The Fabulons were started in 1960 by Mike Sferrazza and Louie Tutone
in Flushing NY . Lou and Mike sang together for a couple of months.
They both could carry a tune well but neither of them had great lead
vocals. Then a fellow in their crowd of friends started to sing along
with them and had a great lead voice. His name is Joe DeGregoria. So
began the Fabulons. About a year later they picked up a fourth member
names Bob Faccio. they were all 14-15 yrs of age. They played at shows
and dances in their neighborhood and in 1962 they got a manager named
Lenny Rudnick. Along came a writer named Henry Senatore and he wrote
the song "Rene".
( to R) : Louie Tutone, Mike Sferrazza, Bob Faccio and Joe DeGregoria
The Fabulons recorded the single in 1962 on an Ember Record Label
with the flip side song of "I Only Want You" by the Passions. The
record never got released but They kept singing DooWop for about 7 more
years. The Fabulons also got together with two other guys named John and
Vic Faster. They were twin brothers with terrific voices. John and
Vic have since passed away and Bob Faccio died in the Vietnam War in
1968. Lou and Mike continued to sing with the Faster Brothers for a
couple of years later.
1960 - I'm Taking A Vacation From Love / Only Sympathy (End 1074)
1960 - Limbo (Part 1) / Limbo (Part 2) (End 1080)
1960 - Formula Of Love / Dream (End 1083)
1961 - Please Say You Want Me / So Near Yet So Far (End 1086)
1961 - Traveling Stranger / Say Yeah (End 1091)
1961 - A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / Dream (End 1104)
Eps :
1958 - Little Anthony and the Imperials (End EP-203)
The Diary / Tears on My Pillow / Traveling Stranger / So Much
1959 - We Are The Imperials (End EP-204)
When You Wish Upon A Star / Over The Rainbow / Love Is A Many Splendid Thing / What Did I Do
End EP-203 End EP-204
Lps :
1959 - We Are The Imperials (End LP-303)
Tears On My Pillow / Over
The Rainbow / Cha Cha Henry / The Diary / Oh Yeah / Two People In The
World / When You Wish Upon A Star / Wishful Thinking / So Much /
Traveling Stranger / What Did I Do / Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
1960 - Shades Of The Forties (End LP-311)
This Love Of Mine /
Don't Get Around Much Anymore / They Say It's Wonderful / If You Are But
A Dream / Undecided / All Or Nothing At All / /I'll Never Smile Again /
Dream / A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last
Night / Oooh! Look-a There, Ain't She Pretty / I've Got A Crush On You
End LP-303 End LP-303
Unreleased :
1958 - I Cover The Waterfront (End)
1958 - Little Girl (End)
1959 - Dry Your Eyes (End)
Biography :
Little
Anthony & the Imperials enjoyed one of the longest career runs of
any doo wop group, adapting their honey-smooth style to fit the sweet
uptown soul sound of the mid-'60s. Right from the beginning, Little
Anthony's aching way with a ballad was the group's calling card, but
their repertoire was balanced by more R&B-inflected dance tunes.
Little Anthony was born Jerome Anthony Gourdine in 1940, and grew up in
Brooklyn's Fort Greene projects. While in high school, he sang in a doo
wop group called The Duponts, who recorded a single called "Prove It Now" in 1957. They disbanded after graduation.
In
the meantime, Anthony Gourdine still had hopes to make it big in music.
He persevered and soon formed a new vocal group consisting of
neighborhood guys - Clarence Collins, Tracy Lord, Nat Rogers, and Ernest
Wright, and they called themselves The Chesters. They hoped to record
for George Goldner at Gone / End Records, but he was not impressed with
the presentation or style of the group. Meeting with a successful group
from the neighborhood, The Cellos, Gourdine seemed to think that the
group had a better shot with Apollo Records, a longtime R & B
independent that had been at the forefront in New York for many years.
A
recording session was set up at soon "Lift Up Your Head" and "The Fires
Burn No More", two originals written by Gourdine were recorded by
Apollo and released on # 521 in early 1958. It began selling moderately
in New York and was featured by disc jockey Bill Powell at WEEP in
Pittsburgh. "Fires" was a great vocal group performance by the Chesters,
featuring call and response patterns on the bridge, and Anthony lapsing
up into falsetto as he transitions into the last chorus. He really hits
the high note on the last wortd for a dramatic ending.
It
had all the makings of a substantial hit but as the record suddenly
tailed off, the Chesters felt that Apollo had dropped the ball and did
not do enough to promote the record. In their minds, this inaction
caused it to become lost in the shuffle of so many new records released
every week. They began to look elsewhere for a new label and perhaps a
better shot at success. The group had been working on an Ernest Wright
written song called "Two People In The World". They gave George Goldner
and Gone / End another chance this time championed by Richard Barrett,
formerly of The Valentines, and now a record producer and talent scout.
