Bob Feldman, Barry Mann & Jerry Goldstein

Bob & Jerry & Their Friends (Brooklyn, New York)
aka Ezra & The Ivies (2)
aka The Kittens (1)
aka Bobbi & The Beaus (2)

Personnel :

Jerry Goldstein

Bob Feldman

Discography :

Ezra & The Ivies (2)
1959 - Comick Book Crazy / Rockin Shoes (Baca Laca Ling Dong) (UA 165)

The Kittens (1)
1959 - A Letter To Donna / It's All Over Now (Unart 2010)

Bobbi & The Beaus (2)
1959 - Melvin / Losing Game (Unart 2009)

Bob & Jerry
1961 - Dreamy Eyes / We're The Guys   (Who Drive Your Baby Wild) (Bob & Jerry & Their Friends) (Columbia 42162)
1962 - Chubby Isn't Chubby Anymore / Nursery Rhyme Folk (Musicor 1018)


Biography :

Born in Brooklyn in 1940, Feldman grew up in an orthodox Jewish home and originally studied to be a cantor. The Feldmans lived across the street from Neil Diamond’s folks, just around the corner from the Sedakas, whose son, Neil, was a promising classical pianist, and a couple of blocks away from members of the Tokens, all Lincoln High School graduates and friends. By the mid-50s, doo wop was all the rage and Feldman soon fell in with various groups practising harmonies on the Brooklyn backstreets. He teamed up with his neighbourhood buddy, Jerry Goldstein, and wrote some songs that brought the pair to the attention of Jack Lewis, an A&R man at United Artists Records. Lewis allowed the enthusiastic 18 year-old to sit in on sessions at weekends and mentored him on various aspects of the music business.

Back then, the quickest route to a potential hit was a novelty recording and Feldman and Goldstein chose this path as the most likely way of securing airplay in a crowded market. Thus "Comic Book Crazy" by Ezra & the Ivies, "Melvin" by Bobbi & The Beaus with singer Barbara Robert and "‘A Tribute To Donna" by the Kittens - both probably recorded at the same session under Lewis’ supervision, appeared in March 1959, the latter being a tribute to Ritchie Valens, issued within weeks of his death in the plane accident that also claimed Buddy Holly’s life. None of these early efforts were particularly distinguished or hitworthy, but they enabled Feldman and Goldstein to establish a toehold in the business as part-timers.

    

The two pals would grab a sandwich andhustle music publishers in their lunch breaks. Young, enthusiastic and markedly persuasive, they began to get some bites, mainly as a novelty turn, twice riding on the coat-tails of existing hits with ‘We’re The Guys’ (an answer record to Barry Mann’s ‘Who Put The Bomp’) as Bob & Jerry on Columbia Records and ‘Chubby Isn’t Chubby Anymore’ (a daft nod to the King of The Twist) on the Musicor label. Another of their songs, ‘Charm Bracelet’, was recorded by teenage pop vocalist Bernadette Peters. Though they were making inroads, it wasn’t until Feldman and Goldstein met Richard Gottehrer in a music publisher’s waiting room in the spring of 1962, that they tasted their first chart success.They formed the Strangeloves consisted of Bob, Jerry and Richard Gottehrer. Although they left their mark under the name Strangeloves with only four singles and one album, their fascinating story extends both before and beyond the group’s brief tenure.

Songs:

Ezra & The Ivies (2)

  
Rockin Shoes (Baca Laca Ling Dong)               Comick Book Crazy               

The Kittens (1)

  
A Letter To Donna                                It's All Over Now

Bobbi & The Beaus (2)

  
Losing Game                                               Melvin

Bob & Jerry & Their Friends


We're The Guys (Who Drive Your Baby Wild)

Bob & Jerry

  
        Dreamy Eyes                                     Nursery Rhyme Folk

...

 Joanie, Susie and Katie

The Sunbeams (2)  (Tacoma, Washington)
The Sawyer Sisters aka The Soo Sisters

Personnel :

Katie Sauer

Susie Sauer

Joanie Sauer

Discography :

The Sunbeams (2)
1955 - I'm Gonna Go Home To Mama / Blue Mountain Waltz (Dot 1271)
1956 - Wrap It Up And Save It / How About It (Dot 1280)

The Soo Sisters
1956 - Three Hearts Later / My World (chic 1005)

The Sawyer Sisters
1959 - Here I Am / Rock-a Boogie Babies (Dynasty 621)

Biography :

This vocal trio is composed by three sisters from Tacoma, Katie, Susie and Joanie Sauer. It is under the name of the Sauer Sisters that they perform locally and begin to attract crowds. In mid-1955, the girls signed a recording contract with Dot Records. Two singles will be released by the Label in October 1955 and in Mars 1956 under the name of the Sunbeams. in December 1956, a new single released By Chic Records from Georgia. They still see their artist name change : The Soo Sisters

      
In June 1959 Dynasty Records, the new label headed by Lee Palmer released the last single of the trio under The Sawyer Sisters with "Here I Am" and "Rock A Boogie Babies". Between 1961 and 1963, the Sawyer Sisters appeared at Showboat, New Frontier, Flamingo and Riviera Hotels...

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Sunbeams (2)

  
Wrap It Up And Save It                         How About It      


I'm Gonna Go Home To Mama / Blue Mountain Waltz

The Sawyer Sisters

  
Here I Am                                      Rock-a Boogie Babies

...

