The Trinkets (2) (Chigago)
aka The Versalettes

Personnel :

Viola Floyd

Vera Regulus Wallace

Kathleen Spates Robinson

Theresa Legg

Helen Greenfield

Discography :

The Versalettes
1963 - Shining Armor  / True Love Is A Treasure (Witch 116)
1964 - Don Juan In Town / Don Juan In Town (Witch 120)

The Trinkets (2)
1964 - The Fisherman  / Nobody But You (Cortland 111)

Biography :

The Versalettes were an exciting Chicago female group of the mid-'60s whose records never amounted to anything. Forming at Marshall High School in 1961, Theresa Legg, Kathleen Spates, Vera Rugulus, and Viola Floyd built a reputation doing talent shows and community functions. Personnel at Cortland/Witch Records caught wind of the Versalettes' buzz and signed them in 1963, while they were still in high school.

Donald Jenkins worked with them and imprinted his doo wop sound on their recordings, which, supposedly, they hated. At the urging of their manager, Bobby Mason, they added Helen Greenfield before cutting their first single, "Shining Armor" b/w "True Love Is a Treasure," in 1963 on Bill Erman's Witch label; the Blenders ("Daughter") recorded the B-side a year earlier.

Disc jockeys Lucky Cordell and Herb Kent gave it perfunctory hometown spins; for this favor, the Versalettes did free record hops for them. Around this same time, Erman released "The Fisherman" b/w "Nobody but You" on his Cortland imprint and credited it to the Trinkets, who were really the Versalettes. Again, sales were virtually nonexistent.

A third single, "Don Juan in Town," a dated doo wop, floundered as well; the Witch recordings never captured the group's essence. The song was an answer to "Don Juan," which was recorded by Donald Jenkins and Ronnie Strong as the Starr Brothers. Cortland also issued the song by the Ideals on the B-side of "Gorilla." Jenkins (Delighters) got them ready to record, but Bob Catron, the A&R man, got the production credits. Cortland/Witch stopped making records in 1964, and the original Versalettes took the opportunity to axe Greenfield, whom they considered a wayward outsider anyway. After graduating from high school in 1965, they continued the community gigs but didn't record again for awhile.

A final single surfaced in 1968 on Okeh Records. The nondescript sides "So Glad Your Love Don't Change" b/w "Love Made to Order" didn't have a chance. The group never even knew Okeh released the single until the '90s because nobody bothered to tell them; Okeh credited it to the Little Foxes. Bill Erman is reclusive about his Cortland/Witch recordings, which is why they aren't found compiled on any albums, cassettes, or discs. ~ Andrew Hamilton

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)  

The Versalettes

   
Don Juan In Town                           Shining Armor

   
Shining Armor                   True Love Is A Treasure

The Trinkets (2)

   
Nobody But You                                    The Fisherman

...

(L to R) Denny Naughton, George Arnold, Elden Landolt, Tim Cox, Rick Wind

The Uniques (11) (Livermore, Iowa)

Personnel :

Denny Naughton (Bass,Vocals)

George Arnold (Keyboards,Vocals)

Elden Landolt (Guitar,Vocals)

Tim Cox (Guitar Vocals)

Rick Wind (Drums)

Discography :

1964 - Baby Don't Cry / Little Angel  (Bangar 609)

Biography :

The idea for starting the Fabulous Uniques was conceived by Elden Landolt one evening during the summer of 1962 at the Pocahontas drive-in theater. Over the next five years the band entertained rock and roll fans throughout Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska. They performed at most ballrooms, several fairs, including the Iowa State Fair, as well as playing many high school proms and homecoming dances. The Uniques appeared regularly at the Cobblestone Ballroom in Storm Lake, the Roof Garden at Arnolds Park, The Star in Dakota City, Guys and Dolls in Gilmore City and the Laramar at Fort Dodge.

   
                                                                                (L to R) George Arnold, Tim Cox, Rick Wind, Elden Landolt, Dennis J Naughton

In 1963 the band opened for the Everly Brothers at the Laramar Ballroom and again in 1964 at the Starline Ballroom in Carroll. The same year, they backed the Rip Chords at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. In 1964, the band recorded “Baby Don’t Cry” and “Little Angel” on the Bangar record label. Initial members of the Uniques were Elden Landolt and Tim Cox from Gilmore City on guitars and vocals, Denny Naughton (bass and vocals) and Rick Wind (drums) from Pocahontas. Within a year Rick Wind from Humboldt took over drums from Box and George Arnold from Mallard joined the band on keyboards and vocals. In September of 1964 Harold Powell from Fort Dodge replaced Naughton on bass. The band cut back to a quartet in late May of 1965 when Landolt enlisted in the Air Force. The original version of the band broke up that September when Wind and Arnold left for college.

