1961 - Mope-Itty Mope / Wings Of An Angel (Boss 401 / V-Tone 208)
The Four Casts
964 - Stormy Weather / Workin' At The Factory (Atlantic 2228)
Wee Willie Weaver bb The Ly-Dells
1965 - You're Gonna Be So Glad / Automatic Reaction (Tandy 101)
Biography :
Vocal
group from high school at Philly's Edison HS (8th and Lehigh Avenue)
composed by Duval Young "Babbo", Robbie Robinson, Willie Weaver and Buck
(last name unknown). The Group recorded "Mope-Itty Mope" b/w "Wings Of
An Angel" in 1961. The single was issued on the Boss Label (distributed
by Ember) before the rarer V-Tone pressing. Matt Atkinson who sang with
many Philly groups during the era - matter of fact he did several
performances with the Bosstones on-stage singing with the Boss-Tones but
was not on the original record. "Mope-Itty Mope" has been a huge oldie
in Philadelphia in Philly since Jerry "Geator" Blavat featured it at
his popular hops. The Boss-Tones received regional attention but never
achieved the national success initially hoped for. The Dovells, even
covered it for Cameo-Parkway.
Jim Drucker worked as a teenager for Jolly Joyce Theatrical Booking
Agency (JJA), Philadelphia and ran weekend WIBG Record Hops with Harold
B. Childs, for Buzzy Curtis (Promotions) and was in high school at
Philly's Edison HS with members of the Boss-Tones. In 1964 he combined
Chuck Hatfield, Paul O' Lone from The Ly-Dells
and Babbo and Willie Weaver from the Bosstones, and in the dark of
night (at Chancellor Records Studios, 9th and Vine Streets), He
produced: "Stormy Weather" b/w "Working at the Factory" . Jerry Blavat,
Russ Faith (Chancellor Records) and Buzz Curtis sold the master (RCA
Tape Recorder deck) tapes to Atlantic Records. The record was released
in the spring of 1964, under the name of “the Four Casts” (Atlantic
2228)
1958 - Mommy And Daddy / My Heart Is An Open Door (Red Top 100)
Unreleased :
1958 - Bye Bye Truly (Red Top)
1958 - Mary (Red Top)
Colly Williams
1961 - You Know I'll Love You Tomorrow / Oh What A Love (Ry An 501)
1963 - We'll Make It Sommeday / My Vow (Poplar 118)
Biography :
When Doc Bagby, Irv Nahan and Marvin “Red Top” Schwartz got together
to form Red Top records during the last spring of 1957, Philadelphia was
well on it's way to becoming the most important city of the record
business. Operating out of a small office in Downtown Centre City, Red
Top was instituted showcase local Philadelphia Talent. Doc Bagby, Irv
Nahan and Marvin Schwartz could get enough initial airplay locally to
test any release, if there was sufficient action in Philly, they'd turn
the master over to a larger label for national distribution. With that
in mind, Doc Bagby cut Red Top's first session with a young (mid-teens)
Philadelphia group called the Students (Not the Checker/Note group of
"I"m So Yong" fame) on July 8, 1957. The Students consisted of Emerson
"Rocky" Brown, Colly Williams, Janice Brown, Jim Dickerson and Clarence
Smith. Four Songs were recorded that afternoon -"Bye Bye Truly ",
"Mary", "My Heart Is An Open Door" and "Mommy And Daddy", the latter
making up Red Top's first single with sold about 25,000 in Philadelphia
alone (It was not released in any other area). The group performs
locally before splitting up. Colly Williams will return a few years
later with two singles on Ry An and Poplar.
Songs :
The Students (1)
Mommy And Daddy My Heart Is An Open Door
Bye Bye Truly Mary
Colly Williams
You Know I'll Love You Tomorrow We'll Make It Sommeday
Kenny Shott,Dan Wisniewski,Skip Pietrobone,Sam Talarico and Mick Diana.
