(left to right): Ron Henries, George Smith, Richard Jones, Dell Padgett & Benny Barros
The Castaleers (Providence, Ri.)
Personnel :
Richard Jones (Baritone / Tenor Lead)
Ron Henries (Tenor)
Boaventura "Benny" Barros (Baritone)
George T. Smith, Jr. (Baritone)
Dell Padgett (Bass)
Discography :
1957 - Come Back / Hi Fi Baby (Felsted 8504)
1958 - Lonely Boy / My Bull Fightin' Baby (Felsted 8512)
1959 - You're My Dream / I'll Be Around (Felsted 8585)
1960 - That's Why I Cry / My Baby's All Right (Planet 44 / Donna 1349)
Biography :
The Rhode Island Rhythm & Blues scene began in the mid-1950s when
aspiring teen vocal groups moved off the street corners of Providence
and into the rec center at the Doyle Avenue Grammar School on the East
Side. The Castaleers evolved when members of various groups including
The Parakeets and The Five Tones settled into a permanent lineup :
Richard Jones (lead, baritone/tenor), George Smith (baritone), Dell
Padgett (bass), Ron Henries (tenor) and Benny Barros (tenor). George had
become friendly with songwriters Myron and Ray Muffs, the owners of
Muffet’s Music Store in downtown Providence, one of the few shops in
town where he could find R&B records.
After hearing the group, the Muffs were knocked out and produced four
sides which they placed with Felsted Records, a U.S. division of the
mighty British Decca company. Released in 1957, “Come Back” charted in
Providence, Philadelphia, Detroit and Montreal, but the group, all of
whom had good jobs or were still in school, declined to tour outside of
the Northeast until something bigger was on the horizon. Two more
releases also fared well, but the group’s unwillingness to tour
nationally led to them being dropped. Henries left and was replaced by
singer/songwriter Joe Hill of The 5 Dukes and The Dials.
Joe Hill
The Muffs produced another session on two of Joe’s songs and placed
the master with L.A. label Donna/Del-Fi, home to Ron Holden and Ritchie
Valens. Once again, there was action, especially in Los Angeles, but it
never reached the top and in 1961, the group called it a day. Still, the
Castaleers are recognized as trailblazers for Rhode Island artists who
paved the way for national releases by Freddie Scott, The Del Rios
(Tavares) and Dipsy & The Doodles. Their 45s are considered some of the greatest – and most collectible – group records of the pre-Soul R&B era.
1957 - Vengeance (Will Be Mine) / Pennies From Heaven (Sue 700)
1957 - Be Good To Me / Have Mercy Baby (Sue 701)
Biography :
Sue Records was formed by Henry "Juggy" Murray, Jr. (born November
24, 1922) in New York City in January, 1957. Juggy Murray, along with
Bobby Robinson, were the two most successful black record label
proprietors in New York City. Although Sue became nationally known for
its rock and roll and rhythm and blues hits by acts such as Ike and Tina
Turner, most of the albums on the Sue label were jazz.
Henry "Juggy" Murray, Jr
The
Matadors fronted by Johnny Garfield gave Sue Records its first regional
hit in 1957 with "Vengeance". "Vengeance (Will Be Mine)" is a
delightfully cold-blooded doo-wop song : quite a change from the
romantic platitudes of many songs in this genre. It became a regional
hit on the East Coast, particularly in New York, but it did not chart
nationally. The Group cut another single then disbanded…
Top : Leroy Fann, Ronald Mosely - Bottom : Ed Roberts
The Supremes (5) (Akron, Ohio) aka Ruby & The Romantics Ref The Skarlettones
Personnel :
James Porter (First Tenor)
Ed Roberts (Second Tenor)
Ronald Mosely (Baritone)
Arthur Atkinson (Baritone/Bass)
Leroy Fann (Bass)
Discography :
The Supremes (5) 1960 - Another Chance To Love / Fidgety (APT 25055)
The Skarlettones Single : 1959 - Do You Remember / Will You Dream (Ember 1053) Unreleased: 1959 - How Sentimental Can I Be
Biography :
The Skarlettones formed in 1958 and hailed from Akron, Ohio. Members
were Ronald Mosely (whose career eventually took off), James Porter,
Columbus Mitchell, Robert Carter, and Willie Tucker. When their Ember
recording went nowhere, members Ronald Mosely (baritone) and James
Porter (first tenor) joined with Ed Roberts (second tenor), Arthur
Atkinson (baritone/bass), and Leroy Fann (bass) eventually calling
themselves The Supremes (male Group.) They recorded "Another Chance To
Love" b/w "Fidgety" on Apt #25055 which was released in December 1960.
