With a straight-forward cover of the classic Jewish celebration song, the A-side of this single bops along through a bass and piano arrangement, while the vocals come together without overpowering the underlying instrumentation. The B-side foregoes the vocals without adding any other instruments, and gives the Italian-sourced music a bit of a rock treatment. Something of an odd pair, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Pulling two songs from his first couple of years as a solo act, this single opens with Gene Chandler’s biggest hit, “Duke of Earl”, a multi-vocal doo-wop piece with Chandler occasionally slipping into falsetto while crooning his declarations of love. “Check Yourself”, the B-side, slows to more of a traditional ballad form before shifting into a Latin-flavored bop, with hand-drums popping between the back-and-forth of lead and backing vocals. Lively and stylish on both tracks, and quick enough to get its hooks in all the more firmly.
Scrambled Brains 