The Nightcaps (Salina, Kansas)



Personnel :

Doug Exline

John Weigand

Bob Sanders

Janet Holm



Biography :

(From The Salina Journal - January 5, 1958)
Freshmen at Kansas State College, Doug Exline, John Weigand, Bob Sanders and Janet Holm formed a group known as the Nightcaps. The foursome sings varied repertoire of popular songs arranged by Bob Sanders who also play Piano accompaniment for the group. They sang for many small parties andd informal groups at the college. Moving up a year in school, experience and popularity they have recently added to their list of successful appearances such jobs as an intermission spot at the Stan Kenton concert, The Fu Carnival, the big three college talent show and a weekly program on the student training radio station KSDB with occasional tape recordings played on Manahattan's KMAN.

...

The Philadelphians (Philadelphia, Pa)


Personnel :

Big John Bowie (Lead)

Frank Gordon (Bass)

Sam (Second Tenor)

Eddie (First Tenor)

Gino (Baritone)


Discography :

The Philadelphians
1961 - The Love That I Lost / Dear (Campus 101)
1962 - Coming Home To You / Church Bells (Campus 103)
1962 - The Vow / I Missed Her (Cameo 116)

Big John & The Philadelphians
1963 - My Love, My Love / Cleo's Theme (by Vince Monata & His Orchestra)  (Guyden 2093)



Biography :

The Philadelphians were a Philadelphia R&B male harmony group of the late fifties and early sixties. The Philadelphians used to rehearse at The Community Center located at 10th and Thompson Sts. of The Cambria Hgts. projects. Members of The Philadelphians were Big John as lead, Frank Gordon as bass, Sam as second tenor, Eddie as first tenor and Gino as baritone singer.

They were produced by Steve Schulman on Campus Records. They cut two singles for the label "The Love That I Lost" b/w "Dear" May 1961 (Campus 101) and "Coming Home To You" b/w "Church Bells" Feb 1962 (Campus 103). In 1962, they cut a third single for Cameo, a major American Philadelphia-based record labels:  "The Vow" b/w "I Missed Her"

Their last single was recorded in 1963 for Jamie-Guyden "My Love,  My Love" as Big John & The Philadelphians. The group broke up, But Big john bowie continue to perform on stage for several years with an instrumental group also called the Philadelphians. John Bowie also had releases on Merben Records in 1966 and Phil-LA of Soul Records the next year.



Songs :

The Philadelphians

  
Dear / The Love That I Lost               Coming Home To You

  
Church Bells                       The Vow / I Missed Her


Big John & The Philadelphians


My Love, My Love



…

Ellie Greenwich,  Jeff Barry & Laura Greenwich

The Raindrops (6) (New York)

Personnel :

Jeff Barry

Ellie Greenwich

Laura Greenwich

Discography :

Singles :
1963 - What A Guy / It's So Wonderful (Jubilee 5444)
1963 - The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget / Even Though You Can't Dance (Jubilee 5455
1963 - Hanky Panky / That Boy John (Jubilee 5466
1964 - Book Of Love / I Won't Cry (Jubilee 5469
1964 - Let's Go Together / You Got What I Like (Jubilee 5475)
1964 - One More Tear / Another Boy Like Mine (Jubilee 5487
1965 - Don't Let Go / My Mama Don't Like Him (instrumental) (Jubilee 5497)

Unreleased :
N/A - Do Wah Diddy Diddy (Jubilee)
N/A - More Than A Man (Jubilee)
N/A - Talk About Me (Jubilee)
N/A - Can't Hide The Hurtin' (Jubilee)

Lps :
1963 - The Raindrops (Jubilee 5423)
What A Guy / Hanky Panky / I Won't Cry / It's So Wonderful / Da Doo Ron Ron / When The Boy's Happy / The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget / Isn't That Love / Every Little Beat / Even Though You Can't Dance / That Boy's Messin' Up My Mind / Not Too Young To Get Married    

Biography :

The Raindrops were an American pop group from New York, associated with the Brill Building style of 1960s pop. The group existed from 1963 to 1965 and consisted of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, both of whom worked as writer/producers for numerous other acts before, during and after their tenure as The Raindrops.

Laura Greenwich, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry

The group was formed around the nucleus of childhood friends Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Greenwich had recorded a single in 1958 ("Cha-Cha Charming", as by Ellie Gaye) while a college student, and Barry began working for a Brill Building music publisher in 1959, penning the hit "Tell Laura I Love Her" amongst others. The two met again that year and began dating; simultaneously, they began writing songs together, mainly for other artists. However, a couple of Greenwich-led discs were issued in the early 1960s under pseudonyms, one credited to Ellie Gee and The Jets, another to Kelli Douglas.

Ellie & Jeff In the 0ffice of the Brill Building                                                                                  

Greenwich and Barry would marry in October 1962. Greenwich also got a job in music publishing, not only writing but also singing on various demos of her publisher's songs. In early 1963, Greenwich and Barry recorded a demo of their composition "What a Guy", a tune Barry had written for The Sensations. However, the group's label, Jubilee Records, chose to release Barry and Greenwich's demo as the single under the name 'The Raindrops' (the group name was reportedly inspired by "Raindrops," a 1961 hit song by Dee Clark).