The Pretenders (3) (Reading, Pennsylvania)
Personnel :
Skip Pietrobone (Lead)
Sam Talarico
Mick Diana
Kenny Shott
Dan Wisniewski
Discography :
The Pretenders (3)
Single :
1962 - The Day You Are Mine / Ding Dong Bells (Bethlehem 3050)
Unreleased :
1962 - Anything For You / Ding Dong Bells (Al Stan)
Barry Petricoin & The Belairs bb The Pretenders (3)
1962 - Pretty Little Angel / Come Back To Sorrento (Inst.) (Al Stan 103)
Barry Petri
1962 - Pretty Little Angel / Come Back To Sorrento (Inst.) (Swan 4111)
Biography :
Sam Talarico started singing on the street corners in Reading in
1959. He then joined the Pretenders, a local Doo Wop group composed in
the early years by Skip Pietrobone,, Mick Dianna, Kenny Shott and Dan
Wisniewski . The original group at the time consisted of five white men.
In 1961, the Pretenders recorded "The Day You Are Mine" b/w "Ding Dong
Bells" released by Bethlehem Records owned by Creed Taylor and Teddy
Charles.
Bethlehem
is remembered for its jazz releases from the 1950s, Bethlehem released
the first albums recorded by singers Chris Connor, in 1954, Nina Simone
(Little Girl Blue) in 1958, and singer/actress Julie London. In 1958,
Bethlehem began a distributing deal with King Records. In 1962, it was
sold and absorbed by King. In early 62the Pretenders returns in studio
with Barry Petricoin & The Belairs where they recorded "Anything For
You" and "Pretty Little Angel" for Al-Stan Records a label founded by
Al Zanino. Al-Stan released only "Pretty Little Angel" with an
instrumental on the B side.
After the departure of Kenny Shott and Dan Wisniewski and arrival of
Al Coleman and Jerry Prentice, the group consisted of 3 white men and
two black. Bill Yuhas later with the Incvictors sang a time with the
group. In 1962 the Pretenders opened up a huge Rock & Roll show in
Reading at Saint Mary’s church sponsored by the legendary Alan Freed. In
that show was Chubby Checker, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Patti
Labelle & The Blue Bells, Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon and many, many
more great acts. The Pretenders performed at all the dances in and
around Reading and in clubs like the Melody Bar, and the Flamingo Bar on
Penn street.
Sam Talarico left the Pretenders in 1964 and formed Tali & The
Hustlers and was the front man in that band until 1968. The Hustlers
were an R & B soul band. They played all the clubs and big Rock
& Roll shows around Reading, Harrisburg, Pottstown, Lebanon and
beyond. They were also the house band at the Crows Nest in Atlantic
City.
They opened and backed up Gladys Knight & The pips and several
other big name artists. The Pretenders were asked to get back together
in 1993 to open a huge oldies show at the Scenic River Days in Reading.
Sam was the front man and lead singer. They did so well at that show
that they stayed together and played several big shows for the next
several years including The First Annual Loose Foundation show,
celebrating the induction of Shorty Long.
Bobby Johnson (Lead) (replaced with Frank Edwards (Tenor) in 1959
Eddie Quinones (Tenor)
Wyndham Porter (Baritone)
James Sneed (Bass)
Discography :
Miriam Grate & The Dovers (1) / Bob Johnson & The Dovers (1)
1955 - My Angel / Please Squeeze (Apollo 472)
Lou Bartel (bb The Dovers) (uncredited)
1955 - I Pray / (Zoom) Give Me Your Love Tonight (Apollo 473)
The Dovers (1) (fb Miriam Grate)
Singles :
1959 - Sweet As A Flower / Boy In My Life (Davis 465)
1961 - The Sentence / Devil You May Be (New Horizon 501) (recorded in 1959)
Unreleased :
1955 - My Love (acappella) (Apollo)*
1955 - My Love (acappella) (with piano) (Apollo)**
1955 - Only Heaven Knows (acappella)*
1955 - Sweet As A Flower (acappella)*
1955 - The Sentence (acappella)*
1955 - Your Love (acappella)*
*Released in 1988 on Relic 5075
**Released in 1988 on Relic 5078
Biography :
The cozy, popular genre of doo-wop is no doubt considered to be great
by the many listeners who cherish it. To explain how the actual name of
Grate figures into this musical wonderland would require one of the few
followers of '50s vocal groups who are not intimidated by endless
detail. In a genre where dozens of groups use the same name, crossing
over family lines as well as generations, it could even be considered
comforting to single out Grate as one of the few surnames in the music
business that simultaneously evokes excellence as well as details of
sewer construction. To cut to the chase, or rather the grate, Miriam
Grate is the female portion of a brother and sister that were active in
the genre, although not together.
