The Five Stars (2) (Indianapolis, Ind.)
ref : The Four Stars (4)

Personnel :

Ron Russell (Lead)

Jim Bruhn (First Tenor)

Bill Campbell  (Second Tenor)

Larry Hoffman (Baritone)

Bruce Miller (Bass)

Discography :

The Five Stars (2)

Singles :
1957 - Atom Bomb Baby / You Sweet Little Thing (Kernel 319574/Dot 15579)
1958 - Dreaming / Pickin'On The Wrong Chicken (Note 10011/ Hunt 318/ABC 9911)
1958 - Friction / My Paradise (Note 10016)
1959 - Am I Wasting My Time / Gambling Man (Note 10031)
Unreleased :
1958 - Sweet Names (Note) 

Dottie Fergerson & The Five Stars (2)
1958 - Slow Burn / You And Me And Love  (Kernel 31957/Mercury 71129)

Ronnie Haig bb The Five Stars (2)
1958 - Traveler Of Love / Don't You Hear Me Calling Baby (Note 10016/ABC 9912/10209 )

Biography :

From the Indianapolis Indiana area, this group of Five Stars had several records on different labels. The Five Stars consisted of: Lead, Ron Russel, First Tenor Jim Bruhn, 2nd Tenor Larry Huffman, Baritone Bill Campbell, and on Bass Bruce Miller (later replaced by Popcorn Johnson) . Their first record was on the Kentucky based Kernal label. Using a somewhat popular theme at the time, "Atom Bomb Baby"  b/w "You Sweet Little Thing" on the flip. The record made enough noise for Dot records to pick it up and distribute for the entire USA. It didn't meet the expectations of Dot, but it certainly got the Five Stars name in circulation.

The next sequential release on the Kernal label was Dottie Fergerson backed with the Five Stars. "Slow Burn" made enough local noise that Mercury actually picked it up for their label. On the flip was "You And Me And Love." Dottie Fergerson went on to have a couple additional issues for Mercury. These sides were cut at the same session as the previous Five Stars release on Kernal.

     
Ronnie Haig                                                                                                         

The Five Stars signing a recording contract on the Indianapolis label called Note a cut three singles. The First  "Pickin On The Wrong Chicken" was getting the play at local radio stations. Released in March of 1958, it never made any national charts, but certainly scored high on the local and regional sheets. On The Same Session Ronnie hag cut his first record, "Traveler Of Love" b/w "Don't You Hear Me Calling Baby" and The Five Stars provided vocal group back up on both sides.

The Five Stars made several appearances on 'American Bandstand.' In early summer of 1958 Note released "My Paradise"  b/w "Friction". "My Paradise" had all the elements to become a hit, except for sales. The last release for was called "Am I Wasting My Time" backed with "Gambling Man."  In 1960 Jim Bruhn and Ron Russell reformed a vocal and instrumental group called The Four Stars. The group backed Lorenzo Conyers of the Ink Spots.
http://www.colorradio.com/five-stars.html
http://myweb.clemson.edu/~campber/coe.html

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

 The Five Stars (2)

     
Atom Bomb Baby                    You Sweet Little Thing                 Dreaming

     
Pickin'On The Wrong Chicken            Friction                     My Paradise

  
Am I Wasting My Time / Gambling Man        Sweet Names

 Dottie Fergerson & The Five Stars (2)

Slow Burn / You And Me And Love

 Ronnie Haig bb The Five Stars (2)

  
Traveler Of Love                      Don't You Hear Me Calling Baby

...

Dave Strause, (center) (from left) John Smiles, Phil Capp, Joe Vegas, Frauklin Dee and Bob Capp.

The Sho Stoppers (Levittown, Pa)
aka The Show Stoppers (1) ????





Personnel :

Dave Strause (Robby Stark)

John Smiles

Phil Capp

Joe Vegas

Frauklin Dee

Bob Capp





Discography :

The Sho Stoppers
1962 - Little Angel / ??? (???)
1963 - The Day That Roc'k ‘n’ Roll Dies / ??? (KP ?)

(Maybe) The Show Stoppers (1)
1963 - Hee Haw / Doctor oF Love (Amber 212)
1963 - But Who Will Pay / Cynthia (Amber ?)





