1962 - The Beginning And Not The End / My Only Girl (One Night) (Prism 1003/4)
Lenny Davis
1961 - Satan's Got You (By The Hand) / Sing, Little Bluebird (Do-Ra-Me 1413)
Biography :
Singer,
Lenny Davis Cut one single with two nice doo wop in 1962 for Prism
Records. The single was recorded in Nashville at the Murry Nash Studio
with Nashville studio musicians who performed with Elvis Presley, Patsy
Cline, Roy Orbison and many others..
Some of the musicians on the two sessions were Hank Garland, Grady
Martin, Pete Drake , Hargus "Pig" Robbins on piano and a blind vocalist
named Mary.
Floyd Adams (Lead): (l-r) :Howard Anderson, Roger Lee , Larry "Spanky" Carter, Tucker Class
The Keynotes (1) (Harlem, New York)
Personnel :
Floyd Adams (Lead)
Howard Anderson (First Tenor)
Roger Lee (Second Tenor)
Larry "Spanky" Carter (Baritone)
Tucker Class (Bass)
Discography :
Singles :
1955 - Suddenly / Zenda (Apollo 478)
1955 - I Don't Know / A Star (Apollo 484)
1956 - Really Wish You Were Here / Bye Bye Baby (Apollo 493)
1956 - Now I Know / Zup Zup (Apollo 498)
1956 - In The Evening / O Yeah Hm-m-m (Apollo 503)
1957 - One Little Kiss / Now I Know (Apollo 513)
Unreleased:
N/A - Early one morning (Relic LP 5080)
N/A - Chapel bells are ringing (Relic LP 5080)
N/A - Tell me you love me (Relic LP 5080)
N/A - Surely (Apollo LP 1000/Relic LP 5072)
N/A - Zoop zoop (darling i love you) (Apollo LP 1000/Relic LP 5072)
N/A - Girl in the chapel (Apollo LP 1000/Relic LP 5072)
Biography :
The
Keynotes, emerged from ll5th Street in l954. Although it is rumored
that they were singing the street song "Lily Maebelle", their first
record for Apollo was "Zenda"/ "Suddenly". Later in 1955, they had a
local New York rocker, "I Don't Know," that hit on the R&B stations.
It featured Sam "The Man" Taylor on tenor horn and Mickey "Guitar"
Baker. The first two records were led by Floyd Adams, who was rumored to be the lead of another Apollo group, The Inspirations ("Raindrops"/ "Maggie").
Adams stayed on to do two more groovie rockers, "Bye Bye
Baby" and "Really Wish You Were " until he was replaced by the more
dynamic tenor, Sam Kearney, who led "In The Evening" and two different
versions of the calypso-blues-rock "Now I Know". The Keynotes were the prototype New York Street group. They may have
had as many as ten members who recorded for the fun of it, singing well
but never making it big. They were subjected to the same tragic
results, limited success and nonrecognition, as their uptown brothers,
The Vocaltones.
1958 - Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu / Flip Top Box (Swan 4006)
1958 - Leave Me Alone (Let Me Cry) / Wild Party (Swan 4014)
1959 - Teardrops Will Fall / Come With Us (Swan 4025)
1959 - Ballad Of A Train / Dear Heart, Don't Cry (Swan 4033)
1960 - Wabash Cannonball / The Drums Of Richard A. Doo (Swan 4046)
1960 - Teen Scene / Pity, Pity (UA 238)
1961 - The Judge / A Little Dog Cried (UA 362)
1961 - The Judge / Doo Plus Two (Danna 1001)
1965 - Click Clack '65 / Don't Count Me Out (Ascot 2178)
Lps :
1960 - Madison And Other Dances (UAL-3094 / UAS-6094)
The
Big M, Part I (Madison) / What In The World's Comes Over You / Cha Cha
Rooney / Ballin' The Jack / Do The Slop / Mashed Potatoes / The Big M,
Part II (Madison) / Rock And Roll Waltz / Charleston / The Big Hurt /
The Stroll / The Bop
1960 - Teen Scene (UAL-3097 / UAS-6097)
Footsteps / I Love The Way
You Love / He'll Have To Go / Lady Luck / Vive L'amour / Midnight
Special / Teen Scene / Wake Up Little Susie / Mr. Blue / Pity, Pity /
Pretty Blue Eyes /Wild One
1961 - Live at Eagle Rock Ski and Golf Club in Hazleton PA (Danna D1566)
Shake
Rattle And Roll / Ain't That A Shame / Jenny Jenny / Kansa City / What
I'd Say / Lucille / Allright OK You Win / Hully Gully / Saints Go
Marching In / Nee Nee Na Na Nu Nu / Can't Sit Down
Biography :
Dickey Doo & the Dont's started out as a joke with a purpose.
