Published On Jul 16, 2024
On September 14, 1989, a dozen pioneering rhythm & blues, rock'n'roll, and doo wop artists and a group of their friends, and fans were socializing at Pete's Dream, a club and bar in Walpole, Massachusetts. Initially, several began singing along with their records which were playing on a jukebox. Gradually, most of the artists worked their way up to the small club stage to sing some impromptu acapella. In this footage, Willie Winfield, Raoul J. Cita, and Linda Champion of the Harptones are joined by their longtime friend, Eugene Pitt of the Jive Five, to sing two of the Harptones’ favorites, “I’ll Never Tell” (1953) and “Life Is But A Dream” (1955). Wait for the very end of the clip to see Gene’s response to Willie confessing he had chosen a key that was too high for the latter song! Unfortunately, the lighting was less than ideal, and the hand-held video cameras of the 1980s had a lower contrast range.