• The Pentagons aka The Shields (2) aka The Chesterfields (3)

    Carl McGinnis , Kenneth Goodloe, Josephus Jones, Otis Munson & Ted Goodloe

    The Pentagons (San Bernardino, Los Angeles)
    aka The Chesterfields (3) aka The Shields (2)

     

    Personnel :

    Josephus Jones "Joe C. Jones" (Lead)

    Otis Munson (Tenor)

    Kenneth Goodloe(Tenor)

    Ted Goodloe(Baritone)

    Carl McGinnis (Bass)

    Bill James

     

    Discography :

    The Pentagons
    Singles:
    1958 - It's Spring Again / Silly Dilly(Speciality 644)
    1960 - To Be loved (forever) / Down At The Beach(Fleet Int'l 100/Donna 1337)
    1961 - For A Love That Is Mine / I Like The Way You Look(Donna 1344)
    1961 - I Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong To Me) / She Loves Me(Jamie 1201)
    1962 - Until Then / I'm In Love(Jamie 1210 / Caldwell 411)
    1964 - Gonna Wait For You / Forever Yours(Sutter 100)
    Unreleased:
    1960 - Walking Alone (Donna)
    1962 - Help Me With My Broken Heart (Jamie)

    The Shields (2)
    1960 - You'll Be Coming Home / The Girl Around The Corner (Falcon 100/Trans.1013)

    The Chesterfields (3)
    1962 - You Walked Away / A Dream Is But A Dream (Philips 40060)

     

    Biography :

    The original Pentagons group, which was assembled in 1958, comprised the Goodloe brothers, McGinnis, plus Bill James as tenor and Johnny Torrence as lead. They recorded one unsuccessful single for Specialty Records, and then Torrence and James departed to be replaced by Jones and Munson, respectively. A trip to Los Angeles that same year attracted the attention of George Motola's Fleet International, a label Motola owned with Lee Silver. The group recorded a single, "You'll Be Coming Home Soon," which Motola released under the name the Shields.

     

    They were forced to change their name to the Pentagons after discovering a local act from Los Angeles had a hit that year under the same name ("You Cheated").In 1961 the group had a big hit with a Ken Goodloe song, 'To Be Loved (Forever)' (number 48 pop). It was released on Bob Keane's Donna label, but after one follow-up on Donna the group moved to the Jamie label.

       

    They reached the charts again during 1961 with this Goodloe composition, 'I Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong To Me)' (number 84 pop). Ricky Nelson was so impressed with the song he recorded it in 1964.In 1962 the group cut two great early soul singles under the alias of the Chesterfields but with no additional hits forthcoming, the group disbanded and faded into obscurity.

     

    Songs :

    The Pentagons

          
    To Be Loved                           Until Then                            I'm In Love

            
    It's Spring Again / Silly Dilly         I Wonder / She Loves Me               Forever Yours             

          
    Gonna Wait For You           I Like The Way You Look          For A Love That Is Mine

           
               Down At The Beach                  Walking Alone             Help Me With My Broken Heart

    The Shields (2)


    You'll Be Coming Home / The Girl Around The Corner

    The Chesterfields (3)

      
    You Walked Away                             A Dream Is But A Dream

     

    ...


    your comment
  • The Spidells (Nashville, TN.)

     

    Personnel :

    James Earl Smith (Second  Lead / First tenor)

    Nathaniel Shelton (Tenor)

    Lee Roy Cunningham (Baritone / Tenor)

    Billy Lockridge (Lead /Second Tenor)

    Michael Young (Bass / Baritone)


    Discography :

    1964 - Find Out What's Happening / That Makes My Heart Break (Monza 1122)
    1964 - Hmmm, With Feeling Darling / Uncle Willie Good Time  (Monza 1123 )
    1966 - Pushed Out Of The Picture / With You In Mind (Coral 62508)
    1967 - Don't You Forget That You're My Baby / If It Ain't One Thing (Coral 62531)


    Biography :

    Formed in 1962 at then Tennessee A&I State University, now known as Tennessee State University. The group consisted of one senior and four freshmen.  The original group holding their first recorded record in titled "Find Out What's Happening" on Monza Records ( song was later recorded by Elvis Presley and Louise Mandrell).


