doo-wop

Jimmy & The Crestones (Bronx N.Y)
By Joe Foti & Jimmy Appollo



Personnel :


Jimmy Appollo (Lead)

Harvey Katofski (Bass)

Joe Foti (Baritone /Second Tenor)

Dennis Walsh (Tenor)

Ralph Circelli




Discography :

1964 - New Girl On My Block / Angel Maureen (Maria 101/Avenue D11)



Biography :
 
"Jimmy & The Crestones" originated in 1961 from a neighborhood group from Creston Avenue in The Bronx N.Y called The Doveins. The lead singer of The Doveins was Matt Daly , with the group consisting of Harvey Katofski (Bass), Joe Foti ( Baritone/2nd. Tenor), Dennis Walsh (Tenor).

    Jimmy Appollo            Dennis Walsh              Ralph Circelli               Joe Foti          Harvey Katofski

The Doveins had difficulties with the lead singer who  was eventually replaced by Jimmy Appollo from Decatur Ave., Bronx N.Y., with an additional voice being added by Ralph Circelli who lived across the hall in my apartment building. With the very tight, almost familial harmony of The Crestones, and Jimmy's unique voice we, over many months of performing in local businesses & schools, branched out to other boroughs of New York City and some parts of New Jersey.

Al Browne (Piano) & his band

Our manager then was D.J. Clark who had written a song for, and about, his then girlfriend Maureen. We picked it up, tweaked it a bit, added our own seasoning and finally cut the song in Brooklyn with Al Browne's musical support on Maria Label and was its first release. Soon after its release we became more familiar with the music business and all its pitfalls and limelight. In 1963 we appeared on the Clay Cole Show in Palisades Park N.J.

   
                                                                                          Al Browne

The  experience we absorbed over the previous 2 years was evident to us and over the course of a few more months performing we found ourselves in the offices of Giant & Baum (Bill Giant/Bernie Baum/Florence Kaye) in the Brill Building 1619 Broadway called affectionately "The Mecca of the music writing  business in New York City." Giant & Baum!!  They wrote for not only Elvis but a myriad of other top stars dating back to the 1940's!!. Well after a few demos of our talents we found out about the pitfalls of the music business.

Although our sound was as solid as it could get in the 1960's the flavor & direction of  the constantly evolving music business was changing and we were then turned over to another writing team who offered us an old standard written in 1945 that they wanted to re-record and release, which we just could not quite capture, but itself eventually became a hit by Lenny Welch "Since I don't have you".. We continued as a group throughout the mid 60's but as our eventual maturing ,and the Vietnam war, entered our realm of reality, slowly Jimmy and the Crestones became a memory and a mist. 

Jimmy continued his music well into 2009 when he retired, I retired from business in 2006, Denny and Ralph, sadly, passed away in the70's and ol' Harvey?.. Well he's out there somewhere-- someplace!!."  Its part of our  fabric of life, and we would not change it for all the gold records in the universe!!  God Bless! 
Joe Foti, Harrisburg Pa.  May 2012




Songs :

   
Angel Maureen                                  New Girl On My Block

The Californians (Los Angeles)



Personnel :

Jesse Belvin



Discography :

1955 - My Angel / Heavenly Baby (not on flipside?) (Federal 12231)



Biography :

It is stated in the liner notes accompanying the Jesse Belvin Specialty CD that Belvin overdubbed himself and was the only member of the "group."

This has not been confirmed or denied. However, listening to the disc demonstrates that Belvin's voice is heard briefly and the other voices are clearly not his.


Songs :


Angel

The Precisions (2) (Brooklyn, New york)



Personnel :

Michael Pellegrino

Robert Brooks

David Butler

Alfred Boulding Jr

Michael Cancilla



Discography :

1962 - Cleopatra / Someone To Watch Over Me (Golden Crest 571)



Biography :

The Precisions were Brooklyn quintet whose members were Michael Pellegrino, Robert Brooks, David Butler, Alfred Boulding Jr. and Michael Cancilla. Their manager, Louis Picciano from Maspeth, Queens, got them a recording contract with Golden Crest Records in September 1962.

The result was "Cleopatra"/"Someone To Watch Over Me" issued as Golden Crest 571 that same year. The rock'n'roll tune "Cleopatra" was promoted as the A-side in Cash Box ads. leaving the excellent doo wop ballad to be discovered later by vocal group collectors.

