The Blackwells

Love Or Money The Blackwells

THE BLACKWELLS were a gifted harmony trio, comprising two brothers, Dewayne and Ronald, and a sister, Glenda.

Although their commercial success was limited, their records are nowadays fiercely rare collectors' items.

A couple of their 45s remain staple favourite radio oldies, notably their inspired arrangement of the perennial 'Unchained Melody', while their UK chart entry 'Love Or Money' has attracted a number of handsome revivals over the years, notably Billy Fury's 1982 hit version.

Bizarrely, their Phil Spector-produced 'You Took Advantage Of Me' turned up on the soundtrack of the Mahershala Ali/ Viggo Mortensen movie Green Book in 2018; the soundtrack "album" passed one million streams worldwide, yielding The Blackwells a "million-seller", fifty-odd years after they'd broken up!

This compilation anthologises their singles between 1959-62, plus a handful of unissued sides; it also includes a bonus track in the shape of The Fleetwoods' million-selling 'Mr Blue', a song penned by the eldest Blackwell, Dewayne.