RAJAHS - LYRES - NUTMEGS

 

  (Top L-R)  James "Sonny" Griffin, Billy Emery, (Bottom L-R) Leroy Griffin, James "Coco" Tyson 

The Lyres  (New Haven, Conn.)

aka The Rajahs aka  The Nutmegs

Personnel :

Billy Emery (Lead)

Leroy Griffin (Bass)

"Sonny" Griffin (Second Tenor)

Jimmy "Coco" Tyson (Baritone)

Walter Singleterry  (First Tenor)

 

Discography :

1953 - Ship of love / Play Boy (J&G 101)

Biography :

Hailing from New Haven, CT,  the original Nutmegs -- lead Leroy Griffin, Sonny Griffin (born James, he was Leroy's brother), Dieder Cobb, and a second Leroy Griffin (yes, there were two men with the same exact name) who later became Leroy Gomez -- all sang together with other members -- Walter Singleterry, Bill Emery, and Gomez's brother Tommy Griffin -- moving in and out of the lineup. The group performed on the street corners of New Haven, especially Webster and Dixon Streets, where Jimmy "Co Co" Tyson was asked to join the key lineup and soon they were a quintet..

   

The Four Haven knights

The Nutmegs fragmented again and some of the members left to form a group of their own, the Lyres; the Gomez brothers formed the Four Haven Knights. Now comprised of a lineup that included Bill Emery (lead), Walter Singleterry (first tenor), Sonny Griffin (second tenor), Jimmy Tyson (baritone), and Leroy Griffin (bass), the group met promoter Charlie Johnson in 1953, who fell for their sound and decided to record two of Leroy's songs, "Ship of Love" and "Playboy," for his small J&G label after the group was passed over by the local Klik label .

The Nutmegs

The single failed to sell, however, and Johnson lacked the funds to promote it properly. By 1954, the Nutmegs revised their hierarchy and Leroy Griffin switched over to lead, with Sonny Griffin now filling in as first tenor, Tyson (second tenor), Emery (baritone), and they added yet another Leroy, Leroy McNeil, for the bass vocals. Leroy Griffin's nephew Harold (Harry James, not the musician), would often sit in and listen, little knowing the part he would come to play in the group.

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

   

Play Boy                                 Ship of love

 

RAJAHS - LYRES - NUTMEGS

 

The Rajahs (New Haven, Conn.)
aka The Nutmegs aka The Lyres 

Personnel :

Leroy Griffin (Lead)

"Sonny" Washburn (First Tenor)

Eddie Martin (Second Tenor)

"Sonny" Griffin (Baritone)

Leroy McNeil (Bass)

Discography :

Singles

1957 - Shifting Sands / I Feel In love (Klik 7805)

1973 - Rose Ann (a capella) / You're Crying (a capella) (Klik 1019)

1973 - Story To You (a capella) / I Love You So (The Five Satins) (Klik 1020)

Unreleased :

1958 - Help Me (Demo)

 

Biography :

The Nutmegs were a 1950s American doo wop vocal group from New Haven, Connecticut. They are best known for their songs "Story Untold" and "Ship of Love," both released in 1955. Each single made the national R&B charts, with "Story Untold" reaching #2 and "Ship of Love" peaking at #13. The quintet was led by tenor Leroy Griffin and was signed to Herald Records in New York.

In 1956, The Nutmegs returned home to New Haven, Connecticut, after a disagreement with Alan Freed, who accused them of including obscenities in their act. Billy Emery, who was with the group prior to recording, left to marry and Tyson left to concentrate on his first love, Gospel. The Griffins and McNeil remained and were joined by Washburn from the Five Dukes on Atlas and Eddie Martin from the Five Satins.

To Avoid contractual problems, they changer their name to the Rajahs. A single as the Rajahs on Connecticut's Klik label (1957) with ”Shifting Sands” and ”I Feel In love” have poor result. Griffin soon changed the group right back into the Nutmegs, but it was Washburn who assumed some of the lead vocal chores on later sides by the group such as the 1962 "Crazy 'Bout You." They  made records as the Lyres and the Rajahs, but it’s under their main name The Nutmegs had their two big R&B chart hits. Both were composed by the group's distinctive lead singer, Leroy Griffin.

Songs :

   

Shifting Sands                            I Feel In love

  

Rose Ann  / You're Crying                          Story To You