The Souvenirs (2) (San Bernardino, CA.)
aka The Mementos

Personnel :

Rosetta Lawrence

Alvin Williams

Norm Williams

Joseph ...

Discography :

The Souvenirs (2)

Singles :
1962 - The Bump / The Worm (Reprise 20065)
1962 - The Real McCoy / The Watusi (Reprise 20066)

Lp :
1962 -  Everybody's Doin' It with The Souvenirs (R/R9 6027)
Slow Twistin' / Mashed Potatoes / Popeye / Hully Gully / New Continental / Watusi / Bump / Real McCoy / Rocheroo / Mop / Mash / Worm

The Mementos
1962 - Do The Mashed Potatoes / The Watusi (Strip) (Reprise 20091)

Discography :

Reprise Records was started by Frank Sinatra in 1960 as a vehicle for his own recordings, and the recordings of his Las Vegas pals, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1961, Arranger, songwriter, and musician Steve Venet under the pseudonym of Steven Venetoulis (He also used sometimes Kathie Venetoulis) produced and arranged an Album for the Souvenirs.

This Vocal group from San Bernardino, CA. comprised Rosetta Lawrence, Brothers Alvin & Norm Williams (who wrote "The Real McCoy") as well as a fourth member named Joseph. "Everybody's Doin' It with The Souvenirs" is a mix of instrumental as well as vocal tracks of which three singles will be extracted almost at the same time: two under their name and the third under the name of "The Mementos": probably not to have too many single from the same group at the same time.



Songs :


*** The Bump ****


...

Chang Lee & The Zani-Acts (Newark, New Jersey)
ref  The Du Barrys

Personnel :

Domenick Roberto (Chang Lee)

Joseph Donnamaria (First Tenor)

Hank Majewski (Bass)

Joe Pesci (First Tenor)

Tony Napolitano (Drums)

Discography :

Chang Lee & The Du Barrys
1959 - I Must've Been Crazy / Tell Me (Jamison 864)

The Du Barrys
1959 - (Let's Exchange) Graduation Rings / Movin' Around (Topic 9120)

Biography :

Domenick "Chang Lee" Roberto had been an entertainer since the 1940s, working non-stop in night clubs and banquet halls. He served in the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War, attaining the rank of corporal. During his military service, he entertained many of his fellow servicemen.

  

After the war, he returned home and created Chang Lee's and the Zani-Acts featuring the Yum-Yum Girls. In 1959 Hank Majewski, one of the original 'Four Lovers" (Four Seasons) left the group to became one of the group with first tenor actor/comedian Joe Pesci, Joseph Donnamaria & Tony Napolitano. The group will be many different staff over the years. In the same period, Chang Lee recorded two rare records with the Du Barrys who are probably the same singers than the Zani-Acts.



Chang Lee packed many venues, including The Savoy Plaza, The Rustic Cabin, Don's 21, The Flamingo, The Meadowbrook, The Cottage Inn, and The Silhouette, all in the greater Newark area, with Joe Pesce, Frankie Valli, Jerry Vale, Louis Prima, Lou Monte, Jimmy Roselli, Georgia Gibbs, Joey Dee, Tommy DeVito, Phil Brito, and many, many more. A talented songwriter, he recorded with Georgia Gibbs, Perry Como and Jerry Vale.

Songs :

The Du Barrys

  
(Let's Exchange) Graduation Ring                      Movin' Around              
 

Chang Lee & The Du Barrys

  
I Must've Been Crazy                              Tell Me         

...

Frank Amodeo & Byron Taylor

The Two-Tones  (Higland Park, Detroit)



Personnel :

Frank Amodeo

Byron Taylor

Discography :

N/A - Lonesome / My Broken Heart's Broken Again (Unreleased)

Biography

After the Four Imperials broke up, Frank Amodeo joined up with Byron Taylor and recorded as The Two-Tones.

Songs :

   
My Broken Heart's Broken Again                 Lonesome                

 ...