Gerry Granahan, a producer, songwriter, and performer needed an alias
under which he could release his newest record without getting into
legal trouble with another record label to which he was already under
contract and the alias turned into a successful recording act.
Granahan, born in Pittston, PA, was a musician and singer who'd
handled demos for Hill & Range aimed at Elvis Presley. Signed to
Sunbeam Records in 1957, he had a hit in mid-1958 with "No Chemise
Please," a novelty song that got to number 23 on the Billboard chart.
His next four singles stiffed, but then he found himself with a song
that seemed like a certain hit, "Click Clack," and a label -- Swan
Records of Philadelphia -- that wanted to release it; moreover, with
Swan behind it, the label's silent partner, Dick Clark, would give it a
boost on the local version of his daily music showcase, American
Bandstand, thus ensuring it had every chance to become a hit.
Granahan's different contractual relationships, with Sunbeam and an
earlier contract with Atlantic, however, made it risky for him to
release anything with Swan, at least under his own name. Thus were born
Dickey Doo & the Dont's, a mythical act whose name would be attached
to the song "Click Clack." Swan partner Tony Mammarella suggested the
name Dickey Doo & the Dont's as an "in" joke that obliquely referred
to Clark's secret involvement with Swan.
The song broke out gradually and rose to number 28 during a
three-and-a-half-month run. With a hit behind him, Granahan now faced
another problem: coming up with a group to appear as Dickey Doo &
the Dont's. He recruited a quartet -- Harvey Davis (bass), Al Ways
(sax), Ray Gangi (guitar), and Dave Alldred (drums) -- to back him as
Dickey Doo & the Dont's; Granahan was referred to on their
recordings as Richard A. Doo.
The quintet proved extremely popular in concert and charted more
singles, including "Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu," "Leave Me Alone," and
"Teardrops Will Fall," over the next year and a half. By the 1960s, the
group had left Swan and moved to the United Artists label, where they
cut two albums and remained under contract until 1965.
Granahan continued his extensive activities as a producer during this
period, working with the music of the Angels and Patty Duke, among
others.
One-time
upholsterer Venton "Buddy" Caldwell started his own V-Tone label in
1958 in Philadelphia. The same year, he started Len Records as a
subsidiary. V-Tone lasted until 1962 and Len until 1960. The company was
located at 2034 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia. When he discontinued
V-Tone in late 1962, Caldwell then started the Palm label, and began
with the exact same single. Herb Johnson was the most notable single
artist who sang for Len/V-Tone/Palm. Herb recorded 'You Belong to Me,'
also recorded by the Orioles. In 1953, he joined the Air Force and sang
with a group called the Lyrics and also sang with the group the
Ambassadors.
Herb's first single for Len was "Guilty" "Have You Heard" released
in the spring of 1960, According to Johnson, he was backed by The Cruisers
from Washington, D.C. who handled vocal harmonies. "Help" was recorded
and released in 1963 on Caldwell's Palm label, the successor to Len
& V-Tones. The String-filled instrumental backing is a concession to
the changing early sixties market, but the strong r&b group backing
"Help" and "Crying Blues", the flip side, is strictly fifties. Herb was
backed up by an accomplished group from Baltimore featuring Louis
Jackson called the Premiers.
