The Crests were a popular New York City R&B musical group of the late 1950s… Read Full Bio ↴The Crests were a popular New York City R&B musical group of the late 1950s, often thought to be another all-black teenage-sound band, they were in fact about as integrated as a group could get, with four men (two of them black, one Puerto Rican and one Italian) and one black female. The band was founded by JT Carter and included Talmoudge Gough, Harold Torres, and Patricia Van Dross (older sister of the late Luther Vandross) JT found lead vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (later just Johnny Maestro). The group had several Top 40 hits including "16 Candles", "Step By Step" and "The Angels Listened In". Johnny Maestro later formed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1968 and had a Top 40 hit with "The Worst That Could Happen". JT Carter kept the band together and working steadily through the 1990's. The current version of the Crests contains no original members.

Their most popular song was "Sixteen Candles" which rose to number 2 on the Billboard charts in 1958.

The 1984 John Hughes teen movie Sixteen Candles took its title from The Crests' song, which was rerecorded by The Stray Cats for the Sixteen Candles soundtrack.

It should be noted that Johnny Maestro went on to form the Brooklyn Bridge who had two number one hits including "The Worst That Could Happen" . His voice got better with age but unfortunately Mastroangelo passed away last year of throat cancer at the age of 65.

Journey of Love
The Crests Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Journey, journey of love
Journey

From a teenage crush
To life's greatest thrill
From a crazy dream
To the plans we'll fulfill

From the high school dance
To the church on the hill
I'm gonna take you on
A journey of love

Journey, journey of love
Journey

From our first blind date
To a love bright and new
From a stolen kiss
To a dream that came true

From the study hall
To a Heaven for two
I'm gonna take you on
A journey of love

Journey, journey of love
Journey

So, come with me
And you will see
How happy we will be

From the crowd at the hop
To our being alone
From the Coke that we shared
To our sharing a home

From a couple of kids
To some kids of our own
I'm gonna take you on
A journey of love

Come with me, come with me
I'm gonna take you on
A journey of love

Journey of love

Overall Meaning

The Crests's "Journey of Love" is a nostalgic tribute to the progression of love between two people, told through a series of vignettes documenting their relationship from teenage crush to happy domesticity. The song is full of imagery, beginning with a teenage crush and leading up to love's greatest thrills and the fulfillment of shared plans. The first verse mentions various settings—the high school dance, the church on the hill, the study hall, and a heaven for two—that are significant in the development of the relationship. The second verse highlights the intimacy and tenderness of the lovers' bond, mentioning a stolen kiss, a bright and new love, and the dream that has finally come true. The final verse takes the listeners through the stages of maturation, from the early days of being a couple of kids to becoming a family with kids of their own.

"Journey of Love" captures the feeling of nostalgia with lyrics that are simple and direct, yet powerfully evocative. The song's themes of growing up, falling in love, and starting a family are universal, and the lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been touched by love. The song has a gentle, dreamy sound, with a melody that is catchy and easy to sing along to, making it a classic example of doo-wop music.

Line by Line Meaning

Journey, journey of love
Let's embark on a voyage of love together

From a teenage crush
We began with an infatuation in our teenage years

To life's greatest thrill
Our love has become the most exciting and fulfilling part of our lives

From a crazy dream
Our love started as a wild aspiration

To the plans we'll fulfill
Now we have a future together and goals to achieve

From the high school dance
Our romance began at a high school dance

To the church on the hill
And continued into a sacred union at a place of worship

I'm gonna take you on
Now, let me take you on

From our first blind date
Our love story started on a blind date

To a love bright and new
And developed into a fresh and bright new love

From a stolen kiss
Our love grew through a sly and secretive kiss