The Orbits (1) (Jackson, Mississippi)  
(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

George Jackson (Lead)

Joe Graham (Tenor)

Sam Jones Jr (Baritone)

Charles Harper (Bass)

Discography :

Bobby Charles bb The Orbits (1)
1957 - One Eyed Jack / Yea Yea Baby (Chess 1670)

The Orbits (1) 

Singles :
1957 - Mr. Hard Luck / Who Are You (Argo 5286)

Unreleased :
1957 - Sugar Mama (Argo)
1957 - You Hurt Me So (Argo)

Biography :

R&B vocal group The Orbits launched in Jackson, MS, in 1953. originally dubbed the Quails, the founding lineup was comprised of lead tenor George Jackson; tenors Lee Lance Turner, Joe Graham, and Freddy Beverly; baritone Joe Gray; and bass Augusta Taylor.   According to the profile on Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks website, the group cut its teeth at local dances, talent shows, and nightclubs like the Wagon Wheel and the Casino. In 1955,Tthe Quails were tapped to host their own weekly radio show on Jackson station WOKJ, but despite the success their lineup changed dramatically in the months to follow, with Turner and then Taylor handing in their resignations; Gray was the next to go, prompting the remaining trio to add baritone Sam Jones, Jr., their occasional pianist.

After one more switch, with bass Charles Harper taking over for Beverly, The Quails installed local record promoter Joe Coronna as their manager, and in mid-1957 Coronna landed a contract with Chess Records. New Orleans legend Cosimo Matassa produced their first session, which yielded their lone single, "Mr. Hard Luck," issued on Chess' Argo imprint and credited to the Orbits, a name suggested by WWEZ radio personality Ken Elliott and instituted to avoid confusion with a rival Quails that previously recorded for Deluxe.

      
                                                                                                        Bobby Charles                                                       

By the time "Mr. Hard Luck" hit retail in late 1957, Graham was no longer a member of the Orbits, with tenor Robert McElroy installed in his stead. The record was a local hit but went nowhere on the national charts, and when Jones entered the military the following summer, the group dissolved.   In 1995 Jackson, Graham, and Jones reunited The Quails to appear at their old high school, coming together again in 2001 (along with new lead vocalist DeQuincy Johnson) in honor of the school's new athletic complex. A few additional performances soon followed.Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

 http://www.uncamarvy.com/Orbits/orbits.html

Songs:

The Orbits (1)

    
Who Are You                         Mr. Hard Luck               Sugar Mama (Unreleased)

Bobby Charles bb The Orbits (1)

  
One Eyed Jack                     Yea Yea Baby

... 

The Matadors (5) (Los Angeles)
aka The Gents (1) aka The Dories (2)


Personnel :

Vic Diaz

Manuel Sanchez

Tony Minichiello


Discography :

The Gents (1)
1961 - Why do i love her / Jump in the Line (Liberty 55332)

The Dories (2)
1962 - Stompin' Sh-Boom / Breakup (Dore 629)

The Matadors (5)
1963 - Ace of Heart / Perfidia (Colpix 698)
1964 - La Corrida / I've Gotta Drive (Jan & Dean)  (Colpix 718)
1964 - C'mon Let Yourself Go / C'mon Let Yourself Go (Part 2) (Colpix 741)

Biography :

The Matadors — Tony Minichiello, Vic Diaz, and Manuel Sanchez — were a talented trio that sang harmonies on Jan & Dean’s early Screen Gems recordings. They provided the disctinctive harmonies (along with Jan & Dean themselves) on the Surf City and Drag City Lps in 1963, and on part of the Dead Man’s Curve / The New Girl In School LP in 1964 (Liberty Records). The Matadors were a vital part of the Jan & Dean vocal sound, at the peak of the duo’s popularity. Tony and Manny had been schoolmates with Jan Berry at University High School in Los Angeles.

They recorded as the Gents on Liberty Records in 1961 (with music arranged by Jan). Vic Diaz was a solo artist for Del-Fi Records, who then connected with Tony and Manny for a single on Dore Records, produced by Kim Fowley in 1962. Thanks to his songwriting and producing contracts with Screen Gems, Jan was able to write, arrange, and produce for artists other than Jan & Dean (with oversight from Lou Adler). In addition to singing back-up for Jan & Dean, the Matadors had a record deal with Colpix Records, which fell under the aegis of Screen Gems. So it was only natural that Jan would produce the Matadors for Colpix.  

In addition to arranging and producing for the Matadors, Jan also co-wrote several songs for the group, and sang bass on their single “Perfidia,” released in 1963.  Jan also sang lead on the trio’s release of “I Gotta Drive” (which was also included on Jan & Dean’s Drag City LP).  Jan’s writing credits for the Matadors included “Ace of Hearts” (co-written with Gary Zekley and Vic Diaz), “La Corrida,” and “Come On Let Yourself Go,” Parts 1 & 2 (co-written with Artie Kornfeld) — 1963-1964.