From Top to Bottom : Leroy Fann, Ronald Mosely & Ed Roberts
Still having no success with their recordings 2 members left The
Supremes. Ronald Mosely, Leroy Fann and Ed Roberts recruited George Lee
(1st tenor), changed their name to The Feilows, and in 1961 auditioned
an impressive but inexperienced female vocalist, Ruby Nash who had never
been out of Akron. After a year of rehearsing with all 5 singing lead,
The Feilows travelled to NYC to record for Kapp Records but their name
was changed to Ruby & The Romantics and the rest is history! Having 8
songs charted nationally on Billboard, their signature song (their
biggest) was OUR DAY WILL COME - Kapp #501 which charted for 13 weeks
and reached #1 in March 1963. Ruby has affirmed in interviews that all 5
members recorded and performed as Ruby & The Romantics until they
broke up in 1971.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Romantics/romantics.html
Songs :
The Supremes (5)
Another Chance To Love Fidgety
The Skarlettones
Do You Remember Will You Dream How Sentimental Can I Be
1961 - Chop Chop Hole In The Wall / I Want To Dance (Every Night) (Bambi 801)
1962 - Moments Like This / He Was A Fortune Teller (United Art. 458)
Unreleased :
1962 - Following You (United Art.)
1962 - L-O-V-E (United Art.)
1962 - Teardrops
1962 - My Downtown Girl
Tony Farrar
1963 - Blast From The Past / Following You (Trans-Atlas 45-14001)
Frankie Love
1962 - Save Her Love For Me / First Star (La Rosa 101)
1963 - Stranger At The Dance / Moon Of Love (La Rosa 101)
1966 - First Star / You've Been Wrong (Loma 2033)
Biography :
Ferris
& The Wheels were a New-York doo-Wop group in the early '60's lead
by Tony DeFarlo. The group consisted with Tony DeFarlo , Sal leggio,
Rubin Lopez and Frankie "Love" Montanaro. Eddie Reilly sing backing
vocals at the time the group was first formed.
The
Group cut two singles "Chop, Chop" b/w "I Want To Dance (Every Night)"
on the Bambi label and "Moments Like This" b/w "He Was A Fortune Teller"
on United Artists in 1962. In 1963, Trans Atlas released "Blast From
The Past" b/w "Following You", two songs composed and sung by Tony
DeFarlo under the name of "Tony Farrar".
Frankie Montanaro aka Frankie Love sang with the Gleams who recorded
"You Broke My Heart" b/w "I Dont Know Why You Sent For Me" on Kip
records. In 1962, under the name of Frankie Love, he cut "Moon of Love"
b/w "Stranger at the Dance" and "First Star" b/w "Save Her Love For Me".
1955 - Olivier Sidney, Georges Winfield , Leroy Jones , Olivier Sidney & Fred Harris
The Chateaus (1) (Newport News, Va)
Personnel :
Edwin Hall (Lead)
Georges Winfield (First Tenor)
Olivier Sidney (Second Tenor)
Leroy Jones (Falsetto)
Theodore Jones (Bass)
Discography :
The Chateaus (1)
Singles :
1956 - Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup / Let Me Tell You Baby (Epic 5-9163)
1958 - Satisfied / Brown Eyes (Warner Bros 5023)
1958 - The Masquerade Is Over / If I Didn't Care (Warner Bros 5043)
1959 - Ladder Of Love / You'll Reap What You Sow (Warner Bros 5071)
Unreleased
1956 - Somebody's Beating My Time (Epic)
1956 - Take Me Back (Epic)
1956 - You Won't Get That Chance Again (Epic)
1956 - Ladder Of Love (Epic)
1956 - Two Lovers (Epic)
1956 - You Baby (Epic)
1956 - That's Why I Dream (Epic)
1958 - Happiness (Warner Bros)
1958 - Hear Me Now (Warner Bros)
1958 - Hey, Hey Boy (Warner Bros)
1958 - Do It Right (Warner Bros)
The Bobbettes bb The Chateaus (1)
1963 - Close Your Eyes / Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell(Bobbettes) (Diamond 142)
Biography :
Newport News, VA-based R&B vocal group the Chateaus formed in
1952 -- according to Marv Goldberg's profile in the December 1976 issue
of Yesterday's Memories -- first tenor Fred Harris, second tenor Oliver
Sidney, falsetto Leroy Jones, bass Charles Sidney, and baritone/pianist
George Winfield originally dubbed themselves "the Flamingos", but later
abandoned the moniker upon learning of the Chicago-based group of the
same name. After posting a newspaper advertisement seeking ideas for a
new name, the quintet selected the Chateaus, emerging as a fixture of a
thriving Newport News scene that also included the Five Keys, the
Avalons and the Leaders. In early 1956, while the group was making plans
to travel to New York City in search of a record deal, Harris was
drafted into the military, necessitating the addition of tenor Edwin
Hall.
