Like their fellow Texans the Sir Douglas Quintet, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs started as a response to the 1960s British Invasion, but the (eventually) Memphis-via-Dallas band's blend of swamp boogie, Latin rhythms, and gutbucket R&B was so singular that no one could be convinced they were British. From the classic garage-rocking debut single "Woolly Bully" through hit follow-up singles such as the lascivious "Lil Red Riding Hood" and the lubricious "Ring Dang Doo," Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs had a winning streak of raw pop singles that swing just as hard today. 20TH CENTURY MASTERS: THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION collects one dozen of the band's finest efforts in a simple, effective overview of their career.