Top: Eddie Quinones, Charlie Richardson, Wyndham Porter, Roland Martinez and James Sneed -
Bottom : Unknown, Buddy Bowser and Sara Lou Harris
Her brother Tommy Grate performed and recorded with The Five Wings,
The Marvels and The Dubs, a progression that indicates a penchant for
shorter and shorter band names. Miriam Grate is associated with only two
groups, beginning in the mid '50s with The Dovers. The ensemble cut "My
Angel" for the Apollo label in 1955, initially seemed primed for
several thick coats of hit record paint but were instead left to peel in
the shadow of the competition, of which there was plenty.
L-R: Miriam Grate, Eddie Quinones, Frank Edwards, Wyndham Porter and James Sneed
Grate got something out of it, anyway, as in a husband and a new last
name, although neither of the sort considered particularly desirable in
the music business. Now legally Miriam Sneed after her marraige to
James Sneed of The Dovers, the singer never had much choice about which
surname to use in connection with four tracks also cut for the Apollo
label in 1956.
L-R: James Sneed, Miriam Grate, Guitar player ? and Wyndham Porter
Performances with backing from the fine Mello-Tones--such as the
aromatic "Sweet As A Flower" and a pair of possesive romantic
variations, "Your Love" and "My Love"-- were simply never released,
ending the label's efforts to send Grate back into the fray with a new
group behind her. Historic doo wop compilations on labels such as Relic
have brought such material to light. While some listeners feel Grate was
a neglected, undiscovered Martha Reeves in Sneed clothing, others have
dismissed her as sounding like an adolescent boy on her recordings with
The Dovers.
Vocal group from "Red Hook Brooklyn" composed by Robert Adino, Mike
DiBenedetto, Edwin Lamboy and Joe Reina. Before becoming the
Debonaires, Robert Adino and Mike DiBenedetto backed Lucille Val as the
Echos, they recorded a disc that seems to have been released. The group
began with several personnel combinations in 1956. Eventually, Adino and
DiBenedetto were introduced to Lamboy and Reina. The group members all
attended Boys High School. Between the school and their neighborhood
came the Mystics, the Passions, Little Anthony and the Imperials, the
Velours, and so on.
They
played at local clubs, fairs, and various nightspots and were soon
spotted by Bert Keyes of Gee Records. Bert Keyes organizes a recording
session for them where they recorded six songs. For quite some time it
was rumored that this group , due to their sound, was black. However,
this is simply not correct. Gee released only one single en 1956 -
"Won’t You Tell Me" b/w "I’m Gone" (Gee # 1008) . Too little promotion
of "Gee" and soon after the group split. However, three years later, gee
releases two new titles (Gee # 1054) including the splendid "We'll
Wait". Encyclopedia of Rhythm and Blues and Doo Wop Vocal Groups
Bethlehem
is remembered for its jazz releases from the 1950s, Bethlehem released
the first albums recorded by singers Chris Connor, in 1954, Nina Simone
(Little Girl Blue) in 1958, and singer/actress Julie London. In 1958,
Bethlehem began a distributing deal with King Records. In 1962, it was
sold and absorbed by King. In early 62the Pretenders returns in studio
with Barry Petricoin & The Belairs where they recorded "Anything For
You" and "Pretty Little Angel" for Al-Stan Records a label founded by
Al Zanino. Al-Stan released only "Pretty Little Angel" with an
instrumental on the B side.
