The “Golden Hits Of The 60s”
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LITILE CAESAR & THE ROMANS
“THOSE OLDIES BUT GOODIES
(REMIND ME OF YOU)”
(Paul Politti, Nick Curinga)
Del-Fi 4158
No. 9 June 26, 1961
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David Caesar Johnson (b. June 16, 1934, Chicago, Il) began singing in church at a young age. After high
school, “Little Caesar” joined the Air Force. While doing his time in Alaska, he formed the Northern
Crusaders, a gospel group. Back in civilian life, Caesar sang with the Ivory-Tones.
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In 1958, Caesar moved to Los Angeles and recorded with the Cubans–Early Harris, Johnny O’Simmons,
Leroy Sanders, and a fellow remembered now only as Curtis. (Peculiar, not one of these fellows was
Cuban.) Johnson’s next group, the Upfronts, featured Johnson, Harris, Sanders, and Bobby Relf–later
claiming fame as half of Bob & Earl, creators of the original “Harlem Shuffle.” The Upfronts cut two singles
for Lummtone Records–“It Took Time” and “Too Late to Turn Around”– but neither one made any serious
moves into the charts.
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Caesar soon met a young tunesmith named Paul Politti, who had a tune in hand called “Those Oldies But
Goodies.” Bob Keene at Del-Fi/Donna Records wanted Johnson’s group to do the number. Little Caesar &
The Romans–Johnson, Harris, Sanders, ex-Cuban Johnny O’Simmons, and Carl Burnette–labored in the
studio for six weeks. “Del-Fi didn’t want the typical black sound,” Johnson explained to Goldmine‘s Rick
Gagnon and Dave Gnerre. “They were looking for a white sound to reach the crossover audience.”
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“Oldies But Goodies” clicked, and is now considered an early rock classic; though totally unknown to
Millennials, a large pocket of those that preceeded. Little Caesar & The Romans toured with Jackie Wilson,
Gary U.S. Bonds, and the Vibrations. “Here were five black dudes all dressed up in toga and sandals,
wearing wreaths on their heads,” Caesar told Goldmine. “It was a good gimmick, but we hated it at the time.
Not only did we hate the togas, we hated the song, too!”
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Weeks later, they were back in the studio to cut an answer to the Olympics’ “(Baby) Hully Gully” called
“Hully Gully Again” (#54, 1961). This would be their last charting. Their third disk, “Memories of Those
Oldies but Goodies,” looked like it was going to take off, but Johnson claims that the group and Keene were
involved in a “financial dispute,” and that Keene failed to adequately promote the record. Before Little
Caesar et al disbanded, Del-Fi issued two more singles (“Ten Commandments of Love” and “Yoyo Yo Yoyo”)
and an LP entitled Memories of Those Oldies but Goodies ( 1962).
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