SWENSONS - CASHMERES (4) - VENNERS - CHANTELS - RELATIVES (3)

   

(Clockwise from Top) : Annette Swinson Smith, Valerie Swinson, Barbara Joyner & Lorraine Joyner

Eddie Jones & The Cashmeres (4)  (Bronx, New York)

aka The Veneers

aka The Relatives (3)

 

Ref: The Chantels

Ref: The Swensons

 

Personnel :

Annette Swinson Smith

Valerie Swinson

Barbara Joyner

Lorraine Joyner

 

Discography :

The Swensons

1956 - Remember Me To My Darling / Golly Boo (X-Tra 100 )

Eddie Jones & The Cashmeres (4)

1959 - Daddy Can I Go To The Hop (Red Lightnin' 0059)

The Veneers

1960 - Believe Me (My angel) / I (Princeton 102)

1963 - With All My Love / Recipe Of Love (Treyco 402)

The Chantels

1961 - Believe Me (My angel) / I (End 1103)

The Relatives (3)

Singles :

1963 - (My Heart Goes) Zigga Zagga Zoom / I'm Just Looking For Love (Almont 303)

1964 - Never Will I Love You Again / I'm Just Looking For Love (Almont 306)

1965 - Hadn't Been For Baby / Eternally (Musicor 1063)

Unreleased :

1965 - A Change Of Heart (Musicor)

 

Biography :

The Veneers came from Manhattan and from Brooklyn, in New York City. Sisters, Lorraine and Barbara Joyner joined their cousins, Valerie and Annette Swinson, to sing in the park, for fun, and at family functions. The young teens did began getting the attention of the local songwriters who were looking for  artists to record their material. As The Swensons (sic), Annette and her mother recorded one single for X-Tra Records in 1956, entitled, “Remember Me To My Darling”.  In 1959, the quartet, now known as The Cashmeres, went into the studio with Eddie Jones ( former lead singer of The Demens & the Emersons) to record a novelty tune called, “Daddy Can I Go To The Hop”. Herb Abramson, founder of Jubilee and Atlantic Records, produced the single. Unfortunately, the single was not released.

       

Richard Barrett                                                                       

In 1960, The Cashmeres had signed on to be produced and managed by Richard Barrett. He had written two songs for the group, “Believe Me (My Angel)” and “I”. At this time, the young ladies decided to change their name because they found that too many groups had already recorded under the name “Cashmeres”. They Choose the name "Veneers". Two songs were recorded and released on Barrett's short-lived Princeton Records. The record achieved a level of success in New York, but failed to chart nationally. Their release went unnoticed but it helped Barrett solve his Chantels problem by matching Veneers lead singer Annette Swinson  with the three remaining Chantels, Sonia, Jackie, and Rene.  In April 1960, still trying to capitalize on the group’s name, End released “Whoever You Are,” formerly the B side of “Every Night”; it had all the original Chantels magic but still lacked the driving commitment of the label.

The Chantels on Carlton with Annette Swinson Smith

 Although The Veneers were not entirely happy about this change of plans, they knew that they could not stop Annette, who needed to be out on the stage. In 1961, she officially joined The Chantels. End 1103* was a reissue of a 1959 recording by The Veneers, with Annette Smith on lead, on Princeton 102. The Veneers, without Annette, recorded as The Relatives for the Canadian- American related Almont Records, with Lorraine taking the lead for “(My Heart Goes) Ziga Ziga Zoom” in 1963 and “Never Will I Love You Again”, released in 1964.   In 1965 Barbara, Lorraine and Valerie recorded three songs for the Musicor label before they went their separate ways.

Songs :

The Swensons

  

Remember Me To My Darling                             Golly Boo

Eddie Jones & The Cashmeres (4)

Daddy Can I Go To The Hop

The Veneers

    

       Believe Me (My angel) / I            Recipe Of Love          

The Relatives (3)

     

Never Will I Love You Again      (My Heart Goes) Zigga Zigga Zoom    I'm Just Looking For Love

  

Hadn't Been For Baby / Eternally          A Change Of Heart

ROYAL DRIFTERS - JOLLY DRIFTERS (ROBIN LUKE & THE)

 

The Royal Drifters

The Royal Drifters  (Hawaii)

aka The Jolly Drifters

Personnel :

Danny Bobbitt

Moki Cabalse

John Akana

Walter Choi

Rudy Molina

Discography :

The Royal Drifters

1959 - Little Linda / S'Why Hard (Teen 506)

1959 - To Each This Own / Da Kind (Teen 508)

Robin Luke With The Jolly Drifters

1958 - Chicka Chicka Honey / My Girl (Bertram International 208 / Dot 15839)

Biography :

All group members were from Honolulu and attended McKinley High School. The group were composed by Moki Cabalse, John Akana, Walter Choi, Rudy Molina, Larry Akana and Danny Aranio. They sang together in high school and In 1958 they were known as The Jolly Drifters, a  group who sang backup vocals for Robin Luke on "Chicka Chicka Honey" and "My Girl".

