The Lanes (Brooklyn, NY)
aka The Dynamics (1)

Personnel :

Pat Flugieri (Lead Tenor)

Sonny "Augie" Pirillo (Tenor)

Jerry Giamonco (Bass)

Ben Lanzarone (Piano)





Discography :

The Lanes

Singles :
1956 - You Alone / Open Up Your Heart (Gee 1023)
Unreleased :
1956 - I Wonder (Gee)
1956 - Please Be My Love (Gee)

The Dynamics (1)
1957 -  Ka Joom / A Hundred Million Lies (Warner 1016)




Biography :

Vocal group from Brooklyn, The Lanes sign a recording contract with George Goldner, owner of Gee records, the house of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. The group cut "You Alone" b/w "Open Up Your Heart". On the strength of the record, the Lanes were booked into the Apollo Theater, with an Alan Freed show, for the week beginning November 23, 1956.

  

Also on the bill were several other acts on Goldner's labels: the Harptones, the Cleftones, the Pretenders, the Rhythm Jesters, and the Joytones... In 1957, the group cut "Ka Joom " b/w "A Hundred Million Lies" for Warner under the name of the Dynamics and broke up.





Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

 
The Lanes

      
You Alone / Open Up Your Heart            Please Be My Love                         I Wonder                  


The Dynamics (1)

Ka Joom / A Hundred Million Lies

..

Eric Nathanson

The Vocal-Airs (Coney Island, Brooklyn)
aka The Blue Sonnets

Personnel :

Louis Fasanaro

Eric Nathanson (Second Tenor)

Joseph Piazza

Robert Kutner (First Tenor)

Discography :

The Vocal-Airs
Single :
1962 - Dance Dance / These Empty Arms (Herald 573)
Unreleased :
1962 - Crying In The Chapel (Herald)
1962 - Out Of Sight Out Of Mind  (Herald)

The Blue Sonnets
1963 - Thank You Mr. Moon / It's Never Too Late (To Fall In Love) (Columbia 42793)

Ricky Reynolds (Eric Nathanson)
1959 - Let's Leave It That Way / Get The Message (Mohawk 201)

Biography :

Louis Fasanaro, Eric Nathanson, Joseph Piazza and Robert Kutner were from Bensonhurst. Eric Nathanson originally sang with Lonnie & the Carollons of Mohawk fame. Eric Nathanson recorded a solo single under the name of Ricky Reynolds before joining The Vocal-Airs. The Vocal-Airs recorded for Herald records "Dance Dance" b/w "These Empty Arms" in 1962.

"Dance Dance" have a little airplay in September 1962.  From the same session, they recorded "Crying In The Chapel" and "Out Of Sight Out Of Mind", unfortunately the two songs were never released. In 1963, Vinnie Fiacco replaced Bob Kutner and the group evolved into the Blue Sonnets and recorded "Thank You Mr. Moon" b/w "It's Never Too Late" on Columbia Records.

"Thank You Mr. Moon" was credited by M. Saunders and D. Blatt. D. Blatt is also known as Jay Black. M. Saunders is Marty Saunders (Sanders). They were members of Jay and the Americans. Bob Kutner also sang in the Boptones on Ember, The Four Romans on Wynne and with the Accents after their recording of "Rag To Riches".


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)    

The Vocal-Airs

  
   Dance Dance                                    These Empty Arms

  
Crying In The Chapel                   Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
 

The Blue Sonnets

  
Thank You Mr. Moon                       It's Never Too Late 


...

The Pageants (2) (New York)


Personnel :

Leroy Bronson (Lead)

Barbara Reeves (Lead)

Melvin Riley

John Flores

Discography :

1961 - Show Them You Can Dance / It's Been So Long (Beacon 559)
1965 - She Is Your Girl / Make It Last (Groove 0056)
1965 - Are You Ever Coming Home / I'm A Victim (RCA 8601)


Biography :

John Flores and bandmates Barbara Reeves, Leroy Bronson and Melvin Riley were contracted to producer, publisher and record label owner Joe Davis for half a year beginning in October of 1963. One week after signing the deal, the Pageants came up with the four songs that were specified as the minimum number of recordings to be cut.Davis' first choice for a single was a pairing of the goading "Show Them You Can Dance" with the impatient "It's Been So Long." Musically there can be no fault found with the backup on these sides, a combo that features session ace guitarist Lawrence Lucie as well as a bassist known for his work with Elmore James, Bob Bushnell. They also recorded on the Groove & RCA Label.



Songs :

  
It's Been So Long                 She Is Your Girl


Make It Last

..

The Crystals (6)  (Bronx,  New York)
aka The Metros (2) aka The Delmonicos (2)

Personnel :

Johnny Angelillo (Baritone)

Joe Patriarca (Second Tenor)

Don Cruz (Lead & First Tenor)

Joe Garcia (Lead & First Tenor)

Jesus "Joe" Carillo (Bass)

Discography :

The Delmonicos (2)
Demo
1957 - Cynthia b/w Baby Sitter

The Metros (2)
1958 - All of My Life / Lookin' (Just 1502)

The Crystals (6)
Singles :
1959 - That's Where I Belong / Better Come Back To Me (Metro 20026)
1960 - Watching You / Oh, My You (Cub 9064)
Dee-jay copy
1959 - I've Got My Reasons / Big John Grundy (Metro)
Unreleased
1959- The Beauty & the Beast (Cub) 

Biography :

The Original Crystals came from Columbus High School. They are Joe Patriarca, Richie Sozzi, ,Joe Garcia, John Angelillo and Joe Premonts. . The Group changed their name to the Delmonicos and recorded a demo Cynthia b/w Baby Sitter in 1957/1958. Premont and Sozzi were soon replaced by Joe "Bassi" Carillo and Don Cruz respectively. John's brother Louis "Chubby" became the group's co-manager along with Louis Carbonetti. Chubby Angelillo got the group an audition with Moe Gale . Moe Gale changed the group's name to the Metro's and they recorded 2 sides released by Just Record "All of My Life" b/w "Lookin'" .

