(L to R) Ortel, Ferraro, Salera and Salveggi
The Four Cheers (Bronx, NY)
Personnel :
Anthony Salveggi (Lead)
Tommy Salera (Tenor)
Angelo Ferraro (Second Tenor)
Pete Ortiz (later Ortel) (Bass)
Discography :
Biography :
The Four Cheers were a vocal group whose members were from the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, NY. They actually got their start as a group called the Solidtones. The Solidtones were 5 guys whose members came and went. Sammy Dolson was an original member but he soon got drafted and the group was reduced to four members. They were: Anthony Salveggi, Tommy Salera, Angelo Ferraro and Pete Ortiz . The group had a manager named Sheldon Noren who introduced the group to George Goldner, who was in charge of Gone Records. Goldner, however, did not like the name Solidtones, and it was decided to change the name to the Four Cheers.
The first song the group recorded was a song called “Holly,” and they actually cut it in George Goldner’s office. They recorded the song live and in one take but it was not released at the time. Goldner liked the song and decided to sign them to Gone Records, which had a subsidiary label called End Records. End was primarily a black group label, and the only other white group signed to the label was the Del Satins, who went on to back Dion on many of his records. A few months later, they went to Bell Sound Studios on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, where they recorded the two songs which thereafter were released on End, a subsidiary of Gone Records.
The songs were “Fatal Charms of Love” and "Perriwinkle Blue". Sheldon Noren and Anthony Salveggi wrote Fatal Charms of Love and Perriwinkle Blue was a song that had earlier been given to the group by George Goldner, and was written by a famous writer named Jay Livingston. An interesting note is that Little Anthony and the Imperials were also on the label, and they came in and recorded their hit song “Tears on My Pillow” right after the 2 songs by the Four Cheers, and using the same backup band.
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