The “Golden Hits Of The 60s”
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SENSATIONS
“LET ME IN”
(Yvonne Baker)
Argo 5405
No. 4 March 17, 1962
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The Sensations formed as the Cavaliers in Philadelphia in 1954. Lead singer Yvonne Mills and bass
Alphonso Howell were half of the initial group. Before success was to be so kind as to let them in,
nearly a decade would have to pass. Meanwhile, only months into the group’s career, Atco Records
sized up the appeal of the Cavaliers’ female-lead doo-wop approach, and signed them to a multi-disk
contract. Executives at the label considered the three guys and the coy-voiced gal something of a
sensation, and changed the unit’s name accordingly. Of the Sensations’ many releases, “Yes Sir,
That’s My Baby” and “Please Mr. Disk Jockey” nearly caught a national audience. But after three
years of Atco releases, Yvonne Mills settled down to being Mrs. Yvonne Baker, housewife and
mother, and the Sensations disbanded.
Doo-wop started making an amazing resurgence in 1961; ethereal harmonies were popping up
everywhere. Pointing to the success of groups like the EDSELS, the STEREOS, and the Marcels,
Alphonso Howell urged Yvonne to join him in re-forming the Sensations. She acquiesced, and
Alphonso picked Kae Williams, a local DJ, to manage and record the new group. Filling out the
ranks were baritone Sam Armstrong, a one-time voice with THE RAYS, and tenor Richard Curtain,
an original member of the Hide-a ways.
The Sensations’ initial effort was the up-tempo “Music,Music, Music” (#54, 1961). With “Let Me In”
and its contagious, nonsensical hook–“We-oop, we-oop, ooo-we-oop-we-ooo”–the group struck
gold. “That’s My Desire,” credited to Yvonne Baker & The Sensations, charted (#69, 1962), but later
releases did not. The group’s moment of glory had come and gone (although Bonnie Raitt did
include a remake of “Let Me In” on her 1973 album Takin’ My Time).