From left : Reed Clements, Dick Gabriel, Clyde Battin, Bobby Verbosh, Gary Paxton
The Pledges (1) (Tucson, Arizona)
Personnel :
Clyde Battin (vocal/gt/bass)
Gary Paxton (vcl/gt)
Bobby Verbooh (gt)
Reed Clements (drums)
Dick Gabriel (sax)
Discography :
1958 - Betty Jean / Her Bermuda Shorts (Rev 3517)
Biography :
Clyde
Battin & Gary S. Paxton met while attending the University of
Arizona in the late 1950s. They formed The Pledges, a vocal &
instrumental group with Dick Gabriel (sax player) Bobby Verbosh (rhythm
guitarist) and Reed Clements (Drums). they came to Phoenix and
auditioned for Rev Records and landed a recording contract. They made
two sides "Betty Jean" and "Her Bermuda Shorts". They kept working as
the Pledges in Tucson, and they went up to Phoenix and cut another four
sides, two as Clyde and Gary : "Why Not Confess" b/w "Johnny Risk".
Needless to say the Pledges didn't happen and Clyde and Gary didn't
happen, but then they released the other two sides that they had cut,
"It Was I" , which Gary had written, and "Lunch Hour" which both Gary
and Clyde had written.
Skip and Flip
Rev
Records sold the masters "It Was I" and "Lunch Hour" to Brent Records
in New York City, which is a subsidiary of Time Records. They are now
Skip and Flip." That was 1959. Their recording "It Was I" entered the
U.S. Top 20 in 1959, peaking at No. 11, and the follow-up, "Fancy
Nancy", charted at No. 71. Their next release, a revival of Marvin And
Johnny's R&B hit single, "Cherry Pie", also made No. 11 but proved
to be the last chart entry they recorded together. Paxton went on to
record for several labels using several names, including the Hollywood
Argyles, with which he topped the charts in 1960 with the novelty song
"Alley-Oop".
Songs :
Betty Jean Her Bermuda Shorts