The Monotones (1) (Newark, New Jersey)




Personnel :

Charles Patrick (Lead)

Warren Davis (First Tenor)

George Malone (Second Tenor)

Warren Ryanes (Baritone)

Frank Smith (Bass)

John Ryanes (Second Bass)





Discography :

Singles :
1957 - Book Of Love / You Never Loved Me (Mascot 124/Argo 5290)
1958 - Tom Foolery / Zombi (Argo 5301)
1958 - The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow / Soft Shadows (Argo 5321)
1959 - Tell It To The Judge / Fools Will Be Fools (Argo 5339)
1960 - Reading The Book Of Love / Dream (Hull 735)
1961 - Daddy's home, But Momma's Gone / Tattle Tale (Hull 743)

Unreleased :
1959 - What Would You Do If There Wasn't Any Roc'N' Roll? (Argo)
1960 - Forever Yours (Hull)

Lps :
1962 - Your Favorite Singing Groups (Hull Lp 1002)
Book Of Dance  / Toast To Lovers

Biography :

Formed in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey, USA, the Monotones recorded one of the most memorable doo-wop novelty songs of the 50s, ‘Book Of Love’. The sextet had sung in the same church choir as Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston before forming their own group. In 1956, they appeared on the Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour television programme, singing the Cadillacs’ ‘Zoom’.

They won first prize and began to think more seriously about a career in music. Inspired by a television commercial for toothpaste (‘You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent’), Patrick, Malone and Davis wrote ‘Book Of Love’ to a similar melody.

They recorded it at Bell Studio in New York and it was released on the small Mascot label, a subsidiary of Hull Records. It was then picked up by Argo Records for national distribution and ultimately reached number 5 in the USA. The group was touring when their record entered the charts, and months passed before they had a chance to record a follow-up.

A single called ‘Tom Foolery’ was released but failed to chart. The third, ‘The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow’, was a fine record and is still played on doo-wop radio programmes today, but it also failed to chart in its own time.After a few more singles, the Monotones gave up, although some of the original members performed under that name in the 90s.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Monotones/monotones.html




Movies :


Book Of Love

Songs :


   
Book Of Love                       You Never Loved Me                 Tom Foolery

   
Zombi                      The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow              Soft Shadows

    
Tell It To The Judge              Fools Will Be Fools         Reading The Book Of Love

   
Dream                 Daddy's home, But Momma's Gone     What Would You Do...

     
Forever Yours                            Toast To Lovers                 Book Of Dance










…..

The Prophets (1) (Harrisburg, Ill.)

Personnel :

?


Discography :

1955 - Come Back, Baby Come Back / Sugar Lump (Go-Lish 101)
1956 - Baby Come Back / Stormy (Atco 6078)




Biography :

Vocal quartet who first recorded for Harrisburg' Go-Lish label the songs "Come Back, Baby Come Back" "Sugar Lump "in 1955.

The Next year "Baby Come Back" with "Stormy" on the B side are released on the Atlantic/Atco label.



Songs :

     
Baby Come Back                       Sugar Lump                          Stormy






…..

The Three Friends (1) (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Heartbeats (1)
 (By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Joe Villa (Lead)

Frank V. Stropoli  (Tenor)

Tony Grochowski (SecondTenor)

Discography

The Heartbeats (1)
1955 - Finally / Boil and Bubble (Jubilee 5202)

The Three Friends (1)
1956 - Blanche / Baby I'll Cry (Lido 500/ Relic 1021)
1956 - I'm Only A Boy (To her) / Jinx (Lido 502)
1957 - Chinese Tea Room / Jinx (Brunswick 55032)
1957 - Now That You'Re Gone / Chinese Tea Room (Lido 504)

Joey of The Original Three Friends (1)
1962 - Blanche / The Oriental (Chevron 500)

Joey Villa
1962 - Blanche / Mona Lisa (MF 101)

Eddie Robbins bb The Three Friends (1)
1957 - Dear Parents / A Girl Like You (Power 214/Dot 15702/Tip Top 214)

Biography:

The Heartbeats were formed in 1954 at a time when Rock N Roll was in its infancy.  The group came together while all four members were attending New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, NY. The Heartbeats were comprised of Frank V. Stropoli (Lead), Al Rosenberg (First Tenor), Tony Grochowski (Second Tenor) and Joe Sucamele (Bass) . The Group cut one single for for Jubilee in 1955.

The Three Friends

After the records release, the Heartbeats went through some personnel changes and Joe Villa was recruited in to their ranks. Before the end of 1955 a record called "Crazy For You" was getting a lot of New York City action thanks to deejay Alan Freed. Well this record was also by another Heartbeats group, the one that is familiar to most doo-wop lovers.

