Various Artists - Yia Talent Contest Winners
SKU: 53607150964

Various Artists - Yia Talent Contest Winners

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Various Artists - Yia Talent Contest WinnersBig Crown Records is proud to present the reissue of one of Brooklyn's most sought after "holy grail' soul records, YIA Talent Hunt Winners. Youth in Action, Inc. (YIA) was formed in 1963 when the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council received a grant to develop a youth services program in the Bedford Stuyvesant community. It was originally organized to identify and address the social problems that were leading to the high crime rate in Bed Stuy.

Big Crown Records is proud to present the reissue of one of Brooklyn's most sought after "holy grail' soul records, YIA Talent Hunt Winners. Youth in Action, Inc. (YIA) was formed in 1963 when the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council received a grant to develop a youth services program in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. It was originally organized to identify and address the social problems that were leading to the high crime rate in Bed-Stuy.

Recently the Smithsonian Museum of African American History released an archive of footage filmed by a community activist, which shows the real-world effects of the group's efforts: young people engaged in sports, the arts, and other activities to better themselves and their world.

The appearances by Jackie and Bobby Kennedy point to the group's relationship to the Great Society programs of President Lyndon B. Johnson. What there is no mention of in either the NMAAHC's collection of YIA materials nor in the Brooklyn Public Library's also extensive collection is this talent show and the record that came to be because of it. Local vocal groups chose tunes to cover from the era (1964 - 1968) ranging from The Rascals to The Intruders, from The O'Jays to Billy Stewart.

All of these groups were backed by a local act called The Thrillers Band. The winners of the talent contest were then invited into the studio to record their versions which would be pressed up on this record and given away to local radio and TV stations. The hope of the whole thing was that this would help the young groups get discovered by producers and record labels and start their professional music careers.

The intro to the album is Reverend Horace Tyler congratulating the winners and asking them "to just remember, when you reach the top and become our big stars of tomorrow, don't forget YIA'. What this album may lack in fidelity and production it more than makes up for in charm. The engineers at the recording sessions pump in pre recorded applause and screaming to give the it the feel of the day of the contest while the young groups sing their hearts out, clearly giving their all.

From today's perspective, soul music fans will lose it over the choices of covers on this record and the killer, raw, innocent performances of them by these local Brooklyn groups. The Channels 4, Carla & The Carlettes, The United Souls, Sharon Seabrook & The Starlettes, and The Destinations all won that day and got to take place in this record. It makes you wonder, and even pine for the performances of the groups who didn't make the cut, even if just to find out what tunes they covered, or better yet, were their original songs written by some of them for this contest? It is with great pleasure that we make this available to the public again. This is a truly rare record, and an awesome piece of New York History.

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SKU: 53607150964

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RF
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Great quality pillows. Very difficult wrapping.
Color: White, Size: King (Pack of 2)
The Pillows are the real deal. Very fluffy but with good support. I was surprised by the weight of the box they came in, pretty heavy so you know there’s good quality pillows inside. The one negative is that the pillows are packed in very very tight plastic because they come compressed. But the thing is, it’s really a chore to open them. You have to be careful not to cut through the plastic to the material, but the plastic is put on so incredibly tight that it’s even hard to get your finger underneath. But I found a way to open them. Near the top, insert A very flat metal ruler as far in as you could get it. Then cut through the plastic that’s above the metal ruler. That prevents a sharp tool from damaging the pillows. As you get through the plastic above the ruler, keep pushing the ruler further down into the package. Believe me, this simplifies what could be a very difficult unpacking. I am very surprised that the company that makes them does not insert the type of opener that you find on boxes you receive in the mail or even packages that you get from the grocery store where you just pull a tab and that opens the package. These are really good pillows, but you must be very careful about using a sharp object when opening the box and when trying to cut through the plastic. I am a strong man and have the tools needed, a very flat metal ruler, and a box cutter, knife, or razor. Good luck. !!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2026
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Starr Charles
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
These hold up very well
Color: White, Size: Standard (Pack of 2)
I have NO luck with pillows. I’ve been in stores & tried them. They seemed ok there. At home, nope. I’ve been getting headaches & neck aches from lousy pillows. I’ll change one, a few nights relief. It doesn’t help that I’m prone to headaches. After reading about different pillows, I settled on these. The reviews were better than so many different ones I was looking at. Including high priced & brand names. I bought the standard size. When I saw, “Customers Usually Keep This”, I kept my fingers crossed. When I received them, I took one out of the package & put my head on it & thought, oh no! This is too hard! I tried it again. Ok….. I slept on it & haven’t had any pains since. It’s soft but firm enough to keep my head from sinking & messing up my neck. I don’t move. No more flipping my pillow over. My head doesn’t go below my neck anymore! This has been 2 months now, but it hasn’t changed at all. I wake up happy, not complaining. No more pains or headaches. This saved me from losing days with a heating pad or an ice pack. The price was excellent for 2 pillows. I can’t believe a blind buy was the answer! These are incredible. Finally, something worked for me.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026
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Xander King
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Awesome Pillows!
Color: White, Size: King (Pack of 2)
These pillows are super soft! I love them. I bought them when I caught a bad cold and needed to prop myself up. Worked so great! Definitely give these pillows a try. They're very reasonably priced too.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2026
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Trish
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Great pillow set! 😍
Size: King (Pack of 2), Style: Medium, Configuration: Hometextile
These were a great touch for our guestJust snagged these for the guest room. The material feels soft and high-quality, definitely a nice touch. They're really well-made and add a cozy vibe. Super happy with this purchase for sure. ✨ bedroom. They seem to love them. They are soft, material seems nice and well made. I would definitely order again.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2026
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5280High
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
It’s ridiculous…
Size: King (Pack of 2), Style: Medium, Configuration: Hometextile
When I got these pillows I was a little disappointed that they appeared to be a little lumpy. I fluffed and let them rest for a couple of days to see if they’d poof up. Finally figured this was as good as they were going to get. First night sleeping with them…my life has changed! I typically like a lot of pillows. I’m usually a restless sleeper. I fell asleep quickly and slept through the night for the first time since I can remember. No aches and pains as usual. It’s ridiculous that a couple of pillows could have made such a difference in my quality of sleep. Who knew?! I’ll buy these for every bed in the house.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024

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