GENE AND EUNICE

Gene Wilson (also known as Gene Forrest) and wife Eunice Levy, together formed the duo of Gene and Eunice. Together, they recorded more than fifteen original records. They hit the Billboard pop charts with Poco Loco in 1959, and appeared on the R+B charts two different times with "Ko Ko Mo" and "This Is My Story." Beginning on Combo records of Los Angeles, they quickly moved to Aladdin, then to the Case label with four release. Then, a stop on king for a pair of recordings, , and another waxing for the small Lily label. One LP was released on Score, that included their recordings along with Shirley And Lee, Marvin And Johnny, and others. Bom Bom Lulu and several others were additionally issued on Jamaica's Blank label, and did well. Many records also were released in the UK on the Vogue label. The duo sold a bunch of records in their career, and were very successful on the road performing their music, right into the 1990's. I also show several of the solo records from Gene Forrest. He had a career of his own before teaming up with Eunice Levy, and made some great recordings. Eunice passed away in 2002, and Gene died in 2003. They leave a great legacy of fine music for us all to enjoy.

West Coast-based duo Gene & Eunice were the first to hit with "Kokomo," recorded for the Combo label in late 1954. However, as luck would have it, it wasn't long before RCA's Perry Como had his own version out and Snooky Lanson was soon seen performing the song on TV's Your Hit Parade, effectively erasing the public's short-term memory of the original hit version.

The twosome re-recorded the song for Aladdin, then scored again with the ballad "This Is My Story." By now, Gene & Eunice were a huge draw on the personal appearance circuit, but their subsequent singles failed to chart. It wasn't until 1959 that they would find success with "Poco Loco," recorded for the small independent Case label.

Seeing Eunice Levy, of Gene & Eunice, perform this year at the Southern California Doo Wop Society reminded me how under-reissued their magnificent R&B duets had been. Then along comes this first-ever CD package. Gene & Eunice were the epitome of cultured harmony duets and listening anew reinforces that assessment. Eunice told me "The key to our harmony was that the two of us...the harmonies were there together".

The pair met in 1954 in Los Angeles, Eunice arriving to make her way in music impressed by memories of Ann Walls playing with Ernie Fields' Orchestra in Phoenix. Recalls Eunice "When I saw her complete control of the band, for a few minutes she was the queen. They had to do everything she said, it seemed good." Eunice teamed up with Gene "a struggling young man trying to make it entertainment-wise...and make big money the fastest way he knew". They became extremely popular and made appearances in such diverse arenas as the Apollo Theatre and Dick Clark's TV show. As Eunice put it, "You'd hear Ko Ko Mo being played all over the place. We had to be protected, they pulled off Gene's collar and tie, and someone had his coat-.-that's when the police stepped in." Similarly down South "You never saw such a foot stompin,' dust-kickin' crowd!"

Their success came from their joint creativity as performers and writers. Eunice says "Gene would sit down and start tinkling with the keys on the piano. He could start things but didn't know how to bring it to a tidy ending." That was Eunice's role, although sometimes hers was the initial idea. Their winning song, Ko Ko Mo, was made for Jake Porter's Combo label initially (and the original version is featured here), and then re-cut for Aladdin. "When we heard it on the radio for the first time, it wasn't us, it was the Dooley Sisters' cover!" The beautiful R&B hit This Is My Story came in response to Aladdin boss Eddie Mesner's request "Can you write me a love song?", while their 1959 pop hit Poco-Loco was aimed heavily at the Mexican market where "records would sell for a long time".

The 28 tracks here feature Gene & Eunice's biggest records. Also included is a unique and charming Combo demo session (of mainly prototype Aladdin recordings)-.-rare solo recordings from each (with Gene in an early R&B groove and Eunice showing uptempo grit), plus an unissued doo wop from her with the Four Feathers. Key West Coast session men in attendance include Maxwell Davis, Jake Porter, Plas Johnson, Rene Hall and Earl Palmer. Stuart Colman's well-researched notes (based on fresh interviews with both Gene and Eunice) give renewed insights into what made the duo stars and provide much new information where there was little before. This CD production by John Broven is long overdue but well worth the wait.

Seeing Eunice Levy, of Gene & Eunice, perform this year at the Southern California Doo Wop Society reminded me how under-reissued their magnificent R&B duets had been. Then along comes this first-ever CD package. Gene & Eunice were the epitome of cultured harmony duets and listening anew reinforces that assessment. Eunice told me "The key to our harmony was that the two of us...the harmonies were there together".

The pair met in 1954 in Los Angeles, Eunice arriving to make her way in music impressed by memories of Ann Walls playing with Ernie Fields' Orchestra in Phoenix. Recalls Eunice "When I saw her complete control of the band, for a few minutes she was the queen. They had to do everything she said, it seemed good." Eunice teamed up with Gene "a struggling young man trying to make it entertainment-wise...and make big money the fastest way he knew". They became extremely popular and made appearances in such diverse arenas as the Apollo Theatre and Dick Clark's TV show. As Eunice put it, "You'd hear Ko Ko Mo being played all over the place. We had to be protected, they pulled off Gene's collar and tie, and someone had his coat-.-that's when the police stepped in." Similarly down South "You never saw such a foot stompin,' dust-kickin' crowd!"

Their success came from their joint creativity as performers and writers. Eunice says "Gene would sit down and start tinkling with the keys on the piano. He could start things but didn't know how to bring it to a tidy ending." That was Eunice's role, although sometimes hers was the initial idea. Their winning song, Ko Ko Mo, was made for Jake Porter's Combo label initially (and the original version is featured here), and then re-cut for Aladdin. "When we heard it on the radio for the first time, it wasn't us, it was the Dooley Sisters' cover!" The beautiful R&B hit This Is My Story came in response to Aladdin boss Eddie Mesner's request "Can you write me a love song?", while their 1959 pop hit Poco-Loco was aimed heavily at the Mexican market where "records would sell for a long time".

The 28 tracks here feature Gene & Eunice's biggest records. Also included is a unique and charming Combo demo session (of mainly prototype Aladdin recordings)-.-rare solo recordings from each (with Gene in an early R&B groove and Eunice showing uptempo grit), plus an unissued doo wop from her with the Four Feathers. Key West Coast session men in attendance include Maxwell Davis, Jake Porter, Plas Johnson, Rene Hall and Earl Palmer. Stuart Colman's well-researched notes (based on fresh interviews with both Gene and Eunice) give renewed insights into what made the duo stars and provide much new information where there was little before. This CD production by John Broven is long overdue but well worth the wait.

By Seamus McGarvey

  

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