• Tico & The Triumphs (1) (Queens, N.Y.)

     

    Personnel :

    Paul Simon "Jerry Landis" (lead)

    Marty Cooper « Tico » (lead)

    Mickey Borack

    Howie Beck

     

    Discography :

    Tico & The Triumphs  (1)

    Singles:
    1961 - Motorcycle / I Don't Believe Then  (Madison 169/ Amy 835)
    1962 - Wild Flower / Express Train (Amy 845)
    1962 - Cry, Little Boy, Cry / Get Up And Do The Wobble (Amy 860)
    Unreleased :
    1962 - She'll Be The One Who's Crying (Amy)
    1962 - Here Comes The Garbage Man (Amy)
    1962 - The Biggest Lie I Ever Told (Amy)
    1962 - My Little Girl  (Amy)
    1962 - Say What You Got To Say (Amy)

    Jerry Landis bb The Triumphs (1) (uncredited)
    1961 - I’m Lonely / I Wish I Weren't In Love (Canadian American 130)
    1962 - The Lone Teen Ranger / Lisa (Amy 875)

    Tico bb The Triumphs  (1) (uncredited)
    1962 - Cards Of Love / Noise (Amy 876 / Jackson scott 14)

     

    Biography :

    The story begins in the summer of 1961 when a guy by the name of Jerry Landis aka Paul Simon (that Paul Simon) was already a singer with quite a reputation. Between 1957 and 1961, Simon wrote, recorded, and released many songs, occasionally reuniting with Garfunkel as Tom & Jerry for some singles. Simon already had a few songs under his belt and was working with Amy Records producing music. His path would cross a group of young kids hanging out in the Kew Garden Hills area of Flushing, New York. Original member Marty Cooper had moved from Brooklyn and started attending Parsons Jr. High School. He met Mickey Borack at school. Marty and Mickey would hang out on the street corner near the Honeycomb Luncheonette and sing.

       Tico & The Triumphs
    Paul Simon "Jerry Landis"                                                                                                             

    There, they met up with Howie Beck . They also had a female member - Gail Lynn who didn't continue with the group when they later started recording. They started performing together (Marty, Mickey and Gail) and later won a local talent contest at their school - Parsons Jr. High School, Flushing, New York. The group performed some more gigs and wound up one night at Forest Hills Jewish Centre.  Simon was in the audience that night and caught their show. Looking for new talent to produce, he approached the group about doing some work with him. He started grooming them to record. 



    Simon used the group to back him on a recording for Canadian American Records in October 1961. They released I Wish I Weren't In Love under the name of "Jerry Landis." Following the Canadian American release, the group joined with Howie Beck and recorded two songs for Madison Records - Motorcycle and I Don't Believe Them. On some of the Tico and the Triumphs' records, Simon can be heard singing lead and on others it is Cooper. Madison later went bankrupt and sold the master for "Motorcycle" to Amy Records.

         
                                                                         Paul Simon "Jerry Landis" 

    Amy released it again and in November 1961 the record did well hitting around 99 on the charts thanks to being featured on Murray the K's show in WINS. The song was the "pick of the week."Following the release of Motorcycle, the group did a lot of record hops. But Simon never performed with the group. It was always just Cooper, Borack and Beck.  So, while Paul Simon certainly was a big part of the group's success and sound, it was really these three guys that were Tico and Triumphs. It was Marty Cooper that sang lead on all of the group's live performances. The group's next two Amy releases did not do as well.

      

    The group (credited only as Tico) without Simon went on to release Cards of Love b/w Noise in December 1962. Cooper took the lead on those. It was a return to the doo-wop sound that the group always loved. At that point, Simon had moved on to running Amy and later Bell records and he turned his attention to other artists. The group backed Simon on The Lone Teen Ranger b/w Lisa (Amy 865 - 1962) and after that the group split up. Simon had been partners with a guy named Bobby Susser. Cooper teamed up with Susser and start writing and producing records.
    http://rthimel.free.fr/Paul-Simon-nouvelle-version/fs-sg-titre-album-tom-jerry-meet-tico-triumphs.htm


    Songs :
    (updated by Hans-Joachim) 
     

    Tico & The Triumphs  (1)

         
    Motorcycle                       I Don't Believe Then                Express Train

         
    Cry, Little Boy, Cry   Get Up And Do The Wobble    She'll Be The One Who's Crying

         
    Here Comes The Garbage Man    The Biggest Lie I Ever Told           My Little Girl


    Say What You Got To Say


    Jerry Landis bb The Triumphs (1) (uncredited)

