Sweethearts of the Apollo

AMG Review of Sweethearts of the Apollo

Cub Koda
All Music Guide

This is more or less a straight-up reissue of the group's original Newtown album. Dubbed-on applause and all, it's a nice mix of predominately live performances (recorded in real stereo, no less) taken from both the Apollo and Philadelphia's Uptown theaters. Patti's in fine voice, her prodigious pipes pitched a bit higher but more than capable of scraping the upper registers of heaven on "Down the Aisle," "Danny Boy," and tearjerkers like "My Bridal Gown." While revisionist historians have claimed that their original hit was actually by another group called the Starlets, you'd never know it by the rendition aboard here: it sure sounds like Patti and the gals every note of the way. An interesting historical artifact of an R&B survivor.