The Passions (2) (Los Angeles, California)
aka The Colognes

Personnel :

Kenny Sinclair (Lead)

Harold Garcia

Sammy Handy

Earl Sinclair

William DeVase (Bass)

Discography :

The Passions (2)
1958 - Jackie Brown / My Aching Heart (Era 1063 / Capitol F-3963)
1958 - Nervous About Sally / Tango Of Love (Dore 505)

The Colognes
1959 - A Bird And A Bee / A River Flows (Lummtone 102)

Biography :

Harold Garcia, Sammy Handy, Kenny Sinclair from the Six Teens, Earl Sinclair and William DeVase, bass were the Passions on both Era and Dore. On Era, they rendered the uptempo “Jackie Brown” b/w “My Aching Heart” (1063); reissued on Capitol (3963). After this fine two-label release stiffed, The Passions were laid off to the Era sister label of Dore, after the cousins who ran Era, broke their partnership for the less effective “Tango Of Love” b/w “Nervous About Sally” (505) in 1958.

In 1959, most likely because of a competing East Coast Passions group, which had hit big with “Just To Be With You,” they became the Colognes on Lummtone, after which Sinclair and DeVase joined the Elements/Elgins vocal group.

Songs :

The Passions (2)

  
Jackie Brown                               My Aching Heart

  
Nervous About Sally                        Tango Of Love


The Colognes


A River Flows

...

The Orlandos (Pittsburg)

Personnel :

Ronnie Williams (Lead Tenor)

Nate Thomas (Tenor)

Roger Randolph (Tenor)

Charles Raeford (Baritone)

Wallace Berry (Bass)

Discography :

1957 - Cloudburst / Old MacDonald (Cindy 3006)

Biography :

The Orlandos emerged from the same postwar Pittsburgh doo wop community that also launched the careers of the El Capris and the Four Dots. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the January 2006 issue of Blues & Rhythm, the Orlandos formed in 1954 in the Steel City's low-income Whittaker Projects. At the time, lead tenor Gary Jenkins, tenors Joe Murphy and Roger Randolph, baritone Charles Raeford, and bass John Crowder were all 14-year-olds attending Homeville Junior High School. A few months later Jenkins, Murphy, and Raeford all exited the Orlandos. Lead tenor Ronnie Williams, tenor Nate Thomas, and bass Wallace Berry were named their replacements, with Crowder shifting to baritone as a result of the shuffle.  By 1955 the Orlandos were a fixture at Pittsburgh-area record hops, in time catching the attention of WCAE radio personality Jay Michael. Through Michael, they were introduced to erstwhile Roulette Records owner George Goldner, who in 1957 signed the group to his fledgling Cindy label. That summer the Orlandos traveled to Detroit for an aborted recording session. Weeks later, they headed to New York City, cutting the Williams original "Cloudburst" as well as the traditional "Old MacDonald." Goldner did nothing to promote the single, and despite a series of live dates throughout the Midwest, "Cloudburst" went nowhere and soon after Thomas exited the lineup, relocating to Detroit and later filling in with the Four Palms. With replacement tenor Lee Smalls, the Orlandos forged on, but as the various members pursued day jobs and romance, the group finally split in 1960.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Orlandos/orlandos.html

Songs :

   
Cloudburst                                     Old MacDonald

 ....

 The Redwoods (New York) 
aka The Spartans (4)  aka  The Flairs (2) aka Jeff Barry 

Personnel :

Jeff Barry

Discography :

The Redwoods
1961 - Shake Shake Sherry / The Memory Lingers On (Epic 5-9447)
1961 - Never Take It Away / Unemployment Insurance (Epic 5-9473)
1962 - Please Mr Scientist / Where You Used To Be (Epic 5-9505)

The Flairs (2)
1961 - Shake Shake Sherry / The Memory Lingers On (Epic 5-9447)

The Spartans (4)
1962 - Can You Waddle? / Can You Waddle (instumental) (Web 1)

Biography :

In 1961, Jeff Barry continues to issue recordings: A solo single on United Artists, a Jubilee release under the pseudonym Billy Mitchell, and pseudo vocal group records (he sings all voices) but were credited to the groups the Redwoods, the Spartans, and the Flairs on Epic and Web Records.

