IS HE A MAGICIAN?!? | Gene Chandler "The Duke of Earl" - REACTION

[@SQUATCHY614]

Those black groups of the 50’s and 60’s had such tight vocals. Rap or hip hop can’t compete.

[@acornsucks2111]

I heard dat.

[@pamagnolia]

One of the best songs of the early 60s!!

[@Lfg117]

💯

[@peterzimmer9549]

This would be the end of the 1950s a cappella sound that carried into the early 60’s. “The lion sleeps tonight” is another example of this a cappella genre.

[@rhondamcbath6279]

Use to love this song. I was babysitting and the lady I babysat for had a bunch of these 45's and I played this on hr record player... 1974

[@TheBeatenPaths]

Everytime I hear this song I think of Happy Days & Laverne and Shirley.

[@chrischar9428]

Reminds me of Cheers

[@craigplatel813]

I always think of my high school physics teacher Mr Earl "Duke of Earl" Cleaves. 😂

[@TheBeatenPaths]

@@chrischar9428And the lollipop song lol

[@brandonchamberlain9179]

Married with Children...

[@rickpetersen1745]

I've commented on this song before with a different reactor,but I'll repeat it. This song came out when I was 9 or 10. I lived on Long Island at the time and I had a male Boxer who happened to be named Duke. Well every time me and my sister would watch American Bandstand and this song came on he would go crazy looking for who was calling him. He do the same thing when it came on the radio.

[@Thoseweekendgolfguysradioshow]

This was a warm up exercise for the singers originally. Then they recorded it and viola...a hit!!! Actually a classic

[@wildancrazy159]

Very famous and used in many movies and TV shows over the years. It's a sound of a era "50's". The hard guys or greasers listened to this..

[@JCourts2k23]

I love this song, I am in my early 40s, lost my dad a couple of years ago Alzheimer's, growing up we always used to listen to the oldies station on the radio, and I still love this music to this day because of him

[@Todrick451]

We have a 70lbs English Bulldog named Duke This is how I great him every morning… Singing the opening (refrain) of this song… Can’t help it

[@arizrich]

62 years ago I was just 8 when this came out and my uncle (who was 15) used to play this song all the time.

[@cindyv1401]

His high notes just gave me chills 🤩 🤩 🤩

[@IAMisLove]

👍👍Old school awesomenessssss! 🖖❤

[@DeadBird-wp9of]

It's Chicago Soul on VeeJay Records - best known for Blues records. In Chicago they made great singles with a mix of Blues, DooWop, Soul and Comic effects.

[@66zoot]

Dukedom is a word, similar to kingdom.

[@Todrick451]

Also county, barony, earldom, Though some are obviously not as common as others

[@vampfashions]

@@Todrick451 well, none of them, really, are for the "commoners" lol.

[@Russ-gy7tx]

Gene had another hit in 1970 titled "Groovy Situation"

[@mossrun]

What does his hand gestures mean? I understood it as; she had his head, his heart, and his approval (by the clapping of his hands)

[@rhondadananay2106]

One of most requested songs at high school sock hops. A particular dance went with the song! Sixties were great!

[@shawn2380]

His voice..incredible.

[@angelado3]

LOVE this song !!!

[@johnboydTx]

Timeless 🎩👏👏👏 Great music is Great music 🎶🤷✌️

[@Almaintx]

Aww! Memories of my teenage years! Thanks for sharing this old song!

[@debibailey2968]

One of the most memorable songs I think....classic!!! ❤❤❤❤❤. Lol😂. You did that great!! 😂

[@JCourts2k23]

It's so nice to hear great music, not the majority of crap we hear today

[@jaycooper2624]

I was 13 when this record was released in 1962 in the UK, and had to save my pocket money for a month in order to buy it. It's on the Columbia Label (No. DB 4793) and 62 years later it still has a place on my turntable. Gene Chandler has a Superb voice and this was just the first of many great recordings he made in the 1960s going into the '70s and I have almost his complete catalogue - on vinyl! I must say it's really great to see the "Younger Generation" appreciating the wonderful music of our youth: DooWop/R'n'R/R'n'B/ Soul etc. I hope it enriches your life as much as it has mine! Love your reactions, Keep 'em up!!