    James Earl Smith, Nathaniel Shelton, Lee Roy Cunningham, Billy Lockridge, and Michael Young

    The members  are: James Earl Smith (senior-2nd Lead/1st tenor) Nathaniel Shelton (freshman/ tenor) Lee Roy Cunningham (freshman/baritone/tenor), Billy Lockridge (freshman/Lead/2nd tenor), and Michael Young (Bass/baritone).  Other replacement consisted of Wallace Brown and Frank Pillow.

      
                                                                                                                     Lee Roy Cunningham, Wallace Brown, Billy Lockridge and Michael Young

    The group's back up band was "The Exotics". Some of the songs recorded by the group included, "Once more with feeling", That'll make my heart break", "Uncle Willie good time", and Don't forget that you are still my baby". The Spidells provide backup vocals to Percy Wiggins. Percy also attended Tennessee State University.


    Videos :

     
    Come go with me                                         Lookin For A Love

     
    So Much In Love                                           Sad, Sad, Girl and Boy


    Never let me go




    Songs :

        
    That Makes My Heart Break                   If it ain't one thing (or another)                     Uncle Willie Good Time

        
    Don't You Forget That You're My Baby             Pushed out of the picture                   Hmmm, With Feeling Darling


    Find Out What's Happening

     

    ...


    1 comment
  • Joey & The Lexingtons (2) (Paterson, NJ)

     

    Personnel :

    Joe Zisa (Lead)

    Lenny Conforti

    Ray Rocco

    Tom Pezzuti

     

    Discography :

    1963 - Bobbie /  Tears From My Eyes (Dunes 2029)
    1963 - Heaven / The Girl I Love (Comet 2154)

     

    Biography :

    Joe Zisa was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey.  At the age of 12, Joe began to study sax and clarinet, and consequently, music became a huge influence in his life. He started playing with several neighborhood bands. In 1958 Joe joined George Gerro, who had a band called “The Emeralds”. He filled in for the sax player. George then realized that Joe not only played sax, but he also sang lead. Joe soon became a permanent member of the band.

    In 1960 Joe and  Sal Sellitto joined “The Supremes," a vocal group who performed at the same venues with “The Emeralds”.  In 1963 Joe formed “Joey & the Lexingtons” and was signed with Dunes record label. They had a pick hit with a song called “Bobbie”, which made the Top 1000 Doo Wop Hits.
    http://www.myspace.com/joezisaandfriends


    Songs :

       
    The Girl I Love                                     Bobbie

       
     Heaven                                     Tears From My Eyes

     

     ...


    your comment
  • The Parktowns

    The Parktowns (Philadelphia, Pa)


    Personnel :

    Robert Frantz (Lead)

    Jerome Ziets (First Tenor)

    Stan Ziets (Second Tenor)

    Marc Breslow (Baritone)

    Jerry Van Hollander(Bass)

     

    Discography :

    Singles :
    1963 - Stop, Look, And Listen / You Hurt Me Inside (Impala 214)
    1964 - That Day Will Never Come / You Hurt Me Inside (Crimson 1006)
    Unreleased :
    1962 - No Turning Back (Impala)
    1962 - Wendy (Impala)

     

    Biography :

    The Vandells were friends From the Overbrook Park section of Philadelphia. The group were composed by Gary Gumerman (Lead), Jerry Van Hollender (Bass), Jay Ginsberg (First Tenor), Ken Sachs (Baritone) and Arnold Sheer (Second Tenor). Jerry Van Hollender, Gary Gumerman and friend Richard Doersch write several songs in order to record them with the Vandells. Unfortunately the groups split up before they could record the songs. Jerry Van Hollender formed another group to be able to record their compositions. Called The Parktowns, the group consists of Robert Frantz, Jerome Ziets, Stan Ziets, Marc Breslow and Jerry .

