From left to tight, Dennis Diamond, Scot McLearie, Mike Paladino & George Lavatelli
The Bon-Aires (2) (New Jersey)
Personnel :
Georges Lavatelli (Lead)
Mike Paladino (Tenor)
Denis Diamond (Second Tenor)
Scotty McLerie (Baritone)
Discography :
Biography :
"My Love, My Love", "Jeanne Baby", "Bye, Bye", "The Shrine of St. Celia", "Blue Beat", "Driving Alone", "Angel of Love". All songs on the Rust Record label, produced by Neil Levinson ("Denise") and Steve Duboff. The original Bon-Aires were Dennis Diamond, Scotty McLearie, Mike Paladino and George Lavatelli. Scotty and George were members of a group called the Shades from Englewood, New Jersey. A product of St. Joseph's High School, West New York, Mike and a friend Pete Prince formed the Princetones - Pete Prince - wrote the classic tune Guardian Angel outside of Leone's pizza parlor in West New York. The group was the first to record a demo of the song in 1958.
The "Bon-Aires", were originally called "the Difference". The "Difference" auditioned for Bob Hilliard, a prolific song writer, Broadway and Pop, from Leonia, NJ. He wrote all the Ruby and the Romantics songs. Bob paid for their first demo album and introduced the group to Neil Levinson and Steve Duboff. The Name Bon-Aires was given to the group by Steve Venet, an A&R man at Columbia Records. He also arranged "My Love, My Love". They had picked "My Love, My Love" for the group , which was the flip side of "Have You Heard", by Joni James.
