For the first time on a single CD are the important recordings of this legendary Latino rocker and follows the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Valens alongside, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper in 1959. Includes the hits, 'Donna', 'Ooh My Head' and the unforgettable, 'La Bamba'. Features all of the recordings made during his brief career along with fully detailed liner notes charting his all to brief rise to fame. This is a must for fans of the early Rock & Roll explosion.

The legendary Ritchie Valens only recorded for 8 months before his tragic death. In those few short months, he left many enduring recordings that remain among the most popular songs of the rock era. This collection of his best include the hits Come On, Lets Go, Donna and the ageless La Bamba.

Combo Vocal Groups, issued by the Ace label, documents some of the doo wop records released by the Combo label. Much of the material included here is receiving legitimate release on CD for the very first time. Boasting remastered sound and loving preservation, it might not be essential listening for those who are getting their feet wet with doo wop, but it obviously provides a necessary service to longtime followers of the fertile, historic genre. The Native Boys ("Tears"), Jesse Blevin ("One Little Blessing"), Carl Ell & His Buddies ("Sunshine"), the Squires ("Let's Give Love a Try"), Gene Moore & the Chimes ("Reap What You Sow"), and Combo head Jake Porter with his partners the Laurels ("Fine Fine Baby") are featured. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

Rhino is proud to announce its acquisition of the Del-Fi catalog and the release of an essential collection from the legendary artist, Ritchie Valens. L.A. native Ritchie Valens' pioneering blend of rock 'n' roll and Latin music made him the first Hispanic rock star. Valens tragically met his end at age 17 when - along with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper- he went down in a plane crash in 1959, the same year his self-titled Del-Fi debut album scored #23 on Billboard's Pop chart. His brief success was remarkable: his first singel, 1958's "Come On Let's Go," landed at #42, his second, "Donna," hit #2, and his thrird, one of the most recognizable hits in the world and the artist's signature song, "La Bamba" wen to #22. Hear them all, plus rarities and more, on this essential collection.

With only two brief albums and some demos and rehearsal tapes to draw from, the legacy of the late Ritchie Valens rests on an extremely small canon. Bob Keene managed to release two fairly decent Valens LPs on Keene's Del-Fi label, but this third LP, In Concert at Pacoima Jr. High, was literally the bottom of a very shallow barrel material-wise, consisting of six songs drawn from a poorly recorded junior high assembly concert at Pacoima Junior High in Los Angeles (including ragged versions of Valens' hits "Come On, Let's Go," "Donna," and "La Bamba"), and five studio fragments that were little more than song sketches. Mixed in are bits of totally unnecessary commentary by Keene himself, making the whole thing sound more like a radio documentary than a coherent artistic statement, and in essence, this set may be rock & roll's first official bootleg album. As such, it has some historical and archival importance, but it doesn't add up to a very good set, and in the end just illustrates the one inescapable fact about Ritchie Valens: he died too young. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide