“Lover's Island” by The Blue Jays

Doo Wop is often synonymous with the 1950’s and New York City street corners, where urban youth harmonized with little to no instrumentation. But this genre of rhythm and blues music wasn’t just a product of the gritty eastern cities of Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia. Cloud deprived Los Angeles was also home to some of the finest groups like The Platters, The Penguins, and The Meadowlarks. Each of these artists benefited from their proximity to black entrepreneurs such as Dootsie Williams and John Dolphin. Through their independent record labels, word of mouth marketing, and radio support, these groups found national recognition.
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One group formed in the nearby Venice suburbs was The Blue Jays. Just like the passerine bird they were named after, their sound fit well with overcast skies and northern cities, and their debut single “Lover's Island” oozed with youthful adoration that any catcaller would stop to admire. ​