They were given a second song called "Tears On My Pillow" and after a
few takes, Goldner changed the arrangement around a bit and had
Gourdine alter his delivery using a clipped shortened style rather than
the elongated crooning effect used by most lead vocalists. When everyone
was satisfied with the proper "take" of both songs, the record was set
for release on End # 1027. Almost immediately, those at End decided they
didn't like the name Chesters, and settled on Imperials for the group.
Most of the sides naming The Chesters were recalled, and the group
finally had hit their stride.
On
the second pressing of the record, the group had another name change,
this time as Little Anthony & The Imperials. Where the "Little
Anthony" came from is not clear. Some say it was the idea of Richard
Barrett, others claim that George Goldner gave the group that name
hoping to create another "Frankie Lymon type group", and still others
say that it was the idea of Alan Freed. Whatever the truth, the group
would become world famous with that name in the years ahead.
The group followed up with "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop" in 1960. When
their success dwindled in 1961, Gourdine left to attempt a solo career.
Original Imperials member Nate Rogers was drafted into the service and
Tracey Lord, another original member, left to get married. and the
line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain,(a childhood friend
who had grown up together with the Imperials in Brooklyn), and George
Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This
line-up had little success. Gourdine returned in 1963, replacing Seymour
for another Story...
Patti Brook & The Diamonds (3) (Wakefield, England)
Personnel :
Patti Brook
Terry Webster (Brook)
Discography :
1960 - Since You’ve Been Gone / That’s The Way It’s Gonna Be (Pye 15300)
Biography :
Patti Brook came from Wakefield in Yorkshire. Patti joined her
brother Terry Webster (Brook), Terry McAvoy and Phil Bonner in the "Jack
O’ Diamonds" Skiffle group in 1958 leading to an appearance on The
Caroll Levis Discoveries TV talent show in 1959. In 1960, the original
group was disbanded and the line-up includes only Brother Terry (Guitar)
with Patti.
The "Jack O’ Diamonds" (1959)
They win the "Vocal Group of the year" as Patti Brook and the
Diamonds in 1960. The 1959 winners were Emile Ford and The Checkmates
setting them on their road to fame. And while Patti Brook & The
Diamonds never achieved the same amount of fame as Emile, he helped
Patti Brook by getting the group with his agency the Grade/Delfont
organisation and on his many tours.
"Vocal Group Of The Year" 1960 with Emile Ford (1959 winner) Patti Brook
Emile Ford produced Their first record at Pye and his Checkmates
played on the session. Patti Brook & The Diamonds cut "Since You’ve
Been Gone" b/w "That’s The Way It’s Gonna Be" in 1960. Patti later made
solo records at Pye produced by Tony Hatch.
1959 - To Live My Life / Lonely Without Love (Abel 231)
Biography :
Larry
H.Pozanek, Marvin Saiontz, Carl Capian and Allen Hanenbaum, seniors at
the universitycof Maryland School of Pharmacy, plus Charnaine Saiontz,
sister of Marvin Saiontz, recorded two songs in 1958 for Felsted, a
subsidiary of London Records. The vocal group under the name of "The
Unknowns" has become quite well known in the Baltimore area through
appearances on radio, television and a number of record hops. Their
recordings are entitled "Ho Summer Love," and "Cool Wool," and vere
written by Larry H.Pozanek and Larry Saiontz. The record was released
in August 1958 in the Baltimore / Washington, D.C. area, The single
was released nationally the fourth week of September. Cash Box Magazine
rates these songs as "B". The group would return to the studio a few
months later and record "To Live My Life" and "Lonely Without Love". the
disc will be released by Abel records under the name Classics.
1958 - From Out Of This World / You Didn't Learn That In School (Bandera 2502)
Unreleased :
1958 - Run Daddy Run
Kirk Taylor & The Majestics (4)
1958 - From Out Of This World / You Didn't Learn That In School (Bandera 2507)
Biography :
Bandera
was a small Chicago label launched by Vi Muszynski, and her son Bernie
Harville, with money Muszynski made off one of her biggest discoveries,
the Impressions. The label released a variety of music in the late '50s
and early '60s, from hillbilly and rock, to blues and gospel. The
Majestics are a mystery group and leave behind them one fine doo wop
disc fronted by Kirk Taylor, who may or may not have been a member.
"From Out Of This World" b/w "You Didn't Learn That In School" was first
issued as the Majestics on Bandera 2502 and as Kirk Taylor & The
Majestics on Bandera 2507.
The
Majestic's photo have seen to indicate that he was not part of their
line-up, but the issued track were both written by C.J. Levy & C.
Taylor, are these both members of the group?? Are C. Taylor and Kirk
Taylor one and the same, or could he be a relative...
Songs :
From Out Of This World You Didn't Learn That In School
