Personnel :
Otis Carter
Harvey Hall
David McPhatter
Richard Fisher
Ernest Smith
Discography:
Biography :
This Vocal group from Cleveland was known locally as The Fabulous Flames. The group included J. C. Tatum, Otis Carter, David McFadden, Ernest Smith, and Harvey Hall. The group started while some of the members were students at East Technical High School. The group performed at local clubs, and in Detroit. Their first single "Wop Ding A Ling" (also Known as "Wab Ding A Ling") plus the flip "Baby, I Need You So" was issued on the Shad predecessor Junior label (Junior 5000) on 29 October 1958. Bobby Shad renamed The Fabulous Flames by The Big Five. Their second single "Josephine" b/w "My Joan " released as their original name (The Fabulous Flames) was a local production, done for the short lived Rex label. Bill Jacocks, a local entrepreneur, wrote the songs and helped get the record released. Jacocks later became known as Cleveland's first African-American TV news anchor, along with producting some records in the mid 1970s.
Bobby
Shad
The group was known as the Fabulous Flames, but changed
for The Fabulous Five for their third record for the King label to
prevent confusion with other groups with that name. The song "Janie Made
A Monster" is a classic R&B Halloween record. Richard Fisher
replaced J. C. Tatum. Four sides were recorded at Capitol Studios in New
York on 4 December 1959, "Lonely Lover", "No More Tears", "Blue Eyes"
and "Stardust In Her Eyes". The first two will be released on the Time
(/Shad) Label on April 1960 as The Fabulous Five Flames, and the next
two were released on 10 June 1960 on Shad 5019 as The Big Five. Richard
Fisher was the brother of Jesse Fisher. He wasn't with the group for
long as he left for New York where he ended up joining the Jive Five.
Art Blakey replaced him, not long before the group disbanded. Harvey
Hall - later known as Harvey Nickerson-Hall - went on to lead Harvey and
the Phenomenals. https://www.buckeyebeat.com/
Songs :