The Casinos

The Casinos were an anomaly when they reached the Top Ten in early 1967 with "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," a slow-dance smoocher with a swelling organ that was a throwback to the sound of the early '60s. So were the group themselves, both in their doo wop-flavored close-harmony sound and their well-groomed, conservative appearance. The music wasn't bad, though, with a romantic white soul groove that would fit well with the Southeastern beach music scene, although the Casinos were actually from Cincinnati. They recorded a bunch of other singles for Fraternity in the '60s, some in a similar group harmony mold, others in a more updated, upbeat soul-pop vein, but never approached the success of "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" again. ~ Richie Unterberger