    The Parktowns
    The Vandells - (L to R) Gary Gumerman, Jerry Van Hollender, Jay Ginsberg and Ken Sachs

    In 1962 he Parktowns recorded "Stop, Look, And Listen", "You Hurt Me Inside", "That Day Will Never Come", "Wendy" and "No Turning Back"  at the Sound Plus Studio on Kensington Av. in Philadelphia. The first two pieces wasn't released until 1963 on Impala. This record was also pressed on the Thor label (# 3258) sometime in the 1960s, with label credit to the Parktownes. Robbie Frantz had been accepted to Penn State University Main Campus starting in September 1963 and The group broke apart shortly after the recording. In early 1964, "That Day Will Never Come" coupled again with the "You Hurt Me Inside" was released on Crimson Records Crimson (part of Lost-Nite) owned by Jerry Greene.

     

    Songs :

      
     You Hurt Me Inside                       Stop, Look, And Listen

      
    That Day Will Never Come                         Wendy                

    ...


    your comment


  • The Three G's (East Canton, Ohio)
    aka Dickie & The Gee's  aka The Toppers (6)
    (Update By Hans-Joachim)

     

    Personnel :

    Ted Glasser

    Jerry Glasser

    Bob Glasser

     

    Discography :

    Dickie & The Gee's
    1958 - Baby Bye Bye / Foolish Tears (Argo 5288)

    The Three G's
    1958 - Let's Go Steady For The Summer / Wild Man (Columbia 41175)
    1958 - I'll Wait Forever / Sweet Thing (Columbia 41256)
    1958 - These Are The Little Things / Wonder (Columbia 41292)
    1959 - When It's Summer Again / Oh, Suzett  (Columbia 41383)
    1959 - Barbara / Don't Cry Kathy (Columbia 41513)
    1960 - Take That Step / Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Moe (Columbia 41584)
    1960 - Let's Go Steady For The Summer / Love Call (Columbia 41678)
    1960 - She's Mine / Take My Love (Columbia 41868)
    1960 - Foolish Tears / Blueberry Hill (Columbia 41955)

    The Toppers (6)
    1962 - Tell Me Why / All Around (Stacy 927)

     

    Biography :

    The Glasser Family of East Canton, Ohio is probably one of the Largest (5 boys and 6 girls) and most musical in the Midwest. One of the Five Sons, Pat, sings under the name of Pat Shannon, and has come into prominence recording for Decca Records. Another son, Dick Glasser "Dick Lory" sang with his brothers in the group - The Glasser Brothers - before they split up to go their separate ways as solo artists, except for three of the brothers, the three youngest sons, Jerry (16), Ted (19) and Bob (21) decided to form a singing trio,.

      
    Pat Glasser "Pat Shannon"                                                                  Dick Glasser "Dick Lory"

      In 1957-8  Dick Glasser had a couple of releases on Argo as well as a third one as Dickie & The Gee's (Argo 5288). "The Gee's" in fact were his brothers Ted, Jerry and Bob .     The Gee's next went to Colombia Records to record just like "The Three G´s" . They cut nine singles. "Let’s Go Steady For The Summer" was their only charted song, making it to #55 with a 3 week stay on the Hot 100 in August of ’58.

      

     In 1962 the Toppers with Dick Glasser again recorded "Tell Me Why" b/w "All Around" on Stacy Record, a Small independent Cleveland, Ohio label. Both songs are written by Dick Glasser. It is likely that the  Toppers are The Three G's.

     

    Songs :

    Dickie & The Gee's

      
    Baby Bye Bye /                              Foolish Tears

     The Three G's

        
    Wonder                                 Barbara                             She's Mine

         
    Let's Go Steady For The Summer     When It's Summer Again    Take That Step

         
    Don't Cry Kathy                 I'll Wait Forever                   Wild Man

     

    The Toppers (6)

      
    Tell Me Why                                          All Around

     ...


    your comment