The Sparkles (2) (Philadelphia)

Personnel :

?

Discography : 

Singles :
1963 - Where There's A Will / We Got It (Poplar 119)

Unreleased :
1963 - And We Danced (Poplar)
1963 - Goodbye My Love (Poplar)

Biography :

Poplar, founded in New York City in 1962 by Stan Soifer, generally featured doo wop-styled groups, but backed them with often surprisingly sharp early rock arrangements that avoided being derivative by adding in little percussion touches, unusual basslines, and touches of horns. Both the Sparkles recordings were masters, Stan Soifer obtained from his deal with the Philly Based Ben-Lee Music Company.

Songs :
(Update By Hans-Joachim)

 
    
 And We Danced                      Where There's A Will                   We Got It        

...

The Darnells (2) (Inkster, Michigan)




Personnel :

Gladys Horton (Lead)

Louvain Demps

Marlene Barrow

Jackie Hicks Demps Barrow




Discography :

1963 - Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much In Love To Say Goodbye / Come On Home (Gordy 7024)



Biography :

The Darnells  were a made-up group, yes, featuring Gladys Horton of the Marvelettes on lead, backed up by Louvain Demps, Marlene Barrow and Jackie Hicks – the immortal Andantes. Now, on a lot of Motown records credited to a group (the Supremes being the best-known example), the Andantes would fill in on backing vocals in place of the actual group members.

  
The Andantes (Hicks, Demps, Barrow)                                                               

Be it for logistical reasons (the group themselves might be out touring, say), or as an artistic improvement, it was usually a rather effective strategy, if also somewhat morally ambiguous. So to that extent, this is as much a Marvelettes record as some of their official singles.

   
                                                                              Gladys Horton

But it’s not, strictly speaking, the Marvelettes; if anything, Motown was being surprisingly honest in noting this was a different group. "Come On Home" was credited to the Darnells, but was according to the studio log down to Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, The Four Tops, The Andantes and The Temptations.
http://motownjunkies.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/348/



Songs :

   
Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much ....                  Come On Home

Rick & The Keens (Wichita Falls, Texas)



Personnel :

Richard A. Cook (Lead)

John Bland

Max Ray Evans

Cook' Sister

Hugh Alexander



Discography :

1961 - Peanuts / I'll Be Home (Austin 303/LeCam 721/ Smash 1705)
1961 - Maybe / Popcorn (Smash 1722)
1962 - Your Turn To Cry / Tender Years (Jamie 1219/LeCam 958)
1963 - Be Bop-A-Lula / You Can't Go On (Troy 1002)
1964 - Darla / Someone New (Le Cam 113/Tollie 9016)
N/A - Peanuts / You Can't Go (Charay 36)
N/A - Hippie! / I Cry (Charay 71)



Biography :

Rick and the Keens, a fivesome from Wichita Falls, had a major hit with Mercury Records, and they took a little song called Peanuts to # 1 in New York, LA and Chicago (a remake of the 1957 record of "Peanuts" by Little Joe and the Thrillers) . It then stayed in the top 100 of the Nation for 16 weeks.

This sizable hit from 1961 was recorded in Texas by this Caucasian Quintet whose career was hindered by the reclusive tendencies of their lead vocalist, Richard Cook. The group, who included John Bland on guitar and Cook'sisters on Piano, hailed from Wichita Falls in North Texas.

  
Richard Cook                                                      Rick & The Keens

"Peanuts"  was a rock and roll version of the R&B original, complete with soaring falsetto. It was first issued locally on Austin 303, then on the regional LeCam label (LeCam 721) before Smash (Mercury's Subsidiary label out of Chicago)  obtained the master and reissued it as Smash 1705. it Immediately went #1 in Chicago on'Station' WLAS and sold 18,000 Copies there.

The group did a promotional tour and was invited to appear on american Bandstand...



Songs :

   
Peanuts                                Maybe / Popcorn                               Darla    

     
I'll Be Home                           Someone New                    Tender Years    

Your Turn To Cry

The Truetones  (Washinton,D.C. / Baltimore)
aka The Capitols (2)

Personnel :

Ronald Henderson (Lead)

James Green (First Tenor)

Marshall Hawkins (Second Tenor)

Earl Briscoe (Baritone)

Leonard Campbell (Bass) )

Discography :

The Truetones
1958 - Honey, Honey / Whirlwind (Monument 4501)
1961 - Blushing Bride / Singing Waters (Felsted 8625)
1966 - He's Got The Nerve / That's Love (Josie 950/1103)
1966 – Girls Are Sentimental / One More Time (LSP 0001/0002)

The Capitols (2)
1973 - Honey, Honey / Alone In The Night (The Jones Boys) (Baron 103)

Biography :

This group started as the Capitols, and changed their name to the Truetones when they signed to Monument records. The Truetones were one of those groups whose personnel changed almost continuously. The only constant member was the group's organizer/Manager/writer and lead singer Ronald Henderson.