Weeks later, the Chateaus headed for Manhattan, signing to Columbia's
Epic subsidiary and releasing their debut single "Darling Je Vous Aime
Beaucoup" (a song first popularized by supper club chanteuse Hildegard)
in April. The record did not sell, however, and although the group cut
another session for Epic, the label shelved the tapes and released the
Chateaus from their contract. The quintet returned to Virginia and began
searching for a new deal. They were still looking as of 1958, by which
time Harris completed his military duty and returned home to serve as
the Chateaus' road manager. Finally, in the fall of 1958, the group
signed to Warner Bros. and released its sophomore effort "Satisfied."
Early 1960 - Leroy Jones , Georges Winfield , Olivier Sidney, Theodore Jones & Edwin Hall
"The
Masquerade Is Over" followed in early 1959, and like its predecessor,
earned little notice from radio or retail. When their third Warner
release "Ladder of Love" met the same fate, Charles Sidney left the
group to move to New Jersey, and with new bass Theodore "Pepper" Jones,
the Chateaus spent the next several years under the radar, resurfacing
in 1963 backing the Bobbettes on their Diamond label single "Close Your
Eyes." Despite the long layoff, the group was still under contract at
Warner as well, and in early 1964 cut a never-released session for the
label. the Chateaus split soon after, but in 1973 Rudy West recruited
Oliver Sidney, Hall, Jones, and Winfield to form a new version of his
old group the Five Keys.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Chateaus/chateaus.html
Songs :
The Chateaus (1)
Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup If I Didn't Care
The Masquerade Is Over Ladder Of Love
Satisfied / Brown Eyes Ladder Of Love / You'll Reap What You Sow
1961 - Elaine / That's The Way I'll Be Jubilee (5402)
Unreleased :
1961 - Give Me A Chance (Jubilee)
1961 - Tell Her (Jubilee)
The Chateaus (2)
1963 - Summer's Here (School Is Through) / Honest I Will (My Pledge To You) (Coral 62364)
Zack Norman
1962 - Hey Doll / Givin' Up Love (Poplar 111)
Biography:
The song ""Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"" can be traced back to
1961, when three Bridgeport, Connecticut teenagers cowrote a song they
called "Kiss Him Goodbye." The song was not recorded and never released.
The three teenagers were Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer and Paul Leka. All
three attended high schools in Bridgeport— Leka (Bassick High), DeCarlo
(Central High) and Frashuer (Roger Ludlowe High). Soon after, DeCarlo
and Frashuer joined a group known as the Glenwoods. The other members of
that group were Joe Reed, Johnny Castle (Castlelenetti) and Frank
Borelli. The group's name changed several times, first to the Citations
and then to the Chateaus.
The members of the group have also changed, Norman Zachlod aka Zack
Norman, Ronnie Schlrlllo and Bill Garneau were also part of the group at
certain times. Leka sat in with the groups and played piano. The new
formed group going into New York in 1959 making their first record with
the songs “That's The Way It Will Be" b/w "Elaine” both written by Frank
A. Borelli. The single arranged by Stan Vincent was Released by Jubilee
Records as "The Glenwoods". They took their name from a street in
Brooklyn, Glenwood Ave. Their second record arrives two years later on
the Coral Label : “Summers Here (School Is Through)” b/w " Honest I
Will" on Coral. They were now the “Chateaus” at the time.
Kneeling, from left, are "The Glenwoods," Ronnie Schlrlllo, Norman Zachlod and Bill Garneau. Standing,
are Joe Reed, Alexander, Sheila O'Brien, Dale Frashuer, Kathy
O'SuIlivan, John Castle, Frank A. Borelli and Gary DeCarlo.
The
group disbanded when Paul Leka talked Dale Frashuer into going into New
York City with him to write and possibly produce. In 1962, Norman
Zachlod as Zack Norman recorded "Hey Doll" (written by Gary DeCarlo) and
"Givin' Up Love" (written by Norman). The single will be released by
Poplar records. In 1968, Gary DeCarlo recorded four songs at Mercury
Records in New York with Paul Leka as producer. The singles impressed
the company's executives, who wanted to issue all of them as A-side
singles. In need of a B-side, Leka and DeCarlo resurrected an old song
from their days as the Glenwoods, "Kiss Him Goodbye", with their old
bandmate, Dale Frashuer. With DeCarlo as lead vocalist, the three
musicians recorded the song in one recording session.