         
    I’m Lonely                   I Wish I Weren't In Love             The Lone Teen Ranger


    Lisa


    Tico bb The Triumphs (1) (uncredited)

      
    Cards Of Love                             Noise

    ….


    your comment
  • The Jive Five (Brooklyn, New York)
    The Early Years






    Personnel :

    Eugene Pitt (Lead)

    Norman Johnson (Bass)

    Richard Harris (Second Tenor)

    Billy Prophet (Baritone)

    Jerome Hanna (First Tenor)





    Discography :


    The Jive Five

    Singles:
    1961 - My True Story / When I Was Single (Beltone 1006)
    1961 - Never, Never / People From Another World (Beltone 1014)
    1962 - Hully Gully Callin' Time / No Not Again (Beltone 2019)
    1962 - What Time Is It / Beggin' You Please (Beltone 2024)
    1962 - Do You Hear Wedding Bells / These Golden Rings (Beltone 2029)
    1963 - Johnny Never Knew / Lily Marlene (Beltone 2030)
    1963 - Rain / She's My Girl (Beltone 2034)
    1964 - United / Prove Every Word You Say (Sketch 219)

    Unreleased :
    1962 - Hurry Back (Beltone)
    1962 - You Know What I Would Do (Beltone)
    1962 - The Girl With The Wind In Her Hair (Beltone)
    1962 - I Don't Want To Be Without You Baby (Beltone)

    Eugene Pitt (bb The Jive Five )
    1962 - She's My Girl / Every Day Is Like A Year (Beltone 2027)






    Biography :

    Eugene Pitt hailed from Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, musically influenced by his father, a gospel singer, who taught Eugene and his sisters how to harmonize; they performed gospel songs in churches until about 1950, when he entered his restless teenage years. The atmosphere of Brooklyn's streets, with doo wop singers everywhere, stirred a desire for rhythm and blues stardom and by mid-decade he had joined a group called The Akrons . A little later Eugene sang with a group headed by Claude Johnson, but they separated when Johnson left for Long Island to join The Genies, the outfit that later scored a national hit with "Who's That Knocking."


    Top : Norman Johnson, Richard Harris & Eugene Pitt - Bottom : Billy Prophet & Jerome Hanna

    In 1959 Pitt put together his own group, The Jive Five, with friends from the neighborhood. He and Jerome Hanna sang tenor, supported by Richard Harris, Thurmon "Billy" Prophet and bass singer Norman Johnson. Not much happened at first; Pitt was working as a stock clerk in a supermarket in early '61 when all five jivers auditioned for Les Cahan and Joe Rene at the Beltone Studio on Broadway in New York. Cahan, who'd been running the studio for several years, had decided to branch out with Beltone Records and made a spectacular splash shortly afterwards with Bobby Lewis's "Tossin' and Turnin'," the biggest hit of the entire year. One of the songs the Jive Five sang that day was an original ballad by Pitt and Oscar Waltzer, "My True Story," based on Eugene's own experience of losing a girlfriend to one of his (former?) pals.


    Billy Prophet, Eugene Pitt, Jerome Hanna, Norman Johnson & Richard Harris

    Doo wop was at the peak of its early 1960s "revival," a time of renewed interest in many '50s recordings. "My True Story," with backing by Rene's band, had an addicting 'Cry, cry-y-y...' vocal hook (often resulting in record store customers who didn't know the actual title offering their own wailing "Cry-cry-cry" in attempts to identify the song). It captured the essence of older doo wop but got off to a slow start at the beginning of summer '61; by September, though, it had gained momentum, moving into the top ten on the pop charts while hitting number one R&B. The uptempo flip side "When I Was Single" lamented married life (without mention of a "Mother-In-Law" as Ernie K-Doe had done with great success a few months earlier) and had a following of its own.

       

    The quintet followed with the low-charting "Never, Never" at the end of the year, an outstanding track regardless of its similarity to the debut single. Many of the Beltone B sides could have been hits under the right circumstances, including this 45's flip, "People From Another World," a wild slice of flying saucer paranoia. "Hully Gully Callin' Time," with the expanded label credit The Jive Five with Eugene Pitt, was the group's contribution to a current dance craze. Next came the best ballad since the initial release, "What Time Is It?" Pitt's falsetto (often used to supplement his lead vocals) is at full throttle on this track, which might have been much bigger had it been possible to turn the clock back a year or two prior to the fall of '62.

