The Clovers - Your Cash Ain't Nothing But Trash: Their Greatest Hits 1951-55 (1951/2006/2020)

Starting out as a straight vocal harmony group along the lines of the Orioles and the Ravens, the Clovers gradually made the shift to a harder R&B sound after they signed with Atlantic Records in 1951, hitting right out of the gate with the saxophone-fed "Don't You Know I Love You" followed by 1952's "One Mint Julip" and "Ting-A-Ling," and 1953's "Good Lovin'." 1954's "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" wasn't a big hit but it had that wonderful rock & roll attitude while 1957's "Down in the Alley" set the meter high on raunchy and direct, making the Clovers essentially a doo wop group with real balls. This fine compilation collects the group's best tracks for Atlantic between 1951 and 1955, and the gist of the Clovers' legacy is here, although a few hits like the later "Love Potion # 9" are missing.