Steam
Instead of using a full band, Leka had engineer Warren Dewey splice
together a drum track from one of DeCarlo's four singles and played
keyboards himself. December 6, 1969, Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him
Goodbye" hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart attributed to a
then-fictitious band they named "Steam". It was released under the
Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number one pop single on
the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969, and remained on the charts in early
1970.
The Mistics (L to R): Ray Vaughn, Jerry Simmons, Neal Seymour, Buster Sullivan & Tommy Thompson
The Mistics (Houston, Texas)
Personnel :
Ray Vaughn
Jerry Simmons
Neal Seymour
Buster Sullivan
Tommy Thompson
Discography :
1962 - Memories / Without Love (There Is Nothing) (Capri 631)
1964 - You'll Be There / What Happened To Saturday (Kirk 636)
Biography :
The
Mistics were a white vocal group from Charles H. Milby High School in
Houston, Texas. formed by Ray Vaughn, Jerry Simmons, Neal Seymour,
Buster Sullivan and Tommy Thompson. They began to repeat, to occur
locally and participates at some talent shows and soon had a recording
contract with Capri records. Capri Records was a short-lived but
influential rock and roll record label established in Conroe, Texas by
Huey P Meaux and Foy Lee in the early 1960s. It launched the careers of
many Texas artists and furthered the careers of artists such as Gene
Summers, Gaylon Christie, Scotty McKay and Pat Minter. The Mystics had a very big hit with an old Clyde
McPhatter song called "Without Love". Tom Jones covered it several years
later. Anyway, that song was # 2 in Houston, but was actually # 1 in
California and several other states. After some months, Jerry Simmons
leaves the band and was replaced by Clyde (Sonny) Jones, another H.
Milby High School student that was part of another group, The Pastels.
The Pastels with Clyde (Sonny) Jones on top
Clyde
(Sonny) Jones did some recording in the early 60s with a friend from
the dorm next door , as "Gary and Sonny" on Cadette. " It’s All Over"
b/w "You’re Gonna Love Me" were two local hits for Gary and Sonny in
the area. With this new line-up, the group continue to produce two more
years andrecorded "You'll Be There" b/w "What Happened To Saturday" for
Kirk Rcords in Conroe.
(L to R) James Wells, Alfred Stewart,
Ken “Boots” Wallace , Vernon Manning, Larry McKenion, Stanley Green,
Ross Mounds. Front: Jessie Alphanso, Robert “Hub” Franklin .
The Thundering Sentries (Harrisburg, Pa)
Personnel :
Stanley Green (Lead)
Robert “Hub” Franklin (Lead)
Ross Mounds (Lead)
Alfred Stewart (Bass)
Ken “Boots” Wallace (Second Tenor)
Vernon Manning (Falsetto)
Larry McKenion (First Tenor)
Jessie Alphanso (Percussion)
James Wells (Bass Guitar)
Discography :
Unreleased :
1962 - Remember The Night
1962 - Zoom Zoom Zoom
1962 - Human
Biography :
The band formed in 1960 by John Harris classmates, Jessie Alphanso
and Larry McKenion. They frequently played at the Oaks in York and, on
their own turf, played regularly at the Superette Market/Dance Hall. The
Sentries never landed a record deal, but recorded a five song demo at
Gross Studios, Mechanicsburg, in 1962.
They
were often mistakenly identified as the Thundering Centuries, a
misnomer which lead to at least one spin-off, or copy-cat group, the
Lightning Decades.
1972 (58) - Be A Slave / Till Then (Downstairs 1000)
Michael Kelly
1962 - When A Man Cries / Find Me ( Philips 40046)
Biography :
Mike Kelly had music in his blood from a young age, he fronted a
black vocal group of his own called the Vocal-Teens while still in high
school. The group recorded two demo sides in 1958/59. The Vocal Teens
made pop music that was heavily informed by doo-wop. But while the
Duprees reached for a cinematic sound indebted to pre-rock sources (and
cut updated versions of many songs that were famous before the rock era
began), Kelly’s first group had a rougher edge. “Be a Slave,” a love
song Mike Kelly wrote (and sang) at the age of fourteen for the Vocal
Teens, was sweetened by strings. Unfortunately the two sides will not be
released before 1972 on Downstairs Records
Mike Kelly
The Vocal Teens opened doors for Mike Kelly and one of the people he
got to know, Joseph "Joey Vann" Canzano, was the original lead singer
for the Duprees.
