(Clockwise from Top) : Annette Swinson Smith, Valerie Swinson, Barbara Joyner & Lorraine Joyner

Eddie Jones & The Cashmeres (4)  (Bronx, New York)

aka The Veneers
aka The Relatives (3)
 

Ref: The Chantels
Ref: The Swensons

Personnel :

Annette Swinson Smith

Valerie Swinson

Barbara Joyner

Lorraine Joyner

Discography :

The Swensons
1956 - Remember Me To My Darling / Golly Boo (X-Tra 100 )

Eddie Jones & The Cashmeres (4)
1959 - Daddy Can I Go To The Hop (Red Lightnin' 0059)

The Veneers
1960 - Believe Me (My angel) / I (Princeton 102)
1963 - With All My Love / Recipe Of Love (Treyco 402)

The Chantels
1961 - Believe Me (My angel) / I (End 1103)

The Relatives (3)
Singles :
1963 - (My Heart Goes) Zigga Zagga Zoom / I'm Just Looking For Love (Almont 303)
1964 - Never Will I Love You Again / I'm Just Looking For Love (Almont 306)
1965 - Hadn't Been For Baby / Eternally (Musicor 1063)
Unreleased :
1965 - A Change Of Heart (Musicor)

Biography :

The Veneers came from Manhattan and from Brooklyn, in New York City. Sisters, Lorraine and Barbara Joyner joined their cousins, Valerie and Annette Swinson, to sing in the park, for fun, and at family functions. The young teens did began getting the attention of the local songwriters who were looking for  artists to record their material. As The Swensons (sic), Annette and her mother recorded one single for X-Tra Records in 1956, entitled, “Remember Me To My Darling”.  In 1959, the quartet, now known as The Cashmeres, went into the studio with Eddie Jones ( former lead singer of The Demens & the Emersons) to record a novelty tune called, “Daddy Can I Go To The Hop”. Herb Abramson, founder of Jubilee and Atlantic Records, produced the single. Unfortunately, the single was not released.

Richard Barrett                                                                       

In 1960, The Cashmeres had signed on to be produced and managed by Richard Barrett. He had written two songs for the group, “Believe Me (My Angel)” and “I”. At this time, the young ladies decided to change their name because they found that too many groups had already recorded under the name “Cashmeres”. They Choose the name "Veneers". Two songs were recorded and released on Barrett's short-lived Princeton Records. The record achieved a level of success in New York, but failed to chart nationally. Their release went unnoticed but it helped Barrett solve his Chantels problem by matching Veneers lead singer Annette Swinson  with the three remaining Chantels, Sonia, Jackie, and Rene.  In April 1960, still trying to capitalize on the group’s name, End released “Whoever You Are,” formerly the B side of “Every Night”; it had all the original Chantels magic but still lacked the driving commitment of the label.

The Chantels on Carlton with Annette Swinson Smith

 Although The Veneers were not entirely happy about this change of plans, they knew that they could not stop Annette, who needed to be out on the stage. In 1961, she officially joined The Chantels. End 1103* was a reissue of a 1959 recording by The Veneers, with Annette Smith on lead, on Princeton 102. The Veneers, without Annette, recorded as The Relatives for the Canadian- American related Almont Records, with Lorraine taking the lead for “(My Heart Goes) Ziga Ziga Zoom” in 1963 and “Never Will I Love You Again”, released in 1964.   In 1965 Barbara, Lorraine and Valerie recorded three songs for the Musicor label before they went their separate ways.

Songs :

The Swensons

  
Remember Me To My Darling                             Golly Boo

Eddie Jones & The Cashmeres (4)

Daddy Can I Go To The Hop

The Veneers

     
Believe Me (My angel)                    I                                Recipe Of Love

The Relatives (3)

     
Never Will I Love You Again      (My Heart Goes) Zigga Zigga Zoom    I'm Just Looking For Love

  
Hadn't Been For Baby / Eternally          A Change Of Heart

….

The Chorals (New York)
ref The Charmers


Personnel:

Irwin “Teddy” Williams (Lead)

Alfred Toddman (First Tenor)

Robert Cassidy

Eugene "Sonny" Cooke (Tenor)

George "Danny" Daniels


Discography :

1956 - In My Dream / Rock And Roll Baby (Decca 29914)


Biography :

The vocal group The Charmers was formed in late 1953 and its members were Vikki Burgess, George Daniels, Alfred Toddman, James and Sonny Cooke .  After two singles for Central, Vikki Burgess joins with Myrna Hamilton and Renee Stewart and form a group called The Solirettes. Later Burgess forms another group with Margaret Moore and Estelle Harper and call themselves The Joytones.