Songwriters Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman hire him to sing demos, some of which are recorded by Elvis Presley. Barry also begins to produce records.
http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/timeline/C128

Songs :

The Redwoods

   
Where You Used To Be                 Unemployment Insurance

   
The Memory Lingers On                     Never Take It Away

   
Please Mr Scientist                          Shake Shake Sherry

The Flairs (2)

   
Shake Shake Sherry                      The Memory Lingers On

The Spartans (4)


Can You Waddle?

...

The Chimes (1) (Los Angeles)
aka The Flairs (1)

Personnel :

Cornell Gunter (Lead)

Thomas 'Pete' Fox (Tenor)

Obediah 'Obie' Jessie (Baritone)

Randy Jones (Bass)

Charles Jackson (for recordings only)

Discography :

1954 - Love Me, Love Me, Love Me / My Heart's Crying For You (Flair 1051)

Biography :

The Flairs decided Richard was spreading himself too thin. Not long after Beverly Thompson left, Richard quit too. (A blurb in a September 1954 issue of one of the trades said that Berry, "formerly of the Flairs," was now with the Dreamers.) His place in the Flairs was taken by bass Randy Jones. Therefore, the Flairs were now Cornell Gunter, Charles Jackson (for recordings only), Pete Fox, Obie Jessie, and Randy Jones.  In September 1954, Flair released "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me" (led by Cornell) and "My Heart's Crying For You" (the whole group). This time the artist was listed as the "Chimes."
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Flairs/flairs.html

Songs :

   
Love Me, Love Me, Love Me             My Heart's Crying For You

...

Bobby Chandler & His Stardusters (Little Rock, AR.)

Personnel :

Bobby Chandler (Lead)

Bill Sharp

Bobby Blount

Bill Glasscock

Bill Dedman (Guitar)


Discography :

1956 - If You Loved Me / I'm Serious (OJ 1000)
1957 - Shadows Of Love / Me And My Imagination (OJ 1005)

Biography :

Bobby Chandler was born and raised in Little Rock, graduating from Little Rock Central High School in 1956.  While a student at LRCHS, he formed a quartet known as “Bobby Chandler and The Stardusters”.  they sang “rock and roll” for school and various other local functions and in 1956, They signed a recording contract with OJ Records, out of Memphis, Tennessee. OJ RECORDS was the manufacturing arm of Old Judge Music Publishing whose offices were locate at 1018 North Watkins Street in Memphis, Tennessee.  The label seems to have begun operations sometime in 1956 or 1957 under the supervision of Bill Biggs and C. J. (Red) Matthews. 

OJ was a small-time operation which tried to capture the public’s fancy by issuing singles in a number of musical fields, including R&B/black doo-wop (Chester Guyden, the Rockin’ Dukes), rockability/white rock ‘n’ roll (Wailin’ Bill Dell, Charles Senns) and 50s teen pop (Wink Martindale, Bobby Chandler and the Stardusters, Nancy Lee, Dave Gardner).  The label's first release on OJ 1000 was “I’m Serious” b/w “If You Love’d Me” by Bobby Chandler and the Stardusters, and judging by the number of copies which still turn up regularly in various record auctions, it was the company’s most successful venture.

The Starduster's in 1957 L to R: Bill Sharp, Truman Mitchell, Bobby Chandler, Bob Walters & Bill Glasscock

OJ’s most prolific artist was Bobby Chandler and the Stardusters.  Like other white quartets of the period such as the Crescendos (Nasco) and Techniques (Roulette), the Stardusters used a melodic approach to ballad harmony and tried to cross-over into the white pop mainstream of the time.  Their follow-up release “Me and My Imagination” (1005) received a full-page in the May 25, 1957 Cash Box issue, with the banner claim: “Just Released, Already Breaking in Memphis, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Spreading.”  


Songs :

  
If You Loved Me                    I'm Serious

  
Shadows Of Love                    Me And My Imagination

...

...