Biography :

From a newspaper article about The Sho Stoppers :
This vocal & instrumental group from Levittown has cut some records : “The Day That Roc'k ‘n’ Roll Dies” on KP records. The record The record was successful in Trenton. Previously, the group’s most successful record was called “Little Angel.”  The combo has many talents that are displayed in comedy, vocal, instrumental and dancing mutines. The musicians play several instruments interchangeably that include the drums, bass, trombone, trumpet, sax. clarinet and guitar.

The Sho-Stoppers have appeared all over the country in such famous clubs as the Fremont Hotel and the Riviera louunge in Las Vegas. The « Golden Nugget” in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The “Rocking MB” and Dream Lounge in the Jennia Hotel in Miami Beach.  They have also appeared on the Dick Clark TV’ Show and in a marathon for cancer in Baltimore with Patti Page and Sammy Davis Jr.  The group has appeared locally at the Erie Social in Northeast Philadelphia, the Carlo Circle Bar also in the Northeast and at Al-jo’s in Jersey. Dave Strause, has worked with Bobby Darin, Steve Gibson and the Red Caps and the Flamingoes.




Songs :

The Show Stoppers (1)

  
Cynthia                                         Doctor oF Love

…

Ronnie Howard, Tommy Burton, Ron Buonaro and Sammy Basile 

The Parlaments  (Chicago)
aka The Deltones (1) aka The Del Tones (3)
 

 Personnel :

Sammy Basile (Lead)

Ron Buonaro (First Tenor)

Ronnie Howard (Baritone)

Tommy Burton (Bass)



Discography :

The Deltones (1)

Singles :
1958 - Jerry / Rockin' Cha Cha (with Debbie Stevens) (Roulette 4081)
1958 - Early Morning Rock / I'm 'Coming Home (Vee Jay 288)
1959 - A Lover's Prayer / First Man To The Moon (Vee Jay 303)
Unreleased :
1958 - Baby I Need You (Vee Jay)
1960 - Good Luck Charms (USA Records)

The Del Tones (3)
Singles :
 1960 - And The Angels Sang / Please Talk to Me (USA Records 711)
Unreleased :
1960 - Good Luck Charms (USA Records)

The Parlaments
1961 - My Only Love / To Be Alone (USA Records 719)



Biography :

 At 12, Sammy Basile and his close friend Tommy Burton would harmonize to the sounds and vocals of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and other groups whose records were on the candy store juke box. They grew up on the west of Chicago, now called K-Town, since all the streets in their neighborhood start with a  "K," i.e. Kilborne, Karlov, Keeler, etc. They attended Marshall high school, located on the corners of 5th Ave, and Adams & Kedzie streets.

  
Debbie Stevens                                                                            

During their freshmen year (1956) they met Ronnie Howard. Early in 1958, and Ronnie introduced the group to a Ron Buonaro, and the Deltones was formed. Like all other vocal groups, they used to practice harmonizing in the school halls and bathrooms. On Roulette, they backing Debbie Stevens (Debbie Dean) on their own composition : " Jerry" b/w "Rockin' Cha Cha". They recorded "Early Morning Rock" at the Chess Studios on south Michigan Ave. The flip side was a slow song that the unforgettable voice of Ronnie Howard sang, titled "I'm Coming Home,".

Ronnie Howard, Sammy Basile, Tommy Burton and Ron Buonaro

Jim Lounsberry took the songs to Ewart Abner and Calvin Carter. They liked the songs and signed the group to Vee-Jay Records.Within a few weeks the song had seen some success. Their next recording with VeeJay was in early 1959, "A Lover's Prayer" The session was at Universal Recording Studio in Chicago. Ron Bounoro sang the lead on this one. The flip-side, "First Man to the Moon" was selected by Calvin Carter. In 1960 They moved to USA Records. Recordings there included: Please Talk To Me, Good Luck Charms, and remakes of The Angels Sang  and under the name of The Parlaments " My Only Love" b/w "To Be Alone" .




Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)
 

The Deltones (1) (with Debbie Stevens)


Jerry / Rockin' Cha Cha


The Deltones (1)

     
 Early Morning Rock                I'm 'Coming Home             A Lover's Prayer

  
Baby I Need You                 First Man To The Moon

The Del Tones (3)

        
Good Luck Charms             And The Angels Sang              Please Talk To Me 

The Parlaments

  
My Only Love                       To Be Alone






...

