The Creations - ( L to R) : Louie Liguori, Joe LoCicero , Richie Giovelli and Carmine DeSena.

The Creations (7) (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Riffs


Personnel :

Joe LoCicero (Lead singer) 

Richard Giovelli (First Tenor)

Louie Liguori (Second Tenor)

Carmine DeSena (Baritone)

Vinny Tilotta  (Bass)



Discography:

The Creations (7)
1961 - Wake Up In The Morning / Strolling Through The Park (PineCrest 101)
1961 - My Heart Belongs To Only You  (Gem 102)

The Riffs
1964 - Little Girl / Why Are The Nights So Cold (Sunny 22)
1965 - Tell Tale Friends / Why Are The Nights So Cold (Old Town 1179)
1978 - Storm / Where There's A Will (Crystal Ball 130)


Biography :

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Joe LoCicero  started singing at the age of twelve in church choirs. In 1958, Joe LoCicero originated and sang lead in a group entitled "The Creations ».Original members of The Creations 1959 Joe LoCicero, Richie Giovelli, Carmine DeSena, Louie Liguori and Vinny Tilotta (not in photo). They were so young, we needed a Cabaret License, so they only did Church Dances and Confraternities .

The Riffs- ( L to R) : Louie Liguori, Joe LoCicero, Joe Nisi , Richie Giovelli and Carmine DeSena.

 They had three recordings at the time, which where, "Wake Up in the Morning", "Strolling Through The Park" on PineCrest and "My Heart Belongs to Only You" on the Gem Label in 1961. In 1963, The Creations changed their name to "The Riffs" under the management of writer and producer, Phil Spina, and new member Jimmy Nisi who replaced Vinny Tilotta.  Their recordings included, "Little Girl", "Why Are The Nights So Cold", "Where There Is A Will There Is Away", "Storm", and "Tell Tale Friends", recorded on New York Labels, Sunny, Old Town, Crystal Ball.  

                                                                                         The Riffs (1972)

By 1966 all the members were married and planning families and the group broke up. Later on, they released an LP, "The Riffs Now & Then", which featured all original Riff recordings. Joe Locicero who sings lead on most Riffs songs, sang lead for the Chimes for a couple of years when Lenny Coco was real sick.


Songs :
 
The Creations (7)

   
Wake Up In The Morning             Strolling Through The Park

The Riffs

     
Little Girl                  Why Are The Nights So Cold                 Tell Tale Friends

  
Storm                               Where There's A Will






…

The Starlites (1) 1957 (L to R) Troy Keyes, Cliff Rice, Sony Eugene, Charlie Saunders & Vic Rice

The Starlites (1) (Brooklyn, New-York)
Ref : Eddie The Starlites (2)

Personnel :

Sony Eugene (Lead)

Troy Keyes

Cliff Rice

Charlie Saunders

Vic Rice

Discography :

1957 - Missing You / Give Me A kiss (Peak 5000)
1965 - Joannie / My Greatest Thrill (Relic 1001) (Joyce unreleased 1957) 

Biography :

Troy Keyes was born in Pantego, NC, on March 13, 1940. A member of his church's choir throughout childhood, from the age of ten he grew up in Brooklyn, New York, there singing in street-corner doo wop groups in addition to studying dance at the Fred Astaire Studio. In 1955 Keyes joined a vocal group dubbed the Starlites with Cliff Rice, Sony Eugene, Charlie Saunders & Vic Rice. The Starlites earned a record deal with Al Browne and his tiny Peak label as a result of winning a local talent contest. Their single "Missing You" went nowhere, and in 1958 he joined the Velours, which cut several singles for the Cub label.

Al Browne (Piano) with his band

Al Browne had several different groups which he called the Starlites. The story of Scepter Records starts with Florence Greenberg, who was a thirty-something housewife in the New Jersey suburbs of New York in the mid-1950s.  The first single on the label (Scepter 1201) was "Why Why Why"/"Ugly Duckling" by Don Crawford & the Escorts. When Al was producing for the Scepter Label on some early releases, he took the Starlites with him.  Here, They became Eddie & Starlites for their release in Late December 1958 - cut in October at a split session with the Criterions/Kents.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

  
Missing You                                    Give Me A kiss

 My Greatest Thrill  / Joannie
 
…

The Valadeers (Miami, Florida)




Personnel :

Paul Kelly (Lead)

Jimmy Cherry (Baritone)





Biography :

Paul Kelly was born in Overtown Miami, Florida, the fourth of six siblings. Kelly was brought up by his grandmother. In about 1956, Kelly's brother Henry formed a vocal group, with Paul as lead vocalist. It only lasted a few months, before Henry left Miami to go to college. Paul then formed a group with school friends from 20th Street School — The Spades, later known as The Valadeers. Another member was Jimmy Cherry, who later sang with The Fantastics.