Songs :

The Matadors (5)

   
Perfidia                                                Ace Of Hearts

I've Gotta Drive

The Dories (2)

   
 Breakup                                       Stompin' Sh-Boom 

The Gents (1)

     
Why Do I Love Her                                     Jump In The Line

...

 Bob Feldman, Barry Mann & Jerry Goldstein

Bob & Jerry & Their Friends (Brooklyn, New York)
aka Ezra & The Ivies (2)
aka The Kittens (1)
aka Bobbi & The Beaus (2)

Personnel :

Jerry Goldstein

Bob Feldman

Discography :

Ezra & The Ivies (2)
1959 - Comick Book Crazy / Rockin Shoes (Baca Laca Ling Dong) (UA 165)

The Kittens (1)
1959 - A Letter To Donna / It's All Over Now (Unart 2010)

Bobbi & The Beaus (2)
1959 - Melvin / Losing Game (Unart 2009)

Bob & Jerry
1961 - Dreamy Eyes / We're The Guys   (Who Drive Your Baby Wild) (Bob & Jerry & Their Friends) (Columbia 42162)
1962 - Chubby Isn't Chubby Anymore / Nursery Rhyme Folk (Musicor 1018)


Biography :

Born in Brooklyn in 1940, Feldman grew up in an orthodox Jewish home and originally studied to be a cantor. The Feldmans lived across the street from Neil Diamond’s folks, just around the corner from the Sedakas, whose son, Neil, was a promising classical pianist, and a couple of blocks away from members of the Tokens, all Lincoln High School graduates and friends. By the mid-50s, doo wop was all the rage and Feldman soon fell in with various groups practising harmonies on the Brooklyn backstreets. He teamed up with his neighbourhood buddy, Jerry Goldstein, and wrote some songs that brought the pair to the attention of Jack Lewis, an A&R man at United Artists Records. Lewis allowed the enthusiastic 18 year-old to sit in on sessions at weekends and mentored him on various aspects of the music business.

Back then, the quickest route to a potential hit was a novelty recording and Feldman and Goldstein chose this path as the most likely way of securing airplay in a crowded market. Thus "Comic Book Crazy" by Ezra & the Ivies, "Melvin" by Bobbi & The Beaus with singer Barbara Robert and "‘A Tribute To Donna" by the Kittens - both probably recorded at the same session under Lewis’ supervision, appeared in March 1959, the latter being a tribute to Ritchie Valens, issued within weeks of his death in the plane accident that also claimed Buddy Holly’s life. None of these early efforts were particularly distinguished or hitworthy, but they enabled Feldman and Goldstein to establish a toehold in the business as part-timers.

    

The two pals would grab a sandwich andhustle music publishers in their lunch breaks. Young, enthusiastic and markedly persuasive, they began to get some bites, mainly as a novelty turn, twice riding on the coat-tails of existing hits with ‘We’re The Guys’ (an answer record to Barry Mann’s ‘Who Put The Bomp’) as Bob & Jerry on Columbia Records and ‘Chubby Isn’t Chubby Anymore’ (a daft nod to the King of The Twist) on the Musicor label. Another of their songs, ‘Charm Bracelet’, was recorded by teenage pop vocalist Bernadette Peters. Though they were making inroads, it wasn’t until Feldman and Goldstein met Richard Gottehrer in a music publisher’s waiting room in the spring of 1962, that they tasted their first chart success.They formed the Strangeloves consisted of Bob, Jerry and Richard Gottehrer. Although they left their mark under the name Strangeloves with only four singles and one album, their fascinating story extends both before and beyond the group’s brief tenure.

Songs:

Ezra & The Ivies (2)

  
Rockin Shoes (Baca Laca Ling Dong)               Comick Book Crazy               

The Kittens (1)

  
A Letter To Donna                                It's All Over Now

Bobbi & The Beaus (2)

  
Losing Game                                               Melvin

Bob & Jerry & Their Friends


We're The Guys (Who Drive Your Baby Wild)

Bob & Jerry

  
        Dreamy Eyes                                     Nursery Rhyme Folk

...

The Royal Drifters

The Royal Drifters  (Hawaii)
aka The Jolly Drifters


Personnel :

Danny Bobbitt

Moki Cabalse

John Akana

Walter Choi

Rudy Molina


Discography :

The Royal Drifters
1959 - Little Linda / S'Why Hard (Teen 506)
1959 - To Each This Own / Da Kind (Teen 508)

Robin Luke With The Jolly Drifters
1958 - Chicka Chicka Honey / My Girl (Bertram International 208 / Dot 15839)



Biography :

All group members were from Honolulu and attended McKinley High School. The group were composed by Moki Cabalse, John Akana, Walter Choi, Rudy Molina, Larry Akana and Danny Aranio. They sang together in high school and In 1958 they were known as The Jolly Drifters, a  group who sang backup vocals for Robin Luke on "Chicka Chicka Honey" and "My Girl".

