The Archies – The Definitive Archies: Greatest Hits & More! LP Real Gone Music

The first vinyl compilation in 30 years from everybody’s favorite back-of-the-cereal-box band! And, unlike recent (and decidedly unauthorized) reissues of The Archies’ albums, this release is not a disc dub! Brainchild of Don Kirshner, the man behind The Monkees, The Archies, for all of their “manufactured” image, were actually the result of a remarkable collection of talent. Holding down production duties was Jeff Barry, whose songwriting collaborations with then-wife Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector had yielded such classics as “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Be My Baby,” and whose previous production credits included The Shangri-Las (“Leader of the Pack”) and The Monkees. Aiding Barry on the songwriting side was Barry discovery Andy Kim (“Rock Me Gently”), with whom Barry penned The Archies’ biggest hit, “Sugar, Sugar.” And at the mic was the great Ron Dante, whose first chart hit, ironically, was The Detergents’ “Leader of the Laundromat,” which was a parody version of “Leader of the Pack!” With such a surehanded production and songwriting team in tow, The Archies rattled off seven chart hits in quick succession, and you’ll find six of ‘em (featuring their other Top Ten hit, “Jingle Jangle”) here, in a 14-track compilation pressed in opaque blue vinyl limited to 1000 copies! Extensive sleeve notes by Ed Osborne accompany. While The Archies practically define the term “bubblegum,” this stuff rocks a lot harder than you might think…power pop fans, dismiss at your own peril!