The Maharajahs (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Douglas T. Baker (lead)

Leo Alexander (Tenor)

Leroy Sanders (Bass)

Hardy Johnson

James ?

Discography :

1958 - I Do Believe / Why Don't You Answer (Flip 332)
1958 - Sweet Loretta / Oh Shirley (Flip 335)

Biography :

Back in those days there were a lot of names from Arab culture Turks, Rahjahs, Turbans, Sheiks  etc. and in 1958, the Maharajahs arrived from Los Angeles and recorded four pretty songs, probably during the same session, for Max Feirtag's Flip label. Max Feirtag's Los Angeles based Flip label started out in early 1955 and had a strong series of singles releases throughout the rest of the 50s.

   
Leroy Sanders                                                                                                                        

Slowing down in the early 60s and finally petering out in 1965. The four songs were all written by two of the band members, Douglas T. Baker (lead) and Leo Alexander (Tenor). The other members consisted of Hardy Johnson, James ? and the bass was Leroy Sanders who'd been in the Maharajahs, the Cubans, the Upfronts, and Little Caesar & Romans. The label will release both records in March 1958, and the second just a few months later.


Songs :

  
          I Do Believe                                Why Don't You Answer

  
Sweet Loretta                                          Oh Shirley

...

The Fabulous Flames (1) (Cleveland, Ohio)
aka The Fabulous Five Flames

Personnel :

Otis Carter

Harvey Hall

David McPhatter

Richard Fisher

Ernest Smith

Discography:

The Fabulous Flames  (1)
1958 - Josephine / My Joan (Rex 3000)

The Fabulous Five Flames
1960 - Lonely Lover / No More Tears (Time 1023)

Biography :

The Fabulous Five Flames were a vocal group from Cleveland. The group included  J. C. Tatum, Otis Carter, David McFadden, Ernest Smith, and Harvey Hall. The group was known as the Fabulous Flames, but added the Five to prevent confusion with other groups with that name. The group started while some of the members were students at East Technical High School. The group performed at local clubs, and in Detroit. The Flames recorded two 45s. The first one was a local production, done for the short lived Rex label. Bill Jacocks, a local entrepreneur, wrote the songs and helped get the record released, he was not a member of the group. Jacocks later became known as Cleveland's first African-American TV news anchor, along with producting some records in the mid 1970s. The group released a second 45 on the NYC Time label. Richard Fisher replaced J. C. Tatum. The group was credited as the Fabulous Five Flames. Richard Fisher was the brother of Jesse Fisher. He wasn't with the group for long as he left for New York where he ended up joining the Jive Five. Art Blakey replaced him, not long before the group disbanded, Harvey Hall - later known as Harvey Nickerson-Hall - went on to lead Harvey and the Phenomenals.

Songs :

The Fabulous Flames  (1)

  
Josephine                                             My Joan

The Fabulous Five Flames

  
Lonely Lover                                    No More Tears

...

The Three D's (Cambridge, Boston)

Personnel :

Johnny Dalton

Art Doyle

Dean Paley

Discography :

1956 - Tell Me That You love Me / Broken Dreams (Pilgrim 719)
1957 - Let Me Know / Little Billy Boy (Paris 503)
1957 - Birth Of An Angel / Never Let You Go (Paris 508)
1958 - Crazy Little Woman / Baby Doll (Paris 511)
1958 - I Never See My Baby / Jumpin' Jack (Paris 514)
1959 - Squeeze / Graveyard Cha-Cha (Square 502)
1959 - High School Love / It's The Little Things (Square 503)

Biography :

The group consisted of Johnny Dalton, Dean Paley and myself, Art Doyle. Johnny and I went to high school together in Boston Massachusetts and sang in the church choir. In high school, we started singing as a duo. In our senior year while performing in a variety show we met up with a singer/guitar player Dean Paley and started harmonizing together.

A girl that knew us all was listening and suggested we call ourselves “The Three D’s since we all had D’s in our names. One night after we formed the group we went to see the popular disc jockey Arnie Ginsburg. In between records we asked him why he didn’t have a theme song.  He said “why don’t you write me one. We worked on it, liked it and Arnie liked it too! The next day we recorded it and he used it to introduce his radio show for the next 20 years.

Arnie asked us if we had any original songs and hooked us up with the record company “Paris Records”. We went to New York and recorded “Little Billy Boy” with “Let Me Know” on the flip side. In about a month the record was released and all of a sudden we were on our way. 

We traveled all over the country appearing with such stars as, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Frankie Avalon, Fabion, Coney Francis and just about every other star at the time, except…..Elvis Presley. It was a great time! We appeared on American Band Stand five times and overall it was a great adventure I will always cherish.
Signed, Art Doyle,

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

      
Birth Of An Angel                 Broken Dreams                    Never Let You Go

     
Tell Me That You love Me         Little Billy Boy              Crazy Little Woman

     
Baby Doll                              Jumpin' Jack                          Squeeze

  
                  Graveyard Cha-Cha           High School Love / It's The Little Things That Count 

...

