The career of Gary U.S. Bonds falls into two distinct periods. He cut numerous sound-alike party records in the early 60's, then he came back after a long stretch of obscurity to wax two wonderful, Bruce Springsteen-produced albums that bore little resemblance to those of his early days. Those early 45's, though all cut from the same cloth, are great. "Quarter To Three," "Twist Twist Senora," "School Is Out" and others are bizarrely recorded (muffled, echo-laden, filled with hand claps and shouts) but joyous odes to youth and debauchery.

All the early hits are compiled on Varese's The Very Best Of Gary "U.S." Bonds: The Original Legrand Masters. The two Springsteen records, Dedication and On The Line, were reissued by Razor & Tie but are no longer available. Bonds disappeared back into oblivion soon after his comeback fizzled (commercially, at least).