1961 - I've Had You / Drafted, Volunteered, Enlisted (Dootoo 463)
1962 - Too Far To Turn Around / Hello There, Mister Gravedigger (Dore 635)
The Dootones (2)
Singles :
1962 - Strange Love Affair / The Day You Said Goodbye (Dooto 470)
1962 - Sailor Boy / Down The Road (The Dootones 1) (Dooto 471)
Unreleased :
1962 - If You Were My Darling (Dooto)
Biography :
Formed in the Compton area of Los Angeles in 1960, The Creators
rehearsed one of Perry's love ballads, "I've had you" and sent a tape of
it to Dootsie Williams. Williams called the guys and had them come down
to sessions man Austin McCoy's studio at 135th and Avalon. The Group
cut "I've Had You" b/w "Drafted, Volunteered, Enlisted".
Dootsie Williams
The record sold pretty well around L.A and the Creators played the
Pacific Ballroom in San Diego, The Moulin Rouge and Palladium on Sunset
Boulevard, The Long Beach Arena, and The El Monte Legion Stadium where
masquerading as The Penguins we backed Cleve Duncan. In September 1962, a
neighbourhood entrepreneur named Danny Merlin operating from his home
on Western Avenue, Los Angeles, introduced the quintet to Bedell who
signed them on the strength of 'Too Far To Turn Around'.
Top Lt to Rt . Gentry Bradley , Thomas Harris Bottom Lt. To Rt. Donald Neal, Charles Perry, Gerald Middlelton
This featured Charles Perry and Hillary Conedy (who replace Donald
Neal) handling the lead and falsetto parts respectively, supported by
Gentry Bradley, Tom Harris and Gerald Middleton - all five being named
on the contract. After the single failed to chart, Charles Perry then
broke away to record a solo single for the obscure Melic label owned by
songwriter Jessie Mae Robinson.
Following their reformation with some replacement, Gentry Bradley,
Gerald Middleton and Hillary Conedy along with Royal Dillard sang with
Dootsie Williams' new group The L.A. Ebbs. Williams renamed them the Dootones, and seven years after the first group, put two more singles.
