One of the finest and most influential rhythm & blues acts of the '50s, began their career as a gospel group called before crossing over to secular music in 1952. The initially recorded for , where they scored hits like "Baby Don't Do It" and "Laundromat Blues," but they enjoyed greater success when they signed with in 1954 and stormed the R&B charts with tunes like "Monkey Hips and Rice," "Think" (later covered by and ), and "Dedicated to the One I Love" (which both took to the upper reaches of the pop charts). While were one of the best harmony acts of their day, the group's secret weapon was , who wrote their original material and played powerful, inventive lead guitar on their sides for . is a five-disc box set that collects the group's entire recorded repertoire, from their first sides as to their final sessions for in 1964. These classic recordings offer a richly detailed portrait of a group whose early singles predated what most people think of as the birth of rock & roll, and retired as R&B was making way for what would be called soul; this is great music from a remarkable time and place, and well worth exploring for fans of vintage R&B and blues. ~ Mark Deming