Top : Ronald Henderson, Gene Williams, Andrew Layer - Bottom : John Johnson, Kenny Willis

Their first records, "Honey, Honey" (not be confused with the Teenchords' song of the same name) is a great medium-tempo harmony group sound from the late 1950's. The group Other three records were spaced rather far apart : "Singing Waters"on Felsted was released in the early 60's and the two other were released on Josie & LSPin the Mid-60s. In 1973, Honey, Honey is released by Baron under their original name, The Capitols.

The Truetones (1966)

At personal appearances, the Truetones would perform as a "double group" that is, they would open the show with their own songs, and then return to sing back-up for another singer, usually, Pookie Hudson after he left the Spaniels.  Thanks to Marv Goldberg

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

      
Singing Waters                     Blushing Bride                               Whirlwind

      
Honey, Honey                       He's Got The Nerve                That's Love

   
     One More Time                    Girls Are Sentimental

  ...

The Unique Echos  (Philadephia)
aka  The Echoes (4)

Personnel:

Joe "Gig" Giglio

Bobby "Bobby Pat" Palese

Jimmy McQuade

Dino Borgi

Discography :

The Echoes (4)
1958 - Scratch My Back / The Little Green Man (Swan 4013)

The Unique Echos
1962 - Italian Twist / Zoom (Southern Sound 108)

Jimmy McQuade & The Unique Echos
1967 - Booga Ka Do / Bongo Talk (Swan 4274)

The Frankie Grier Quartet bb The Echoes (4)
1958 - Oh Gloria / Lonesome For You (Swan 4019)

Biography :

After graduating from high school, Bobby Palese and Joe Giglio enlisted the talents of two other boys, Dominick "Chubby" Salvatore and Fiore "Cookie Dell" Delbuono, who were equally disdainful of the ordinary working world. They started to play and sing for garden parties, birthdays, weddings, bar mitzvahs and the like. The name they performed under at that time was Cookie and His Swing Kings.

The Echoes (4) : Chuby, Joe Giglio, , Cookie & Bob Palese

 But when Swan Records took an interest in them, they changed the name to the Echoes. Their first pick to click was a demented novelty ditty, 'The Little Green Man,' in which they not only sang but provided all the instrumental background as well, a rarity in that time when persnickety label owners usually demanded professional sidemen for recording sessions.

The Echoes (4) : Chuby, Joe Giglio, Dick Clark, Cookie & Bob Palese

Little Green Man" was designed to take advantage of the ubiquitous UFO sightings, which were so common in the late 1950s. But unexpectedly, Bosco wrote, "it was the flip side, 'Scratch My Back,' which was garnering airplay, especially from local supergiant WIBG.

     
Joe Giglio, Dino Borgi, Bob Palese & Jimmy Mc Quade          (Top) Jimmy Mc Quade & Joe Raodano. (Bottom) Ed Vickery & Joe Giglio

It reached #2 in Scranton and #86 nationally."A few day after their mission for Swan, they were marshaled back into Reco-Arts to support Frankie Grier, A later Day Angel (Grand Records) and his homeboys on their stellar two sider, " Oh Gloria" and "Lonesome For You ". They Provided all the instrumentation.

But the boys suffered a blow when the payola scandal erupted in 1959-60, ensnaring among others "American Bandstand's" Dick Clark, who was a silent partner in Swan. He had to divest himself of many of his holdings in the music industry, including Swan. Without Clark, the company foundered. Calamitously, Bobby Palese, out of nowhere, got drafted, to be replaced by Nicky 'Rags' Guaglione.

The Quartet evolved into a Quintet with George Campisi. Eventually, Bob, the Drummer, bassman and first tenor rejoined the group . They were indeed an unknown number of 'Echoes' configurations… with Jimmy McQuade, Dino Borgi, Joe Raodono, Ed Vickery and George Campisi… The group kept busy, performing as far away as New York and Canada and at many now-forgotten clubs around Philadelphia and in South Jersey.

The Echoes were later redubbed the "Unique Echos". After a hitch in the Army, Bobby and his friends released a single called "Zoom" with singer-songwriters Frank Slay and Bob Crewe, the brains behind the Four Seasons a few years down the road. Once again, it was the flip side, "The Italian Twist," that got the attention. After the group faded, Bobby kept playing two or three nights a week on keyboard, drums and bass, and singing.

Songs :

The Echoes (4)

  
Scratch My Back                The Little Green Man

The Frankie Grier Quartet

  
Lonesome For You                         Oh Gloria

The Unique Echos

     
 Zoom                                  Italian Twist

Jimmy McQuade & The Unique Echos

Booga Ka Do
...