Paste Up Picture (Crier, Spencer, McRae & Johnson)

The Cognacs  (Bronx, N.Y.)
aka The Twisters (1) aka Little Guy & the Giants (1)

Personnel :

Arthur Crier (Bass)

Harold Johnson (Tenor)

Buddy McRae (Second Tenor)

Bobby Spencer (Baritone)

Discography :

The Cognacs
1960 - Charlena / Heaven Only Knows (Roulette 4340)

The Twisters (1)
1960 -  Turn The Page / Dancing Little Clown (Capitol 4451)

Little Guy & the Giants (1)
1960 - So Young / It's You (Lawn 103)

Biography :

In 1960, Arthur Crier and Harold Johnson formerly of the Mellows added Buddy McRae (of the Chords) and Bobby Spencer (of the Crickets) and surfaced under the Cognacs. With Carl Spencer instead of Bobby, they are the Twisters on Capitol. Arthur Crier, Harold Johnson, Carl Spencer, and Al Cleveland are  Little Guy & the Giants (1).  Shortly after, Arthur Crier and Harold Johnson formed another group with J. R. Bailey (1st tenor) and  Al Cleveland (baritone) called the Halos.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/ArthurCrier/arthurcrier.html


Songs :

   
Heaven Only Knows                                   Charlena           

 ...

Ray Allen Trio (Westchester, New York)
aka The Gum Drops aka The Upbeats (2)  aka The Classmates (1) aka The Four Classmates

Personnel :

Ray "Allen" Albanese (Vocal/Guitar)

Frank Rey (Vocal/Bass)

Harold "Feirstein" Stone (Vocal/Piano)

Discography :

Ray Allen Trio

1954 - Why Should I Love You / Love My Love (King 1383)

1954 - Amapola / Love In Rhyme (King 1399) 

1955 - I Miss You So / Money, Money, Money (King 1438)

1961 - See Africa First / Two Angels (Joy 247)

The Classmates (1)
1955 - What Am I Gonna Do / A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (King 1487)

The Four Classmates
1955 - What Am I Gonna Do / A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (King 1487)

The Gum Drops

1955 - Gum Drop / Don't Take It so Hard 1955 (King 1496)
1955 - I'll Wait For One More Train / Don't Take It So Hard (King 1499)
1955 - I Wonder and Wonder / I'll Follow You (King 4913) 

1956 - Natural born Lover / Chapel Of Hearts (King 4963)
1957 - Ba-Bee-Da Boat Is Leaving / Pigeon (King 5051)

1958 - You're The One / Gum Drop Shoes and Bells In Her Hair (Decca 30584) 

1958 - My Own True Love / On The Wings Of The Wind 1958 (Coral 62003)
1959 - I Spoke Too Soon / Sie-Tu (It's You, It's You) (Coral 62102)
1959 - It Happens Every Day / They Wake Me 1959 (Coral 62138)

Ray Allen & The Upbeats (2) 

Singles:
1961 - Let Them Talk / Sweet Lorraine (Sinclair 1004)
1962 - Peggy Sue / La Bamba (Blast 204) 

Lps :
1962 - "Tribute To 6" (Blast BLP-6804)
C'mon Everyboby / Peggy Sue / Sittin' In The Balcony / Earth Angel / Chantilly Lace / Battle Of New Orleans / La Bamba / Every Day / Running Bear / Donna / North To Alaska / Goodnight My Love

Biography :

The Ray Allen Trio started recording for King Records in 1954, and "Why Should I Love You / Love Me Love" King 1383 was there first release.

Ray Allen Trio (about 1952) -The Arthur Godfrey Show

The personal were "Ray Allen (Ray Albanese) (Guitar), Frank Rey (Bass) and Harold "Feirstein" Stone (Piano). They had very good success with there first two records, and released a total of three on King. The group added Vinnie Bell (Vinnie Gambella) (Guitar) and recorded " What Am I Gonna Do" b/w "A Kiss Is Not A Kiss" released as The Four Classmates and The Classmates

In 1955, DeLuxe released "Gum Drop" and "Save Me, Save Me" by Otis Williams and his New Group's ."Gum Drop" getting a lot of play from Alan Freed. "Gum Drop" was almost immediately covered by the Crew Cuts on Mercury Records, and that made Syd Nathan mad .

With George Montgomery

Syd Nathan refused to grant a license for "Gum Drop." As a final insult, Syd Nathan re-named the Ray Allen Trio to "The Gum Drops" and released their version of the song on King 1496 to cut into the Crew Cuts' sales. 