  

          Robin Luke                                                                                 The Jolly Drifters

Robin Luke was discovered by Hawaii entrepreneur Kimo Wilder McVay. Luke was living in Honolulu, Hawaii, attending Punahou School, in 1958 when he wrote and recorded a Billboard #5 hit, "Susie Darlin'" a song named after his then five-year-old sister, Susie. The track also reached #23 in the UK Singles Chart. He continued to record, but was unable to repeat his Top 10 success. His first four singles were recorded for the small International label in Honolulu. After "Susie Darlin'" started getting local airplay, Dot Records bought his recording contract and the International master tapes.

The Royal Drifters (L to R) Danny Bobbitt, Moki Cabalse, John Akana, Walter Choi and Rudy Molina.

After their "Chicka Chicka Honey and "My Girl", Larry Akana & Danny Aranio parted ways to join the U.S. Air Force and Danny Bobbitt joined the group. The Five guys changed their name fro the Royal Drifters. The Royal Drifters became a hot  group that was the warm up act for all the nation's top singers and groups like Elvis, Everly Brothers, etc. that came to Hawaii in the late 50s and early 60s. The Royal Drifters recorded songs as "S’ Why Hard", "Da Kind", "Little Linda" & "To Each His Own" under the Teen Records label in 1959.

Songs :

The Royal Drifters

Little Linda /  S'Why Hard

  

To Each This Own                   Da Kind            

Robin Luke With The Jolly Drifters

   

Chicka Chicka Honey                         My Girl              

 

 

IVIES (2) ( ERZA & THE) - KITTENS (1) - BEAUS (2) (BOBBI & THE) - BOB & JERRY

 Bob Feldman, Barry Mann & Jerry Goldstein

Bob & Jerry & Their Friends (Brooklyn, New York)

aka Ezra & The Ivies (2)

aka The Kittens (1)

aka Bobbi & The Beaus (2)

 

Personnel :

Jerry Goldstein

Bob Feldman

 

Discography :

Ezra & The Ivies (2)

1959 - Comick Book Crazy / Rockin Shoes (Baca Laca Ling Dong) (UA 165)

The Kittens (1)
1959 - A Letter To Donna / It's All Over Now (Unart 2010)

Bobbi & The Beaus (2)
1959 - Melvin / Losing Game (Unart 2009)

Bob & Jerry
1961 - Dreamy Eyes / We're The Guys   (Who Drive Your Baby Wild) (Columbia 42162)
1962 - Chubby Isn't Chubby Anymore / Nursery Rhyme Folk (Musicor 1018)


Biography :

Born in Brooklyn in 1940, Feldman grew up in an orthodox Jewish home and originally studied to be a cantor. The Feldmans lived across the street from Neil Diamond’s folks, just around the corner from the Sedakas, whose son, Neil, was a promising classical pianist, and a couple of blocks away from members of the Tokens, all Lincoln High School graduates and friends. By the mid-50s, doo wop was all the rage and Feldman soon fell in with various groups practising harmonies on the Brooklyn backstreets. He teamed up with his neighbourhood buddy, Jerry Goldstein, and wrote some songs that brought the pair to the attention of Jack Lewis, an A&R man at United Artists Records. Lewis allowed the enthusiastic 18 year-old to sit in on sessions at weekends and mentored him on various aspects of the music business.

  

Back then, the quickest route to a potential hit was a novelty recording and Feldman and Goldstein chose this path as the most likely way of securing airplay in a crowded market. Thus "Comic Book Crazy" by Ezra & the Ivies, "Melvin" by Bobbi & The Beaus with singer Barbara Robert and "‘A Tribute To Donna" by the Kittens - both probably recorded at the same session under Lewis’ supervision, appeared in March 1959, the latter being a tribute to Ritchie Valens, issued within weeks of his death in the plane accident that also claimed Buddy Holly’s life. None of these early efforts were particularly distinguished or hitworthy, but they enabled Feldman and Goldstein to establish a toehold in the business as part-timers.

