ABSTRACT
The practice of reviving songs that have become popular is anything but new. The 1942 Bing Crosby tune “White Christmas” had beer? successfully covered or revived by nine other performers by 1955. Similarly, Ben E. King's 1961 hit “Stand By Me” was rerecorded by six other artists over the next 24 years. Each of these versions reached Billboard's Hot 100. Most covers differ little in lyric, rhythm, and instrumentation from the original recordings. However, there are a few vocal groups that rely almost solely on previous hits to create their repertoires. These a cappella stylists creatively transform golden oldies into fresh, non-instrumented, vibrant sounds. The major names among contemporary a cappella groups are The Darts, The Nylons, and especially The Persuasions.
