• The Stagehands  (Brooklyn, New York)
    aka The Squires (8) aka   The Empires (4)

     


    Personnel :

    Richie Kaufman

    Eddie Robbins

    Gary Kessler

    Phil Horowitz

     



    Discography :

    The Two Chaps
    1960 - Forgive Me / No More (Atlantic 1195)

    The Empires (4)
    1962 - Time And A Place / Punch Your Nose  (Epic 9527)

    Linda Lawrence bb The Empires (4)
    1963 - At This Stage Of The Game / A Tear For Tommy (Epic 9607)

    The StageHands
    1964 - Hello Dolly / You Started It (T.A. 101)

    The Squires (8)
    1964 - Joyce / Can't Believe That You've Grown Up (Congress 223)

     

     


    Biography :

    David (Jay) Black and Marty Sanders were next door neighbors who started to sing together in High School. A friend of theirs took them to Nat Garrick who decided to manage them and took them to Ivy Records as The Two Chaps. Atlantic Records heard the master of "Forgive Me" on Ivy and purchased it. The record didn't do much and that was the brief career of The Two Chaps. Subsequently, Marty formed another group called The Interludes who later changed their name to The Empires when they started recording for Epic.

    The Empires (4) aka The Stagehands aka The Squires (8)     The Empires (4) aka The Stagehands aka The Squires (8)
    The Two Chaps David Black & Marty Sanders                                                    The Empires                                                   

    The group consisted of Marty, Eddie Robbins, Leo Rose (lead) , Phil Horowitz and Gary Kessler. Right after their demo session, Leo dropped out of the group and Marty called in Jay Black. The Empires cut one record entitled "Time And A Place" b/w "Punch Your Nose". Jay and Marty wrote "Time And A Place" and Jay sang lead. "Punch Your Nose" was written by Marty and he sang lead. This too, was a short lived group.


    Jay & The Americans

    After this release, Jay and Marty left to join the already successful Jay & The Americans. The Other Members with Richie Kaufman continued as the Stagehands for T.A. and as the Squires for Congress Records.

     

     

     



    Songs :

    The Two Chaps

      
    Forgive Me                                         No More


    The Empires (4)

      
    Time And A place                          Punch Your Nose

     

    Linda Lawrence bb The Empires (4)

      
    At This Stage Of The Game                    A Tear For Tommy
     

     

    The StageHands

      
    Hello Dolly                                   You Started It


    The Squires (8)

      
    Joyce                                  Can't Believe That You've Grown Up

     

     

     

     

    ..


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  • The Four Fellows (1) (Brooklyn, New York)
    Ref. Four Toppers (2)
     (By Hans-Joachim)

     
    Personnel :

    Jim McGowan (Lead)

    Teddy Williams (Baritone)

    Larry Banks (Bass)

    David Jones (Tenor)

     


    Discography:

    The Four Fellows (1)
    1954 - I Tried / Bend Of The River (Derby 862)
    1955 - I Wish I Didn't Love You So / I Know Love (Glory 231)
    1955 - Soldier Boy / Take Me Back, Baby (Glory 234)
    1955 - Angels Say / In The Rain (Glory 236)
    1956 - Hold ‘Em, Joe / Fallen Angel (Glory 238)
    1956 - Darling You / Please Don't Deprive Me Of Love (Glory 242)
    1956 - Please Play My Song / I Sit In My Window (Glory 244)
    1956 - You Don't Know Me / You Sweet Girl (Glory 248)
    1957 - Loving You Darling / Give Me Back My Broken Heart (Glory 250)

    Bette McLaurin & The Four Fellows (1)
    1955 - So Will I / Grow Old Along With Me (Glory 233)
    1956 - Petticoat Baby / I’m Past Sixteen (Glory 241)

    Cathy Ryan (bb The Four Fellows (1))*
    1955 - 24 Hours A Day (365 A Year) / [With You - Kathy Ryan solo] (King 1495)
    *credited as The Admirals

    Miss Toni Banks & The Four Fellows (1)
    1957 - Johnny The Dreamer / You’re Still In My Heart (Glory 263)

     




    Biography:

    The Four Fellows will always be remembered for “Soldier Boy,” a definitive mid-‘50s hit. Jim McGowan (lead), Dave Jones (tenor), Teddy Williams (baritone), and Larry Banks (bass) originally formed in Brooklyn, NY, calling themselves the Schemers, which they changed to the Four Fellows after landing an early TV appearance.

    In 1954, they recorded one single for Derby Records, but it failed to gain an audience. They soon signed with Phil Rose’s newly formed Glory Records and recorded a handful of singles, including “Grow Along With Me,” which featured a lead vocal by Betty McLaurin.