    The Jive Five

    After this, Billy Prophet left to pursue a solo career and, tragically, Jerome Hanna developed walking pneumonia and passed away, leaving the group in search of replacements. Andre Coles signed on briefly. Casey Spencer joined for a longer stretch. Figuring ballads were the Five's forte, Cahan put out "These Golden Rings" late in the year and it did well, making an appearance on the R&B charts. "Rain," with its hypnotic 'drip...drop...' backing vocals by J.R. Bailey, Bobby Phillips and Charles Brooks, all former members of The Cadillacs, appeared in early 1963 as Beltone Records fell deeper into financial straits with distributor King Records. With no major hits since the Bobby Lewis and Jive Five smashes of '61, Cahan had stood by as finances gradually dwindled.


    (On United Artists) Eugene Pitt, Norman Johnson, Casey Spencer, Beatrice Best & Webster Harris

    The label ceased operation in early '64 but Cahan kept the recording studio going as before.The Jive Five An "extended family" of singers came and went over the next couple of decades, the one constant being lead singer Eugene Pitt. After a one-shot '64 release on the tiny Sketch label, "United" (remaking the 1957 hit by Otis Williams and his Charms), they signed with United Artists Records in 1965.




    Songs :


         
    My True Story                   When I Was Single                     Never, Never

         
    People From Another World      Hully Gully Callin' Time           No Not Again

         
    What Time Is It               Beggin' You Please                        She's My Girl

         
    Every Day Is Like A Year     Do You Hear Wedding Bells           These Golden Rings

         
    Johnny Never Knew                Lily Marlene                           Rain

         
    United                                   Hurry Back            You Know What I Would Do

          
    The Girl With The Wind In Her Hair       I Don't Want To Be Without You Baby      Prove Every Word You Say



     

     

     





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  • The Prells (2)
     

    The Prells (1) (Newark, NJ)

     

    Personnel:

    Gerald Harris (Lead)

    Ronald Darby (First Tenor)

    Robert Mosley (Second Tenor)

    Nelson Rodgers (Alto)

    Pete (Bass)

     

    Discography :

    1963 - It's A Wig / Peter Gunn (Skymac 1004)

     

    Biography :

    The Prells on Skymac were an African American singing group from Newark NJ with Gerald Harris (Lead singer), Ronald Darby (First tenor), Robert Mosley (2nd tenor), Nelson Rodgers(alto) and Pete ??? (Bass). In 1963, they recorded "It's A Wig" b/w "Peter Gunn" released by Skymac, That was there only record. A few months later, another group called The Prells was going to form a few kilometers from Newark, on Asbury Park, precisely. This new Prells were composed of Pat Siciliano, John Petillo, Frank Campanile and Antony Orifici. These Prells will also record two songs, unfortunately they will never be released.

     

    Songs :

    (updated by Hans-Joachim) 


    It's A Wig / Peter Gunn

    ...


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  • The Paramours circa 1960 (from left) Mike Reiter, Sal Fasulo, Bill Medley, Don Fiduccia

    The Paramours (1) (Santa Ana, California)

     

    Personnel :

    Mike Reiter

    Sal Fasulo

    Bill Medley

    Don Fiduccia


    Discography :

    The Paramours (1)
    Singles :
    1961 - That's The Way We Love / Prison Break (Smash 1701)
    1961 - Miss Social Climber / Cutie Cutie (Smash 1718)
    1962 - There She Goes / That's All I Want Tonight (Moonglow 214)
    Unreleased :
    1961 - Long Tall Sally (Smash)

    Penny Richard & The Paramours (1)
    1961 - I’ll Be Yours / The Only Way (Moonglow 201)


    Biography :

    In the early sixties, Bill Medley hooked up with his guitar-playing friend, Don Fiduccia, forming a vocal group called the Romancers. They each wrote a song and made a demo. Sometime later, they formed a quartet named the Paramours by adding Mike Reiter and Roger Scott. Roger married, left the group, and Sal Fasulo replaced him as tenor. The Paramours signed a contract with Mercury Records on their subsidiary label— Smash Records . They recorded a Medley original « That’s The Way We Love » .

     
    The Romancers : Bill Medley & Don Fiduccia                                                  

    The tune didn’t hit the charts, but they did have some guest TV appearances and cut another single on the Smash label. Sal Fasulo left the group and Bobby Hatfield, who was member of another group called The Variations took his place. The following year, Medley and keyboard player Johnny Wimber of the Paramours got together with Hatfield and the reconfigured group had a single on Moonglow Records, "There She Goes (She's Walking Away)," written by Medley.


