The Four Coins - Shangri-La: The Singles & Albums Collection 1954-62 (2023)

The Four Coins were one of the many vocal groups to emerge onto the pop scene in the wake of the classic early doowop groups like the Ink Spots and Mills Brothers, following in the wake of the successful black doowop groups who came from the gospel scene. The white vocal groups often came from the barbershop tradition, with some coming from the Italian-American community – the Four Coins were slightly different, in that they were of Greek extraction, but shared the Mediterranean musical heritage. This 59-track 2-CD collection comprises A & B sides of their singles on the Epic, MGM and Jubilee labels, along with selected tracks from their albums “The Four Coins”, “Four Coins In Shangri-La” and “Greek Songs”. It features all their eight career hits including the No. 11 “Shangri-La”, and the Top 30 entries “I Love You Madly”, “Memories Of You”, “My One Sin” and “The World Outside”. They were a vocal group of the old school, rooted in the early ‘50s style, but they managed to keep their chart career going into the rock ‘n’ roll era to take advantage of the burgeoning album market. This selection of their work, including a significant proportion of their singles during these years, admirably showcases their easy-on-the-ear approach and immaculate harmonies.