The Other Heartbeats "Crazy For You"

To avoid confusion, our guys decided that they needed a new name for their group. About this time, they had begun to collaborate with Teddy Randazzo of the Three Chuckles. Joe Villa credits Randazzo as the one who suggested the group's new name, the Three Friends.

 
Teddy Randazzo

"Blanche" was an original song penned by the group, and inspired by a young lady who had attended their High School. The group came to the attention of Leo Rogers, who had them record the tune on his newly formed Lido label. The dreamy teen ballad was released in September of 1956.

The Three Friends

The record was reviewed in Billboard the week of October 27 and received a three stars or "very good" rating. Alan Freed liked the record, which meant it got excellent exposure on his New York City radio show, and almost immediately put the Three Friends on the map. Riding high on the success of "Blanche" the Three Friends took almost a year to release some follow up discs. Although the group were fine singers, they could not recapture their initial success with "Blanche".

    
Eddie Robbins

The Three Friends also used their polished harmonies to back up other artists. They can be heard (although un-credited) behind Eddie Robbins on his 1958 Power release of "Dear Parents" backed with "A Girl Like You". They also provided back-up vocals to Eddie Reardon on his 1958 Brunswick recording of "Who Is Eddie" and "Just Trying".

The Royal Teens

Following his tenure with the Three Friends, Joe Villa would go on to front a combo called the Royal Teens, who had a big success in 1958 with the novelty rocker "Short Shorts" originally released on Power and later picked up by ABC Paramount. And on some of the Royal Teens later recordings such as "Believe Me", it's none other than the Three Friends providing the vocal harmonies.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/three-friends-mn0000587487/biography

Songs :

The Heartbeats (1)

 
 Boil and Bubble / Finally

The Three Friends (1)

  
Blanche / Baby I'll Cry                     I'm Only A Boy (To her)

   
Now That You'Re Gone / Chinese Tea Room              Jinx

   Joey Villa of The Original Three Friends (1)

    
The Oriental

    Joey Villa      

Blanche / Mona Lisa

Eddie Robbins bb The Three Friends (1)

  
Dear Parents                                  A Girl Like You

...

The Four Vanns (Brooklyn, New York)




Personnel :

Teddy Vann (All voices)



Discography :

1956 - So Young And So Pretty / Sha-Bee-Dah-Ah-Ding-Dong (Vik 0246)





Biography :

Native of Bensonhurst (section of Brooklyn, NY) songwriter/producer Teddy Vann  ventured into music during his teen years after he left high school early. Teddy also tried his hand at singing.

His first single is Credited to the Four Vanns. "So Young And So Pretty" and "Sha-Bee-Dah-Ah-Ding-Dong" is the only voice work of Teddy Vann on a multiple-recording session. He had a minor hit in the summer of 1961, a ballad called, 'The Lonely Crowd' on Columbia Records. Teddy  Vann wrote the Johnny Thunder monster hit "Loop De Loop". In 1960 he wrote & recorded the great instrumental hit "Teenage Hayride" as Tender Slim.





Songs :

  
So Young And So Pretty                 Sha-Bee-Dah-Ah-Ding-Dong
 

.....

The Runaways (3) (New York)

Personnel :

Bill Reichert (Lead)

Joey Gioia

Tony Petrocelli

Sam Wood

Discography :

Single :
1963 - Kangaroo Hop / Teenage Style (Teensound 1924)

Unreleased :
1963 - Laughing (With Tears in My Heart) (Teensound)
1963 - Shake (Teensound)


Biography :

Group led by Bill Reichert (later with the Long Island Group The Dedications and Pittsburgh group The Holidays) In picture above, original members L to R - Bill Reichert, Joey Gioia, Tony Petrocelli (Florence Zagari's son), and Sam Wood who was later with the Sparrows Quartet. There was a 2nd unreleased record from this session - "Laughing with Tears in my Heart" and "Shake" which were later released on Ed Engel's label, Crystal Ball Records. Additional credit should also go to Rocco Zagari, Florence's husband who backed his wife's endeavors and loved the music. The group was originally called The Runarounds and toured as such for over a year performing throughout the tri-state area. The week before Kangaroo Hop was going to press and production, The Regents of Barbara Ann fame, changed their name to the Runarounds and released their record titled Runaround...thus the name change to The Runaways.
http://www.45cat.com/record/ts1924


Songs :


Laughing With Tears In My Heart / Shake

  
Teenage Style                                 Kangaroo Hop

...