Joe & Frank

The Jordan Brothers (Frackville, PA)
(The Early Years)

Personnel :

Joe Jordan

Frank Jordan

Discography :

1958 - Oh Lolly / Send Me Your Picture (Jordan J-100/1/Jamie 1112)
1959 - Please Tell Me Now / Never, Never (Jamie 1125)
1959 - Be Mine / Dream Romance (Jamie 1133)
1960 - Things I Didn't Say / Polly Plays Her Kettle Drum (Jamie 1169)
1961 - No Wings On My Angel / Living For The Day (Jamie 1176)
1961 - Love's Made A Fool Of You / Whispering Wind (Jamie 1205)


Biography :

The career of the Jordan Brothers began on Halloween Eve in 1954, when instead of the usual trick-or-treating, three (Joe, Frank, and Bobby) of the eventual four brothers, took to the streets with accordion, clarinet and drum. Their musical efforts netted over twenty dollars and a career course was set. The group's first national appearance was on Ted Mack's The Original Amateur Hour on January 22, 1956 on ABC. The group then settled into playing local venues and dances in the middle and southern Coal Region area, with their father Angelo sitting in on bass and managing the group.  In 1957, the Jordan Brothers (without Bob, not yet out of high school) reached several milestones. They began a five-year gig at Renninger's Market between Orwigsburg and Schuylkill Haven. This was the first in a series of long term relationships (lasting nearly decades) with several venues in the Schuylkill and Berks County areas.  

The duet from Frackville, Joe and Frank recorded their first record at Philadelphia's Reco-Art Studio, self produced on the "Jordan" label - Send Me Your Picture/ Oh Lolly. This led to a two-year recording contract in 1958 with Jamie Records. The arrangement with Jamie Records, introduced the Jordan Brothers into the teen publicity machine of the late fifties. One of Jamie's stockholders had been Dick Clark who had also become American Bandstand’s host in 1956. The show went national on ABC in 1957. Clark often featured Jamie artists on his show such as Duane Eddy, the Dovells and others. Appearing on American Bandstand three times, the Jordan Brothers also were part of Clark's 49-day "Caravan of Stars" that toured the United States and Canada in 1959.

  
Traveling in one of two 40-seat busses, Frank and Joe Jordan were accompanied by the likes of the Coasters, the Drifters, the Skyliners, Bobby Rydell, La Verne Baker, Paul Anka, Jimmy Clanton and Duane Eddy and his Band. Frank and Joe Jordan were The Jordan Brothers during this tour. The band also spent time recording in Arizona in 1959 with Donnie Owens (a fellow Pennsylvanian and a guitarist for Duane Eddy) and performing in Los Angeles in 1961 with Alan Freed’s Rock Show alongside Jimmy Clanton, Al Kooper, the Safaris and Jackie Wilson among others. Other than these national shows and tours, the Jordan Brothers were highly popular with Philadelphia radio disc jockeys in this period. These DJs were a key element of any record’s success and the Jordan Brothers were often featured in tours or shows with WIBG’s Good Guys, such as Joe Niagara and Hy Lit. Lit organized one of the first tours in which the Jordan Brothers participated with Dion and the Belmonts and the Coasters.

The Jordan Brothers in 1961 Joe, Lewis Frank & Bob

The Jordan Brothers were also featured on Jerry Blavat's WFIL "Discophonic TV Scene" and appeared on East Coast TV programs, especially in the tri-state area, such as “Summertime on the Pier” in Atlantic City with Ed Hurst. The Jordan Brothers were with Jamie until 1961. However, the Jordan Brothers never broke into the national music charts and as a result the contract with Jamie lapsed. In 1963, The group now included brothers Bobby and Lew to round out the band.  Their recording of “Gimme Some Lovin'” in 1966 was their biggest hit, and charted at No. 1 in Boston, Baltimore and other r&b citadels. Other recordings included “Things I Didn’t Say,” “Dream Romance” and “We’ll Make It.”



Songs :

  
      Oh Lolly                                   Send Me Your Picture

  
Please Tell Me Now                             Never, Never     

  
Be Mine                                       Dream Romance

  
     Things I Didn't Say                   Polly Plays Her Kettle Drum

  
No Wings On My Angel                       Living For The Day   

  
Love's Made A Fool Of You                     Whispering Wind   

...

The Orientals (1) (Harlem, New York)

Personnel :

Ernesto "Tito" DeCoteau (Lead)

Hellen McBride

???

Discography :

1958 - Please Come Back Home / Get Yourself To School (Kayo 927)

Biography:

Ernesto "Tito" DeCoteau started street corner singing with some guys in the early 50's. They  formed a group named the Silvertones and was singing at parties and just having fun, they living in Brooklyn then and hung out on the boardwalk at Coney Island (bay 12 ). When they sang a crowd always gathered and people wanted them to record their music.

Three of the Orientals with two of their fans

In the mid 50's moved Tito from Brooklyn back to Harlem and met some guys at Manhattanville Community Center in West Harlem that was looking for a singer and to get a group together. The Orientals was born. The staff at the center gave the group full run to plan shows, dances and other events for the center. After a few weeks they found out their manager had handled a few groups that had made it big. He got the Orientals on a Dr Jive show (June 27,1958) but did not tell them it was a contest . They beat out 15 groups and took 1st place.

The Orientals - Dr Jive Radio Talent Show (June 27,1958)

One of the best show they did was about two months later, the groups manager got them a gig at this dance hall called The Chateau Gardens on Westchester Avenue in New York, not knowing they were an opening act for Celia Cruz and (El Rey) Tito Puente. After They sang, they had a table in front of the stage. When Celia Cruz  came on stage and started singing she came down and made them come on stage with her. When they finished, Tito Puente walked over and said They were great and he wanted to be their protege. At the end of the summer of 1958, the group recorded two songs in the studio; "Please Come Back Home" and "Get Yourself To School" released some time later on the small New York label, Kayo records.

Songs :

  
Please Come Back Home                   Get Yourself To School     

...