    

The two pals would grab a sandwich andhustle music publishers in their lunch breaks. Young, enthusiastic and markedly persuasive, they began to get some bites, mainly as a novelty turn, twice riding on the coat-tails of existing hits with ‘We’re The Guys’ (an answer record to Barry Mann’s ‘Who Put The Bomp’) as Bob & Jerry on Columbia Records and ‘Chubby Isn’t Chubby Anymore’ (a daft nod to the King of The Twist) on the Musicor label. Another of their songs, ‘Charm Bracelet’, was recorded by teenage pop vocalist Bernadette Peters. Though they were making inroads, it wasn’t until Feldman and Goldstein met Richard Gottehrer in a music publisher’s waiting room in the spring of 1962, that they tasted their first chart success.They formed the Strangeloves consisted of Bob, Jerry and Richard Gottehrer. Although they left their mark under the name Strangeloves with only four singles and one album, their fascinating story extends both before and beyond the group’s brief tenure.

 

Songs:

Ezra & The Ivies (2)

  

Rockin Shoes (Baca Laca Ling Dong)               Comick Book Crazy               

The Kittens (1)

  

A Letter To Donna                                It's All Over Now

Bobbi & The Beaus (2)

  

Losing Game                                               Melvin

Bob & Jerry & Their Friends

We're The Guys (Who Drive Your Baby Wild)

Bob & Jerry

  

        Dreamy Eyes                                     Nursery Rhyme Folk

ORBITS (1)

 

The Orbits (1) (Jackson, Mississippi)  

(By Hans-Joachim)

 

Personnel :

George Jackson (Lead)

Joe Graham (Tenor)

Sam Jones Jr (Baritone)

Charles Harper (Bass)

 

Discography :

Bobby Charles bb The Orbits (1)

1957 - One Eyed Jack / Yea Yea Baby (Chess 1670)

The Orbits (1) 

Singles :

1957 - Mr. Hard Luck / Who Are You (Argo 5286)

Unreleased :

1957 - Sugar Mama (Argo)

1957 - You Hurt Me So (Argo)

 

Biography :

R&B vocal group The Orbits launched in Jackson, MS, in 1953. originally dubbed the Quails, the founding lineup was comprised of lead tenor George Jackson; tenors Lee Lance Turner, Joe Graham, and Freddy Beverly; baritone Joe Gray; and bass Augusta Taylor.   According to the profile on Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks website, the group cut its teeth at local dances, talent shows, and nightclubs like the Wagon Wheel and the Casino. In 1955,Tthe Quails were tapped to host their own weekly radio show on Jackson station WOKJ, but despite the success their lineup changed dramatically in the months to follow, with Turner and then Taylor handing in their resignations; Gray was the next to go, prompting the remaining trio to add baritone Sam Jones, Jr., their occasional pianist.

After one more switch, with bass Charles Harper taking over for Beverly, The Quails installed local record promoter Joe Coronna as their manager, and in mid-1957 Coronna landed a contract with Chess Records. New Orleans legend Cosimo Matassa produced their first session, which yielded their lone single, "Mr. Hard Luck," issued on Chess' Argo imprint and credited to the Orbits, a name suggested by WWEZ radio personality Ken Elliott and instituted to avoid confusion with a rival Quails that previously recorded for Deluxe.

      

                                                                                                        Bobby Charles                                                       

By the time "Mr. Hard Luck" hit retail in late 1957, Graham was no longer a member of the Orbits, with tenor Robert McElroy installed in his stead. The record was a local hit but went nowhere on the national charts, and when Jones entered the military the following summer, the group dissolved.   In 1995 Jackson, Graham, and Jones reunited The Quails to appear at their old high school, coming together again in 2001 (along with new lead vocalist DeQuincy Johnson) in honor of the school's new athletic complex. A few additional performances soon followed.Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

 http://www.uncamarvy.com/Orbits/orbits.html

 

Songs:

The Orbits (1)

        

   

Who Are You / Mr. Hard Luck                                  Sugar Mama           

Bobby Charles bb The Orbits (1)  

   

One Eyed Jack                     Yea Yea Baby

 

CARDINALS (1)

  

The Cardinals (1) (Baltimore, MD)

(By Hans-Joachim) 

 

Personnel:

Ernie Lee Warren (Lead)

Meridith Brothers (Tenor)

Jack Sam Aydelotte (Tenor)

Donald Jack Johnson (Baritone)

Leon "Tree Top" Hardy (Bass)

 

Discography:

Singles:

1951 - Shouldn't I Know / Please Don't Leave Me (Atlantic 938)

1951 - Pretty Baby Blues / I'll Always Love You (Atlantic 952)


1952 - Wheel Of Fortune / Kiss Me Baby ( Atlantic 958)

1952 - She Rocks / The Bump (Atlantic 972)


1953 - Lovie Darling / You Are My Only Love (Atlantic 995)


1954 - Please Baby / Under A Blanket Of Blue (Atlantic 1025)


