1959 - The Boy For Me / To A Soldier Boy (Madison 117)
1959 - My Guy And I / To A Young Lover (Madison 121)
Biography :
The
Tassels emerged in northern New Jersey among such groups as the
Shirelles, Joey D. & The Starlighters and the Four Seasons. The
Tassels' patriotic hit To A Solider Boy was written by Mary Glen Gaudet,
mother to John Gaudet and Rochelle Gaudet Alessi, the brother and
sister pair who fronted the group. Both siblings were, ironically, born
on patriotic days: Rochelle on Memorial Day and John on Flag Day.
The group worked and toured alongside Neil Sedaka, The Adressi
Brothers, Duane Eddy and Joanne Campbell as well as many other stars of
the 50's rock 'n roll scene. As one of Alan Freed's favorite groups of
the Doo Wop era, The Tassels catapulted to stardom with their hit
recording To a Soldier Boy. As well as climbing the radio charts, the
group made several appearances on Alan Freed's television show worked
with Bobby Darrin, who guest-hosted the show in Freed's absence.
It was after The Tassels' appearance on Dick Clark's Saturday Night
Beechnut Show that To a Solider Boy began to soar. The song was a
recording in its time and of its time. Its poignant sentiment hit home
with many American women, mothers, and wives alike who had loved ones in
military services overseas.
The Tassels on Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show
This song was recorded in 1959 along with other songs such as To a
Young Lover, My Guy and I and its upbeat flipside The Boy for Me, which
appeared with To a Solider Boy on the Billboard's Top 100 list. Today,
with our young people going off to war again, the sentiment of To a
Solider Boy remains as relevant as it was when rock n' roll was born.