Paul Kelly  (1965)                                                                                                                        

In 1960, Kelly went left the group to go solo, recording the standard, "I'll String Along With You" for Dade Records, which was never released, following a dispute between Kelly and the label. A Miami-based singer/songwriter/producer, Clarence Reid (who would later perform as Blowfly), heard Kelly rehearse, and asked him to fill in on lead vocals with his group, The Delmiros, whose lead singer had laryngitis. Kelly recorded a single, "Down With It, Can't Quit It"/"Sooner Or Later", which was released on Selma Records in 1963, under the name Clarence Reid & The Delmiros. Kelly began performing the song live in clubs and became associated with the song. Reid asked him to join The Delmiros on a permanent basis. Paul left the group to pursue a solo career, releasing his debut solo 45, 'It's My Baby' b/w 'The Upset', for the Lloyd imprint in 1965.

…

The Honey Bees (Detroit ???)



Personnel :

Joan Sanek

Beverly Rislow

Judy Regenold




Biography :

Vocal group composed by Joan Sanek, Beverly Rislow & Judy Regenold.

Photo from 1959 at a State Fair Parade in Detroit… The Honey Bees from Fraternity Records ? ("Teenage Heartbreak" / "Magic Words").

If anyone has any information : doowop@club-internet.fr

....

The Zircons (1965)

The Capes (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
aka The Zircons (2) 

Personnel :

Eugene Meadows

Emmanuel Thompson

Robert Eppinger

Wilson Meadows

Wallace Meadows

Discography :

The Capes
1960 - The Vow / Jeanie (Chat 5005

The Zircons (2)
1962 - No Twistin' On Sunday / Mama Wants To Drive (Federal 12452)
1962 - Mr. Jones (Is A Bad Man)  / Get Up And Go To School (Federal 12478)
1964 - Don't Put Off For Tomorrow  (What You Can Do Today) / Where There's A Will  (Heigh Ho 606-607)
1965 - Sit Down Girl / I couldn't Stop Crying  (Heigh Ho 608-609)
1967 - Go On And Cry, Cry / Was It Meant To Be This Way (Heigh Ho 645-646)
1969 - Finders Keepers / You Ain't Comin' Back (Capitol 2667)

Biography :

Wilson, Wallace, Eugene Meadows, Robert Eppinger and Emmanuel Thompson first started as the Capes, they recorded a ditty called "The Vow" b/w  "Jeanie" for Chat in February 1960. In 1961, They signed a record deal with King Records as The Zircons. The name for the group has caused some confusion over the years as it seems that the name had been used in the late 50's early 60's on several other groups recording for Winston, Dot and a number of other small labels. But the name was soon to become firmly theirs the following year when their first release "No Twisting On Sunday" came out on the King subsidiary Federal: "No Twisting on Sunday" b/w "Mama Wants To Drive".

The Capes (1960) L to R : Eugene Meadows, Emmanuel Thompson, Robert Eppinger, Wilson Meadows, Wallace Meadows

Actually the Capes and the Zircons were the same group, which just changed names. After one more release for the label the group headed further north to New York.  Here over the next five years they cut three singles for the Heigh-Ho label, including "Go On And Cry, Cry". In the early 70's they also cut one single with Capitol records "Finders Keepers". On Capitol (without Eppinger and Thompson) Wilson, Wallace & Eugene Meadows came with the name 'The Meadows' and soon learned there were other acts that had already chosen the name. 

The Meadows

Wilson Meadows continued with his brothers as the Meadows on Radio Records - an LP recorded at Muscle Shoals with the legendary studio band , and scored an R&B chart hit in 1977 with "I Can't Understand" by the Meadows Brothers on Kayvette.

Songs :
 (updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Zircons (2)

     
Mr. Jones  (Is A Bad Man)            No Twistin' On Sunday           Get Up And Go To School

     
Mama Wants To Drive                Don't Put Off For Tomorrow ....           Where There's A Will....


     
I Couldn't Stop Crying              You Ain't Coming Back        Finders Keepers


….