1959 - Shoma Dom Dom / Whispering Winds (End 1050)
Biography:
In mid-1959, Keyes and Gordon teamed to record a single for the End
label as the Shell Brothers. The sides, "Shooma Domm Dom" and
"Whispering Winds," were released that June.
1955 - I Wish I Didn't Love You So / I Know Love (Glory 231)
1955 - Soldier Boy / Take Me Back, Baby (Glory 234)
1955 - Angels Say / In The Rain (Glory 236)
1956 - Hold ‘Em, Joe / Fallen Angel (Glory 238)
1956 - Darling You / Please Don't Deprive Me Of Love (Glory 242)
1956 - Please Play My Song / I Sit In My Window (Glory 244)
1956 - You Don't Know Me / You Sweet Girl (Glory 248)
1957 - Loving You Darling / Give Me Back My Broken Heart (Glory 250)
Bette McLaurin & The Four Fellows (1)
1955 - So Will I / Grow Old Along With Me (Glory 233)
1956 - Petticoat Baby / I’m Past Sixteen (Glory 241)
Cathy Ryan (bb The Four Fellows (1))*
1955 - 24 Hours A Day (365 A Year) / [With You - Kathy Ryan solo] (King 1495)
*credited as The Admirals
Miss Toni Banks & The Four Fellows (1)
1957 - Johnny The Dreamer / You’re Still In My Heart (Glory 263)
Biography:
The
Four Fellows will always be remembered for “Soldier Boy,” a definitive
mid-‘50s hit. Jim McGowan (lead), Dave Jones (tenor), Teddy Williams
(baritone), and Larry Banks (bass) originally formed in Brooklyn, NY,
calling themselves the Schemers, which they changed to the Four Fellows
after landing an early TV appearance.
In 1954, they recorded one single for Derby Records, but it failed to
gain an audience. They soon signed with Phil Rose’s newly formed Glory
Records and recorded a handful of singles, including “Grow Along With
Me,” which featured a lead vocal by Betty McLaurin.
(L-R) Teddy Williams, Jimmy McGowan (lead-standing), Larry Banks and David Jones
In the late spring of 1955, the Four Fellows recorded “Soldier Boy,”
which earned them a spot on the bill of Tommy Smalls’ Dr. Jive’s R&B
Revue at the Apollo Theater in June of that year, performing alongside
Harvey Fuqua’s Moonglows, Gene & Eunice, the Nutmegs, Bo Diddley,
and Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra with Ella Johnson and Nolan Lewis.
Meanwhile,
“Soldier Boy” was covered by many popular artists, including Sunny Gale
and Edyie Gorme. The group successfully toured the South and Midwest
and ended the year by performing at the big Christmas Revue at the
Brooklyn Paramount Theater.
Bessie Banks aka Miss Toni Banks Bette McLaurin
They
were less successful with their releases, however, and didn’t hit again
(after several attempts) until August of 1956, when up-tempo “I Sit in
My Window” was released. Additional singles faltered .
In 1957, the Four Fellows added Toni Banks (formerly of Three Guys
and a Doll) as a lead vocalist and recorded a final single for Glory,
but it failed to generate enough sales or airplay to merit keeping the
band on their roster and except for the occasional backup singing job -
including working with folk-blues artist Josh White - the Four Fellows
career came to an end before the dawn of the ‘60s.
Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide
www.soldierboy.50megs.com/McGowan/fourfellows.htm
www.home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/fourfellows.html
www.vocalgroupharmony.com/bend.htm
www.soulfulkindamusic.net/lbanks.htm
www.soulfulkindamusic.net/bbanks.htm
www.home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/bettemac.html
Songs ::
The Four Fellows (1)
Bend Of The River / I Tried Soldier Boy / Take Me Back, Baby
Angels Say / In The Rain Hold ‘Em, Joe / Fallen Angel
Darling You / Please Don't Deprive Me Of Love I Sit In My Window / Please Play My Song
You Don't Know Me / You Sweet Girl Loving You Darling / Give Me Back My Broken Heart
Bette McLaurin & The Four Fellows (1)
So Will I / Grow Old Along With Me Petticoat Baby / I’m Past Sixteen
Left to Right : Roland Hodge, Frankie Rich, Jimmy Tickle and Chick Fogleman
The Darvis (Burlington, North Carolina)
Personnel:
Roland Hodge
Frankie Rich
Jimmy Tickle
Chick Fogleman
Discography :
1958 - Love Me Too / The Day I Met You (Renown) (Unreleased?)
Biography :
Local singing group from Burlington, the Darvis include Roland Hodge,
Frankie Rich, Jimmy Tickle and Chick Fogleman. The youths signed their
contract with Renown Recording and Publication Company of Durham.
The Contract, a two-tear agreement, will be initiated with the
recording of two Songs, "Love Me Too," written by Hodge, and "The Day I
Met You" authored by Rich. they will be eligible to move on to a larger
company and the first release is to be auditioned by a Major company
1955 - Don't Do That / Sitting By The Window (Sun 222)
Unreleased:
1955 - Gonna Have Let You Be
1955 - Mambo Baby
1955 - Memories
1955 - My Only Angel
1955 - Go Ahead
1955 - Rockin' Chair
The Teenos
1958 - Love Only One / Alrightee (Dub 2839)
The Esquires (3)
1956 - Only The Angels Know / One Word For This (Hi-Po 1003)
Biography :
A Memphis group, the Five Tinos comprised local college students.
There were Luchrie Jordan, Haywood Hebron, Marvin Walker, Melvin Walker,
and Melvin Jones. They probably went to Booker T. Washington High
School in south Memphis. The Five Tinos have a session at Sun Studio 706
Union Ave Memphis Tennessee the May 26, 1955. The Tinos recorded a
total of eight tracks . "Don't Do That" and "Sitting By My Window" which
are coupled for release as Sun 222 released June 21. The two Walker
brothers had a younger brother, William, who later joined another
Memphis group, The Four kings aka the Four canes . Some reckon that
they're the same group as The Teenos & The Esquires on Hi-Po. The
composers credit on the Teenos single "Love Only One" is Tinos for like
"Sitting By The Window" & "Don't Do That" of the Five Tinos. The
Other song is credited to M.Walker (Melvin or Marvin Walker?)… Ok For
the Teenos?
The
group begin as the Arpeggios in New Orleans and sang strictly gospel,
switching to the Arrows to sang R&B. The Original members are Mel
Alexander (Second Tenor), Frank Alexander (Bass), Leroy Bishop (Lead),
Frank Dixon (High Tenor) & Sidney Jones (Baritone).
Mel
Alexander
One by one the Arpeggios came out to California. The Arrows composed
of Mel Alexander, Frank Alexander, Leroy Bishop, Frank Dixon &
Malvin Perkins signed a contract with Charlie 'Flash' Reynolds of Flash
record on 29th July,1958. Two months later "Indian Bop Hop" backed with
"Annie Mae" hit the Streets.
The Appeggios with Mel Alexander on lead (Los Angeles, 1957)
They Changed their name from the Arrows to the Convincers. The
Convincers were made up of Mel, his brother, Jones, Dixon and Willie
Gibson on lead. The Group recorded the Beautifull "Rejected Love"
spliced with "Go BacK Baby" for Movin' Records. In 1963, Mel & his
quarter Friends, now renamed the Arpeggios (Misspelled Appeggios) with
the Convincers' Line-up recorded "Mary" backed with "I'll Be Singing"
for the Tiny Los Angeles based Aries label.