    The Paramours at Jon's Black Derby, Santa Ana, CA—circa 1960
    from left Bobby Hatfield, Don Fiduccia, John Wimber, Angelo Biondo, Bill Medley

    None of these three Paramours releases had much impact beyond the immediate families of the group members. They continued working clubs as the Paramours. They continued working clubs as the Paramours. While with Moonglow, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley reacted to a shout from the audience during a performance, “That was righteous, brother.”


    The Righteous Brothers

    The rest, as they say, is history. The Paramours changed their name. Even as the Righteous Brothers, the duo had only marginal success with Moonglow. It was their move to Philles and Phil Spector's “wall of sound” where magic began to happen.

    Songs :
    (updated by Hans-Joachim)

    The Paramours (1)

         
    That's The Way We Love            Prison Break                  Miss Social Climber

          
    There She Goes                 That's All I Want Tonight              Cutie Cutie
     

    Penny Richard & The Paramours (1)

       
    I’ll Be Yours                            The Only Way



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  •  Top : Ed Anderson, Wallace Rose & Bob White - Bottom :John Davis, Larry Hinkson & Teddy Santos

    The Love Notes (2) (Roxbury, Boston, Ma.)
    aka Jan Strickland & The Shadows (2)

     

    Personnel :

    Bob White (Tenor Lead)

    Teddy Santos (Tenor)

    John Davis (Second Tenor/Bass)

    Ed Anderson (Bass)

    Wallace Rose (Baritone)

    Larry Hinkson (Piano)

     

    Discography :

    The Love Notes (2)

    Eps :
    1953 - Crawlin / You're Mine (Family Library 1040/ Tivoli 1040)
    4 Other songs by Ronald Gill,  Nats Walker Ork. & Margie Anderson
    1953 - Let Me Go Home Whiskey / I Cross My Heart (Wallace Rose)/
    My Kind Of Woman (Clarence Johnson & Ed Anderson) (Tivoli 1041)
    3 Other songs by Naomi Lewis & Paul Robinson

    Singles :
    1953 - Surrender Your Heart / Get On My Train (Imperial 5254)
    1954 - Sweet Lulu / I'm Sorry (Riviera 970/Rainbow 266)
    1954 - Since I Fell For You / Don't Be No Fool (Riviera 975)

    Unreleased :
    1954 - Star Of Love
    1954 - It's So Good 

    1954 - Baby Stop Your Crying
    1954 - The Nearness Of You
    1954 - Ting-A-Ling

    Jan Strickland & The Shadows (2)
    1955 - When Peter Walked On Water / Love Me Baby (Hub 556)

     

    Biography :

    This Love Notes  are not the same group as the Love Notes who charted the doo wop classic "United" in 1957.  Originating from Roxbury, MA, The Love Notes comprising Bob White (tenor lead), Walter Taylor (tenor), John Davis (second tenor and bass), Buddy Holt (baritone and second lead), and Wallace Rose (baritone). Late in 1952, Buddy Holt was replaced by bass Ed Anderson, and Walter Taylor was replaced by tenor Teddy Santos.


    The Love Notes in Studio (1953/54)

    The Love Notes began as cover artists who remade popular songs for budget labels such as Tivoli and Family Library of Recorded Music. These budget LPs and EPs, most famously (and prodigiously) produced by the Tops label, are a largely unappreciated repository of interesting music. The Love Notes cut some covers of such songs as the Clovers' "Ting a Ling" and Amos Milburn's "Let Me Go Home Whiskey ».

        
                                                                                                                       Pianist Larry Hinkson
    The Love Notes' closest brush with success came when the Imperial label leased two songs, "Surrender Your Heart" (a slow piano ballad) and "Get Off My Train," for a single that reportedly was a good regional seller, but nonetheless failed to secure a contract with Imperial. In 1954, they cut two records on Rainbow's Riviera subsidiary owned by Eddie Heller who did well locally. Finally, the group backed bass singer Jan Strickland on on "Love Me Baby" and "Peter"as the Shadows. The Love Notes were smoother than many of the vocal groups that attained greater heights.
    http://www.uncamarvy.com/LoveNotes/lovenotes.html






    Songs :
    (updated by Hans-Joachim) 

    The Love Notes (2)

      
    ‪Baby Stop Your Crying / The Nearness Of You‬    It's So Good / Star Of Love / Ting-A-Ling

         
    Surrender Your Heart             Get On My Train                Sweet Lulu

         
    I'm Sorry                     Since I Fell For You                   Don't Be No Fool

      
    Let Me Go Have Whiskey        Crawling / You're Mine


    Jan Strickland & The Shadows (2)

        
    When Peter Walked On Water / Love Me Baby        Love Me Baby (Alt.)









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