  
          Robin Luke                                                                                 The Jolly Drifters

Robin Luke was discovered by Hawaii entrepreneur Kimo Wilder McVay. Luke was living in Honolulu, Hawaii, attending Punahou School, in 1958 when he wrote and recorded a Billboard #5 hit, "Susie Darlin'" a song named after his then five-year-old sister, Susie. The track also reached #23 in the UK Singles Chart. He continued to record, but was unable to repeat his Top 10 success. His first four singles were recorded for the small International label in Honolulu. After "Susie Darlin'" started getting local airplay, Dot Records bought his recording contract and the International master tapes.

The Royal Drifters (L to R) Danny Bobbitt, Moki Cabalse, John Akana, Walter Choi and Rudy Molina.

After their "Chicka Chicka Honey and "My Girl", Larry Akana & Danny Aranio parted ways to join the U.S. Air Force and Danny Bobbitt joined the group. The Five guys changed their name fro the Royal Drifters. The Royal Drifters became a hot  group that was the warm up act for all the nation's top singers and groups like Elvis, Everly Brothers, etc. that came to Hawaii in the late 50s and early 60s. The Royal Drifters recorded songs as "S’ Why Hard", "Da Kind", "Little Linda" & "To Each His Own" under the Teen Records label in 1959.

Songs :

The Royal Drifters

  
Little Linda                               S'Why Hard

  
To Each This Own                                  Da Kind


Robin Luke With The Jolly Drifters

   
Chicka Chicka Honey                                 My Girl

....

The Swallows (2) (Los Angeles)
aka The Guides, aka The Senders, aka The Uptones

Personnel :

Carlton Beck (Lead Tenor)

Harry Binns (Tenor)

Richard Betts (Baritone)

Jackie Eugene Ware

Raymond Washington

Discography :

The Swallows (2)
1959 - You Must Try / How Long Must A Fool Go On (Guyden 2023)

The Guides
1959 - You Must Try / How Long Must A Fool Go On (Guyden 2023)

The Senders
1959 - I Dream Of You / The Ballad Of Stagger Lee (Kent 320)
1959 - One More Kiss / Everybody Needs To Know (Kent 324)
1961 - Pretty Little Pretty / Spinning (Entra 711)

The Uptones (1)
1962 - No More/ I'll Be There (Lute 6225)
1962 - Be Mine / Dreamin' (Lute 6229)
1963 - Wear My Ring / Dreaming (Magnum 714)

Carlton Beck bb The Hollywood Saxons
1962 - The Girl I Left Behind / You'll Be Coming Home Soon (Penney 1306 /Troy 100)


Biography :

In 1959, Lead singer, Carlton Beck, backed by Richard Botts, Jackie Eugene Ware and Raymond Washington recorded "You Must Try" b/w "How Long Must A Fool Go On" as The Swallows on Guyden  #32023. There was a legal issue challenging Guyden's use of the name "The Swallows," so Guyden changed the group's name to "The Guides" and pressed new copies with the change. The same year, they changed their name to The Senders.

Produced by George Motola, he Brought to the Kent label who at that time was working for the Bihari Brothers. The Senders epitomised the southern California vocal group sound of the later 1950s and early 1960s with the ethereal "I Dream Of You Night After Night" (Kent 320) from 1959. It was their first of two singles on Kent that year — they also had 1961 releases on Entra. Probably with some personnel changes (Richard Betts), the group later recorded as the Uptones on Lute and Magnum in 1962-63.

  
                                                                                                        The Hollywood Saxons

The group's lead singer, Carlton Beck, also had a rare vocal group record on Motola’s Troy label under his own name in 1962 backed by Stan Beverly, Charles Taggart, and Maudice Giles of the Hollywood Saxons. Carlton Beck was a member of the Hollywood Saxons (who recorded on Elf, Entra, Swingin’ and Twentieth Century in the 1960s) and its evolving groups in the 1970s — the Professionals on Action Pac and Speed Limit on Watts.

Songs :

The Guides / The Swallows (2)

    
              You Must Try                         How Long Must A Fool Go On

The Senders

  
       I Dream Of You                        The Ballad Of Stagger Lee

 
     One More Kiss                          Everybody Needs To Know

   
Pretty Little Pretty                                       Spinning     

The Uptones (1)

  
No More                                     I'll Be There

  
Be Mine                                        Dreamin'

  
Wear My Ring                             Dreaming

Carlton Beck bb The Hollywood Saxons


The Girl I Left Behind

...