1957 - If I Could Make You Mine / Don't Go (Holiday 2607)
Biography :
The Ivories started in early 1955 with Johnny Hicks (lead tenor),
Dave Cole (first tenor), Joe Shallow (second tenor), Johnny Earl Jackson
(baritone), and James Coney (bass). The pianist and arranger was
Sylvester Bradford. The group took its name from Sylvester's piano keys:
the Ivories. They auditioned for George Bennett, owner of Jaguar
Records and cut "Alone " b/w "Baby Send A Letter". The record was
released in November 1955. By late 1956, Dave Cole was replaced by
second tenor Lucy Cedeno & Johnny Earl Jackson left. In early 1957,
the Ivories changed their name to the Love Notes.
Pretty
soon they had a contract to record for Danny Robinson and Clarence
Johnson's Holiday label. At their first session, they recorded "United"
and "Tonight,". "United" started taking off in New York. It did so well
so quickly, that the Love Notes were hurried into a show at the Apollo.
Somewhere along the way, the Love Notes managed to fit in a second
session. This time the songs were "If I Could Make You Mine" and "Don't
Go," another pair led by Johnny Hicks. They were released in mid-August,
1957. Shortly after the band broke up.
The Love Notes (3) - Lucy Cedeno, Joe Shallow, James Coney, Johnny Hicks
After leaving the Ivories, Johnny Earl Jackson formed a new Ivories
group consisted of Johnny Earl Jackson (baritone/bass), his girlfriend,
Ella Lewis (lead), her brother, Richard Lewis (first tenor), Moses
Brown (baritone), and a second tenor named "Blinky." They recorded a
pair of tunes "Me And You" b/w "I'm In Love" for Mercury. Then Moses
Brown got disgusted and left the Ivories, to be replaced by a baritone
named "Chink."they changing their name to the Ivoleers and recorded
"Lovers' Quarrel" and "Come With Me" for Bobby Smith's Buzz label in
early 1959.