1955 - The Door Is Still Open / Misirlou (Atlantic 1054)


1955 - Come Back My Love / Two Things I Love (Atlantic 1067)


1955 - Lovely Girl / Here Goes My Heart To You (Atlantic 1079)

1956 - Off Shore / Choo Choo (Atlantic 1090)


1956 - I Won't Make You Cry Anymore / The End Of The Story (Atlantic 1103)

1957 - One Love / Near You (Atlantic 1126)

1977 - Would I Love You / I'll Always Love You (Robin Hood 154)

Eps:

1974 - Train (Choo Choo) / Love Me / Have I Been Gone Too Long / Sure Nuff (Bim Bam Boom EP 1000)

Unreleased :

1951 - (Give Me) A Little Something (Atlantic)

1951 - Give Me Another Chance (Atlantic)


1952 - This Can't Be The End (Atlantic) 


1952 - If You See My Baby (Atlantic)

1953 - For A While (Atlantic)

1955 - Love Came Tumbling Down (Atlantic)


1955 - You Won't Be True To Your Heart (Atlantic)


1955 - Today, Tomorrow, Forevermore (Atlantic)

1955 - Bang-A-Lang (Atlantic)

1956 - The Show Is All Over (Atlantic)


1956 - Let The Sunshine Shine On You (Atlantic) 


1956 - Neki Hoki (Atlantic)

 

Biography:

The Cardinals, early balladeers that few remember, recorded 12 singles for Atlantic Records (their only label) between 1951 and 1957. They debuted with "Shouldn't I Know," a willowy ballad featuring a prominent lead guitar, tight harmonies, and a deep bass; lead Ernie Warren impressed listeners at the fade by holding a long note in breathtaking fashion. One of the bird groups, the Cardinals formed in their hometown, Baltimore, MD, in 1946, a year before a more famous bird group from Baltimore, the Orioles. Originally they were the Mellotones.

Johnson,Brothers, Warren, Hardy & Aydelotte

The lineup was Warren, Donald Johnson, Meredith Brothers, Leon Hardy, and guitarist Sam Aydelotte, who also sang. They did the Baltimore bar scene for years, imitating all the ballad and modern harmony groups including the Ink Spots. A recording opportunity came in 1951 when a representative from Atlantic Records inked them after a talent search audition.

 

The Cardinals arrive in Philadelphia For a Show at The Uptown. Brothers, Hardy & disc jockey Georgie Woods

Atlantic renamed them the Cardinals to avoid confusion with another Mellotones group that recorded for Columbia Records. The first single "Shouldn't I Know" (1951) mimicked the Orioles sound; it rode into the R&B Top Ten and took the fellows on tours at big-city venues with other star R&B artists. A second single "I'll Always Love You," a 1951 release, didn't do as well but wasn't a total flop either. They followed with "Wheel of Fortune," a song from their first recording session. It wasn't a scheduled release; Atlantic took advantage of four pop releases of "Wheel..." at the same time by Sunny Gale, Bobby Wayne, Kay Starr, and the Bell Sisters; all cracked the pop Top Ten except Gale's which nailed down the number 13 spot. The Cardinals competed with Dinah Washington for R&B honors and managed a number six R&B showing.

The Cardinals At New York's Paramount Theater : Johnson, Warren, Brothers, Hardy & Aydelotte

Uncle Sam drafted Warren who was replaced by Leander Tarver for the fourth single "The Bump" b/w "She Rocks." James Brown (not "Mr. Please, Please") replaced Tarver who left for unknown reasons; Warren, on a leave, participated in the next session which included six Cardinals. The septet recorded "You Are My Only Love" (1953) and "Under a Blanket of Blue" (1954); both flopped, Atlantic lost interest in recording and promoting the group; that interest didn't return until Warren's service duty ended and he rejoined full-time early in 1954.

    

A new recording session resulted in the Chuck Willis-penned "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart" (1955) The lineup was now Warren, Johnny Douglas, Brothers, Hardy, and Johnson.The gigs picked up and the Cardinals toured extensively on shows sponsored by Alan Freed, Buddy Johnson, and others. They appeared with the Ravens, the Moonglows, the Nutmegs, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington and other stars.

They hit the Midwest many times. In Cleveland, OH, they played the Circle Theater two or three times, and once did a show at the Uptown in bright orange suits, sharing the bill with Luther Bond & the Emeralds, Arthur Prysock, Tiny Grimes, and others.  Atlantic issued six more singles that didn't do well, though a couple are considered classics. The interest in the Cardinals' singing style was waning.

