The Very Best of Jewel Akens

Much like Sam Cooke's material for RCA, The Very Best of Jewel Akens presents a singer reining in the flourishes of soul for the more measured approach of early-'60s pop -- a combination that paid off successfully for Jewel Akens with his one major hit in 1964, "The Birds and the Bees," which made it to number three on the Billboard pop charts. Unlike Cooke, however, Akens relied upon others to write his material and many of the songs and productions here are fairly innocuous, which is a shame because "Tic Tac Toe," co-written by Akens, has the same haunting quality of Cooke's best work. And while the other material here doesn't stand out with the same clarity, Akens is still a commanding vocalist who brings a polished grace to his work, infusing it with song-stylist subtlety rather than church-house flash. ~ Wade Kergan

One-hit wonder Jewel Akens struck gold with "The Birds and the Bees," a Top Three pop hit in 1965. A sound-alike sequel, "Georgie Porgie," fared poorly, thus ending Akens brief chart career. Akens brand of good-time novelty R&B, like that of Joe Jones or Ernie K-Doe, was already passe in 1965, so its no surprise that record buyers didnt respond to throwbacks like "Its the Only Way to Fly," which sounds, like many of his recordings, like something from 1961 or 1962. The Birds and the Bees: The Best of Jewel Akens rounds up his complete Era recordings, including his two hits and a previously unreleased alternate take of "Sniff-Sniff-Poo-Pah-Pahdoo." The songs vary wildly, from a cover of Roger Millers country classic "King of the Road" to an English-language version of Kyu Sakamotos "Sukiyaki." Akens also covers "Love Potion No. 9," the easy listening hit "Dear Heart," and folk favorite "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" in addition to the assorted copycats and novelties that followed in the wake of "The Birds and the Bees." "The Vegetable Love Song" is the silliest of the bunch, but its still fun and fairly funny. Despite the 1965 recording dates, Akens music belonged in the early 60s and will find an appreciative audience among those who enjoy the teen music of that era. ~ Greg Adams