Songs :


Little Angel

…

(top) Bernard Harris, Jimmy Pierson and Jimmy Scruggs (bottom) Harry Blackwell & Dwayne Harris 

The Five Dots (Indianapolis)
aka The Counts (2)

Personnel :

Bernard Harris

Harry Blackwell

Dwayne Harris

Jimmy Scruggs

Jimmy Pierson

Discography :

The Five Dots
1954 - The Other Night / Each Night (Dot 1204)
1955 - I Just Love The Thing She Do / Well, Little Baby (Note 10003)

The Counts (2)
1956 - Sweet Names / I Guess I Brought It All On Myself (Note 2000)

Biography :

Harry Blackwell, Bernard Harris, Dwane Harris, Jimmy Pierson, and Jimmy Scruggs had formerly been known as the 5 Dots. The Five Dots formed in early 1954 and recorded one single for Dot Records: "The Other Night" b/w "Each Night". In 1955, they sign a recording contract with Note records. Note was a local Indianapolis label owned by Mel Herman. Mel Herman was a veteran in record retailing and one-time manager of The 5 Diamonds (soon after to become the Counts of "Darling Dear"). From the early 50s onwards, he operated record distribution branches in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, which later became part of his "Mel Herman Enterprises".

The Five Dots recorded "I Just Love The Thing She Do" b/w "Well, Little Baby" for Mel Herman and in 1956 "Sweet Names" b/w "I Guess I Brought It All On Myself" released as The Counts. The Five Dots made many appearances at the local area clubs, at the Rhythm and Blues Show at the Walker casino, in Evansville, Ind., for a dance engagement at Club Paradise. They weren't the Counts (1) on Dot (also managed by Mel Herman.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Five Dots

  
     Well, Little Baby                       I Just Love The Thing She Do

  
The Other Night                                    Each Night

The Counts (2)

  
              Sweet Names                     I Guess I Brought It All On Myself

...

The Jones Boys  (New York)
aka  The Pretenders (1) aka The Savoys (3) 

Personnel :

Jimmy Jones（Lead）

William Walker（Tenor）

Bobby Moore（Tenor）

Melvin Walton（Baritone）

Kerry Saxton（Bass）

Discography :

The Savoys (3)
Singles :
1956 - You / Say You're Mine（Savoy 1188）
1960 - With All My Heart / Please Say You're Mine（Savoy 1586）
Unreleased :
1956 - We Made A Vow (Savoy)

The Pretenders (1)
1956 - Possessive Love / I've Got To Have You Baby（Rama 198）
1956 - Lover / Plain Old Love（Rama 207）
1957 - Close Your Eyes (Sleep And Dream) / Part Time Sweetheart（Whirlin' Disc 106）
1958 - Tonight / I Love You So（Holiday 2610）
1958 - Blue And Lonely / Daddy Needs Baby（Central 2605/Apt 25026）

Jimmy Jones & The Pretenders (1)
1956 - Lover / Plain Old Love（Rama 210/Roulette 4243）
1960 - Blue And Lonely / Daddy Needs Baby（ABC Paramount 10094）
1964 -  Close Your Eyes (Sleep And Dream) / Part Time Sweethear（Port 70040）

Barbara Gorman And Sister Viv bb The Jones Boys
1957 - Was It Just For Fun / 8 O'Clock（Arrow 714）

Jimmy Jones & The Jones Boys
1957 - The Whistlin' Man / Heaven In Your Eyes（Arrow 717）

Biography :

Jimmy Jones, who had spent a long apprenticeship singing in R&B vocal harmony groups, became a rock 'n' roll star in the early 1960s singing "Handy Man" and other hits with a dramatic and piercingly high falsetto. When Jimmy was around twelve years old he moved from his native Birmingham, Alabama, to New York City.

The Sparks of Rhythm

At that time he was already an accomplished tap dancer, but singing was equally important to him. Role models were Louis Jordan and the Ink Spots and later especially Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson. Early in 1955 he joined a vocal group, the Sparks of Rhythm (originally the Berliners), who landed a recording contract with Apollo Records in July 1955.

