The Rip-Chords (1) (Chicago, IL)

 Personnel :

Leon Arnold (Lead / First Tenor)

John Gillespie (Alto)

George Vinyard (First Tenor)

David Hargrove (Second Tenor)

Lester Martin (Bass)



Discography :

The Knights Of Rhythm
Unreleased
1955 - Forever Loving You (Vee-Jay)
1955 - Lorrie (Vee-Jay)

The Rip-Chords (1)
1956 - I Love You The Most /  Let's Do The Razzle Dazzle  (Abco 105)

Leon Arnold
1961 - But, Goodbye / Here's To The Girl (Wes 7751)

Biography :

Chicago doo wop quintet the Rip-Chords formed in 1954 -- according to Marv Goldberg's profile in the April 1979 issue of Goldmine -- lead tenor/songwriter Leon Arnold, first tenor George Vinyard, second tenor David Hargrove, alto John Gillespie, and bass Lester Martin first performed as the Five Knights of Rhythm. Upon signing with Ted Daniels, a local impresario who also guided the careers of the Calvaes and the Five Thrills, the Five Knights of Rhythm cut a record deal with the Vee-Jay label, in the summer of 1955 cutting a split session with the El Dorados; in truth, however, Vee-Jay was most interested in Arnold's compositional prowess, and while the label never released the group's session, it later issued as an El Dorados cover of Arnold's "Forever Loving You." (His "Lights Are Low" subsequently appeared on another El Dorados disc as well.)

The experience upset the Knights so much that they rechristened themselves the Rip-Chords before signing to the local independent label Abco to issue their official debut single "Let's Do the Razzle Dazzle" in 1956 -- when the record barely registered on Chicago radio, the group dissolved. Arnold resurfaced in 1961 with a solo single on the tiny Wes label before quitting the music business for good.

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Ripchords/ripchords.html

Songs :

The Rip-Chords (1)


I Love You The Most /  Let's Do The Razzle Dazzle


...

The Pelicans (1)  (New Orleans)
aka The Kidds (1)

Personnel :

Walter Lewis

Willie Hannah

Carl Ledbetter

Wardell Brown

Discography :

The Pelicans (1)
Single :
1954 - Chimes / Ain't Gonna Do It (Imperial 5307)
Unreleased :
1954 - Miss Lucy (Imperial)
1954 - Down In Mexico ((Imperial)

The Kidds (1)
1955 - I Won't Be Back / You Broke My Heart (Post 2003)
1955 - Drunk, Drunk, Drunk / Are You Forgetting Me (Imperial 5335)

Wee Willie Wayne bb The Kidds (1) (Uncredited)
1955 - I Remember / Travelin' Mood (Solo) (Imperial 5355)

Biography :

Vocal group from New Orleans, The Group consisted of Walter Lewis, Willie Hannah, Carl Ledbetter and Wardell Brown. Their tracks were from a session of eight songs (IM-755 to IM-762) recorded by The Pelicans in Los Angeles on August 20 1954 . Tracks were released variously as by the Pelicans or as by The Kidds but they were the same group.

Songs :

The Kidds (1)

  
 You Broke My Heart / I Won't Be Back            Drunk, Drunk, Drunk / Are You Forgetting Me

The Pelicans (1)

  
Chimes / Ain't Gonna Do It                          Miss Lucy           


Down In Mexico

Wee Willie Wayne bb The Kidds (1) (Uncredited)


I Remember / Travelin' Mood (Solo)
…

 The Larktones (Queens, NY)

Personnel :

Leroy Parrish (Lead)

Jimmy Tyler

Lou Courtney

Chambers

Discography :

1958 - Nosy Neighbors / Why Are You Tearing Us Apart (Riki 140)
1958 - The Letter / Rockin' Swingin' Man (ABC 9909)

Biography :

The Larktones' complete ouput were two singles in 1958: the first on Rik and the second, 'The Letter'/'Rockin', Swingin' Man', surprisingly on ABC-Paramount (9909). Leroy Parrish sang Lead with the Larktones originated out of projects of Rockaway Queens NY. The main group from Rockaways was Leroy Parrish, Lou Courtney, Jimmy Tyler and Chambers.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

   
The Letter                       Why Are You Tearing Us Apart

    
Nosy Neighbors                              Rockin' Swingin' Man


...

The Bi-Tones (New Rochelle, New-York)

Personnel :

Joey Amato

Joe Ferrara

Discography :

Singles :
1960 - Beatnik Girl / Oh, How I Love You So (Bluejay 1000)
1960 - Once In Awhile (The Chimes) / Oh How I Love You So (Tag 444)

Unreleased :
N/A - In My Lonely Room
N/A - Jeanette, Jeanette

Biography :

The Del Satins started out as The Jokers, with Joey Amato singing lead. Joey went on to other things in the music business, and later came back as their guitar player.

The Del Satins  : Tommy Ferrara, Richie Greene, Stanley Ziska, Freddy Ferrara & Leslie Cauchi (Joey Amato on guitar)

In 1960, Joey Amato Cut four song with Fred and Tom Ferrara's younger brother, Joe.  Two songs are released on Bluejay records under the name of the Bi-Tones.



Songs :

   
Oh, How I Love You So                              Beatnik Girl

   
In My Lonely Room                                Jeanette, Jeanette

...

The Belairs (5) (Georgetown, D.C.)
aka The Four Bel-Aires (1)

Personnel :

Alfred "Nookie" Robinson (First Tenor)

Warren Ricks (Second Tenor)

Robert "Slick" Russell (Bariton)

Vernon Ricks (Bass)

Discography :

The Four Bel-Aires (1)
1958 - Where Are You / Tell Me Why (X-tra 113)

The Belairs (5)
1963 -  Where Are You / Tell Me Why (Time SQ 23)

Biography :

The start of the 4 Bel-Aires was at the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, in Georgetown, D.C. There, in 1955, bass Vernon Ricks and baritone Robert "Slick" Russell started harmonizing on R&B songs when they worked in the kitchen on Sunday mornings. They were eventually joined by first tenor Alfred "Nookie" Robinson (whose name is usually shown, incorrectly, as "Albert").
Finally, when they sounded like they had a shot at fame and fortune, Vernon brought in his cousin, second tenor Warren Ricks, and the 4 Bel-Aires were born. Although there were only four singers, a fifth member was guitarist Mike Jackson. The guys ranged in age from 13 (Warren) to 21 (Alfred).

There was a local Saturday evening radio program in D.C. called Teenarama (on WOOK, 1340 AM; this was before it moved to TV in 1963). A couple of teenagers (Calvin Hackett and Marjorie Bowman) acted as DJs, spinning hit records and inviting local groups to perform. Sometime around late 1957, the invitation was extended to the 4 Bel-Aires (who sang their arrangement of the Mello-Moods' "Where Are You"). Their singing impressed the "adult" member of Teenarama, Al "Big Boy" Jefferson, a DJ who had a nightly WOOK show, broadcast from the front window of Waxie Maxie Silverman's Quality Music store (located around the corner from the Howard Theater). In 1962, Ben Smith sold all his X-Tra masters to Slim Rose of Times Square Records. That's the reason that "Where Are You" and "Tell Me Why" appeared on Times Square in November 1963 (although the group was listed as the "Belairs").
http://www.uncamarvy.com/4BelAires/4belaires.html


Songs :

   
Where Are You                                     Tell Me Why 

...