      
    (L-R) Teddy Williams, Jimmy McGowan (lead-standing), Larry Banks and David Jones

    In the late spring of 1955, the Four Fellows recorded “Soldier Boy,” which earned them a spot on the bill of Tommy Smalls’ Dr. Jive’s R&B Revue at the Apollo Theater in June of that year, performing alongside Harvey Fuqua’s Moonglows, Gene & Eunice, the Nutmegs, Bo Diddley, and Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra with Ella Johnson and Nolan Lewis.



    Meanwhile, “Soldier Boy” was covered by many popular artists, including Sunny Gale and Edyie Gorme. The group successfully toured the South and Midwest and ended the year by performing at the big Christmas Revue at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater.

        
    Bessie Banks aka Miss Toni Banks                                              Bette McLaurin          
    They were less successful with their releases, however, and didn’t hit again (after several attempts) until August of 1956, when up-tempo “I Sit in My Window” was released. Additional singles faltered .

    In 1957, the Four Fellows added Toni Banks (formerly of Three Guys and a Doll) as a lead vocalist and recorded a final single for Glory, but it failed to generate enough sales or airplay to merit keeping the band on their roster and except for the occasional backup singing job - including working with folk-blues artist Josh White - the Four Fellows career came to an end before the dawn of the ‘60s.
    Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide
     

    www.soldierboy.50megs.com/McGowan/fourfellows.htm
    www.home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/fourfellows.html
    www.vocalgroupharmony.com/bend.htm
    www.soulfulkindamusic.net/lbanks.htm
    www.soulfulkindamusic.net/bbanks.htm
    www.home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/bettemac.html

     


    Video:




    Songs:

    The Four Fellows (1)

           
    I Tried                            Bend Of The River            I Wish I Didn't Love You So

         
    I Know Love                           Soldier Boy                    Take Me Back, Baby

         
    Angels Say                             In The Rain                    Hold ‘Em, Joe

         
    Fallen Angel                            Darling You        Please Don't Deprive Me Of Love

         
    Please Play My Song             I Sit In My Window             You Don't Know Me

         
    You Sweet Girl                  Loving You Darling      Give Me Back My Broken Heart



    Bette McLaurin & The Four Fellows (1)

         
    So Will I                     Grow Old Along With Me                Petticoat Baby


    I’m Past Sixteen


    Cathy Ryan (bb The Four Fellows (1))


    24 Hours A Day (365 A Year)


    Bette McLaurin & The Four Fellows (1)

      
    Johnny The Dreamer          You’re Still In My Heart

     

     

     

     

    .


    2 comments
  • The Shell Brothers (Chicago, Illinois)
    Ref. The Magnificents
     (By Hans-Joachim)

     

    Personnel:

    Johnny Keyes

    Reggie Gordon

     

    Discography:

    1959 - Shoma Dom Dom / Whispering Winds (End 1050)

     

    Biography:

    In mid-1959, Keyes and Gordon teamed to record a single for the End label as the Shell Brothers. The sides, "Shooma Domm Dom" and "Whispering Winds," were released that June.
    http://www.uncamarvy.com/Magnificents/magnificents.html


    Songs:

      
    Shoma Dom Dom                         Whispering Winds


    ….


    your comment
  • Herb Johnson & The Premiers (7) (Baltimore, M.D.)

     

    Personnel :

    Herb Johnson

    Louis Jackson

     

    Discography :

    1962 - Help / Crying Blues (Palm 301)

     

    Biography :

    One-time upholsterer Venton "Buddy" Caldwell started his own V-Tone label in 1958 in Philadelphia. The same year, he started Len Records as a subsidiary. V-Tone lasted until 1962 and Len until 1960. The company was located at 2034 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia. When he discontinued V-Tone in late 1962,  Caldwell then started the Palm label, and began with the exact same single. Herb Johnson was the most notable single artist who sang for Len/V-Tone/Palm. Herb recorded 'You Belong to Me,' also recorded by the Orioles. In 1953, he joined the Air Force and sang with a group called the Lyrics and also sang with the group the Ambassadors.

      

     Herb's first single for Len was "Guilty" "Have You Heard" released in the spring of 1960, According to Johnson, he was backed by The Cruisers from Washington, D.C. who handled vocal harmonies. "Help"  was recorded and released in 1963 on Caldwell's Palm label, the successor to Len & V-Tones. The String-filled instrumental backing is a concession to the changing early sixties market, but the strong r&b group backing "Help" and "Crying Blues", the flip side, is strictly fifties. Herb was backed up by an accomplished group from Baltimore featuring  Louis Jackson called the Premiers.

     

    Songs :

      
    Help                                                  Crying Blues

    ...


    your comment



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