About the time Atlantic dropped the final Cardinals single "One Love" (1957), the group had splintered. Warren formed another group before reuniting the originals with different members. The new guys hung in until the early '60s before breaking up for good. Atlantic thought a lot of the group - they recorded 36 sides, though only 24 were released via 12 singles. The 36 singles have not been released as an album.

Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

http://www.geocities.ws/doo_wop_gino/cardinal.htm

http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/cardinals.htm

LES CHIMES - LA CHORDS

 

Gene Blue, Al Douglas and Dan Moss

The Les Chimes (Phoenix, Arizona)

aka The La Chords 

 

Personnel :

Dan Moss

Gene Blue

Robert Brown

Ron Post

Discography :

The Les Chimes

1960 - Time Out For Love / Willie Did The Cha Cha (Johnny Otis) (Gay 628)

The La Chords

Singles:

1962 - Flame Out / To Be (Gay 629)

1962 - To Be / Hey Pretty Baby (Gay 629)

1964 - Sit Down And Write / Hey Pretty Baby (Take Five 631-6)

1964 - Hammer of My Heart / On the Beach (Take Five 631-8)

1964 - Sit Down And Write / On The Beach (Take Five 631-?)

Unreleased :

1962 - Is It Wrong (Gay)

Ladmo & The La Chords

1964 -     LittIe Drummer Boy  / Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Ladmo) (Take Five 631-12)

Biography :

The singing group known as The La Chords originally got together in Germany. US servicemen Dan Moss, Gene Blue, Robert Brown and Ron Post were the original members. At the time, the quartet was known as The Les Chimes. They Recorded "To Be" in a radio studio in Germany in 1959

 When Ron Post and Robert Brown were shipped back to to Phoenix, Arizona the following year they made a deal with dairy man Carl Hightower (A local school teacher who wanted to get into the record business) to release it on his Gay Records imprint.  

 

When the rest of them got back to Arizona, they soon changed their name to the La Chords and recorded "To Be" and "Hey Pretty Baby". The record did fine on local stations and the group made many public appearances.

Ron Post decided that he was going to go back to California and get into his father’s business. Robert Brown was still in the military. He was having personal problems, so eventually he was gone. Then they picked up Al Douglas. .

http://www.wallacewatchers.com/music.html

Songs :

The Les Chimes

Time Out For Love

The La Chords

(updated by Hans-Joachim)

  

Is It Wrong                     To Be / Hey Pretty Baby

   

Sit Down and Write                         Hammer Of My Heart

Flame Out

 

EMOTIONS (4) - THREE EMOTIONS

  

The Emotions (4) (New York)

aka The Three Emotions

Personnel :

Bill Rodriguez

Discography :

The Emotions (4)

1957 - It's Love / Candlelight (Fury 1010)

The Three Emotions

1959 - The Night We Met / The Girl I Left Behind (Fury 1026)

Biography :

Billy was born and raised in New York City, singing on the street corners of the city. His first group was “The Emotions” which entertained audiences for many years in clubs throughout New York. In addition the group was on the famous television show “Jacko Show” to promote their record “Candlelight“ & “Its Love” which was on the Fury Label.

   

Fury Records was set up by Bobby Robinson in 1957.  The group recorded two other sides for Fury “The Night We Met“ and “The Girl I Left Behind“ released in 1959 as the Three Emotions. Bill also sang with another group called the “The Memories”, a popular group from Springfield, Massachusetts for 12 years.

Songs :

The Emotions (4)

It's Love / Candlelight

The Three Emotions

The Night We Met

SWEET TEENS (1) - RU-BEE-ELS - CHICKS (2) - HOLLYWOOD CHICKS

 

The Sweet Teens (1) (Pomona, Los Angeles, CA)

aka The Ru-Bee-Els aka The Hollywood Chicks aka The Chicks (2)

 

Personnel :

Elnora Hicks

Betty Hicks

Mary Thomas

Ruth Davis

 

Discography :

The Sweet Teens (1)

1955 - Don't Worry About A Thing / Forever More    (Flip 311)

The Ru-Bee-Els

1961- I'll Try / Evil (Flip 359)

Kell Osborne & The Chicks (2)

1962 - Little Chick-A-Dee / Do You Mind (Class 302)

The Hollywood Chicks

1962 - Tossin' a Ice Cube / Hey, Little Gigolo (Class 303)

 

Biography :

The Sweet Teens were a female quartet from Pomona area of Los Angeles. The Members were Elnora Hicks, Betty Hicks, Mary Thomas & Ruth Davis. Although their name was similar to the Six Teens, they never enjoyed the string of recordings and popularity of their successful label mates. Their lone single, "Don't Worry About A Thing" / "Forever More" (Flip 311) went unnoticed in April 1955. The Ballad "Forever More" written by Elnora Hicks and Mary Thomas is a very close female take-off of the Los Angeles classic "The Letter" (Dootone 347) by Vernon Green & the Medallions.

