MOJO MAGZINE – (Charles Waring – May 2006) **** Out of 5 stars - Compelling Story of influential US Indie label. In the 1960’s, Clint Eastwood, Don Covay, The Kinks and Screamin’ Lord Sutch were unlikely label mates at Cameo-Parkway, the Philadelphia-based company that was the brainchild of songwriters Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann, who penned Teddy Bear for Elvis. Founded in 1957, Cameo together with its subsidiary, Parkway, achieved massive success with acts that ranged from rockabilly singer Charlie Gracie and ‘50s teen idol, Bobby Rydell, to dance-craze doyen Chubby Checker and mid-‘60s psych garage band? And The Mysterians. As this superlative 4-CD box set vividly illustrates, although the company primarily focused on the teen pop market in its early years, it successfully branched out into many different musical areas, including jazz, folk and even soul. Featuring 115 remastered tracks accompanied by archive photos and detailed annotation, this is a dream for any collector. Goldmine Bill Dahl – January 2006 Will wonders never cease? In the wake of its acclaimed four-CD Cameo Parkway boxed retrospective, ABKCO has unleashed seven individual discs generously anthologizing the Philly Label’s top stars. The Best of Chubby Checker 1959-1963 features two dozen of the dance king’s classics. The Best Of Bobby Rydell 1959-1964 ranges from the rocking "Kissin Time," to "Volare." Parlaying her uncredited duet with Checker on “Slow Twistin’” into a Cameo contract, Dee Dee Sharp’s pipes were just as suited to soul as the dance numbers that made her a star. The Best Of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966 contains her hits “Mashed Potato Time’” “Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes),” “Ride!” and “Do The Bird”, as well as “I Really Love You’” co-penned with future hubby Kenny Gamble. C-P’s group roster was headed by Len Barry’s similarity dance-obsessed Dovells. The Best Of The Dovells 1961-1965 rocks to “Bristol Stomp,” “Do the New Continental,” and “You can’t Sit Down” closing with Barry’s ’65 solo Decca hit “1-2-3” The Best Of The Orlons 1961-1966 overflows with rollicking Philly workouts while The Best Of The Tymes 1963-1964 presents the balladeers who crooned the chart-topper “So Much In Love”; George Williams’ pristine leads often suggest Johnny Mathis. Cameo recruited a garage-rock outfit from Saginaw, Mich. And nailed one of its biggest sellers with “96 Tears.” That organ-fueled monster (also here in a slower stereo alternative) highlights The Best Of? And The Mysterians 1966-1967. BLENDER MAGAZINE (Karen Schoemer -October 2005) * * * * Out of Five Stars - Teen idols, novelty acts, doowop hopefuls, garage growlers and other fine purveyors of jukebox ephemera. In the circle of hell devoted to makers of awesomely junky rock & roll records, Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann deserve special positions. They manned Cameo Parkway Records, a hit-singles factory churn-ing out some of the most giddily innocuous entertainment of the late 50s and early ‘60s. A horror-show host named John “The Cool Ghoul” Zacherle clawed the top ten with a sax-driven, spoken-word shuffle, “Dinner With Drac (Part 1)”; the young Clint Eastwood, star of TV’s Rawhide, crooned a syrupy, whip-Cracking western ballad, “Rowdy.” This four disc set – on CD for the first time – contains 114 tracks, 21 of them odes to dance fads like the Watusi, the Popeye Waddle and, most famously, the Twist. There’s also a classic or two: the Tymes’ “So Much in Love,” ? and the Mysterians’ Organ –crazed, punk-inspiring “96 Tears.” But never a serous moment, and rarely a dull one. Harp Magazine Jon Young -Jul/Aug 2005 This 115-track collection is a genuinely big event. For whatever reason, nothing from Philadelphia’s Cameo-Parkway labels has been on CD before, but now the collector geeks have been served and the bootleggers rebuffed. Cameo-Parkway enjoyed an impressive run of chart singles in its prime, some classics, some junk, and mainly fun, teen-oriented pop. The big guns were Chubby Checker, specializing in breezy R&B dance tunes like “The Twist” and “Pony Time,” and Bobby Rydell, playing Bobby Darin’s cheesy little brother on “Volare” and “Wild One.” Following the anything-for-a-hit philosophy, Cameo-Parkway’s eclectic output also included classic doo-wop (the Rays’ “Silhouettes”), rockabilly lite (Charlie Gracie’s “Butterfly”), girl-group stompers (Dee Dee Sharp’s “Mashed Potato Time”), garage punk (? and the Mysterians’ “96 Tears”) and plenty more. Among the less-celebrated tracks are works by Patti Labelle (screechy), Bob Seger (fuzztoned), ex-Beatle Pete Best (anemic) and Clint Eastwood (Ricky Nelson-ish). Pop-culture junkies who like their entertainment crass and energetic should consider this tasty set a must.