal ability on debut single "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" The Teenagers were a prototype for The Jackson 5. Lymon was known as "the boy wonder". The single reached the Top 10 in America and climbed to #1 in Britain. It sold 2 million copies. By their 2nd single, the act was billed as Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, an exceptional development given the lead singer was only 13 years of age!
The group enjoyed greater success in Britain. During a tour of the UK in 1957, Lymon cut some tracks as a soloist. Norrie Paramour produced the youngster's remake of the standard "Goody Goody". The song, composed by Matty Melneck and Johnny Mercer, had been a #1 hit for Benny Goodman in 1936. In Britain, Lymon's version climbed to #24 and peaked at #20 in America. Later that year, Lymon quit the doo wop group and pursued a solo career. 
Smoking, alcohol and sex with older women (despite his being underage) proved too tempting for the Lymon. His popularity diminished when his voice broke. In 1961, he was a heroin addict and in hospital for drug rehabilitation. The slide continued. By 1964, he had seen all 3 of his marriages fail. He had a criminal record and was in financial trouble.  In 1968, he was found dead on his grandmother's bathroom floor with a syringe beside him. He was aged 25.     
Despite wowing so many with his energetic vocal skill, Lymon could not resist the trappings of his early success. His is a too common story of how fame can be a curse. We have his recordings to remind us of the potential he never realized.

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
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