   

Ruth Davis and The Hicks Sisters reappeared seven years later as a trio with one of Flip's last releases, "I'll Try" / "Evil" issued on Flip 359. The Trio comprised Ruth Davis, Elnora Hicks and Betty Hicks, and their name derived from the first two letters of each of their names. The Ru-Bee-Els also backed Kell Osborne as the Chicks and recorded "Tossin' a Ice Cube" b/w "Hey, Little Gigolo" as The Hollywood Chicks, Both singles released by Class records. Barry White once said that this record was his first professional job in the recording industry - he did the handclaps on "Tossin' A Ice Cube".

 

Songs:

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Sweet Teens (1)

   

Don't Worry About A Thing                           Forever More         

The Ru-Bee-Els

  

I'll Try                                                  Evil

The Hollywood Chicks

  

Tossin' a Ice Cube                                  Hey, Little Gigolo   

Kell Osborne & The Chicks (2)

Little Chick-A-Dee / Do You Mind

STALETS (3) - BLUE-BELLES

 

The Starlets (3) (Chicago, Illinois)

Members :

Liz Walker (Dynetta Boone)

Maxine Edwards

Jane Hall

Mickie McKinney

Jeanette Miles

Discography :

The Starlets (3)

1961 - Better Tell Him No / You Are The One (Pam 1003/O-Pex 110(68))

1961 - My Last Cry / Money Hungry (Pam 1004)

Danetta & The Starlets (3)

1962 - You Belong To Me / Impression (Okeh 7155)

The Blue-Belles

1962 - I Sold My Heart To The Junkman / Itty Bitty Twist (Newtown 5000)

Biography :

The Starlets were an American girl group from Chicago, Illinois. The group came together in 1961, and auditioned for a Chicago songwriter, Bernice Williams. Williams wrote them the tune "Better Tell Him No", which was released on Pam Records that year. The record peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The group then toured with Jackie Wilson, Mary Wells, and Gladys Knight & the Pips.The group's follow-up single, "My Last Cry", was less successful. In December of that year, the group performed in Philadelphia, and while there, Newtown Records owner Harold Robinson had them record the song "I Sold My Soul to the Junkman".

    

Newtown released the single under the name "The BlueBelles" in order to avoid contractual issues with Pam Records; as the song became a hit, Robinson assembled a local Philadelphia ensemble to lip-synch the song on television. Among this second group's members was Patti LaBelle. As "Junkman" itself became an even bigger hit than "Better Tell Him No", The Starlets sued Robinson, settling for $5,000 per member The Starlets then moved to Okeh Records, releasing one single, 1962's "You Belong to Me", and broke up shortly thereafter.

Song :

The Starlets (3)

 You Are The One / Better Tell Him No 

My Last Cry /  Money Hungry

Danetta & The Starlets (3)

  

Impression / You Belong To Me

The Blue-Belles

I Sold My Heart To The Junkman / Itty Bitty Twist

CATALINAS (1) - BUDDIES (6)

 

The Catalinas (1) (New Haven, CT.)

aka The Buddies (6)

 

Personnel :

Johnny Luth

Jimmy Colwell

Artie DeNicholas

Johnny Kunz

Tommy Juliana

 

Discography :

The Catalinas (1)

Singles :

1958 - Castle Of Love / Give Me Your Love (Little 811/812 / Jayne 502)

1973 - Why do fools fall in love / I'm so tired (Jayne 500)

1973 - Castle of love / The Stars tonight (Jayne 501)

1973 - I love you / Give me your love (Jayne 502)

1973 - Until next year / Litterbubug (Jayne 503)

1973 - Back in my arms / Blue Velvet (Jayne 504)

Unreleased :

Little Star - I Wonder Why - Sometimes - Whispering Bells - In the Still of the Night - Story Untold - Come Go With Me - Tiny Clouds - Tell me Why - Moon out Tonight - One Summer Night - Hushabye - Remember Then - Glory Of Love - Little Girl of mine - Remember When - Tonight I Fell in Love - Wonderfull Girl

The Buddies (6)

1959 - Castle Of Love / Give Me Your Love (Okey 7123)

 

Biography :

This group was started by the two people who started the Van Dykes from New Haven, Ct. The Catalinas were started in 1957, by Art Denicholas and Tommy Juliana, were school chums at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven. 

