The Nutmegs  (New Haven, Conn.)
aka The Rajahs aka The Lyres

Personnel :

Leroy Griffin (Lead)

"Sonny" Griffin (First Tenor)

Jimmy "Coco" Tyson (Second Tenor)

Billy Emery (Baritone)

Leroy McNeil (Bass)

Discography :

The Lyres
1953 - Ship of love / Playboy (J&G 101)

The Nutmegs 
Singles :
1955 - Story untold / Make me lose my mind（Herald 452）
1955 - Ship of love / Rock me（Herald 459）
1955 - Whispering sorrows / Betty Lou（Herald 466）
1956 - Keys to the kingdom / Gift of GObbin' woman（Herald 475）
1956 - Commin' home / A love so true（Herald 492）
1959 - My story / My sweet dream（Herald 538）
1960 - A dream of love / Someone Somewhere (Help me) (Tel 1014)
1962 - Rip Van Winkle / Crazy 'bout you（Herald 574）
1963 - The Way love should be / Wide Hoop skirts (Time square 14/Relic 533)
1963 - Down to earth / (The Admirations) (Time square 1/Candlelite 434)
1963 - Why must i go to school / (The Volumes) (Time square 22/Relic 535)
1963 - Down in Mexico / My Sweet dreams (Time square 27/Relic 528)
1963 - Let me tell you / Hello (Time square 6/Relic 531)
1964 - You're Crying / Wa do Wa (Time square 103)
1965 - Shifting sands / Out of my heart (Relic 1006)
1972 - Story untold 72 / Tell me (Baby Grand 800)
1973 - Shifting sands / Take me and make me yours (Night train 905)
Unreleased :
1956 - The Joker (Herald)
1971 - I like to cha cha (Relic LP 5002)

The Rajahs
Singles
1957 - Shifting Sands / I Feel in love (Klik 7805)
1973 - Rose Ann (a capella) / You're Crying (a capella) (Klik 1019)
1973 - Story to you (a capella) / I Love You so (The Five Satins) (Klik 1020)
Unreleased :
1958 - Help Me (Demo)

              .

The Five Chanels  (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
aka The Chanels  aka Virgil & The Four Chanels aka The Chelmars

Personnel :

Sharon Scott (Lead)

Gwynn Speller

Donza Drummond

Dolores Stringer

Virgil Hammond

Discography :

The Chanels
1958 - The Reason / Skiddily Doo (Deb 500)

The Five Chanels
Singles :
1958 - The Reason / Skiddily Doo (Deb 500)
Unreleased :
1958 - You Treat Me Mean (Deb)
1958 - Wish You Were Near  (Deb)

Virgil & The Four Chanels
1959 - Waiting / Don't Keep It To Yourself (Deb 508)

The Chelmars
1962 - Jigsaw Puzzle / Confess (Select 45K-712)

Biography :

One of the few vocal group to have escaped the scrutiny of record researchers, the Five Chanels were the protégés of Julius Dixon, a veteran songwriter whose successes included (as co-writer) the Chordettes' 1958 smash 'Lollipop' and Bill Halley's 'Dim Dim the Lights'. Dixon dabbled in all aeras of the music business and in 1958, he launched the Deb Label as a vehicle for his protégé, 14 year-Old Beverly Ann Gibson who had won the amateur hour at the Apollo theatre.

She in turn introduced Dixon to the Chanels who hailed from her hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The group were composed by Sharon Scott, Gwynn Speller, Donza Drummond, Dolores Stringer and Virgil Hammond.Early pressings of 'the reason' credited the Chanels but this was changed to the Five Chanels after rival record boss, Georges Goldner, complained that the name was too close to that of the Channels, a group he had recorded for his Gone Label. And not only that, but the Chanels' lead singer, Sharon Scott, sounded similar to Arlene Smith ot the Chantels, another of Goldner's groups.