Little Anthony & The Imperials (3)  (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Chesters
The Early Years (End Records)

Personnel :

Anthony Gourdine (Lead)

Tracy Lord (Tenor)

Ernest Wright, Jr. (Second Tenor)

Clarence Collins (Baritone)

Glouster Rogers (Bass) 


Discography :

Singles :

The Chesters
1957 -  Lift Up Your Head / The Fires Burn No More (Apollo 521)

The Imperials (3)
1958 - Tears On My Pillow / Two People In The World (End 1027)

Little Anthony & The Imperials (3)
1958 - Tears On My Pillow / Two People In The World(End 1027)
1958 - So Much / Oh Yeah (End 1036)

1959 - The Diary / Cha Cha Henry (End 1038)

1959 - Wishful Thinking / When You Wish Upon A Star (End 1039)

1959 - A Prayer And A Juke Box / River Path (End 1047)

1959 - So Near And Yet So Far / I'm Alright (End 1053)

1959 - Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop / I'm Still In Love With You (End 1060)

1960 - My Empty Room / Bayou, Bayou, Baby (End 1067)

1960 - I'm Taking A Vacation From Love / Only Sympathy (End 1074)

1960 - Limbo (Part 1) / Limbo (Part 2) (End 1080)

1960 - Formula Of Love / Dream (End 1083)
1961 - Please Say You Want Me / So Near Yet So Far (End 1086)

1961 - Traveling Stranger / Say Yeah (End 1091)

1961 - A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / Dream (End 1104)

Eps :

1958 - Little Anthony and the Imperials  (End EP-203)
The Diary / Tears on My Pillow / Traveling Stranger / So Much

1959 - We Are The Imperials (End EP-204)
When You Wish Upon A Star / Over The Rainbow / Love Is A Many Splendid Thing / What Did I Do

  
End EP-203                                                              End EP-204

Lps :

1959 - We Are The Imperials (End LP-303)
Tears On My Pillow / Over The Rainbow / Cha Cha Henry / The Diary / Oh Yeah / Two People In The World / When You Wish Upon A Star / Wishful Thinking / So Much / Traveling Stranger / What Did I Do / Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

1960 - Shades Of The Forties (End LP-311)
This Love Of Mine / Don't Get Around Much Anymore / They Say It's Wonderful / If You Are But A Dream / Undecided / All Or Nothing At All / /I'll Never Smile Again / Dream / A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night / Oooh! Look-a There, Ain't She Pretty / I've Got A Crush On You

  
End LP-303                                                               End LP-303

 Unreleased :

1958 - I Cover The Waterfront (End)
1958 - Little Girl (End)
1959 - Dry Your Eyes (End)

Biography :

Little Anthony & the Imperials enjoyed one of the longest career runs of any doo wop group, adapting their honey-smooth style to fit the sweet uptown soul sound of the mid-'60s. Right from the beginning, Little Anthony's aching way with a ballad was the group's calling card, but their repertoire was balanced by more R&B-inflected dance tunes. Little Anthony was born Jerome Anthony Gourdine in 1940, and grew up in Brooklyn's Fort Greene projects. While in high school, he sang in a doo wop group called The Duponts, who recorded a single called "Prove It Now" in 1957. They disbanded after graduation.



In the meantime, Anthony Gourdine still had hopes to make it big in music. He persevered and soon formed a new vocal group consisting of neighborhood guys - Clarence Collins, Tracy Lord, Nat Rogers, and Ernest Wright, and they called themselves The Chesters. They hoped to record for George Goldner at Gone / End Records, but he was not impressed with the presentation or style of the group. Meeting with a successful group from the neighborhood, The Cellos, Gourdine seemed to think that the group had a better shot with Apollo Records, a longtime R & B independent that had been at the forefront in New York for many years.

A recording session was set up at soon "Lift Up Your Head" and "The Fires Burn No More", two originals written by Gourdine were recorded by Apollo and released on # 521 in early 1958. It began selling moderately in New York and was featured by disc jockey Bill Powell at WEEP in Pittsburgh. "Fires" was a great vocal group performance by the Chesters, featuring call and response patterns on the bridge, and Anthony lapsing up into falsetto as he transitions into the last chorus. He really hits the high note on the last wortd for a dramatic ending.