Alfred Toddman , Robert Cassidy, Irwin “Teddy” Williams, Eugene "Sonny" Cooke  and George "Danny" Daniels.

In 1954 the Checkers disbanded, Second Tenor Irwin "Teddy" Williams  hooked up with the Charmers as their manager for two new singles on .  In 1956, Irwin "Teddy" Williams replaced James Cooke and with the three other Charmers Alfred Toddman, Eugene "Sonny" Cooke, George "Danny" Daniels and with the addition of Robert Cassidy, they changed their name to the Chorals. They made their name performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on November 1956. The Chorals cut one single for Decca before disbanded.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Checkers/checkers.html


Songs :

  
In My Dream                        Rock And Roll Baby



...

The Souveniers (Harlem, New York)
aka The Preludes (5)

Personnel :

Norman Solomon (Lead)

Coleman Solomon

Tommy Dorsey

Little John Rogers

Harold (Bass)

Discography :

The Souveniers
1962 - I Could Have Danced All Night / It's Too Bad (Inferno 2001)

The Preludes (5)
1962 - That Would Be So Good / A Place For You (In My Heart)(Octavia 8008)

Biography :

Vocal group was from Harlem, New York included two brothers, Norman (Lead Singer) and Coleman Solomon, Tommy Dorsey, John Rogers and Harold (Bass). Joel Turnero (a DJ on Newark's WNJR and former manager of the Mello-Moods) saw them perform and became their manager. Joel Turnero and Norman Solomon wrote the very nice "It's Too Bad" that the band will record with "I Could Have Danced All Night". Both titles will be released under the small label "Inferno" owned by Joel Turnero. The same year, Joel and Norman wrote "A Place For You", and Joel "That Would Be So Good". The Souveniers recorded the two songs and the single will be released under the Octavia label, but the band's name will be changed to The Preludes. Both sides Turnero was the producer, and Larry Lucie the arranger...same as Infernos. Norman Solomon better known later as Norman Feels, an underground soul sensation in the early 1970's and his songs have been sampled by multiple rappers over the years including Schoolboy Q, French Montana, Ghostface Killah, and more.

Songs :

The Souveniers

  
            It's Too Bad                          I Could Have Danced All Night

The Preludes (5)

  
    That Would Be So Good               A Place For You (In My Heart)

...

The Astro-Tots (McKenney, Va.)

Personnel :

Jackie Tunell

Ann Abernathy

Patsy Mitchell

Discography :

1962 - My Dreams / Boy Without A Heart (Johnny B. Denton) (Linda 12254)

Biography

The "Astro-tots" are students at Sunnyside-McKenney High School who got their start in the church choir at Cut Bank Batist Church where Jackie Father, Fred Tunell is the pastor. The Members are Jackie Tunell, Ann Abernathy and Patsy Mitchell. The girls secured a recording contract with Linda Records, an RCA Victor subsidiary and recorded their first and only song. The selection taped in North Carolina is "My Dream" a song written for the girls by Jackie's father.   

In addition to their vocal chores, the girls have several dance routines and 'speciality acts which are part of their personal appearance shows. They have appeared several times in McKenney and Dinwiddie County

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

My Dreams

...

George "Lucky" Lloyd

The Joylarks (Allentown, Pa)
aka The Floridians

Personnel :

George "Lucky" Lloyd

Farouk Kamma

Norman Williams

John Price

Discography :

The Joylarks
1959 - Betty My Love / In The Rain (Snag 107)

The Floridians   
1961 - I Love Marie / The Lucky Old Sun (ABC-Paramount 10185)

Biography :

In Allentown, George Lloyd was approached by some other guys in the neighborhood who were interested in forming a singing group. The group consisted of Farouk Kamma, Norman Williams, John Price and George Lloyd and rehearsed and practiced the popular hits at the time.  They decided to  to name themselves the Joylarks and participed  to an audition for the “Pepsi-Teen-Show.” A record promoter had the show had this radio and was listening and heard them sing.

His name was T. Griffin. He approached the group afterward and asked them if we were interested in cutting a record.  Two songs written by two members of the group were recorded. "Betty My Love" which was written by Farouk Kamma and “In The Rain" which was written by John Price. George Lloyd arranged the background vocal and harmony for both songs.” It was officially released in May of 1959 by Snag records. Almost two years later, the group recorded two new titles "I Love Marie" and "The Lucky Old Sun" released in February 1961 as the Floridians.

Jay & the Techniques

Some years later George Lloyd met young Jay Proctor (from the Sinceres) and started a new group : Jay & the Techniques.


Songs :

The Joylarks

  
Betty My Love                         In The Rain

The Floridians   

  
I Love Marie                           The Lucky Old Sun

...