The Four Coins

Hailing from Canonsburg, PA, the doo wop quartet Four Coins scored a few moderate-sized hits during the mid- to late '50s. Their biggest hit was 1957's "Shangri La" (which barely missed the Top Ten, hitting number 11 on the charts) while such other songs as "My One Sin," "One Love, One Heart," and "Heartache Street" proved to be standouts from their repertoire. But "Shangri La" remains their best-known song, as it has been covered by several other artists over the years, including composer Robert Maxwell as a Top 40 instrumental hit in 1964, Vic Dana scored a Top 40 hit with it in 1964, and lesser-known versions by the Lettermen and Al Capps appeared in 1969 and 1973 respectively. Jackie Gleason later used his melody of "Shangri La" for the theme of his Reginald Van Gleason III character on his hit TV series in the early '60s. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide