1957 - Little Darlin' / Sheetheart Please Don't Go (Excello 2101)
1957 - Run Run Little Joe / Comin' Home To You (Excello 2110)
1957 - Hey Little Girl / I WantA Know (Excello 2120)
1958 - Say You' ll Be Mine / Shoop Shoop (Excello 2136)
Biography :
Maurice Williams (born 26 April 1938, Lancaster, South Carolina) had
his first experience with music in the church, where his mother and
sister both performed. By the time he was six, Williams was performing
regularly there. With his childhood friend Earl Gainey, Williams formed
the gospel group 'The Junior Harmonizers', but as rock and roll and
doo-wop became their primary interest, the Junior Harmonizers changed
their name to 'The Royal Charms'.
In addition to Williams and Gainey, The Royal Charms were made up of
Willie Jones (baritone), William Massey (tenor, baritone, trumpet), and
Norman Wade (bass). In the winter of 1956, while still in high school,
Williams and his band traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to record for the
Excello record label. At the time they were going by the name 'The
Royal Charms,' but the founder of Excello Records, Ernie Young,
convinced them to change their name to 'The Gladiolas.' At the time,
there were at least two other bands using the same name.
The song "Little Darlin'" was a #11 hit on the R&B chart in
1957, but did not break the Billboard Hot 100's Top 40. However, when
the song was covered by the Canadian group The Diamonds, it moved up to
#2.
Williams finished high school and while on the road with the band
(after their station wagon broke down in Bluefield, West Virginia), the
band came across a small car known as "The Zodiac" and the band changed
their name. Shortly thereafter, Henry Gatson replaced Earl Gainey.
1958 - Since I Don't Have You / One Night One Night (Calico 103/104)
1959 - This I Swear / Tomorrow (Calico 106)
1959 - It Happened Today / Lonely Way (Calico 109)
1960 - How Much / Lorraine From Spain (Calico 114)
1960 - Pennies From Heaven / l"ll Be Seeing You (Calico 117)
1960 - Believe Me / Happy Time (Calico 120)
1961 - The Door Is Still Open / I'll Close My Eyes (Colpix 188)
1961 - The End Of A Story / Baion Rhythms (Colpix 607)
1961 - Close Your Eyes / Our Love Will Last (Colpix 613)
1962 - Everyone But You / Three Coins In The Fountain (Cameo 215)
1962 - Comes Love / Tell Me (Viscount 104)
1963 - I'd Die / Since I Fell For You (Atco 45-62-70)
1963 - This I Swear / It happened today (Original sound 37)
Unreleased :
N/A - Stardust (Calico)
N/A - Footsteps (Calico)
N/A - Blossoms To The Snow (Calico)
Lps :
1959 - The Skyliners (Calico LP3000)
Pennies
From Heaven / When I Fall In Love / Tired Of Me / Zing Went The String
Of My Heart / Since I Don't Have You / l"ll Be Seeing You / This I Swear
/ Tomorrow / One Night One Night / If I Loved You / I Can Dream Can't I
/ Warm
The Skyliners (1) without Jimmy Beaumont
1965 - The Loser / Everything Is Fine (Jubilee 5506)
1966 - Who do you love / Get yourself a baby (Jubilee 5512)
1965 - I Run To You / Don't Hurt Me Baby (Jubilee 5520)
Biography :
In
1958 , Jimmy, Wally Lester and Jack Taylor-who had been singing with
Joe Rock's group, The Crescents - combined with Joe Versharen and Janet
Vogel from The El Rios, another vocal group from Pittsburgh's South
Hills. Joe Rock, then named them for jazz orchestra leader Charlie
Barnett's theme song "Skyliner".
The Skyliners could have no better advocate than Joe Rock, an
ambitious youth not much older than themselves, who was an industry
insider with contacts gained from working as a promotion man for a local
record distributor.
Janet Vogel & Jimmy Beaumont
The song that would inspire their success was inspired when a
secretary at a radio station that Joe was promoting, said that she
didn't want to date him anymore. While driving a few nights later, Joe
conceived the words to the song and later Jimmy Beaumont provided the
melody. Today, "Since I Don't Have You" is regarded as the
quintessential fifties ballad from standard pop.
The recording itself was a radical departure from teenage Rock and
Roll. True to the groups vision of combining two different musical
styles, The Skyliners' blue eyed soul delivery is balanced by the lush
string filled arrangement by Pittsburgher Lenny Martin.
The same concept of introducing full orchestra arrangement to Rock
and Roll would later prove successful for the Drifters("There Goes My
Baby"), The Duprees ("My Own True Love") and Phil Spector's "wall of
sound" productions.
Legend has it that Janet ad libbed the song's memorable ending in
high C (after repeating thirteen "you's") as a joke during rehersals.
The group liked it so much they made it a permanent part of their
arrangement. More than a dozen labels rejected the song before it was
released by a local Pittsburgh label, Calico Records.
Credit for "breaking" "Since I Don't Have You" goes to deejay "Art
Pallan of Pittsburgh's leading pop station KDKA, but the other
Pittsburgh stations were not far behind. Dick Clark was an early
believer in the group and featured them on American Bandstand on Friday,
February 13, 1959. By March of 1959, "Since I Don't Have You" had
spread from Pittsburgh to the national pop charts.
The soulful delivery was appreciated even more by R&B radio
resulting in greater success in the rhythm and blues Cashbox Magazine.
It was the first single by a Caucasian group to hit #1 on the Cashbox
R&B charts.
Alan Freed invited The Skyliners to New York to appear on his 1959
Easter stage show with Jackie Wilson, Fats Domino, and Bobby Darin.
They also made 8 appearances at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Dick
Clark took them on the road with his "Caravan of Stars" tour and
featured them on Bandstand and his Saturday night television show
numerous times.
In 1960, Calico released its first album, "The Skyliners", containing
twelve songs, including both sides of the group's first two self-penned
singles, 'Since I Don't Have You", B/W "One Night, One Night", and
"This I Swear, B/W "Tomorrow" as well as another original, "Tired of
Me".
The rest of the album was comprised of standards including "Zing Went
The Strings of My Heart", "If I Loved You", and two songs led by Janet,
"When I Fall In Love" and "I Can Dream Can't I". Two other standards
from the album, "Pennies From Heaven"(inspired by The Clovers version)
B/W "I'll be Seeing You" would be chosen for the group's fifth single.
It was the Rock and Roll LP to break into the Top 50 Album chart.
In the interim, "Lonely Way" B/W "It Happened Today" and "How Much"
B/W "Lorraine From Spain" were released. Their sixth and final Calico
single was "Believe Me" B/W "Happy Time". The remaining three Calico
masters, "Stardust", "Footsteps", and "Blossoms To The Snow" were
released years later on a compilation album.
Joe
Rock remembered that the group was so well prepared for their recording
sessions that there wasn't much variation to their studio
performances. The five outtakes preserved in their "40th Anniversary
Edition CD" from their Calico sessions provide fans with a unique
insight into the creative process.
In 1961, The Skyliners moved to the larger Colpix label, the
recording division of Columbia Pictures, and continued their practice of
recording standard established songs like, "Close Your Eyes", "The Door
Is Still Open" (Both written by "The King Of The Stool", Chuck Willis).
These two songs were backed with original material written by Joe Rock
and Jimmy Beaumont for Janet.
The
Skyliners recorded "Comes Love"(written by Pittsburgh singer/songwriter
Johnny Jack a close friend of the group) for the local Viscount Label.
It was backed by "Tell Me", a song that Jimmy liked so much he also
released it as a solo artist on Bang Records.
Both sides received a lot of airplay in the Pittsburgh area and
"Comes Love" became a collector's favorite. "Tell Me", which
Rock/Beaumont also wrote, was Jimmy's mother's favorite Skyliner record.
By 1963 the group had signed with Atco Records which released their
version of the standard "Since I Fell For You". Although Lenny Welch
was to have the national hit with his version that year, the flip side
of The Skyliners record, "I'd Die", was re-discovered in the mid-70's by
13-Q Radio deejay, Don Bombard (Now known as Bob Shannon on WCBS ÐFM
in New York) and has become one of their most requested releases.
By
the early sixties, the group was growing tired of the road and decided
to take a hiatus from the business. Jummy Beaumont continued to record
and perform as a single act. Joe Rock continued to write songs, notably
with Otis Redding("Dreams To Remember") and managed other artists
including, the Jaggerz("The Rapper").
In 1965, Jack Taylor, with Joe Rock's permission, fronted a Skyliner
group which recorded "The Loser" on Jubilee Records. This soulful
ballad, written by Taylor and Rock, became a much played slow dance at
Pittsburgh area record hops and charted Top 40 nationally both Pop and
R&B.
1954 - Under The Willow / I'm Losing My Mind (Savoy 1140)
1955 - I'll Be Faithful / My Little Honeybun (Savoy 1157)
Kenny Esquire & The Starlites (3)
1956 - They Call Me A Dreamer / Pretty Brown Eyes (Ember 1011)
1957 - Tears Are Just For Fools / Boom Chica Boom (Ember 1021)
Biography :
The Dreams began in 1953 in Philadelphia as the Royal Flames. This
name was soon changed to the dreams. Lead George Tindley got the group
their appearance at the apollo's amateur night and they took second
place. Soon after the Apollo appearance, they were contacted by someone
from the Newark-based Savoy Records who apparently was in the audience
at the Apollo.
They went to Savoy and had their first session in April 1954, during
which they recorded "Darlene" "A Letter To My Girl". The record did well
locally. The Dreams' next session took place in October 1954, when they
recorded "Under The Willow" "I'm Losing My Mind". Their last session
with savoy was in March 1955. In this session they recorded "I'll Be
Faithful" "My Little Honeybun". Nothing ever happened with their discs,
but they made many live appearances and tours on the East Coast. Since
Harris was still in school, their touring was limited.
In Junes 1956, Herald Records announced that they had signed the
Dreams. Henderson could not be found for the first session with Herald,
and billy taylor of the Castelles filled in. Before this disc was
released, Tindley felt that he wanted his name on the disc. Herald
agreed, but Tindley chose Kenny Esquire and changed the group's name to
the Starlites.
The Record was "They Call me a Dreamer". George Tindley eventually
joined Steve Gibson and the Red Caps, with whom he recorded a number of
well-remembered doowop 45s in 1959 and 1960, before Tindley took over
leadership duties (changing the group name to the Modern Red Caps),
continuing on into 1966.
(1955- The Sirenos / Citations) Ernest Gibson, Herb Benjamin, William Lucas, Edward "willie" Odom and Prentice Chandler
The Citations (1) (Philadelphia)
Personnel :
William Lucas (Lead)
Herb Benjamin (Tenor Lead)
Prentice Chandler (Tenor)
Edward "willie" Odom (Tenor/Baritone)
Ernest Gibson (Bass)
Discography :
The Citations (1)
Singles:
1962 - It Hurt Me / Kiss In The Night (Don-El 113)
Unreleased :
1962 - Stranger (Don-El)
Chris LaMar (William Lucas)
1962 - Love So True / Treat Me Good (Don-El 113)
Biography :
Previously known as The Sirenos in 1955, the group was composed by
William Lucas (lead) Ernest Gibson (bass), Herb Benjamin (Tenor Lead),
Edward "Willie" Odom (Tenor/Baritone) and Prentice Chandler (Tenor). All
were between 16 and 19 years olden lived within a block of each other.
The name Sirenos came from the Greek Sirenes. During the early days in
1957, gigs for the Sirenos were few and far between. The Sirenos dad a
song they composed called "The Bells are Ringing". They sang this song
at the Broadwood With the Spaniels. Sure enough about a month or two
later, the Spaniels came out with a song who sounded exactly like "The
Bells are Ringing". That song was "Everyone's Laughing" wich became a
huge hit for them. Over Time, The Sirenos were making the rounds
galvanizing an audience.
(1961 - The Citations) Edward Odom , Ken Bolden, Prentice Chandler, William Lucas, Bill kearney and Ernest Gibson
They doing stagework for the likes of Jimmy Bishop, Kae Williams and
Jocko, all of whom owned dinky record labels, but none of whom were
willing to take a chance on the outfit who were now billing themselves
the Citations. At This Time Ken Boden replace Herb Benjamin . This was
the only line-up alteration in the congregation's eight year history.
Eventually they win a talent night and getting a contract with Don-el
records. Don-El was owned by real estate man C. Percy White [aka Don
White]. Spring 1962 "It Hurt Me" b/w "Kiss In The Night" hits the
airwaves on the sunglow yellow Don-el Label. The Citations are invited
to the Murray Show TV, in Scranton, they did another TV spot… The Same
Year, William Lucas cut another single for Don White as Chris Lamar.
With too little success, the group broke up .
Charlene Miller & Janet Campbell (Standing), Joan Meifert (seated)
The Whippoorwills (1) (Portland, Oregon)
Personnel :
Joan Meifert
Janet Campbell
Jan Roberts
Discography :
1959 - Baby Let's Face It / You're In Oregon My Friend (Drift 1446)
Biography :
In 1959, three young girls named The Whippoorwills and their
teachers from Portland were named winners of the Centennial song
contest. Oregon's official Centennial song is entitled: "You're In
Oregon, My Friend." The Whippoorwills were Joan Meifert, Janet Campbell
and Jan Roberts, and their music and dancing teacher, Celia Burley.
Drift Records from Portland released the "You're In Oregon My Friend"
the same year with "Baby Let's Face It". In 1960, Charlene Miller
replaced Jan Roberts & the group appeared localy.
Jerry Diamond & The Sparkles (1) (Boston, Massachusetts)
Personnel :
Jerry Diamond (Lead)
...
Discography :
Jerry Diamond & The Sparkles (1)
1958 - Let's Make It (Ooh-Whad-A-Ya-Mean) / Lindy-Lou (RCA 7257)
Jerry Diamond
1957 - Sunburned Lips / Don't Trust Love (Atlantic 1145)
Biography :
Jerry Diamond's a 22 year-old lad from The Boston area who got
together in a recording studio (quite by accident) with three teenage
gals who were being auditioned. The result : a rock'n'roller a la
"Lollipop," Lindy-Lou. The billing : Jerry Diamond and the Sparkles.
Jerry Diamond had previously recorded "Sunburned Lips" b/w "Don't Trust
Love" released by Atlantic.
Clockwise from bottom, David Campanella, George Kafcos, Kenny Hamilton and Joey Vertucci.
David Campanella & The DellChords (Brooklyn, NY)
Personnel :
David Campanella (Lead / Second Tenor)
George Kafcos (Lead / Baritone)
Kenny Hamilton (Bass)
Joey Vertucci (First Tenor)
Discography :
1959 - Everything's That Way / Over The Rainbow (Kane 25593)
Biography :
George Kafcos (Kafcopoulos) and best friend Kenny Hamilton from
Flushing had a ramshackle group with no name. Kenny Hamilton attended
Queens Day School in Sunny Side Queens with David Campanella. George
Kafcos attended Bayside H.S. and Kenny brought David around to their
neighborhood and introduced george to him.
Early Dellchords : Larry Marshal, George Kafcos, Algie Hough, Georgia Kafcos (Manager), Kenny Hamilton & David Campanella
David Campanella was living in Glen Cove NY at the time, he was son
of Roy Campanella, nicknamed "Campy", an American baseball player,
primarily as a catcher. Their three part harmony blew away anything
they had heard with their group and that at that moment was the
beginning of the group. The DellChords were born. They needed more
voices and they take in their adventures Algie Hough and Larry Marshall
from Queens Day School as well.
Early Dellchords, with Roy Campanella (Larry Marshall, Kenny Hamilton, Algie Hough, George Kafcos and David Campanella)
This
group configuration now was three black guys and two white guys (Kenny
Hamilton and George Kafcos). Algie and Larry sang with the group very
briefly and they will be replaced by Joey Vertucci , a First Tenor from
Corona NY. Now, the future recording group was one black guy (David) and
three white guys (Kenny, George & Joey).
David Campanella, George Kafcos, Joey Vertucci and Kenny Hamilton
They signing a recording contract with Richard Oats, head of Kane
Records in 1959. The Dell Chords cut two songs for Kane, The classic
"Over The Rainbow" and "Everything's That Way". George Kafcos wrote the
words and music to "Everything's That Way" for his girlfriend at the
time, a really cute blond nicknamed "Chickey".
David Campanella, Joey Vertucci, George Kafcos and Kenny Hamilton Auditioning for Alvin Wilks (Bottom)
David Campanella wrote the riff at the fade out end of the song and
that is his voice doing the riff. Incidentally, they never received a
dime. Long story as to why they didn't pursue them? They were 15 years
old. For several years David Campanella was in trouble with the law. He
was a member of the street gang the Chaplains, and he was convicted for
disorderly conduct and burglary. He died age 41 drug related dead.
1960, The Del Royals : Randy, Tommy and Mike with a young girl.
The Del Royals (1) (Dellroy, Ohio)
Personnel :
Sonny Tanner
Eddie Baggott
Jan. H. Kennedy
Discography :
1960 - Barbara / I'd Wait Forever (Warwick 111/112)
Biography :
They were three lads from Dellroy who briefly chased musical fame in
1959: Sonny Tanner, Eddie Baggott and Jan. H. Kennedy. Jan. H. Kennedy
met Norman Austen “Sonny” in the summer of 1951. By their junior year,
at Carrollton High School, Eddie, a year younger, joined the boys that
year. At Carrollton, they met Jerry Glasser, the youngest of 10 Glasser
family kids. His older brother, Richard, professionally known as Dick
Lory, had a Top Ten hit and was on American Bandstand. Another brother,
Pat, known as Pat Shannon, also appeared with Dick Clark on Bandstand.
Jerry, with brothers Teddy and Bobby, recorded as The Three G’s, whose song, “Let’s Get Ready for Summer”, sold well in the New England area, but nowhere else.
Jerry’s tales of his family’s careers led Sonny, Eddie and Jan to
form the Del-Royals. The name reflected not only our hometown but was
fashioned after a successful group called the Del-Vikings. Six months
later, Richard (Dick Lory,) was able to get them a contract with Warwick
Records so they went to a recording studio in Cleveland to record
“Barbara”, written by Fern Britton. On the B side was one of Richard’s
songs, “I’d Wait Forever.” The summer of 1959, they did numerous record
hops with disc jockeys at KYC in Cleveland, the top rock station in the
country, at least for breaking new Rock ‘n Roll songs. One of the disc
jockeys played “Barbara” on his late show one night after a performance
in the Cleveland area. The station, and several others in northeast Ohio
where they hand-delivered records, started playing “Barbara.” That
night and the next three weeks would be the acme of their career.
Top - Joe Bill Loudermilk, Ronnie Wolshaw, Alton Gill, Jay Foley and Bunky Bartlett
Bottom - Chris Harris, Mikie Harris, Collier Summers
Mikie & The Ardons (Sarasota, Florida )
Personnel :
Mikie Harris (Lead)
Chris Harris (Vocal)
Jay Foley (Vocal)
Collier Summers (Vocal)
Bunky Bartlett (Vocal)
Discography :
Mikie & The Ardons
1962 - Three's A Crowd / Donnie (Mam'selle 1)
1966 - Three's A Crowd / Man Of La Mancha (by the Bob Wayne Five) (Gallant 3016)
Mikie Harris
1964 - Little Miss Lonely / By Choice Or By Chance (Epic 9749)
1969 - Love Is All I Need / Love Is All I Need (Volare 1002)
Biography :
Mikie (Michaele) Harris was raised in Sarasota, Florida (by way of
North Carolina), the eldest daughter of an accomplished businessman and
airplane pilot and an airline stewardess mother, both of whom gave their
daughter lots of encouragement in anything she wanted to do.
Fast-forward to 1962, when, as a Manatee College sophomore, Mikie
decided that she wanted to produce a recording session with herself as
the lead vocalist and other local vocalists and band members with whom
she was working. Since she had no label to back her, she decided to
start one of her own, calling it “Mam'selle Records” in honor of a hit
song by one of her favorite groups, "the Four Freshmen"
Mikie Harris Mikie Harris with the Rag Dolls
It
would become her first attempt as a lady record producer and label CEO.
After raising some of the money by working the switchboard at school,
Mikie convinced her dad to lend her the rest of the money for the
session. To avoid any frivolity on her part, Mikie's dad made her sign a
loan note, but gave her his full support as she learned the ropes of
becoming a businesswoman. The recording took place in Miami at Criteria
Recording and Mikie put up all the musicians (and her mother, who was
the chaperone) at The Fontainebleau Hotel, quite a venture for a
teenager. Mikie's sister Chris sang the lead harmonies with her. The
other singers were Jay Foley, Collier Summers and Bunky Bartlett. The
band was The Playboys, featuring Joe Bill Loudermilk (John's cousin),
Alton Gill, Ronnie Wolshaw and Paul Cooper. The single did make some
inroads on a few local and regional stations. Mikie Harris will be part
of several groups :The Beach Girls, The Rag Dolls, Les Girls.
Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World