1955 - Chop Chop Boom / My Autumn Love (States 147)
1955 - Shu-Wop* / My Loving Partner (States 150
1955 - May God Be With You / Little Man (States 152)
1956 - My Love / She's Mine (States 160)
1967 - All The Way / Walk On With Your Nose Up (Midas 9004)
*Song was meant to be titled “New Way” but title had to be changed for censorship reasons.
Biography:
The
Danderliers called themselves by this made-up name, supposedly an
offshoot of the dandelion flower, hoping to differentiate themselves
from all the car and bird-named groups on the doo wop scene at the time.
The original members came together in early 1955, near Cottage Grove
between 60th and 68th Streets on Chicago's South Side. They had all
attended classes at either the Chicago Vocational High or Englewood High
School, and upon graduating, began to practice in nearby Washington
Park. During these early days in the group's history, they trudged over
to nearby United Records to audition on frequent occasions, and each
time they were turned away. One day, the group were still feeling the
sting of rejection after one such audition failed to nab them a
recording contract, and had gathered together in the park to work on a
song that would develop into “Chop Chop Boom.”
At
that very moment Sam Smith of United Records, drove by, heard the
group, and hauled them into his brother Al Smith’s basement rehearsal
hall. Together they worked on polishing “Chop,” and a beautiful ballad,
“My Autumn Love,” both written by Dallas Taylor. These two songs were
the first Danderliers single released on United's States label. By the
first week of April 1955, “My Autumn Love” was hitting the Chicago
airwaves, and many disc jockeys flipped over the flip side, “Chop Chop
Boom,” too. Later, both songs hit the Billboard R&B charts and shot
to number ten on the Disc Jockey lists and number 14 on the Best Seller
scorecard, respectively.
The Dandeliers performed their minor hit before crowds in Michigan,
Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio, and built up a solid
repertoire of cover songs to perform, like “Glory of Love” (the 5 Keys),
“Jump Children” (the Flamingos), and “Pardon My Tears” by former
schoolmates and current labelmates the Moroccos. The group’s second
single, “New Way,” was released in the third week of July. The cha-cha
rocker featured Taylor and the group repeating the refrain “Dally's got a
new way.” (Dally was a nickname of Dallas Taylor). It's been said that
when someone in the record company asked, “Dally's got a new way to
what?,” the answer from the lead singer caused a bit of controversy.
States
Records decided that they'd better come up with an answer of their own,
in case anyone asked, and re-titled it “Shu-Wop.” Regardless of what it
was called, the single received a lot of airplay in Chicago, but
nothing much beyond the regional area. A third single, the gospel doo
wop ballad “May God Be With You,” and The Danderliers’ final single,
another fine ballad titled “My Love,” caused nary a ripple beyond the
local area as well, and with no management direction the group soon
disbanded. A few unreleased demos were done for Mercury later, and
Dallas Taylor recorded one record in 1961 as a member of a revised Dells
(“Swingin’ Teens” for the Vee-Jay label), but not much was heard from
them again until they reunited for “All the Way” (Midas Records) in
1967. Dallas Taylor passed away on November 14, 1986. At his funeral,
the former members of the Danderliers sang “May God Be With You.”