Hattie Littles & The Fayettes (Detroit)
aka Martha & The Vandellas
aka The Del Fi's aka The Vells (2) aka The Del-Phis (1)

Personnel :

Hattie Littles (Lead)

The Fayettes

Martha Reeves (Background)

Rosalind Ashford (Background)

Annette Beard (Background)

Discography :

1962 - Here You Come / Your Love Is Wonderful (Gordy 7007)

Biography :

Hattie Littles was a blues singer from Shelby Mississippi, she came to Motown around late 1961 early 1962, her first single was to be "Back In My Arms" slated for Gordy 7004 in 1962. Hattie along with The Spinners was Marvin Gaye's opening act on his 1963 tour she was billed as Queen Of The Blues.

  
Hattie Littles                                                                                                                                     

Hattie Littles was with Motown from 1962 to 1965 but only had one single release "Your Love Is So Wonderful" released as Gordy 7007. The (B) side copy states vocal accompaniment the Fayettes. According to Rosalind Ashford, The Vandellas are The Fayettes who backed Hattie Littles on "Here You Come" ..

Songs :

Hattie Littles & The Fayettes                         Hattie Littles       

   
Here You Come                          Your Love Is Wonderful

 ...

   The Ivy Tones : Terry, Robert "Bird" Parks, Lenny brook,James "Pee Wee" Thomas & John Ivey

The Ivy Tones  (Philadelphia, PA)
aka The Corvets (2) aka The Corvettes (4)

Personnel :

John Ivey (Lead)

James Green (Tenor & Second Lead)

James "Pee Wee" Thomas (Tenor)

Joseph Moody  (Bass)

Discography :

The Ivy Tones
  Singles :
1958 - Oo-Wee Baby / Each Time (Red Top 105)
 Unreleased :
1958 - My Confession (Red Top)
1958 - Rock & Roll Daddy (Red Top)

The Corvets (2)  
Singles :
1959 - I'm pleading / Let's Do The Pony (Sure 1003)
1959 - Voodoo Baby / I Want To Know Why (Tone Craft 1009)
Unreleased :
1959 - I'll Get You Yet (Sure )

The Corvettes (4)
1960 - When You're In Love / Pointed Toe Shoes (Val-Ue 212)

Biography :

John Ivey & James "Pee Wee" Thomas lived in the same neighborhood, 15th & Jefferson Streets, in North Phillly. The Ivy Tones consisted of James "Pee Wee" Thomas, John Ivey, James Green, William  Brown & Robert "Bird" Parks (recruited by early member Lenny Brock). Thomas, Ivey & Green started out as a gospel group know as the Joylands with two other guys : Howard Tate & Willima Bright.  The Ivy Tones traipsed to the Reco-Art Studio on 12th Street in Center City Waxing "Oo-Wee Baby", "Rock & Roll Daddy", "Each Time" and "My Confession".  Founded in 1957, Red Top and its related labels gave Philadelphia another outlet for RnB and Vocal Group recordings.

  The Ivy Tones : John Ivey, Terry, Robert "Bird" Parks, Lenny brook & James "Pee Wee" Thomas

 Philadelphia in 1957 was the hotbed city for music. With recordings on Red Top, Hunt and later Jalynne and other labels for National and local releases, Red Top became a haven for local talent to cut wax and seek the National Hit. In 1958, "Each Time" b/w  Oo-Wee Baby was released on Red Top 105. The record, the group's only release, picked up some play in Philadelphia and Pittsburg, and garnered a distribution deal for Red Top with Liberty. With William Brown & Robert "Bird" Parks departed, and with new member, The Ivy Tones Changed their name to the Corvets and released "I'm pleading" b/w "Let's Do The Pony" for a new company, Sure Records owned by Len Rosen.


The Corvettes (4) : Joe Moody, Robert "Bird" Parks, James "Pee Wee" Thomas & John Ivey

Their Next Waxing "Voodoo Baby" and "I Want To Know Why " was released on Tone-Craft Records. "Voodoo Baby" was a splendid Rockballad penned by James Green. The Corvets crooned "Voodoo Baby" At the Cotton Club opening for the DreamLovers.  In 1960, a last singles was released for Val-Ue Records under the name of the Corvettes.

Songs :

The Ivy Tones

  
Oo-Wee Baby                                         Each Time

The Corvettes (4)

When You're In Love

The Corvets (2)

  
I Want To Know Why                            Let's Do The Pony


….


The Fascinations (1) (Akron, Ohio)

Personnel :

Jordan Zankoff (Lead)

Darrel McDonald

Gene Blackford

Phil DiMascio

Discography :

1960 - It's Midnight / Doom Bada Doom (Sure 106)

Biography :

In the late 1950s, Jordan Zankoff and pals Gene Blackford, Phil DiMascio and Darrel McDonald formed a doo-wop group called the Fascinations. The boys performed at sock hops and appeared on WEWS-TV's One O'Clock Club. In 1960, the Fascinations cut a 45 RPM record for the Sure label in Philadelphia.

 The Fascinations (1)

The featured song was It's Midnight, a romantic serenade with soaring vocals, while the calypso-tinged Doom Bada Doom was the flip side. Although it wasn't a hit, Zankoff had found his niche. Things happened quickly after that.

  
                                                                                                                 Jordan & The (new) Fascinations (2)

Zankoff married an Akron woman, Mary, in 1961 and welcomed a daughter, Jodi, a year later, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1964. The singer changed his name to Jordan Christopher, eliminated his mustache and moved to New York. With a new lineup and new name, Jordan & the Fascinations recorded songs for Carol, Dapt, Crystal Ball and Josie labels.
http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/history/jordan-zankoff-1.42454?ot=akron.PhotoGalleryLayout.ot&s=1.209349


Songs :

   
It's Midnight                                   Doom Bada Doom


….