'The Reason' benefited from some immediate plugs on American Bandstand, the nation's most influential TV pop show and Dixon set up a distribution deal with ABC Paramount Records in anticipation of the hoped for hit. However, Dick Clark who hosted Bandstand, and had tried to acquire 'The Reason' for Swan Records, a Philadelphia Label with which he was associated, promptly lost interest causing 'The Reason' to stall at #98. A subsequent Release was credited to Virgil & the Four Chanels. In 1962, Julius Dixon will call the group again, without Virgil. The girls renamed "The Chelmars" recorded "Jigsaw Puzzle" b/w "Confess" released by Select Records.


Songs :

The Chanels aka The Five Chanels

    
The Reason                               Skiddily Doo

You Treat Me Mean                    Wish You Were Near

Virgil & The Four Chanels

    
             Waiting                        Don't Keep It To Yourself

The Chelmars

  
Confess                                          Jigsaw Puzzle

...

The Rinky Dinks (New York)
aka The Ding Dongs (1) 

Personnel :

Bobby Darin (Lead)

Discography :  

The Ding Dongs (1)
1958 - Early In The Morning / Now We're One (Brunswick 55073)

The Rinky Dinks
1958 - Early In The Morning / Now We're One (Atco 6121)

Bobby Darin & The Rinky Dinks
1958 - Mighty Mighty Man / You're Gone    (Atco 6128)

Biography :

"Early in the Morning" is a song written by Bobby Darin and Woody Harris. Darin approached Brunswick Records with "Early in the Morning". Brunswick was impressed, but as Darin was still under contract to Atlantic Records' subsidiary, Atco, the song was released by The Ding Dongs. New York deejays liked the record and Atco soon discovered the deception.

Brunswick was forced to turn over the masters to Atco, which released the record in 1958 under the name, "The Rinky Dinks" . Buddy Holly was in the studio on that day and Bobby gave him permission to record both tracks on the Coral label. Both tracks were identical to Bobby's including the Helen Way Singers backup!

Billboard, june 30, 1958

In 1959, Darin recorded the self-penned "Dream Lover," a ballad that became a multi-million seller. With it came financial success and the ability to demand more creative control of his career. So he meant for his That's All album to show that he could sing more than rock and roll. His next single, "Mack the Knife," the standard from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, was given a vamping jazz-pop interpretation. Although Darin was initially opposed to releasing it as a single, the song went to No. 1 on the charts for nine weeks, sold two million copies, and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960. Darin was also voted the Grammy Award for Best New Artist that year, and "Mack The Knife" has since been honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
http://www.bobbydarin.net/sn_042458.html

Songs :

   
   Now We're One                              Early In The Morning

    
Mighty Mighty Man                                  You're Mine       

 ...

The Five Thrills (2) (Port Chester, NY)
aka The Uniques (2)

Personnel :

Arthur Epps (Lead Tenor)

Curtis Smith (First Tenor)

Richard Welch (Second Tenor)

Ben Peterson (Baritone)

Benjamin Todd (Bass)

Discography :

The Uniques (2)
Single :
1958 - Tell The Angels / Hey, Little Cupid (End 1012)

The Five Thrills (2)
Unreleased:
1957 - Hey, Little Cupid (End)
1957 - Tell The Angels (End)
1957 - Love Express (End)
1957 - Pretty As A Rose (End)

Biography :

The group consisted of Arthur Epps as lead singer, Benjamin Todd as bass, Curtis Smith as first tenor, Richard Welch as second tenor and Ben Peterson sang baritone. They all lived in Port Chester, New York. They were all 18 or 19 years old and Harvey Katz was their manager.1958 was a banner year for END Records. In 1958, the Uniques, previously known as the Five Thrills, recorded "Hey,' Little Cupid" and "Tell The Angels" on the END Label (END #1012), just after the Chantels recorded "Maybe" (END # 1005).

Later that year, Little Anthony and the Imperials recorded their first record on END, “Tears on My Pillow”. "(END # l027). The Flamingos recorded “Lovers Never Say Goodbye” (END # 1035). In late 1957, while they were the "Five Thrills", the group recorded four unreleased songs, including another version of  "Hey, Little Cupid" and "Tell The Angels” as well as "Love Express" and "Pretty As A Rose".