Their first record was on Little Records in NYC.... " Give Me Your Love"   backed with "Castle of Love", both written by Art and Tommy. Later re-released as by The Buddies on Okeh Records. They did many live shows and tours, til art had to go into the Army in 1961, where he entertained with the USO in Germany for two years.     When his tour of duty was over, he arrived home to New Haven, to find that his parent's house was decorated with a big sign, made by his old friend Tommy, who let Art know.....we gotta start up a new group , thus the Van Dykes were born in 1963.. The Van Dykes were the only band in New Haven to have three #1 singles in a row.  WAVZ 1300am and WNHC 1340am , both am stationsand the general public loved the Van Dykes! ....yes New Haven was home to the Five Satins, but they only had one  #1....plus a string of singles, but no other  number ones.        

Bobby Roche

 

Songs :

   

Castle Of Love / Give Me Your Love

FLEETWOODS

 

The Fleetwoods (Washington)

(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Gary Troxel

Gretchen Christopher

Barbara Ellis

Discography :

Singles :

1959 - Come Softly To Me / I Care So Much (Dolton 1)

1959 - Graduation's Here / Oh Lord, Let It Be (Dolton 3)

1959 - Mr. Blue / You Mean Everything To Me (Dolton 5/607)

1960 - Magic Star / Outside My Window (Dolton 15)

1960 - Runaround / Truly Do (Dolton 22)

(Dolton 22)

1960 - The Last One To Know / Dormilona (Dolton 27)

1960 - Confidential / I Love You So (Dolton 30)

1961 - Tragedy / Little Miss Sad One (Dolton 40)

1961 - (He's) The Great Imposter / Poor Little Girl (Dolton 45)

1962 - Billy Old Buddy / Trouble (Dolton 49)

1962 - They Tell Me It's Summer / Lovers By Night, Strangers By Day (Dolton 62)

1963 - You Should Have Been There / Sure Is Lonesome Downtown (Dolton 74)

1963 - Goodnight My Love / Jimmy Beware (Dolton 75)

1963 - Baby Bye-O / What'll I Do (Dolton 86)

1964 - Lonesome Town / Ruby Red Baby Blue (Dolton 93)

1964 - Ten Times Blue / Ska Light Ska Bright (Dolton 97)

1964 - Mr. Sandman / This Is My Prayer (Dolton 98)

1964 - Before And After (Losing You) / Lonely Is As Lonely Does (Dolton 302)

1965 - Come Softly To Me / I'm Not Jimmy (Dolton 307)

1965 - Rainbow / Just As I Need You (Dolton 310)

1965 - For Lovin' Me / This Is Where I See Her (Dolton 315)

1967 - Dormilona / The Last One To Know (Dolton 653)

EP :

1960 - Runaround / Mr. Blue / Outside My Window / Come Softly To Me (Dolton EP 502)

(Dolton EP 502)

Albums :

1959 - Confidential / The Three Caballeros / Raindrops Teardrops / You Mean Everything To Me / Oh Lord Let It Be / Come Softly To Me / Serenade Of The Bells / Unchained Melody / We Belong Together / Come Go With Me / I Care So Much / Mr. Blue (Dolton LP 8001)

(Dolton LP 8001)

1960 - Bye Bye Blackbird / Truly Do / Skylark / My Sister's Love / Runaround / Happy Happy Birthday Baby / I Believe /One For My Baby / Once In A While / Turtle Dove / Time Of Love / Outside My Window (Dolton LP 8002)

1961 - The Little White Cloud That Cried / Tragedy / Dormilona / I'm So Alone / Days Dwindle By / Nancy / Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring / Little Miss Sad One / I Love You So / Love Drop / The Last One To Know / Love Alone (Dplton LP 8005)

1961 - Blue / Poor Little Girl / Daddy's Home / A Teenager In Love / Paradise Lost / Hey Little Tear / Little Girl Blue / Great Impostor / Lah-Dee-Dah / Blues Go Away / Lonely Cup Of Coffee / One Little Star (Dolton LP 8007)

1962 - Over The Mountain Across The Sea / A Thousand Miles Away / Poor Little Fool / Tears On My Pillow / In The Still Of The Nite / To Know Him Is To Love Him / Eddie My Love / Earth Angel / Venus / Happy Happy Birthday Baby / Donna / Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin') (Dolton LP 8011)

1962 - Mr. Blue / You Mean Everything To Me / Outside My Window / Confidential / Truly Do / Tragedy / Come Softly To Me (45 version) / (He's) The Great Impostor / The Last One To Know / Poor Little Girl / Graduation's Here / Runaround (Dolton LP 8018)

(Dolton LP 8018)

