GINO WASHINGTON
Out Of This World (Norton)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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This month's discovery in the long lost wild man of soul series is one Gino Washington. Motown wasn't Detroit's only game in the early sixties as smaller labels like Lu Pine, Chex and Fortune enjoyed chart action. Gino hit paydirt with "Out of This World" on the tiny Amon label. It was a crazed barn-burner of a song that included a fancy guitar solo, honking sax, delicious harmonies from a couple of ladies who would be Tony Orlando's Dawn, and most importantly, the wild Animal House vocals and antics of Gino himself. That musta been a sight: Gino flayling on stage in a wild gymnastics routine while his all-white Atlantics ripped it up behind. And just as fast as fame came, it went. Gino was drafted and spent three crucial years ('64-'67) overseas, returning to resume a fairly successful, but more low key career. Gino, the man who split his gold laced suit on live television, really only existed for that all too brief a time in the annals of rock 'n' roll. This here collection gathers all the early singles in a superb half hour time warp to the days when Gino was the man.

© 1999 - John Sekerka