The group consisted of "Ray Allen (Ray Albanese), Frank Rey, Harold "Feirstein" Stone and new member Vinnie Bell (Vinnie Gambella) (Guitar), all were from New York. The Gum drops cut 9 singles for King, Decca & Coral. Their last release was as the Ray Allen Trio on the Joy record label.

In 1961 the Ray Allen Trio signing for Sinclair record as Ray Allen & The Upbeats , and released "Let Them Talk" /" Sweet Lorraine" (Sinclair 1004). The next year they released the LP "Tribute to 6" for Blast Records (a division of Sinclair Record Corp.)

Ray Allen & The Upbeats do two songs each by Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper, Johnny Horton and Jesse Belvin . "Tribute to 6" Conducted and Arranged by Vinny Catalano. A single from the LP was also released on Blast 204 with "Peggy Sue" and "La Bamba".
Thanks To Alicia Albanese

Songs :
(Updated By Hans-Joachim)

Ray Allen Trio

   
Two Angels                                Amapola

The Classmates (1) aka The Four Classmates

What Am I Gonna Do / A Kiss Is Not A Kiss
 

The Gum Drops

       
You're The One                 Don't Take it So Hard               Natural born Lover

       
Gum Drop Shoes and Bells ...                   Gum Drop                            Sei Tu                     

     
I Wonder And Wonder...     Ba-Bee, Da Boat Is Leaving        They Wake Me

     
I'll Wait For One More Train     It Happens Every Day         I Spoke To Soon


Chapel Of Hearts

Ray Allen & The Upbeats (2)

       
    Let Them Talk                      Sweet Lorraine                  Sittin´ In The Balcony

       
Earth Angel                                Donna                              Goodnight My Love

       
North To Alaska                       Peggy Sue                               La Bamba       

 ....

The Moniques (Philadelphia, PA.)

Personnel :

William "Billy" Bell

Curtis Binion

Esther Grantham

Barbara McDowell

Thomas Smith

James Williams

Discography :

The Moniques
1962 - Hey Girl  / Goin' Down To Birdland (Benn-X55)
1962 - Love So Wonderful / Teach Me How To Dance (Benn-X58)
1963 - Halo / Don't Throw Stones (At My Heart) (Centaur 104)
1963 - All The Way Now / Rock Pretty Baby (Centaur 105)

Veronica Lee & The Moniques
1963 - Ringo Did It / Foreign Boy (Centaur 106)

Biography :

In the 1960s, musician-producer-songwriters Frank Bendinelli and Leroy Lovett formed a production company, Ben-Lee Music, that generated tracks that were leased to other labels, as well as sides that were put out on their own small Philadelphia labels, like Benn-X and Sonata. The Moniques cut their two singles on Benn-X.  Ven Pitoni, owner of CENTAUR Records, who was responsible for mastering, producing and promoting many 45, was from Rochester and signed the Moniques in 1963 for two singles . At that same time, Pitoni had another Rochester area pop performer on the CENTAUR label: 13 year old Veronica Lee (Galusha), who realesed a 45 entitled “Ringo Did It” bb the Moniques.

Songs :

The Moniques

     
Hey Girl                          Goin' Down To Birdland                Love So Wonderful

      
Don't Throw Stones (At My Heart)      All The Way Now       Rock Pretty Baby

   
Halo                                     Teach Me How To Dance

Veronica Lee & The Moniques

  
 Ringo Did It                        Foreign Boy

 ...

The Five Bell Aires  (Hartford, CT.)
aka  Larry Lee & The Four Bel-aires (2)

Personnel :

Henry "Hawk" Hall  (Lead)

John  Hall (First Tenor)

Elijah "Prez" McKinney (Baritone)

James "Rock" Jenkins (Second Tenor)

Lewis Clayton (Bass )

Discography :

Larry Lee & The Four Bel-aires (2)
1959 - Can I Be In Love /  Stolen Love (M-Z 006)

Henry Hall & The Five Bell Aires
1959 - House Of Love (Unreleased)
1959 - My Friends (Unreleased)
1959 - I'm So Happy (Unreleased)
1959 - Come On to My Love House (Unreleased)

John Hall & The Five Bell Aires
1959 - Wedding Bells (Unreleased)
1959 - Come On Home (Unreleased)

Biography :

Henry "Hawk" Hall, usual lead singer, his cousin John (First Tenor), Elijah "Prez" McKinney (Baritone), James "Rock" Jenkins (Second Tenor), and Lewis Clayton (Bass ) called their group The Five Marvel Tones when they started  in 1954. They Changed  their name to the 5 Bell Aires (Inspired by the plethora of Car-named groups) .  They even won amateur night at the Apollo in Harlem two weeks in a row. Their loyal fans and members of other vocal groups who caught their act wondered why they didn't have a record out.

