ZODIACS (2) (JOHNNY BALLAD & THE)

 

Johnny Ballad & The Zodiacs (2) (New Braunfels, Texas)

 

Personnel:

Rudolph Valentino Cisneros "Johnny Ballad"

Rennie Guenther

Eddie

Richard

Raul

 

Discography :

1959 - Another Day / My Song (Wildcat 0016)

1959 - Search For Love / I'll Gamble (Wildcat 0017) 

Biography :

In 1958, Rudolph Valentino Cisneros, while working as a bus driver in San Antonio, he discovered his voice was better than ever. There was no danger of it ever "breaking" again. He found that he had firm control through an almost limitless range. Sometimes he tested his voice by singing to the passengers on the buses he,drove. They were delighted and astonished with his vocal tricks and urged him to go into show business. Rudolph Valentino  borrowed his sister Doris guitar and taught himself to play it. One warm evening in San Antonio he sat out on a terrace at his apartment house, practicing. On a patio down below, some other tenants were having ,a party. Impressed by his vocal gifts, they invited him to come down and join the fun. Rudolph Valentino Cisneros entertained them for a couple of hours.

   When "the party broke up, some of the guests insisted that be go night-clubbing with them and take along his guitar. They wound up at the King of Clubs. Noticing Rudolph's guitar, the club's comic invited him up to the stage to do a number.  Rudolph's vocal tricks and song stylings were such a sensation that the club owner offered him a job. He was paid 75$ a week for singing about 15 minutes nightly during the band's intermissions. After that he obtained work in other clubs, becoming so popular that he attracted the attention of a new San Antonio recording company.

  

The outfit, Wildcat Records, signed him to a contract and changed his name to Johnny Ballad. Its owners discovered that Johnny is a composer and lyricist as well as a performer. He writes fast and has composed about 160 tunes. The company recorded four of his compositions  "I'll Gamble," "Search for Love," "My Son and "Another Day." Wildcat use The Zodiacs, a vocal group from high school in New Braunfels Texas composed by Eddie, Richard, Raul, and Rennie to back up Johnny Ballad. Unfortunately Wildcat Records made a technical mistake. Its discs were a hair too thick and wouldn't play properly on jukeboxes. The company  quickly went broke and Johnny's tunes were never distributed.

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim)  

   

 Another Day                                       My Song

I'll Gamble / Search For Love

PACKARDS

 

The Packards (New York)

Personnel :

Clive Williams (First Tenor)

Milton Turner (Second Tenor)

Bill Atkins (Baritone)

Ray Hayes (Bass/Baritone/Piano)

Bill Fredericks (Bass/Baritone)

Discography :

1956 - Ding Dong / Dream Of Love (Pla-Bac 105/Paradise 105)

1956 - Ladise / My Doctor Of Love (Pla-Bac 106)

Biography :

Best remembered by doo wop aficionados for their cult classic "Ding Dong," New York City vocal quintet the Packards formed in late 1955. According to writer Marv Goldberg's profile on his R&B Notebooks website, second tenor Milton Turner and bass/pianist Ray Hayes met while attending Manhattan's Benjamin Franklin High School, while baritones Bill Fredericks and Bill Atkins studied at a nearby vocational school. In time first tenor Clive Williams completed the lineup, which borrowed its name from the luxury automobile and took its cues from acts like the Flamingos and the Clovers. In the spring of 1956, manager Joel Weeks landed the Packards a record deal with Bronx-based label Pla-Bac. Turner assumed lead duties on "Ding Dong" and its flip side, "Dream of Love," both originals composed by Hayes.

 

Although Pla-Bac quickly released a second single, the disappointing "My Doctor of Love," "Ding Dong" slowly but surely turned into a local hit, catching the attention of Old Town label chief Hy Weiss. Old Town licensed the single for re-release in late summer but spent next to nothing on promoting the record, and it tanked. Williams exited the Packards in the spring of 1957, with Hayes' wife, Barbara, signing on for the remainder of the group's existence. Both Ray and Barbara later reunited with Turner in the Visions, with Turner also serving as a member of Bobby Lester's Moonglows. Fredericks, meanwhile, resurfaced in the Drifters in 1966, remaining with the venerable R&B group for close to a decade. He also cut a handful of little-noticed solo singles.