  
The Delmonicos                                                                                               The Original Crystals                        

Moe then formed his own agency (Moe Gale Agency) and took the guys to see Ray Ellis (yes, the band leader) at MGM where they auditioned for him. Some acetate demo 78s were done and sent to different publishing agencies. Ray wanted to record them, but only if they changed their name. The group got together and chose the name Crystals (back then, there were no well- known groups with this name, although hard-core followers of early rhythm and blues know there were several earlier groups with this name).

with Frank Beltran of the Young Tones                                                                                                           

 They then were signed by Ray for the Metro label (subsidiary of MGM)  a 3 years contract releasing 2 45's on Metro and Cub both MGM subsidiaries. On the local strengh of these 45's the group would appear on Alan Freed's Big Beat TV show, Jack Spectors Rhode Island TV show, plus performing at many functions and venues including West Point.
Ed Engel (Crystal Ball records)
http://www.harmonytrain.com/dowoplady/Metros/metros.htm 

Film :


Watching You

Songs  :

The Delmonicos (2)

  
Cynthia                                        Baby Sitter

The Metros (2)

  
All of My Life


Lookin'

The Crystals (6)

  
That's Where I Belong                Better Come Back To Me

  
Watching You                       Oh, My You


I've Got My Reasons

...

Premont and Sozzi were soon replaced by Joe "Bassi" Carillo and Don Cruz respectively.
The Group changed their name to the Delmonicos and recorded a demo Cynthia b/w Baby Sitter in 1957/1958.

John's brother Louis "Chubby" became the group's co-manager along with Louis Carbonetti.
Chubby Angelillo got the group an audition with Moe Gale who changed the group's name to the Metro's.

They recorded 2 sides for the Just Record Label.
Soon Moe would open his own agency and took the group up to see Ray Ellis. Ray was the A&R man for MGM. He signed the group to a 3 years contract releasing 2 45's on Metro and Cub both MGM subsidiaries.

  
Once again the powers in charge decided the Metros on Metro wouldn't work.

The Group elected to take back their original name, The Crystals . It would be several years before the Phil Spector group would hit the charts so this name selection was a keeper.

On the local strengh of these 45's the group would appear on Alan Freed's Big Beat TV show, Jack Spectors Rhode Island TV show, plus performing at many functions and venues including West Point.
Ed Engel (Crystal Ball records)

http://www.harmonytrain.com/dowoplady/Metros/metros.htm

Videos :

Extraordinary song :

Oh, My You (A cappella)

James Leggat (Kelly Troy) 

Kelly Troy & The Three Jays (1) (Georgia, Atlanta )
aka The Jays (3)

Personnel :

James Leggat "Kelly Troy" (Lead)

Marty Jay

Marlyn Jay

Stan Jay

Discography :

The Three Jays (1)
1956 - The Memory Of You / Caught, Caught, Ring-A-Leevio  (RCA Victor 6692)
1959 - Rosa / Because Of You (Vee Jay 311)

Kelly Troy
1960 - Hairlooms / Remember When (Corvette CV 100)

Kelly Troy & The Three Jays (1)
1961 - You’re Lucky In Love / In The Still Of The Night  (Tad 101)

Kelly Troy & The Three Jays (1) (Uncredited)
1961 - You're Lucky In Love / Rockaway Playland (Tad 102)

Kelly Troy & The Jays (3)
1961 - You’re Lucky In Love / In The Still Of The Night (Harvey 102)

Biography :

According youtube through members families, James Leggat under the stage name of  Kelly Troy was a Elvis Era rocker (part of the ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ Tour with Brenda Lee and Neil Sedaka) with slicked back hair, killer clothes, ever with one eye on the ladies and the other seeking out the nearest mirror. Songs under his stage name Kelly Troy “In the Still of the Night” and “Lucky In Love” among others. Originally from London, the eldest son of a Scot carpenter from the Highlands and his wife, a housewife from County Carlo, Ireland, James’ Father (and his siblings) was among the last W.W.I.I. refugees processed at Ellis Island. James Leggat saw America as the land of Opportunity. Though getting radio play and other industry notice, the Army, via the draft, brought James Sr. to Georgia where he met his wife, sister to one of his barrack buddies.

                                                                        James Leggat

The Three  jays was Marty Jay, Marlyn Jay and Stan Jay, who were billed as the Jays on the Harvey label . In 1956, the 13 year-old Marty Jay and his 10 and 11 year-old Siblings Stan and Marilyn Jay have a first single with "The Memory Of You (Legend Of James Dean)" b/w "Caught, Caught, Ring-A-Leevio (One, Two, Three)" on Rca Victor. Three Years later another disc is released by Vee-Jay Records; "Rosa" b/w "Because Of You", Unfortunately I don't know if it's the same group.


Songs :

Kelly Troy & The Three Jays (1)

  
You’re Lucky In Love                In The Still Of The Night


Kelly Troy


Remember When


The Three Jays (1)


Caught, Caught, Ring-A-Leevio


...