CHANELS - FIVE CHANELS - FOUR CHANELS (VIRGIL & THE) - CHELMARS
The Five Chanels (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
aka The Chanels aka Virgil & The Four Chanels aka The Chelmars
Personnel :
Sharon Scott (Lead)
Gwynn Speller
Donza Drummond
Dolores Stringer
Virgil Hammond
Discography :
The Chanels
1958 - The Reason / Skiddily Doo (Deb 500)
The Five Chanels
Singles :
1958 - The Reason / Skiddily Doo (Deb 500)
Unreleased :
1958 - You Treat Me Mean (Deb)
1958 - Wish You Were Near (Deb)
Virgil & The Four Chanels
1959 - Waiting / Don't Keep It To Yourself (Deb 508)
The Chelmars
1962 - Jigsaw Puzzle / Confess (Select 45K-712)
Biography :
One of the few vocal group to have escaped the scrutiny of record
researchers, the Five Chanels were the protégés of Julius Dixon, a
veteran songwriter whose successes included (as co-writer) the
Chordettes' 1958 smash 'Lollipop' and Bill Halley's 'Dim Dim the
Lights'. Dixon dabbled in all aeras of the music business and in 1958,
he launched the Deb Label as a vehicle for his protégé, 14 year-Old
Beverly Ann Gibson who had won the amateur hour at the Apollo theatre.
She in turn introduced Dixon to the
Chanels who hailed from her hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The
group were composed by Sharon Scott, Gwynn Speller, Donza Drummond,
Dolores Stringer and Virgil Hammond.Early pressings of 'the reason'
credited the Chanels but this was changed to the Five Chanels after
rival record boss, Georges Goldner, complained that the name was too
close to that of the Channels, a group he had recorded for his Gone
Label. And not only that, but the Chanels' lead singer, Sharon Scott,
sounded similar to Arlene Smith ot the Chantels, another of Goldner's
groups.
'The Reason' benefited from some immediate plugs on American
Bandstand, the nation's most influential TV pop show and Dixon set up a
distribution deal with ABC Paramount Records in anticipation of the
hoped for hit. However, Dick Clark who hosted Bandstand, and had tried
to acquire 'The Reason' for Swan Records, a Philadelphia Label with
which he was associated, promptly lost interest causing 'The Reason' to
stall at #98. A subsequent Release was credited to Virgil & the Four
Chanels. In 1962, Julius Dixon will call the group again, without
Virgil. The girls renamed "The Chelmars" recorded "Jigsaw Puzzle" b/w
"Confess" released by Select Records.