[@m0oshie8558]

I have been in love with this dude in forever!! You should see him in a return to this song and kinda has a special way of a retreating shuffle across the stage. Even love his older self!! Man is gold!!💯💖

[@bryanstoudenmire]

One of my favorites

[@randegelo3506]

Great reaction! This was released on VeeJay records but is still available on other labels. If you like these songs, others you might like are "A Little Bit of Soap" by the Jarmels and "Sorry" by the Impalas.

[@lynnieiapichino1121]

☮️💙💙💙my Mom played this on a 45!

[@FrançoisGuèdenet]

I was 12 years old in 1962 when this came out. It was my first taste of falsetto. I've been hooked ever since.

[@tilemonkee5510]

All time classic! ❤

[@KiphartAZ]

Oh, thank you, Britt! ❤ I haven't heard this song in decades. I used to hear this on my dad's 8-track tapes growing up in the 1970's. I never knew the artist's name. Now it's on my playlist. Thanks again. Be blessed. 😊

[@kenneth2875]

One lensed glasses are called a monocle

[@garyf45garyf45]

No doubt about it, we had the greatest music in the 50’s-60’s.

[@rigs6874]

Amazing to see TV in 50s .. my favorite was Cab Calloway.. NEVER FORGET HIM.. A NEW YORK CLUB

[@donaldhynson4538]

One of my most favorite songs

[@leannmiller7153]

We had the single 45rpm. It was released in November, 1961 and was a #1 hit for 3 weeks in January and February, 1962. It sold a million copies in just over a month. Both Gene Chandler and the song are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

[@garyseven5791]

As a kid when this came out we all loved this song. Love your channel; may your path always rise up to greet you!

[@grandillusion4258]

Everyone I know has this Gene Chandler classic on their playlist. The only other song I recall that went onto the charts was in 1970, called Groovy Situation. That too is on many playlists.

[@fricky11111]

That eyepiece is a Monocle.....Trivia...if while driving down the road....if a white line matches each "DUKE.....you are going 55 if you see 3 lines match the DUKE...try it

[@paulr.3220]

Oh ya Britt. You go young lady. You clearly feel the music of my early years. Love your reactions.

[@dopeymark]

Over the top awesomeness. The song was in heavy rotation in my household when I was a kid.

[@alsprettycreations8005]

Very perceptive Britt, I've seen this video many times before and I never really noticed that he was sporting a monocle (that's what it's called) on his eye. Monocles always remind me of that Pringles potato chip dude. Great reaction.

[@827dusty]

One of the all-time classic "Doo-wop" songs from the early days of Rock and Roll. Great stuff, and a real part of music history. Thanks

[@brittreacts]

Thanks for listening

[@mikthemik69]

This era of music is all I heard in the car my entire childhood and I'm do glad I did

[@iowafinn2602]

We used to sing along with this at the school dances. I don't remember anyone dancing to it, just singing. It was number 1 on Billboard for 3 weeks.

[@jasonjayrulezgonzalez8485]

Great song it was one of my grandpas favorites. ❤🙏🪦

[@donalgoan5083]

Britt when gene goes into the chorus and the bass singer starts it drives me into orbit! What a singer! Gene started and is considered one of the great voices from Chicago.

[@scottgraham1153]

I enjoy your videos. When I get home from work, I always have a couple entertaining videos to watch while I make dinner.

[@brittreacts]

That is awesome!

[@AngelasJoys]

I had 400 records from those days. Nothing like doowop. Yes, we had doowop concerts in Brooklyn, NY. The Allen Freed concerts. I saw him sing Duke of Earl. We loved his costume. I believe he wore a white tux sometimes. The Dukes in the UK were pretty formal in those days. Great song. All of the music in the late 50s and early 60s was amazing....and we had Elvis too.