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Packards/packards.html

Songs :

   

Ladise                                      Ding Dong

   

    Dream Of Love                                      My Doctor Of Love

CARDIGANS (2) (DAVE & THE)

 

Left to right:  Jeannine, Terry and Marie

Dave & The Cardigans (2)  (Worcester, Ma.)

 

Personnel :

Dave Witt (Lead)

Marie Belanger (Bass Alto)

Jeannine Doiron (High Alto)

Terry Belanger (Soprano)

Diane LeDoux (Soprano)

 

Discography :

1962 - My Falling Star / Cha Cha Baby (Bay 216)

 

Biography :

The Cardigans were three young women from Worcester, Massachusetts .  Marie Belanger was bass alto, Jeannine Doiron was high alto, and Terry Belanger was soprano. The Cardigans also had Diane LeDoux who occasionally joined  to do soprano as well.

At White City in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts -left to right: Terry, Jeannine, Dave, Diane and Marie

In 1962, After numerous appearances around Worcester area, The Cardigans have the opportunity to record a Single.  "My Falling Star" b/w  "Cha Cha Baby" were cut on Bay Records with a singer by the name of Dave Witt from Massachusetts as well.

   

                                                                                                              Left to right:  Diane, Marie, Jeannine & Terry at the Worcester Auditorium

The Single was recorded with music from Tony Agbay and the continentals.

Thanks to  Marie Belanger

 

Songs :

My Falling Star / Cha Cha Baby

CLOVERMEN (TIPPIE & THE) - CLOVERS (2) (TIPPIE & THE) - WISEMEN (TIPPIE & THE)

 

Tippie & The Wisemen

Tippie & The Clovermen (Washington, D.C)

aka The Clovers (2) aka The Wisemen

 

Personnel :

Harold Lucas

Robert Russell

Roosevelt "Tippie" Hubbard

James "Toy" Walton

 

Discography :

Tippie & The Clovermen

1962 -  Please Mr. Sun / Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (Stenton 7001)

Tippie & The Clovers (2)

1962 - Bossa Nova, Baby / The Bossa Nova (My Heart Said) (Tiger 201)

Tippie & The Wisemen

Unreleased :

1965 - Wait Till I Get There (Shrine)

1965 - Let Me Walk Away (Shrine)

1965 - I Wouldn't Mind Crying (Shrine)

1965 - Bye, Bye (Shrine)

 

Biography :

The Clovers, who hailed from the Washington area, had been recording since 1950; by 1961 the group had split and reformed as two separate Clovers, one led by Harold Lucas the other by John Bailey.  The line-up of the Lucas group was Robert Russel, James “Toy” Walton and Eddie “Tippie” Hubbard.  The Lucas group recorded and released records as "Tippie and the Clovermen" and "Tippie and the Clovers" for Tiger Records, a subsidiary of Rust Records.

   

Harold Lucas                                                                                                                                  

In December 1962 "Bossa Nova Baby" (written by Leiber and Stoller) / "The Bossa Nova" was released, credited to Tippie and the Clovers. Also released in 1962 on Stenton Records was "Please Mr Sun" / "Gimme Gimme Gimme", credited to Tippie and the Clovermen.  In 1965, Harold Lucas, Robert Russell, Tippie Hubbard and Toy Walton added a fifth member, Al Fox. The group recorded four tracks (all unreleased) as "Tippie and The Wisemen" for Shrine Records. That same year Tippie and The Wisemen changed their name to The Clovers.

 

Discography :

Tippie & The Clovermen

  

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme                           Please Mr. Sun     

Tippie & The Clovers (2)

   

      Bossa Nova, Baby        The Bossa Nova (My Heart Said)

Tippie & The Wisemen

  

I Wouldn't Mind Crying                            Wait Till I Get There 

Let Me Walk Away

FABULONS (2)

 

The Fabulons (2) (Flushing NY)

Personnel :

Joe DeGregoria (Lead)

Mike Sferrazza Baritone)

Louie Tutone (Second Tenor)

Bob Faccio (First tenor)

Discography :

Unreleased :

1962 - Rene (Ember)

1962 - I Only Want You (Ember)

Biography :

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.

By Mike Sferrazza.

Songs :

The Fabulons (2) 

   

Rene                                            I Only Want You

The Fabulons (2) Featuring The Faster Brothers

(Demos)