The standard tune may have been a favorite of local doo wop groups in the early 1960s"  it had been released by Del and the Escorts on Rome in 1961. An excellent rendition can also be found by Zola Taylor and the Platters on their first Mercury album issued in 1956."
http://johnbroven.com/goldencrest/precisions.html


Songs :

   
Cleopatra                                  Someone To Watch Over Me

The Baysiders (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Jackie Walker (Tenor)

Sally Stevens (Soprano)

Jim Mitchell (Bass)

Jim Patton (Baritone)

Discography :

Singles :

The Baysiders
1960 - Over The Rainbow / My Bonnie (Everest 19366)
1960 - Trees / Look for the silver lining (Everest 19386)
1961 - The Bells of St. Mary's / Comin' Thru The Rye (Everest 10393)

Jackie Walker & The Baysiders
1962 - I'm Always Chasing Rainbows / Dearly Beloved (Everest 20010)

Jackie Walker
1957 - On The Way Home / Love Sublime  (Dot 15552)
1957 - Peggy Sue / Wonderful One (Imperial 5473)
1958 - Only Teenagaers Allowed / Push Pin (Imperial 5490)
1958 - Eternally,Wanting You/  Good,Good Feelin'  (Imperial 5521)
1962 - Heart Breakin' News / Take A Dream (Everest 20004)
1963 - Ready Or Not / Come Along With Me (Everest 2026)


LPs :

1961 - The Baysiders "Over The Rainbow" (LP Everest 1124)
Over The Rainbow / Trees / You Were Mean't For Me / Look for the silver lining All I Do Is Dream Of You / My Blue Heaven /  I'm Always Chasing Rainbows /  The Bells of St. Mary's / Comin' Thru The Rye / Dearly Beloved  / Love Somebody / My Bonnie

Biography :

Jackie Walker discovered his musical talent at an early age. At four he was often put on the dining room table to sing to gathered guests. At six he wrote his first song, words and music. By eight he was part of a 15-minute radio show, The Army Hour. He had his first record on Imperial when he was 14 and at 17 had a regional hit on Dot Records, Love Sublime.
He entered UCLA at 17 to study music and at 20 had another regional hit with Oh, Lonesome Me, a cover of Don Gibson's recording which he performed on American Bandstand.

   
                                                                        Jackie Walker

Jim Mitchell, Sally Stevens and Jackie Walker were students together at UCLA. With Jim patton they formed a Quartet, The Baysiders.
Jackie Walker had been experimenting with arrangements using one female versatile voice and three males.  Jim had recorded some sides for Everest Records and was approached about doing the quartet.

The Baysiders recorded some singles and an album for Everest Records entitled Over the Rainbow which included the title song that became another regional hit.
After the initial success, things stale-mated and Sally took a job with Ray Coniff Singers.  She went on to become one of the best studio singers in Hollywood and has a huge amount of credits. 

 
Jackie Walker                                                  Jim Patton
Sally Stevens                                                Jim Mitchell 

Jackie Walker was busy with his solo career and as a songwriter/composer. Jim Patton became one of the lead disk-jockeys at KLOS in Los Angeles and died of an over-dose several years ago.
We had a lot of fun but it was short lived.
Jack Walker



Songs :


        
Over The Rainbow                   Love Somebody                    My Bonnie

        
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows            Trees                    My Blue Heaven

        
Look For The Silver Lining      Comin' Thru The Rye      All I Do Is Dream Of You

   
You Were Meant For Me           The Bells of St. Mary's

 

The Madison Brothers (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
aka The Royal Demons aka The Thrillers (2) aka The Creators (3) aka The Friends (5)

Personnel :

Farris Hill (Lead)

Richard Frazier (Tenor)

Donald Burnett (Baritone)

Harry Pachall (Bass)




Discography :

The Madison Brothers
1959 - Give Me Your Heart / Baby Don't (Sure 1002)
1960 - Trusting In You / What's The Matter Baby (Cedargrove 314/APT 25050)

Farris Hill & The Madison Brothers
1962 - Did We Go Steady Too Soon / The Twirl (V-Tone 231)



Biography :

While "Peanuts" was climbing the charts, Little Joe Cook and the Thrillers parted company, supposedly over money issues. Joe continued as a solo, billing himself on his next record as "Little Joe, the Thriller".

Little Joe Cook

The Thrillers : Farris Hill, Harry Pachall, Richard Frazier and Donald Burnett regrouped, changing their name to the Royal Demons.

After two singles and because  They all resembled one another, they became the Madison Brothers…

Songs :

        
Give Me Your Heart                 Trusting In You             What's The Matter Baby

   
Baby Don't                        What's The Matter Baby

   
Did We Go Steady Too Soon                The Twirl

• Jimmy & The Crestones | 15-05-2012
• The Californians | 15-05-2012
• The Precisions (2) | 14-05-2012
• The Baysiders | 12-05-2012
• The Madison Brothers aka The Royal Demons aka The Thrillers (2) aka The Creators (3) aka The Friends (5) | 11-05-2012
• The Madisons (1) | 09-05-2012
• The Dappers (3) | 07-05-2012
• The Pipes (1) | 06-05-2012
• The Kents (1) | 04-05-2012
• The Exceptions | 03-05-2012
• The Delorients | 01-05-2012
• The Preludes (2) | 29-04-2012
• The Crescendos (1) | 28-04-2012
• The Dee-Vines (1) aka The Quentins | 27-04-2012
• The Sherwoods (8) | 24-04-2012