The Chanters (2)  (Queens, New Kork)
aka Bud Johnson & The Voices Five

Personnel :

Larry Pendergrass (Lead)

Fred Paige (First & Second Tenor)

Bud Johnson, Jr. (Second & First Tenor)

Elliot Green (Baritone)

Bobby Thompson (Bass)

Discography :

The Chanters (2)
1958 - My My Darling / I Need Your Tenderness (Deluxe 6162)
1958 - Row Your Boat / Stars In The Skies (Deluxe 6166)
1958 - Five Little Kisses / Angel Darling (Deluxe 6172)
1961 - I Make This Pledge / No, No, No (Deluxe 6191)
1961 - At My Door / My My Darling (Deluxe 6194)
1963 - Over The Rainbow / No, No, No (Deluxe 6199)
1963 - Row Your Boat / No, No, No (Deluxe 6200)

Bud Johnson & The Chanters (2)
1958 - No, No, No / Over The Rainbow (Deluxe 6177)

Bud Johnson & The Voices Five
Singles :
1959 - For Sentimental reasons / All alone (Inst.)(Craft 116 )
1959 - You're driving me crazy / On the Alamo (Stereo craft 111 A)
Lps:
1959 - Big Beat Dance Party (Lp RCS-509 )
Lover Come Back To Me  / For Sentimental Reasons  / You're Driving Me Crazy / On The Alamo

Biography :

Bud (sometimes spelled as Budd) Johnson was a jazz and R & B tenor sax player who did a lot of session work in New York throughout the forties and fifties. His son Bud Jr. along with a few of his neighborhood friends soon began singing notes and trading riffs which the father thought might show some promise. So Bud Johnson along with Bob Thompson, Fred Page, Elliot Green, and lead singer Larry Pendergrass soon solidified the group. Their influence was the top sound of the day - the young high tenor lead made famous by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers. Bud and his group who were managed by his mother soon were put in contact with one of the leading independent record companies of the day, the King-Federal-DeLuxe combine located in Cincinnati, Ohio and headed by Syd Nathan. Nathan who was looking for just that kind of sound in a vocal group, quickly signed them to his DeLuxe label and set up their initial recording session. The first release for the group was "My My Darling" and "I Need Your Tenderness" on # 6162 in April of 1958.

The record did not do much in sales or airplay and the group was soon ready for another try. In June "Row Your Boat" and "Stars In The Skies" was released on DeLuxe #6166. This time the results were a bit better for the group but still certainly not a big national, or even a regional hit. "Row" was an up tempo tune very much in the mold of the Lymon brothers groups. September saw the third DeLuxe release on the tunes "Angel Darling" and "Five Little Kisses" on # 6172. Once again the group just did not seem to capture an audience for their music.  The Chanters had one last effort in the year. The songs were the pop standard "Over The Rainbow" and "No No No" and this time Bud's father gave the session his experience in arranging and orchestrating the takes.

Probably because of this the group was identified on the label as "Bud Johnson & The Chanters" leaving many listeners to assume that Johnson was the lead singer rather than Pendergrass. In 1959 Page left to military service and his place was taken by Fred Johnson another member of the Johnson family - this time a cousin.  That year the group moved to the Craft label and recorded "All Alone" and "For Sentimental Reasons" and released on # 116. This time the lead singer was Fred Johnson and the group had changed their name to The Voices Five. A bit of confusion came about as the label released a side as by the Budd Johnson Orchestra (Bud Jr.'s father) on # 113. Unfortunately for the group now The Voices Five, the end result remained the same.

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ev1tiger/chanters.html
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Chanters/chanters.html

Songs :

The Chanters (2)

     
No No No                              Five Little Kisses                    Row Your Boat

     
I Need Your Tenderness                   My My Darling                         Angel Darling         

      
Stars In The Skies                  Over The Rainbow         I Make This Pledge (To You)

  
At My Door

Bud Johnson & The Voices Five

      
You're Driving Me Crazy           Lover Come Back To Me      For Sentimental Reasons
 


On The Alamo

...

Tony Morra & The Do-Wel's (Pittsburgh)



Personnel :

Tony Morra (Lead)


 

Discography :

1960 - Looking For My Baby / I Can't Believe (Du-Well 1005)

   

Songs :

   
Looking For My Baby               I Can't Believe

...