The 5 Bell Aires recorded 6 songs, they were first sung as rough demos in 1957, then recorded as finished masters probably in 1960 in Soyka's Somers, Ct studio.  Their Manager, John Rys almost consummated a deal with Hy Weiss at Old Town Records, but nothing finally happened… The Bell Aires did back Larry Lee (Larry Harper) Lead singer of The Embers,  on "Can I Be In Love"/ "Stolen Love" on the Local MZ label in the Fall of '59 (Henry Hall had been drafted, so they became the Four Bel-aires for MZ)

      
                                                                                                                           The Embers (Larry Lee, Second from Left) 

The Bell Aire's  Elijah "Prez" McKinney with George Cruz (from the Fluorescents), Richard Reedy and Billy Surmolian Backed Larry Lee as The Serenaders, they cut demos in Hartford and in N.Y.C

Songs :
(Update By Hans-Joachim) 

Larry Lee & The Four Bel-aires (2)

   
Can I Be In Love                    Stolen Love

Henry Hall & The Five Bell Aires

       
House Of Love                          My Friends                     

   
Come On to My Love House         I'm So Happy

John Hall & The Five Bell Aires

    
Come On Home                      Wedding Bells

 ...

1961 - Johnny & The Tokens At the Palisades Park  

Johnny & The Tokens (3) (Brooklyn, New York)
aka Johnny & The Kings (4)
aka A Pair Of Kings
aka The Grace Notes


Personnel :

John Guiffre (Lead)

Jimmy "Sims" Smith

Jerry Vance

John Truscelli

Discography :

The Grace Notes
Unreleased :
1957 - Send Me An Angel / First Love

A Pair Of Kings
1959 - Once / The Monster (RCA 7659)
1960 - Just Two Guys / I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight  (Warwick 608)
1961 - Ev'rytime / Just Two Guys (Warwick 647)

Johnny & The Tokens (3)
1961 - The Taste Of A Tear /  Never Till Now (Warwick 658)

Johnny & The Kings (4)
1961 - The Taste Of A Tear /  Never Till Now (Warwick 658)


Biography :

Jerry Vance attended James Madison H.S. with Barry Mann. Jerry played alto sax in the H.S. dance band. In 1956 his senior year, Jerry joined a group called the Grace Notes. Jimmy "Sims" Smith sang lead and two other members were John Guiffre and a girl. The group wrote, produced and arranged their session at Nola Studios. The demo was unmarketable and the group soon broke up. Jimmy and Jerry stayed together and met an independent producer who recorded them at Long Island studio, doing two songs which were unreleased; On both sides, singing background was a young girl named Ellie Greenwich.

A Pair Of Kings                                                                                      

The fellows were becoming disenchanted when they met Howie Epstein, John McCarthy and Terry Phillips. Howie got the group an audition with RCA. As "A Pair Of Kings", Jerry and Jimmy recorded "The Monster". A pair Of Kings moved to Morty Craft's Warwick label, keeping their RCA Name. After two releases, John Guiffre rejoined the group after getting out of the service. With a four member named John Truscelli, they released "The Taste Of A Tear" b/w  "Never Till Now" as Johnny & The Kings.

  
1960 - Johnny & The Kings                                                                                         

In 1961, The Tokens were one of the hottest and most talented groups in early 60s. kicking things off with "Tonight i Fell In Love" on the Warwick Label. Big boy RCA-Victor came up with a big money offer, and the Tokens jumped over There, immediately hitting #1 with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". their phenomenal career took all from there.

1961 - Johnny & The Tokens At the Palisades Park

 Morty Craft of Warwick was not happy about losing these moneymakers and reacted by changing the Name of Johnny & The Kings into Johnny & The Tokens (his label had done extremely well with Johnny & The Hurricanes) . They were good enough to make a brief appearance on the national chart. This name was never used again.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 
 

A Pair Of Kings

  
     The Monster                                         Once                
 

Ev'rytime


Johnny & The Tokens (3) / The Kings (4)

  
       Never Till Now                                The Taste Of A Tear

...