The Fiestas (Newark, New Jersey)
Personnel :
Tommy Bullock (Lead)
Eddie Morris (First Tenor)
Sam Ingalls (Baritone)
Preston Lane (Bass)
Discography :
The Fiestas
Singles :
1958 - So Fine / Last Night I Dreamed (Old Town 1062)
1959 - Our Anniversary / I'm Your Slave (Old Town 1069)
1959 - Good News / That Was Me (Old Town 1074)
1960 - Dollar Bill / It Don't Make Sense (Old Town 1080)
1960 - You Could Be My Girl Friend / So Nice (Old Town 1090)
1961 - Come On Everybody / Julie (Strand 25046)
1961 - Look At That Girl / Mr. Dillon, Mr. Dillon (Old Town 1104)
1961 - She's Mine / The Hobo's Prayer (Old Town 1111)
1962 - The Railroad Song / Broken Heart (Old Town 1122)
1962 - I Feel Good All Over / Look At That Girl (Old Town 1127)
1963 - The Gypsy Said / Mama Put The Law Down (Old Town 1134)
1963 - The Party's Over / Try It One More Time (Old Town 1140)
1963 - Foolish Dreamer / Rock - A - Bye Baby (Old Town 1148)
1964 - All That's Good / Rock - A - Bye Baby (Old Town 1166)
1965 - Think Smart / Anna (Old Town 1178)
1965 - Love Is Strange / Love Is Good To Me (Old Town 1187)
1965 - I Gotta Have Your Lovin' / Ain't She Sweet (Old Town 1189)
Unreleased:
1959 - Come On And Love Me (Old Town)
1959 - Things We Can't Forget (Old Town)
N/A - The Lawman
Tommy Andre (Tommy Bullock)
1962 - I Wonder Why / I'm Wondering (Old Town 1116)
Biography :
The Fiestas came from Newark, New Jersey all from the same
neighborhood, and consisted of members Tom Bullock, Eddie Morris,
Preston Lane, and Sam Ingalls. Early on, the group practiced their songs
and hoped to convince a record label that they had the stuff to produce
a hit record. They recorded a demo side for Jim Gribble (who became
their manager) who took the recording to various labels in New York.
After a time of trial and error, they were heard by Hy Weiss the owner
of Old Town Records one of the top performing New York City independent
labels. He liked what he heard obviously, and soon had the group in the
recording studio. They
recorded a song written by Jesse Belvin years before called "So Fine"
and also backed it with a ballad called "Last Night I Dreamed (Of You)"
and Old Town released it on # 1062. The ballad originally was targeted
as the 'A' side but soon radio airplay in the New York area flipped to
the medium tempo rocker "So Fine" .
Listeners were intrigued by the four part harmony throughoput the song rather than the standard lead and backup format that was the norm for the vocal group style. By February the group had a solid hit that was breaking out nationally. The four part lead throughout the song was certainly catching the ear of radio listeners and the group was now in demand as new hit makers always are. By
March the record was doing big business in the Midwest especially in
Detroit and Chicago, and was breaking big on the pop music charts. In
April The Fiestas began to make personal appearances throughout the
Northeast. In April Bill "Hoss" Allen on WLAC in Nashville picks the
record as the top pick of the week. In May Johnny Otis and his
representatives filed a lawsuit over the record claiming that he was the
true composer of the tune. Named in the suit were Old Town Records, Jim
Gribble, and The Fiestas themselves. In June Eldorado Music wins the
lawsuit for the interests of Johnny Otis and the matter is settled with
Old Town paying a designated sum of money and legal costs.
Bobby Moore
In July The Fiestas get around to recording a followup record for Old Town. After a fabulous run of "So Fine", the group has "Our Anniversary" and "I'm Your Slave" on # 1069. In October Henry Glover after a time at King Records in Cincinnati moves to Old Town and produces a new side by The Fiestas called "That Was Me" and "Good News" on Old Town # 1074. In late October the group heads South for a series of one nighters. In late November The Fiestas play the Regal Theater in Chicago for an all star R & B show headlining Ray Charles, Nappy Brown and the Sarah McLawler-Richard Otto Combo. Between 1960 and 1962 there were several changes in the group's line
up with Bobby Moore from the "Four Most" (1960), Randall Stewart (1961),
some of the recruited members of the group. Now as the new decade was
beginning the group moved to a more modernistic style combining elements
of the blues and soul. They continued to turn out records for another
five years for Old Town before calling it quits as an act. They got in
at the tail end of the vocal group era and had one memorable hit record
that has endured through all the passing years. The Fiestas had made
their mark on the history of the music.
