Paste-up photo : Top : Darlene Wright (Love) Bottom Gloria Jones and Fanita James
Hannibal & The Angels (4) (Los Angeles)
aka The Blossons
aka The Rollettes
aka The Playgirls (1)
aka The Coeds (2)
aka The Girlfriends (3)
aka The Dreamers (3)
Ref Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans
Personnel:
James T. Shaw (Lead)
Darlene Wright "Love" (Tenor)
Gloria Jones (Tenor)
Fanita James (Baritone)
Discography :
1960 - Love Is Funny / Please Take A Chance On Me (Pan World 517)
Biography :
"Hannibal", "The Mighty Hannibal" and "King Hannibal" are all
pseudonyms for James T. (Jimmy) Shaw. Born James Shaw he started singing
doo wop as an Atlanta teenager, and eventually released a string of
moderately successful (and generally highly praised) singles for a
variety of independent labels.
James T. (Jimmy) Shaw
Shaw's first group, the Overalls in 1954, included future Pips Edward
Patten and Merald Knight. His first notable single as a solo performer
(1958's "Big Chief Hug-Um an' Kiss-Um") was released under the name
Jimmy Shaw on Concept. Other early singles of note include "Love Is
Funny" and "Please Take A Chance On Me" for Pan World . The backing
group was The Angels, not the same ones that gained fame years later,
but Fanita James, Gloria Jones and Darlene Wright from the Blossoms.
In 1961, the Blossoms signed with Challenge Records. The group was a
trio by this time, Darlene, Gloria and Fanita. Unfortunately, the ladies
were already running into problems at the new label. Gloria remembers
how this chain of events sent everyone scrambling, “We were all set for
our first session for Challenge. Darlene had fought with her husband
that morning and he wouldn't let her go to the session, so we had to get
someone to take her place.
Fanita James & Gloria Jones
For the life of me, I can't remember the girl's name who sang lead on
the song, but it became a hit. The unknown singer is rumored to be
Jennell Hawkins, but the lead does not sound like her. The Blossoms,
with the “unknown” singer on lead had a mild hit with their first
Challenge single, an answer record to Ernie-K-Doe's “Mother In-Law”
aptly entitled “Son In-Law”. Ironically, the single wasn't even supposed
to be a Blossoms single, as original pressings have the group billed as
the Coeds.
Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World Paperback by John Clemente
The Dreamers on Flip Records.(top to right) Gloria Jones, Janell Hawkins, Annette Williams, and Fanita James.
The Dreamers (3) (Los Angeles)
aka The Blossons
aka The Rollettes
aka The Playgirls (1)
aka The Angels (4)
aka The Girlfriends (3)
aka The Coeds (2)
Ref Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans
Personnel :
Fanita Wright Barrett (First tenor)
Annette Williams (First tenor)
Nanette Williams Jackson (Second tenor)
Gloria Jones (Baritone)
Discography :
The Dreamers (3) featuring Richard Berry
1954 - Bye Bye / At Last (Flair 1052)
The Dreamers (3)
1956 - Do Not Forget / Since You've Been Gone (Flip 319)
Jenell Hawkins & The Dreamers (3)
1961 - Do Not Forget / Since You've Been Gone (Flip 354)
Richard Berry bb The Dreamers (3)
1956 - Good Love / Wait For Me (RPM 477)
Richard Berry & The Dreamers (3)
Singles :
1955 - Daddy Daddy / Baby Darling (Flair 1058)
1955 - Together / Jelly-Roll (Richard Berry with male group) (Flair 1075)
Lp :
1963 - Richard Berry & The Dreamers (3) (Crown CST 371)
Daddy,
Daddy / Pretty Brown Eyes* / I Am Bewildered* / The Big Break** / Good
Love / Next Time* / Wait For Me / Together / Baby Baby / Please Tell Me
*Richard Berry solo
**Richard Berry with male group
Biography :
The
Dreamers were formed in 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Gloria Jones,
Fanita Barrett, fraternal twin sisters Annette and Nanette Williams, Pat
Howard and Jewel Cobbs all attended Fremont High School in Los Angeles.
Fanita and Jewel had been in the glee club at Edison Junior High
School. When the girls attended Fremont, Fanita and Jewel met the twins
in the chorus. Pat and Gloria soon joined the group. This sextet was
originally named The Dreamers. his sextet was originally named The
Dreamers. The girls palled around with fellow student Dexter Tisby,
himself a member of the locally popular group, The Penguins, who had a
hit with the memorable, “Earth Angel”.
Richard Berry
Richard Berry was having emergent success as a songwriter and as a
jazz and R&B soloist. The capable singer took to the sextet of young
girls. Barely out of high school himself, Richard was quickly
developing a reputation as a smooth baritone crooner. The Dreamers
complemented him perfectly. He began using them as backing vocalists on
his recordings for Flair and RPM Records.
With Johnny Otis in 1954. Left to
right: Annette Williams, Nanette Williams, Fanita Barrett, Gloria Jones,
Pat Howard and Jewel Cobbs. Cobbs and Howard sang only on the "Bye Bye"
and "Daddy Daddy" sessions.
Johnny Otis, the famed disc jockey and
orchestra leader, spotted the girls at a high school talent show. One of
their first appearances was for his radio show on KFOX IN 1955. Not
long after this appearance, Pat and Jewel turned their attentions to
other activities in their lives. The group quickly became an efficient
quartet. The Dreamers developed an harmonic tone that was crystal clear
and mesmerizing in its clarity. Every note was sung in perfectly aimed
“oohs”, and when their words were sung, it was like a recitation.
Everything they sang was done in three or four-part harmonies with
either Fanita or Nanette taking the occasional lead. The Dreamers
weren't interested in making a name for themselves as a primary group.
Happy being backing vocalists, they played both an integral and primary
part of Richard Berry's recordings.
The Rollettes.
Beginning with a version of Harry Warren and Mack Gordon's standard
gem “At Last”, The Dreamers backed Richard Berry on three singles for
Flair, one single for RPM and one single for Flip. Also, The Dreamers
lent their signature sound to other solo artists like Eloise Brooks and
Etta James. Perhaps the most memorable recording by the group under
their original moniker was the enchanting “Do Not Forget” and its
compatible flip, , “Since You've Been Gone”, both penned by Richard
Berry. In a true California style, the girls blow their way through each
phrase, putting their unique intonations on every chord. Nanette could
not sing lead on this session, so Jennell Hawkins took her place.
Jennell is an accomplished organist as well as an engaging singer and
had recorded duets with Richard Berry on RPM before rising to fame with
her 1962 hit , “Moments”. The Dreamers' ability to sing in any
configuration allowed them to garner work singing for different labels
under assumed names. Gloria occasionally sang as a member of Richard Berry's Pharaohs.
The Blossoms during their Capitol period. Clockwise from lower left: Nanette, Fanita, Gloria and Annette.
Gloria, Annette and Fanita recorded two singles for Class Records
under the pseudonym The Rollettes. “Sad Fool” and “More Than You
Realize/Kiss Me Benny” were two efforts that, unfortunately, went by
unnoticed, but the efforts of the singing group did not. Recording
under assumed names was to become the group's way of life. The Dreamers
signed with Capitol Records where one of the executives, noticing their
different skin tones, said they looked like a bouquet; which is how they
became the Blossoms.
John Clemente (Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World)
