The Continettes (Wilmington, DE)

Personnel :

Valerie Robinson

Shirley Lewis

Ventie Jean Williams

Linda Powell

Jackie Emory

Discography :

1961 - Billy The Kidder / Boys Who Don't Understand (Richie 4300)

Biography :

Vince Rago owned and managed the Wilmington, DE Delaware based Richie Records from 1961-1968. His label featured Soul, Doo-wop, Pop, Rock and Psychedelic artists from the Delaware Valley. As talent scout for the area, he nurtured the musical careers of dozens of area singer-songwriters and fueled the dreams of thousands.

       
Ventie Jean Williams                                             Shirley Lewis                                           Valerie Robinson

After three singles by Teddy & the Continentals  who had a national hit –– on the Bubbling Under chart –– with “Ev’rybody Pony,” which hit #101 in September 1961. Vince Rago recorded The Continettes for their first and only single : "Billy The Kidder" b/w "Boys Who Don't Understand".

The group were composed by Valerie Robinson, Shirley Lewis, Ventie Jean Williams, Linda Powell and Jackie Emory.
http://hangnailphillips.com/?p=483

Songs :

   
        Billy The Kidder                         Boys Who Don't Understand


….

Sabby Lewis & The Vibra-Tones (1) (Boston, Massachusetts)
aka The Hi-Notes (1)

Personnel :

Tommy Frederick (Lead)

Discography :

Sabby Lewis & The Vibra-Tones (1)
1956 - Forgive Me My Love / Regretting (ABC 9687)

Tommy Frederick & The Hi-Notes (1)
1958 -  The Prince Of Players / I'm Not Pretending (Carlton 450/London 8555)

Tommy Frederick & Group
1960 - Sundown / ‘Where’d Ja Go (Coral 62170)

Biography :

Sabby Lewis started taking piano lessons when he was 5, and organized his first band in Boston in 1936. He later performed on Broadway and in ballrooms and clubs in Manhattan. He performed with Dinah Washington and Billy Eckstine. During World War II, Lewis' orchestra included long-time Ellington tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, and drummer Alan Dawson spent much of the 1950s in the band. In 1956, he performed in the Boston Area, and recorded with a local vocal group, the Vibra-tones,  « Forgive Me My Love » b/w « Regretting » for ABC.

   
Sabby Lewis                                                                             

Two years later, The Vibra-Tones changed their name to the Hi-Tones. The Carlton Record Corporation began in October, 1957, in New York, when the late Joe Carlton, a former A&R chief at RCA, set up offices at 157 W. 57th Street. The label started with a single by Tommy Fredericks & His Hi-Notes, "The Prince of Players"/"I'm Not Pretending" [Carlton 450]. 

   

In 1961, a different Vibra-Tones’ vocal group recorded for ABC as backup singers For Evelyn Dell . This white Group from Brooklyn & Queens is composed by John Sescila, Sandy Anzalone, John Anzalone and Vinny Lombardy.

Who are they ???                                                                                              

(Sonny, Darryl, Charlie Weils...) According to notes from "Rare 1950's Boston Doo Wop" this unknown group backed Tommy Fredericks on his Coral single in 1960 on "Sundown" and ‘Where’d Ja Go"

Songs :


Sabby Lewis And The Vibra-Tones (1)

  
Regretting                                  Forgive Me My Love


Tommy Frederick & The Hi-Notes (1)

  
The Prince Of Players                         I'm Not Pretending


Tommy Frederick & Group

  
Sundown                                           ‘Where’d Ja Go

…

The Inspirations (1) (Pittsburg, Ca.)
aka The Marcels (1)

Personnel :

Carleton Brown (Lead)

Cedric Wilson (Baritone)

Jerry Jackson

Don Stevens

Discography :

The Marcels (1)

Singles :
1958 - Betty Lou / Take Me Back (Bob Jeffries bb the Marcels) (Jody 123)
195? - So Hard To Please  / You'll Never Know (The Mondellos) (Rhythm 118)

Unreleased :
1956 - Wait For Me (Acapella) (Music City)
1956 - Indian Jane (Acapella) (Music City)
1956 - So Hard To Please (Acapella) (Music City)

The Inspirations (1)
1958 - Don't Cry / Indian Jane (Lamp 2019)

Biography :

This was not the "Blue Moon" Marcels, but a local Pittsburg group from California . This vocal group from the West Coast, recorded in the Bay Area by record man Ray Dobard, who spun the label off from his record store. One of his specialties was doo wop and he recorded way more than he released. The Marcels featured lead singer Carleton Brown, backed by Cedric Wilson, Floyd White and Georges White recorded several tracks in 1956 for Ray Dobard'Music City owner : "So Hard To Please", "Wait For Me" and "Indian Jane".

  
             Don Barksdale                                                                                                                  Bob Jeffries

In 1958, They cut " Betty Lou" and they're behind Bob Jeffries on "Take Me Back" on Rhythm's Jody Records subsidiary (an Oakland label owned by college basketball hall of famer and legendary KDIA-AM  Don Barksdale.) Bob Jeffries was also the lead singer of the Sharptones who recorded on the post label and he had the distinction of being backed bay The Marcels and The Mondellos on two separate recording sessions.


