Mugzy's Move

Royal Crown Revue were between releases when the short-lived swing revival turned relative newcomers Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy into household names. Originally released in the preresurgence year 1996, this collection finds Eddie Nichols's charismatic crooning and his band's revved-up revivalism in fine form. RCR favorites like "Hey Pachuco!" and "Zip-Gun Bop," which were both featured on the band's 1992 indie debut, are given the widescreen treatment here by Van Halen producer Ted Templeman. Other highlights include a cover of "Beyond the Sea" and "Barflies at the Beach," a wild remake of Louis Prima's "Sing Sing Sing" where Nichols sings the virtues of Flipper-laden tuna and other natural wonders. (Note: "Barflies" was added for this 1998 reissue.) As fate would have it, the band that launched the whole swing resurgence never really profited from its success. But as Nichols's heroes would say, that's show biz.