[@jamesmcdaniel9601]

Its long overdue for The Duke of Earl to be a hit again. This is just one awesome song.

[@smalpmal]

If you want to hear more songs like this there is a group called Sha Na Na. They formed in the sixties and did covers from the Do Wap era and were in the original movie Grease. Jon Bowman the BASS of the group still performs (as far as I know). And came every year to Hersheypark for over 25 years until COVID. He had some great stories from singing in the 60s & 70s. You should check them out!

[@raymoles]

Gene Chandler recorded on the Constellation Label out of Chicago.

[@michaelcobb1341]

This was one of the songs New Edition remade on their "Under the Blue Moon" album which was all the classic songs of that era.

[@beverlyadams7667]

Thank you SO much for this reaction! You are so fun to watch with your reactions. There is a lot more of this wonderful music from this era. Keep digging! ❤😊

[@tblock64]

If we are going back to the 50's I have a few requests. LaVerne Baker "I cried a tear" or The Clovers "Devil or Angel"

[@Eyes-of-Horus]

This was still doo wop. It always reminds me of the time I was in the Navy. There was a young Black Bo'swain Mate named James Brown. He was from Pittsburgh, not far from where I grew up. He loved the song. He'd do a dance around the compartment every time it would play over the speakers. He was a pretty good guy. Very likeable.

[@lalaki39]

Gene Chandler (born Eugene Drake Dixon; July 6, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer, and record-label executive. Chandler is nicknamed "the Duke of Earl" or, simply, "the Duke."........ Still alive, 86 years young

[@moonrayz4]

This is the style called doo-wop (R&B vocal group musics of the era that was in its heyday from 1949-1963 before Motown.. There were many excellent groups in the style and they also had stage dance choreography that long predated Motown. The Motown sound is different and was no longer using doo-wop chord progressions but adopted the stage shows and appearance of doowop. Check out other great doo-wop groups: The Flamingos, The Moonglows, The Nutmegs, the Heartbeats, The Orioles, The Five Stains, The Five Keys....there were probably 10,000 groups as they originated on city street corners.

[@GregoryJacksonPhD]

Great song and great commentary!

[@thatguyinthechat66]

You definitely should have a listen to The Marcels, either do "I Wanna Be The Leader" "Heartaches" or "Blue Moon". The guy who sings the bass is insane! 50/60's doo wop band

[@victormolina3601]

Saw him at a Lowrider Oldies concert. Back in like 1988! Sacramento CA! He came out exactly the same, as in this video. It was awesome! Only Mexican and my black brothers out there. And weed!! Everywhere 🤣

[@mdm54]

loved this song when i first heard it

[@kennethroe5376]

This is Doo Wop music. It started on street corners where 4 or 5 people would get together and sing harmony. Love this type of music

[@jeffperdue2804]

It has that 50s Doo Woop sound but it's 1962. Chandler was part of the Chicago soul scene. Which got overshadowed by MoTown, by the mid 60s. My Dukedum" is my favorite made-up word. That tells of you their knowledge of Dukes and how they would dress

[@nickdawson4913]

Follow this down the rabbit hole of beach music the drifters,embers,chairman of the board oldies/beach music can’t go wrong

[@jenniferyorgan4215]

You should hear Tim Foust's cover of this song from his doo wop album Pieces of Me. Tim Foust is the bass singer from Home Free

[@Choo_Bacca]

have a listen to 'there was a time' or 'there goes the lover', or 'after the laughter', great tunes.

[@marcussmith6805]

This song is always in my rotation. Also, check out Little Anthony and The Imperials, "Goin' Out of My Head."

[@mdm54]

love this good song Iam singing with him

[@KarlaElaine100]

I remember my mom playing this song in the 60’s.

[@jhaedtler]

When I was a kid the radio station had a give away if you could figure out how many times the name Duke was used in this song! Chicago South side boy!