When Vann left the group for a short time in 1961, Kelly was brought in
to sing lead, something he did on a number of demo records used to get
the group a recording contract. Unfortunately, before the group hit it
big, Kelly left for a solo career and Vann returned to score hits with
the Duprees on You Belong to Me, My Own True Love, Have You Heard and a
number of others.
The Duprees (Mike On Left)
By 1964 when Vann left the group again and Kelly was brought in as
the permanent lead singer, the time of the group's biggest success was
past. Kelly did stick with the group for the next 13 years as they tried
to reinvent themselves for a new generation. While they never made it
back to the top 40, they did find some success on the oldies circuit.
Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights (Detroit, Michigan)
Personnel :
Nathaniel Mayer (Lead)
Henry Ferguson
Harold Smith
Robert Coates
Robert James
Charles ? Rufus ? and Dorothy ?
Discography :
1962 - My Last Dance With You / My Little Darling (Fortune 542)
1962 - Village Of Love / I Want A Woman (Fortune 545 /UA 449/UA 1625)
1962 - Well, I've Got Good News (For You) / Work It Out (Fortune 550)
1962 - Well, I've Got Good News (For You) / Mr. Santa Claus (Bring Me My Baby) (Fortune 550)
1962 - I'm Not Gonna Cry / I Had A Dream (Fortune 554)
1962 - Hurting Love / Leave Me Alone (Fortune 487 /UA 447)
1963 - Going Back To The Village Of Love / My Last Dance With You (Fortune 557)
Biography :
Born in Detroit on February 10, 1944, Nathaniel Mayer was just 18
years old when he began his recording career for the local small,
independent Fortune Records, which had been in operation since 1946
under the ownership of the husband-and-wife team of Jack and Devora
Brown. Known affectionately as Nay Dog, his energetic antics on stage
coupled with his powerfully-raw vocals put one in mind of the Godfather
of Soul, James Brown.
But, unlike Brown who would score well over 100 hit singles and many
best-selling albums on his way to the R&R Hall Of Fame (1986), Mayer
is forever a member of the One-Hit Wonder Club, that being his May/June
1962 # 18 R&B and # 22 Billboard Pop Hot 100 Village Of Love,
billed as Nathaniel Mayer & His Fabulous Twilights (again emulating
Brown's Famous Flames) on Fortune 449 b/w I Want A Woman.
The complete make-up of The Fabulous Twilights, however, has never
been fully established with the only known names being Henry Ferguson,
Harold Smith, Robert Coates and Robert James who, with other so far
unidentified members, seemed to alternate from record to record. This
Village Of Love was not only the best nationally-charted hit for
Fortune, but seemingly their ONLY hit, tells you that, despite a
distribution arrangement with United Artists, they simply could not
compete with the big boys when it came to funding promotion.
And that's too bad because they did cut some discs with artists like
Nolan Strong, Andre Williams & The Don Juans, John Lee Hooker and
Big Maceo. And certainly, had these releases by Nathaniel Mayer been
handled by a larger independents such as the Motown empire, or one of
the giants like RCA Victor or Columbia, you just know some - if not all -
would have gotten him back on the national charts:
1963 - I want You, I Need You, I Love You / Make Believe Love (Roman 2963)
The Montereys (2)
1964 - Face In The Crowd / Step Right Up (Blast 219)
The Monorays
1966 - Face In The Crowd / Step Right Up (Astra 1018)
Biography :
The group was originally formed in 1960 from the New Utrech High
School with Vinny Esposito, John Randazzo, Tony Giordano & Rich
Torelli . Vinny Esposito left the group way before they have chance to
record.
The Group backed "Don Del Sini "Don Dell", a New York High School
Teacher on "Make Believe Love" and "I want You, I Need You, I Love You"
on Roman records. Don Dell had previously recorded two singles with
another local group, The Up Starts.
Don Del Sini The Montereys
In 1964, the Montereys (2) finally recorded their own single with
"Face In The Crowd" b/w "Step Right Up" on Blast Records, a subsidiary
of Sinclair Records owned by the late Don Ames. In 1966 Astra Records
from Pittsburg released the same sides under the name of the Monorays.
The group stayed together until 1968 when Billy Schalda, Rich Torelli
and Tony Giordano formed another group called ‘Sy Rapp’.
Songs :
Don Dell & The Montereys (2)
Make Believe Love I Want You,I Need You,I Love You
(left to right): Ron Henries, George Smith, Richard Jones, Dell Padgett & Benny Barros 