Songs:

The Uniques (2)

  
Tell The Angels                       Hey, Little Cupid

The Five Thrills (2)

     
Hey, Little Cupid                 Pretty As A Rose                  Tell The Angels


Love Express

…

Billy Tircuit

The Senors  (New Orleans, LA)
aka The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1)

 

Personnel :

Milton Smith (Lead Tenor)

Vontell Lane (Tenor)

Adolph Smith (Tenor)

Clarence Phoenix (Contralto)

Billy Tircuit (Bass / Baritone)





Discography :

The Mellow Drops
Singles :
1954 - The Crazy Song / When I Grow Too Old To Dream (Imperial 5324)
Unreleased :
1954 - I Want Your Love (Imperial)
1954 - Mother Will Stand Up For You (Imperial)


The Monitors (1)
Singles :
1956 - Candy Coated Kisses / Tonight's The Night (Aladdin 3309)
1956 - A Little Word / That's What I'll Do (Aladdin 3313)
1957 - Our School Days / I've Got A Dream (Speciality 595)
1957 - Closer To Heaven / Rock 'N' Roll Fever (Speciality 622)
1958 - Mama Linda / Hop Scotch (Speciality 636)
Unreleased :
1956 - Guiding Light (Aladdin)
1956 - O, O, Daddy, O (Aladdin)
1957/58 - Crazy Green Lizard
1957/58 - Groovy Ruby
1957/58 - If I Could See You Again
1957/58 - My Baby's Rockin'
1957/58 - My Greatest Mistake
1957/58 - Red Sails In The Sunset
1957/58 - Too Young
1957/58 - Wobble When She Walks

The Senors
1962 - May I Have This Dance / Searching For Olive Oil (Sue 756)




Biography :

This New Orleans vocal group First got together in New Orleans in 1952, They were friends in their early twenties and calling themselves the Mellow-Drops, playing bars and clubs in the New Orleans vicinity. Finally they were discovered by Imperial's Dave Bartholomew. Bartholomew got them a session on November 15, 1954.  "The Crazy Song" and "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" by the Mellow Drops later that year.  For some forgotten reason, the group decided to change their name to the Monitors. They met and backed up Shirley and Lee one day. The producer that day was Eddie Mesner of Aladdin Records. That session eventually led to a session for the Monitors with Aladdin. Kidd was the usual lead, but he was unable to make the Monitors session with Aladdin and Vontell Lane filled in. Four tunes were recorded at the one session they had with Aladdin — only two were used.

 

Eddie Mesner                                                                                            

The Aladdin disc did well locally but received little support from the label, and they next called on Specialty Records in 1956. While this group had been the Mellow Drops on Imperial and was renamed the Monitors and the Senors,  it's curious that despite their Louisiana origin, they recorded for the Sue label in New York and for California's Imperial, Aladdin, and Speciality labels. The Monitors' first session for Specialty was held in December 1956 and their first release on that label occurred in January 1957. It did well locally in New Orleans, but Speciality’s Art Rupe failed to support it. Similarly, their two other Specialty releases had good local support but no push. Differences between group members began to surface and they split up in 1958. Later that year,Vontell Lane and Billy Tircuit got together with Johnny Meyers, Simon Washington, and Elaine Edwards to form the Moonbeems .

   
                                                                                                     Art Rupe

In 1961, many of the Monitors original members got together and renamed themselves again to the Senors. The group members were Billy Tircuit, Adolph Smith, Vontell Lane, and Clarence Phoenix. Their new lead singer was Adolph's brother, Milton Smith. They recorded a couple of sides at Cosimo's: "May I Have This Dance" and "Searching For Olive Oil". By 1964, the Monitors / Señors had disbanded for good.

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Monitors/monitors.html




Songs :

The Mellow Drops

  
The Crazy Song                      I Want Your Love


The Monitors (1)

  
Candy Coated Kisses / Tonight's The Night      Our School Days / I’ve Got A Dream

  
Closer To Heaven / Rock 'N' Roll Fever              Mama Linda / Hop Scotch 


The Senors

  
May I Have This Dance                Searching For Olive Oil

….