[@thomastimlin1724]

There are many "ingredients" of those who came before that infulenced Motown. But the harmony singing from Doo Wop groups of the 1950's, and early 1960's [like Gene chandler and his backup singers here - The Drfiters, Fankie Lymon and the Teenagers ect] ] who were influenced by 1930's and 1940's African American singing groups like the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers and others can be traced back from Motown. Motown started around 1958, and really took about 5 years to establish itself as a powerhouse of good singers, solo and groups, well polished and choreagraphed like the Temptations, the Four Tops, The Supremes and others.

[@nancymunroe3672]

This was the first 45 rpm record I bought with my own money!!! I was 13 years old!!!

[@jackh1672]

Ad Libs- Boy from New York City! Same time frame and just as cool.

[@jamielandis4308]

Right up there with “Surfin’ Bird,” and “Woolley Boolley.”

[@sylon7717]

I met him! Got to hang with him for a while. Great guy!

[@davids.reynolds4883]

Loved this one as a kid. Yep. the "duke" simply came from the group riffing "du-du-du-dudu" over and over till someone said, "how about duke?" The rest is history!

[@WyMustIGo]

BTW, you nailed the "Boom ba ba boom..." vocal riff :)

[@danielleonforte540]

Doo Wop at it's very best😊

[@Lfg117]

Top-10 all-time 1-hit wonder. 1962 #1 Song. #1 Doo-wop-era 1-hit wonder. Doo-wop was bridge to the start of MoTown.

[@collinpeters7584]

Still awaiting the platters reactions. That group is the bomb.

[@ericfaulkner7751]

I hope you react to some song from The Drifters, they also sang this kind of music and were really good at it. It is fun to see you reacting to these older Do-wop songs.

[@dennisflury6942]

Radio stations fav trivia question in the 60's?? How many times do they say "the Duke of Earl?? From my sixties memory I wanna say it was 102 times? Not sure? This was 1961, this was the music between the day the music died (Buddy Holly) and right before the Beatles and the British invasion!

[@lisazaccardimeunier8378]

New Edition covered this in the 80’s!

[@robertday1671]

Really great doo wop song of that time!

[@williamcwoodjr8075]

First 45 i ever bought, for my girl, of course!

[@roybiggs7239]

Motown started in January 1959 before Gene Chandler recorded this song.

[@mrgee4592]

This used to be on AM radio 3 times an hour in it's heyday

[@derrickmiddleton6134]

It was not beginning of Motown, but the close of the popcorn area

[@blwestern]

This is toward the end of doo-whop. Just a couple of years after this song, 4 lads from Liverpool England will turn the music world on its head and into a new direction.

[@mervinmerencio6861]

Great reaction

[@sharonelliott2366]

This song was recorded in 1962, and Motown was established in 1959. Kind of a chicken and egg thing but I'd say that Motown inspired this song rather than the other way around. Personal story, it was one. of my favorite songs and when my daughter was 3 years old we lived near a street called Earl in Seattle, and every time we passed the corner I'd start singing this song so she'd know we were almost home! Also, the thing he takes of his eye is called a "monocle". It's not a magnifier, but a corrective lense like the more common "glasses" that most folks wear these days.

[@alainelowell1997]

That was a big hit!

[@mdm54]

as you have said and reacted too the 62 had great music

[@bobsylvester88]

Duke of Earl means he is the big man on his home turf of Earl street. Being a Duke is pretty high up. Under the king are his Dukes. A Dukedom (real word) would be a large section of the kingdom the Duke controlled.

[@MeIn321]

Now try the Platter's Smoke Gets in your Eyes, and the Drifter's There Goes my Baby.

[@sandralorenz1796]

Welcome to the music of my teenage years. This was 1962.

[@johnpolis5211]

Classic doo-wop but on the latter end of the doo-wop spectrum.

[@BobSmith-lb9nc]

Brilliant.