José Williams, Stokes Anderson, Gordon Hunt, Roy Johnson and Harry Wilbert (Piano)
Jose & The Aztecs (1) (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Personnel :
José Williams (Lead)
Roy Johnson ( First Tenor)
Gordon Hunt (Baritone)
Stokes Anderson (Bass)
Harry Wilbert (Piano)
Discography :
Singles:
1956 - Tonight / Rose (Echo)
Unreleased :
1955 - Baby Baby (Roadhouse LP 5001)
1955 - Does She Know (Roadhouse LP 5001)
1955 - My Aching Heart (Roadhouse LP 5001)
1955 - Wait A Minute Baby (Roadhouse LP 5001)
1955 - Why Did You Leave Me (Roadhouse LP 5001)
Biography :
Organised in Cincinnati in 1955, The Aztecs were led by José Williams
of Washington D.C, Roy Johnson sang First Tenor, Gordon Hunt sang
Baritone, Stokes Anderson was the Bass, and Harry Wilbert played Piano.The
Group was greatly influenced by the Diablos, and had one release in
1956, "Tonight" b/w "Rose" on the now defunct Echo label out of
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Thanks to Marv
Songs :
My Aching Heart / Does She Know / Wait A Minute Baby
1958 - Scratch My Back / The Little Green Man (Swan 4013)
The Unique Echos
1962 - Italian Twist / Zoom (Southern Sound 108)
Jimmy McQuade & The Unique Echos
1967 - Booga Ka Do / Bongo Talk (Swan 4274)
The Frankie Grier Quartet bb The Echoes (4)
1958 - Oh Gloria / Lonesome For You (Swan 4019)
Biography :
After graduating from high school, Bobby Palese and Joe Giglio
enlisted the talents of two other boys, Dominick "Chubby" Salvatore and
Fiore "Cookie Dell" Delbuono, who were equally disdainful of the
ordinary working world. They started to play and sing for garden
parties, birthdays, weddings, bar mitzvahs and the like. The name they
performed under at that time was Cookie and His Swing Kings.
The Echoes (4) : Chuby, Joe Giglio, Dick Clark, Cookie & Bob Palese
But when Swan Records took an interest in them, they changed the name
to the Echoes. Their first pick to click was a demented novelty ditty,
'The Little Green Man,' in which they not only sang but provided all the
instrumental background as well, a rarity in that time when persnickety
label owners usually demanded professional sidemen for recording
sessions.
The Echoes/Unique Echos: (Top Right) Mc Quade, Bob Palese, Dino Borgi (Front) Joe Giglio and Campisi
Little Green Man" was designed to take advantage of the ubiquitous
UFO sightings, which were so common in the late 1950s. But unexpectedly,
Bosco wrote, "it was the flip side, 'Scratch My Back,' which was
garnering airplay, especially from local supergiant WIBG.
Joe Giglio, Dino Borgi, Bob Palese and Jimmy Mc Quade
It reached #2 in Scranton and #86 nationally."A few day after their
mission for Swan, they were marshaled back into Reco-Arts to support
Frankie Grier, A later Day Angel (Grand Records) and his homeboys on
their stellar two sider, " Oh Gloria" and "Lonesome For You ". They
Provided all the instrumentation.
The Unique Echos: (Top) Jimmy Mc Quade & Joe Raodano. (Bottom) Ed Vickery & Joe Giglio
But the boys suffered a blow when the payola scandal erupted in
1959-60, ensnaring among others "American Bandstand's" Dick Clark, who
was a silent partner in Swan. He had to divest himself of many of his
holdings in the music industry, including Swan. Without Clark, the
company foundered. Calamitously, Bobby Palese, out of nowhere, got
drafted, to be replaced by Nicky 'Rags' Guaglione.
The Echoes (4) : Chuby, Joe Giglio, Dick Clark, Cookie & Bob Palese
The Quartet evolved into a Quintet with George Campisi. Eventually,
Bob, the Drummer, bassman and first tenor rejoined the group . They were
indeed an unknown number of 'Echoes' configurations… with Jimmy
McQuade, Dino Borgi, Joe Raodono, Ed Vickery and George Campisi… The
group kept busy, performing as far away as New York and Canada and at
many now-forgotten clubs around Philadelphia and in South Jersey.
The Echoes were later redubbed the "Unique Echos". After a hitch in
the Army, Bobby and his friends released a single called "Zoom" with
singer-songwriters Frank Slay and Bob Crewe, the brains behind the Four
Seasons a few years down the road. Once again, it was the flip side,
"The Italian Twist," that got the attention. After the group faded,
Bobby kept playing two or three nights a week on keyboard, drums and
bass, and singing.