Four songs were recorded at their first session, three of them led by Jimmy. When the two resulting singles went nowhere, Jones left the Sparks of Rhythm to form his own group, the Savoys, soon renamed the Pretenders. Their first session was for Herman Lubinsky's Savoy label (for which they were named), on February 2, 1956 and yielded the single "Say You're Mine"/"You" (Savoy 1188).

 
Jimmy Jones - Bottom LtoR : Lee"Moe" Gail, William Walker, Bobby Moore & Melvin Walton

By coincidence, this was one day after the Sparks Of Rhythm, now without Jimmy, recorded four - then unissued - songs for Apollo, among them Jones's composition "Handy Man" (with bass Andrew Barksdale on lead). In 1957, the Pretenders hooked up with Arrow Records and for some reason, though, there were no records by the "Pretenders"; they were called the "Jones Boys."

Their first task at Arrow was doing the backup on "Was It Just For Fun"/"Eight O'Clock Date" by "Barbara Gorman and Sister Viv. The Jones Boys themselves recorded "The Whistlin' Man" and "Heaven In Your Eyes," which were released in September 1957. "Whistlin' Man".

  
Jimmy Jones                                                              Gorman Sisters

Jimmy led the Pretenders on a series of doowop sides for a number of New York based labels : Savoy, Rama, Whirlin' Disc, Arrow, Holiday, Central and Apt, but nothing came close to denting the charts. In 1959 he was getting tired of groups ("too much responsibility") and decided to go it alone.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/JimmyJones/jimmyjones.html

Songs :
pdated by Hans-Joachim

 
The Savoys (3)

     
Say You're Mine                    With All My Heart                       You

  
Please Say You're Mine               We Made A Vow

The Pretenders (1)

   
I've Got To Have You Baby / Possessive Love                     Lover / Plain Old Love

   
Close Your Eyes / Part Time Sweetheart             Blue And Lonely / Daddy Needs Baby

       
Tonight                               Lover / Plain Old Love             I Love You So


The Jones Boys

  
Heaven In Your Eyes               The Whistlin' Man

Barbara Gorman And Sister Viv (bb The Jones Boys)

8 O'Clock / Was It Just For Fun

...

The Paradons  (Bakersfield, California.)
aka The Trend-Tones

Personnel :

West Tyler (Lead)

William Powers (Baritone)

Bill Meyers (Bass)

Chuck Weldon (Tenor)

Discography :

The Paradons
1960 - Diamonds And Pearls / I Want Love (Milestone 2003)
1960 - Bells Ring / Please Tell Me (Milestone 2005)
1961 - I Had A Dream / Never, Never, Never (Milestone 2015)
1961 - Never Again / This Is Love (Tuffest 102)
1961 - Take All Of Me / So Fine, So Fine, So Fine (Warner Bros. 5186)

The Trend-Tones
1961 - This Is Love / Never Again (Superb 100)


Biography :

The Paradons are know best for the beautiful "Diamonds and Pearls," which reached number 18 on the pop chart in 1960, nine rungs higher than it registered on the R&B chart. The quartet, comprised of friends William Powers and Bill Meyers plus Chuck Weldon and West Tyler, gigged at school dances and local clubs around Bakersfield, CA, singing what the audience requested until a chance to record came about with Milestone Records. Their first session, one night of work, yielded eight sides, including the hit "Diamonds and Pearls" and the B-side "I Want Love."

"Diamonds and Pearls" became a favorite on radio stations and generated appearances on American Bandstand, the Apollo, the Howard, and other top venues for R&B artists. Money problems put a monkey wrench in the mix, however, and the group disbanded after disenchantment set in.

  The follow-up "Bells Ring" failed to do anything, and neither did "Take All of Me" nor "I Had a Dream." The group stayed together less than a year, but Milestone kept issuing Paradons sides until they exhausted the supply. Making rock & roll records, even good ones, didn't prove fruitful for the Bakersfield lads.

 The final Milestone's Paradons, “Never Again” b/w “I Had A Dream”  also showed up on Tufffest (102). The a-side, “Never Againz” b/w a new b-side, “This Is Love” was also issued as the Trend-Tones on Superb (100) in 1961.  After this failure to properly cash in on an important hit, the Paradons moved on to the Warner Bros.
http://rockinsteve.wordpress.com/page/2/
http://stormyweather.de/index.php?id=161&L=2


Songs :

   
Diamonds And Pearls    (First Pressing with Guitar Intro!)

      
       I Want Love                             Bells Ring                        Never Again         

     
       Please Tell Me                   I Had A Dream            So Fine, So Fine, So Fine 
 
      
   This Is Love                     Take All Of Me          

....