L to R, Cedric Wilson, Don Stevens, Jerry Jackson & Carleton Brown

The group's lineup has changed frequently, the Group-Singer-Songwriter Carleton Brown, Cedric Wilson later joined up with Jerry Jackson and Don Stevens (Aka Rick Stevens), they went nowhere as the Marcels  but later re-recorded "Indian Jane" for Lamp records as the Inspirations.  In the early 1960's Rick Stevens performed in nightclubs around Reno, where he was known as "Mr. Twister". Rick joined the group Tower of Power in 1969.

Songs :

The Marcels (1)

     
Betty Lou                     So Hard To Please                        Take Me Back

The Inspirations (1)

  
Don't Cry                              Indian Jane

.....

Top row (L to R): R. Aglialoro, B.Shupman, J Oswald. Bottom Row (L to R): J. Inzirillo, P.Leone & L.Mandracchia

The Suedes (2) (Brooklyn NY)

Personnel :

Joey Inzirillo (Lead)

Louie Mandracchia (First Tenor)

Billy Shupman (Second Tenor)

John Oswald (Baritone)

Russ Aglialoro (Bass)

Phil Leone (Drummer)

Discography :
Unreleased :
1959 - My Prayer To Heaven
1959 - Girl To Love
1959 - You Are My Only Love
1959 - Bunny
1959 - Ding-A-Long (Our Wedding Day)

Biography :

Vocal group from Canarsie in Brooklyn, formed in 1959, The Suedes is formed by some friends in the area and consists of Joey Inzirillo (Lead), Louie Mandracchia (First Tenor), Billy Shupman (Second Tenor), John Oswald (Baritone), Russ Aglialoro (Bass) and Phil Leone (Drummer). The group will be some personnel changes over time.

They have made numerous appearances at various gatherings around the area and recorded several demos : "My Prayer To Heaven" , "Girl To Love", "You Are My Only Love," "Bunny" and "Ding-A-Long  (Our Wedding Day)". Unfortunately no record company will release their songs… The group disbanded in 1961.

  

Two of the original members of The Suedes, John Oswald and Joe Inzirillo, along with Lou Caporusso who was an original member of The Vivids from Ozone Park Queens created a group in the 80's which many say was the continuation of The Suedes work under a new name. That group was The Revivals. They re-recorded "My Prayer To Heaven" and "Oh Please" on Avenue D. Records.

Songs :

     
My Prayer To Heaven        Ding-A-Long (Our Wedding Day)          Bunny

Girl To Love

...

The Vice-Roys : (L to R) Al Linde, Paul Robertson, Bob Zoidis, Charles "Pedro" Buford and Henry Truesdale

The Vice-Roys (2) (Phoenix, Az)
aka Brother Zee & The Decades (1)

Personnel :

Al Linde

Paul Robertson

Bob Zoidis

Charles "Pedro" Buford

Henry Truesdale

Discography :

The Vice-Roys (2)
Singles :
1962 - My Heart /  I Need You Love So Bad (Ramco 3715)
Unreleased :
1962 - Sunday Kind Of Love (Ramco)
1962 - Yancy (Ramco)

Brother Zee & The Decades (1)
1963 - Sha Boom Bang / Smokey The Bear (Ramco 3725)

Biography :

Phoenix, Arizona was host to an exciting musical climate in the 1950’s and 1960’s, which included a mix of rock n’ roll, R&B, and country music, along with a small number of recording studios and record labels.  Floyd Ramsey owned Ramsey’s Recording Studio at 3703 N. 7th Street, which he renamed Audio Recorders in late 1957.  He also owned several record labels including Liberty Bell and Ramco, and was a co-owner of Rev.  Local Arizona-area artists who recorded at Ramsey’s studio included the Vice-Roys and Brother Zee and the Decades.

Audio Recorders of Arizona.

The Vice-Roys were a racially integrated group stationed at nearby Luke Air Force Base west of Phoenix. The Aug.8,1962, session was produced by the inimitable Jim Musiln,Jr., one of the great characters in Arizona music history.  The Vice-Roys were Al Linde, Paul Robertson, Bob Zoidis, Charles "Pedro" Buford and Henry Truesdale. they were backed on the record by the mike Metko Combo. Besides "My Heart" and  "I Need You Love So Bad"the Vice-Roys also breathed new life into the old warhorse "Sunday Kind Of Love". A fourth songs "Yancy" also remained unreleased. Ramco Pressed 300 copies of "My Heart".

Brother Zee & The Decades (L to R) Al Linde, Bob Zoidis and Charles "Pedro" Buford

In 1963, Al Linde, Bob Zoidis and Charles "Pedro" Buford regrouped for another Ramco session as Brother Zee & The Decades. For the June 27, 1963, session, Musil was the producer and once again Metko provided themusical back-up. The A-side was an awesome re-imagination of the Rivingtons' iconic "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and " The Bird's The World" which the group transformed in "Sha Boom Bang". The Sha Boom Bang" acetate got immediate airplay on KRIZ in Phoenix, were it was declared "Champ of The Week" on June 29,1963.  Bob Zoidis soon left music for hair styling and by 1967, Al Linde and Charles "Pedro" Buford had gone hippie in San Francisco and were members of the Salvation Army Bannned, which later recorded as just "Salvation" For ABC records.

Songs  :

The Vice-Roys (2)

     
My Heart                     I Need You Love So Bad               Sunday Kind Of Love


Brother Zee & The Decades (1)

  
Sha Boom Bang                     Smokey The Bear


...