It had all the makings of a substantial hit but as the record suddenly tailed off, the Chesters felt that Apollo had dropped the ball and did not do enough to promote the record. In their minds, this inaction caused it to become lost in the shuffle of so many new records released every week. They began to look elsewhere for a new label and perhaps a better shot at success. The group had been working on an Ernest Wright written song called "Two People In The World". They gave George Goldner and Gone / End another chance this time championed by Richard Barrett, formerly of The Valentines, and now a record producer and talent scout.

They were given a second song called "Tears On My Pillow" and after a few takes, Goldner changed the arrangement around a bit and had Gourdine alter his delivery using a clipped shortened style rather than the elongated crooning effect used by most lead vocalists. When everyone was satisfied with the proper "take" of both songs, the record was set for release on End # 1027. Almost immediately, those at End decided they didn't like the name Chesters, and settled on Imperials for the group. Most of the sides naming The Chesters were recalled, and the group finally had hit their stride.

On the second pressing of the record, the group had another name change, this time as Little Anthony & The Imperials. Where the "Little Anthony" came from is not clear. Some say it was the idea of Richard Barrett, others claim that George Goldner gave the group that name hoping to create another "Frankie Lymon type group", and still others say that it was the idea of Alan Freed. Whatever the truth, the group would become world famous with that name in the years ahead.

 The group followed up with "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop" in 1960. When their success dwindled in 1961, Gourdine left to attempt a solo career. Original Imperials member Nate Rogers was drafted into the service and Tracey Lord, another original member, left to get married. and the line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain,(a childhood friend who had grown up together with the Imperials in Brooklyn), and George Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This line-up had little success. Gourdine returned in 1963, replacing Seymour for another Story...





Videos :


Tears On My Pillow


Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop

Songs :

     
Tears On My Pillow        Two People In The World                    So Much

     
Oh Yeah                                  The Diary                      Cha Cha Henry

     
Wishful Thinking             When You Wish Upon A Star    A Prayer And A Juke Box

     
River Path                      So Near And Yet So Far               I'm Alright

     
Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop     I'm Still In Love With You       My Empty Room

     
Bayou, Bayou, Baby      I'm Taking A Vacation From Love         Only Sympathy

      
Formula Of Love                   Dream                         Please Say You Want Me

       
So Near Yet So Far         Traveling Stranger     A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening

      
What Did I Do             This Love Of Mine         Don't Get Around Much Anymore

     
They Say It's Wonderful        If You Are But A Dream             Undecided

       
All Or Nothing At All            I'll Never Smile Again          I've Got A Crush On You

….

The Fabulons (2) (Flushing NY)

Personnel :

Joe DeGregoria (Lead)

Mike Sferrazza Baritone)

Louie Tutone (Second Tenor)

Bob Faccio (First tenor)


Discography :
Unreleased :
1962 - Rene (Ember)
1962 - I Only Want You (Ember)



Biography :

The Fabulons were started in 1960 by Mike Sferrazza and Louie Tutone in Flushing NY .  Lou and Mike sang together for a couple of months.  They both could carry a tune well but neither of them had great lead vocals.  Then a fellow in their crowd of friends started to sing along with them and had a great lead voice.  His name is Joe DeGregoria. So began the Fabulons.  About a year later they picked up a fourth member names Bob Faccio.  they were all 14-15 yrs of age.  They played at shows and dances in their neighborhood and in 1962 they got a manager named Lenny Rudnick.  Along came a writer named Henry Senatore and he wrote the song "Rene".

( to R) : Louie Tutone, Mike Sferrazza, Bob Faccio and Joe DeGregoria

The Fabulons recorded the single in 1962 on an Ember Record Label  with the flip side song of "I Only Want You" by the Passions.  The record never got released but They kept singing DooWop for about 7 more years. The Fabulons also got together with two other guys named John and Vic Faster.  They were twin brothers with terrific voices.  John and Vic have since passed away and Bob Faccio died in the Vietnam War in 1968. Lou and Mike continued to sing with the Faster Brothers for a couple of years later.
By Mike Sferrazza.

Songs :

The Fabulons (2)

    
Rene                                            I Only Want You

The Fabulons (2) Featuring The Faster Brothers

(Demos)

...