1962 - Loving You / My Special Lover / Bon Soir Dame / Goodnight My Love / Lovers' Lullaby / If You Were The Only Girl In The World / Pledging My Love / The Twelfth Of Never / I Look At You / Lovers By Night Strangers By Day / Soft Eyes / Let It Be Me (Dolton LP 8020)

1963 - Jimmy San / End Of The World / Sure Is Lonesome Downtown / Magic Star / I Just Can't Live Without You / Every Little Beat / Sad Little Girl / So Much In Love / It's Your Birthday / Figurines / Jimmy Beware / Hurt Him (Dolton LP 8025)

1964 - Softly As I Leave You / Mr. Sandman / Go Away / Little Things / Almost There / Since I Don't Have You / This Is My Prayer / Footsteps / Lonely Is As Lonely Does / What Am I Gonna Do / I'll Be There / Before And After (Dolton LP 8030)

1965 - A Lover's Concerto / All I Really Want To Do / You Can't Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree / It Ain't Me Babe / Walk Don't Run / For Lovin' Me / You've Got Your Troubles / Not The Lovin' Kind / You Were On My Mind / We'll Sing In The Sunshine / Baby Don't Go / This Is Where I See Her (Dolton LP 8039)

1966 - The Last One To Know / Love Alone / Little Miss Sad One / Days Dwindle By / Hurt Him / Figurines / Jimmy Beware / Dormilona / I Just Can't Live Without You / Love Drop (Sunset LP 5131)

1974 - Come Softly To Me / (He's) The Great Impostor / Graduation's Here / We Belong Together / Mr. Blue / Tragedy / Run Around / Goodnight My Love / Confidential / Outside My Window (United Artists LP LA 334-E)

1983 - Who’s Gonna Teach You About Love / My Love, My Love / Get Behind Me Devil / Ask Him If He’s Got a Friend For Me / Will You Love Me Tomorrow / Man In A Raincoat / Let Her Go / Imagination / Surfer’s Playmate / Climb Ev’ry Mountain (Liberty LP

10199)

Biography:

Although the Fleetwoods' sound was smooth, without many of the rougher edges of doo wop groups, they were one of the few white vocal groups of the late '50s and early '60s to enjoy success not only on the pop charts, but also the R&B charts. The Fleetwoods' forte was ballads - beginning with their 1959 debut single, "Come Softly to Me," the group racked up a number of hits over the next three years, and nearly all of them were ballads. The group broke up in 1963, but their songs - particularly "Come Softly to Me" - became pop-rock classics of the pre-British Invasion era.

                                                                                                                                                                        with Dick Clark

Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, and Gary Troxell formed the Fleetwoods while attending high school in Olympia, WA. Originally, the group consisted only of Christopher and Ellis, but the duo soon asked Troxell to accompany them on trumpet. Shortly after his arrival in the group, Troxell abandoned the trumpet and concentrated on singing once the other two members heard a portion of a song he had written. Following some contributions from Christopher and Ellis, the group had written "Come Softly to Me."  They began performing the song at various events around Olympia, eventually gaining the attention of Bob Reisdorff, who ran the Seattle-based label, Dolphin Records.

  

Dolphin released "Come Softly to Me" early in 1959 and the song became an instant hit, climbing to number one on the pop charts and number five on the R&B charts; it also reached the Top Ten in U.K. The Fleetwoods weren't able to immediately produce a follow-up single as successful as their debut, but their third single, "Mr. Blue," was a number one pop and Top Five R&B hit in the U.S. in late 1959.

    

By the time of its release, Dolphin had changed its name to Dolton. For the next three years, the Fleetwoods had a string of minor pop hits. The group wasn't able to consistently place singles in the upper regions of the charts partially because Troxell was drafted into the navy at the height of the group's popularity at the end of 1959. Troxell was replaced by Vic Dana, who would later have a string of his own hit singles in the early '60s.

  

The Fleetwoods last Top Ten single arrived in the spring of 1961, when "Tragedy" climbed the U.S. charts. The group disbanded two years later, after releasing their final single, a cover of Jesse Belvin's "Goodnight My Love." Over the next three decades, the Fleetwoods reunited occasionally to perform concerts and oldies revues. In 1973, the group recorded an album with producer Jerry Dennon, but the resulting recordings were unsuccessful. In 1990, the Fleetwoods - featuring Christopher, Troxell, and instead of Ellis a singer called Cheryl Huggins - played a tour on the American oldies circuit after Rhino released the compact disc collection, The Best of the Fleetwoods.

Steven Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

http://www.thefleetwoods.us

http://www.thefleetwoods.com

http://www.colorradio.com/fleetwoods.htm

http://www.history-of-rock.com/fleetwoods.htm

http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/fleetwoods.html

Videos :

           

Come Softly To Me

 Mr. Blue