(L to R) Wes Spraggins, Sam Stewart, Reggie Jackson, Robert Tharp and Leonard Mitchell
The Ideals (3) (Chicago)
Personnel:
Reggie Jackson
Leonard Mitchell
Wes Spraggins
Robert Tharp
Sam Stewart (Bass)
Discography :
1961 - Together / What's The Matter With You Sam (Paso 6401)
1961 - Magic / Teens (Paso 6402)
1963 - LA. / [Jack Harris & The Arabians - Dog Wild] (Cortland 105)
1963 - Gorilla / Don Juan (Cortland 110)
1964 - Mo Joe Hanna / Simple Simon (Cortland 113)
1964 - Feeling Of A Kiss / Mo Gorilla (Cortland 115)
1964 - Local Boy / L.A. (Cortland 117)
1965 - Cathy's Clown / Go Get A Wig (St. Lawrence 1001)
1965 - You Lost And I Won / You Hurt Me (Satellite 2007)
1966 - Kissing / I Had A Dream (Satellite 2009)
1966 - Go Go Gorilla / Kissing Won't Go Out Of Style (Satellite 2011)
1966 - I Got Lucky (When I Found You) / Tell Her I Apologize (St. Lawrence 1020)
1969 - The Mighty Lover / Dancing In U S A. (Boo-Ga-Loo 108)
Biography :
Formed
in 1952 by students from Crane High School, the group included Reggie
Jackson, Leonard Mitchell, Sam Stewart, and Robert Tharp. In 1955, Wes
Spraggins join the group . The group's first single was issued by the
local Paso label in 1961. For their two first singles on Paso the group
included Major Lance ("Monkey Time," "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um," "Hey
Little Girl »).
The Ideals (Cortland Records) MajjorLance
Over
the ensuing years the groups line up chopped and changed leaving only
two of the original members, Leonard Mitchell and Robert Tharp. After
releasing several records with limited success, The Ideals joined up
with Eddie Williams and former Five Chances member Howard Pitman, who
not only owned Concord Records, but also wrote ‘The Gorilla’ for The
Ideals. By the time the group had got round to recording ‘The Gorilla’
in 1963 Reggie Jackson, Sam Steward and Eddie Williams had all joined
the ranks. Eddie Willams sang lead on "Gorilla," (as well as receiving a
co-writing credit), that capitalized on apparently near the end of the
monkey dance craze.
The groups local hit out grew Concord Records and Howard Pitman eventually sold on the rights and The Ideals contract to Cortland Records, who pushed "The Gorilla" to a national platform. The record imediately took off and sold nearly 90,000 copies! It is cited this may have been due to The Ideals mini tour of all the local Chicago schools, complete with a guy dressed in a gorilla outfit in tow!!
(L to R) Sam Stewart, Reggie Jackson and Leonard Mitchell
By
1965, the Ideals consisted of the trio of Jackson, Mitchell, and
Stewart and scored their only charting single, "Kissing," released by
the Satellite Recording Company. Another single, "You Lost and I Won," a
doo-wopish ballad, was issued. Soon after, the group broke up. Tharp
assumed the name Tommy Dark and joined with fellow Chicagoan Jerry
Murray to form Tom and Jerrio. The duo had a 1965 Top 20 R&B hit
with "Boo-Ga-Loo" on ABC-Paramount. Leonard Mitchell continued to record
by joining with Jerome Johnson and Robert Thomas to form the Channel 3,
who released one single, to no great acclaim.
Songs :
Together Magic Teens
Gorilla Don Juan Cathy's Clown
Go Get A Wig You Lost And I Won You Hurt Me
Kissing Won't Go Out Of Style Go Go Gorilla I Got Lucky (When I Found You)
Tell Her I Apologize Knee Socks / Mary's Lamb Mojo Hanna
What's The Matter With You Sam Simple Simon Feeling Of A Kiss
Mo Gorilla LA. aka L.A. I Had A Dream