                                                                        Ellie & Jeff In the Studio

The single hit #41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the follow-up, "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget", hit #17. The Raindrops sound was "girl-group" in style, with Greenwich singing lead vocal and double-tracked harmony parts, and Barry providing nonsense-syllable bass vocals. At this point, the group began to attract attention. Media stills of the group often depicted the group as a trio, featuring Greenwich and Barry as well as Greenwich's younger sister Laura, who did not sing on the records. 

Bobby Bosco, Beverly Warren, Laura Greenwich & Ellie Greenwich

The Raindrops made occasional live appearances, but rarely with the same personnel as on record; Ellie Greenwich sometimes had Beverly Warren sing live for her, and Bobby Bosco filled in at times for Barry. To preserve the illusion that the group was a trio, Laura Greenwich also occasionally appeared in live performances with the group, singing into a dead microphone.

The Raindrops released an album on Jubilee towards the end of 1963; a third single, "That Boy John", was a minor hit but sank at radio after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After a few further minor hits, Barry and Greenwich stopped releasing material as The Raindrops in early 1965, around the same time they became involved with Red Bird Records.

Raindrops on the road : Ellie, Bobby Bosco & Beverly Warren

Both Greenwich and Barry enjoyed successful careers as songwriters after the demise of The Raindrops, and Greenwich went on to a modest solo career as a singer as well. They divorced late in 1965, although they continued to write songs together for a time. They reunited on record for a 1967 single credited to The Meantime, which failed to chart. This was their last professional project as a duo.  Both Greenwich and Barry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991.

John Clemente (Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World)
http://www.billboard.com/artist/418919/raindrops/biograph
http://www.spectropop.com/gg/raindrops.html
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-raindrops-mn0000894028/biography
http://history-of-rock.com/raindrops.htm
https://rockhall.com/inductees/greenwich-and-barry/bio/
http://spectropop.com/EllieGreenwich2/index.htm
http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/ellie_greenwich.htm
http://www.spectropop.com/JeffBarry/index.htm
http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-raindrops-us


 

Songs :

     
What A Guy                   It's So Wonderful              The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget

     
Even Though You Can't Dance             Hanky Panky              That Boy John

     
Book Of Love                      I Won't Cry                     Let's Go Together

     
You Got What I Like                   One More Tear           Another Boy Like Mine

     
Da Doo Ron Ron              Isn't That Love           That Boy's Messin' Up My Mind

  
Talk About Me                   Don't Let Go

 ....



The Five Thrills (2) (Port Chester, NY)
aka The Uniques (2)

Personnel :

Arthur Epps (Lead Tenor)

Curtis Smith (First Tenor)

Richard Welch (Second Tenor)

Ben Peterson (Baritone)

Benjamin Todd (Bass)

Discography :

The Uniques (2)
Single :
1958 - Tell The Angels / Hey, Little Cupid (End 1012)

The Five Thrills (2)
Unreleased:
1957 - Hey, Little Cupid (End)
1957 - Tell The Angels (End)
1957 - Love Express (End)
1957 - Pretty As A Rose (End)

Biography :

The group consisted of Arthur Epps as lead singer, Benjamin Todd as bass, Curtis Smith as first tenor, Richard Welch as second tenor and Ben Peterson sang baritone. They all lived in Port Chester, New York. They were all 18 or 19 years old and Harvey Katz was their manager.1958 was a banner year for END Records. In 1958, the Uniques, previously known as the Five Thrills, recorded "Hey,' Little Cupid" and "Tell The Angels" on the END Label (END #1012), just after the Chantels recorded "Maybe" (END # 1005).

Later that year, Little Anthony and the Imperials recorded their first record on END, “Tears on My Pillow”. "(END # l027). The Flamingos recorded “Lovers Never Say Goodbye” (END # 1035). In late 1957, while they were the "Five Thrills", the group recorded four unreleased songs, including another version of  "Hey, Little Cupid" and "Tell The Angels” as well as "Love Express" and "Pretty As A Rose".

Songs:

The Uniques (2)

  
Tell The Angels                       Hey, Little Cupid

The Five Thrills (2)

     
Hey, Little Cupid                 Pretty As A Rose                  Tell The Angels


Love Express

…

The Star-Drifts (Brooklyn, NY)

Personnel :

Teddy Grable

Joey Etle

Howie Tyll

Joe "J.B." Belucci

Tony Clausi


Discography :

Single :
1963 - She's Gone / An Eye For An Eye (Goldisc G3)

Demo :
1958 - She's Gone
1958 - All my Love
1958 - Way Over There


Biography :

The Star-Drifts started singing in a hallway on 24th street between Mermaid Ave. and Surf Ave. in December of 1958. Billy Reo, Howie Tyll and Teddy Grable started to sing and listen for the harmonies bouncing off the walls of this huge...apt.Building.

Later on They were joined by others who sang with the group. They recorded their first professional recording in June 1963 for Goldisc records, A George Goldner Production. Panama Francis was on drums that night, along with some other very Talented studio guys. 27 takes on "She's Gone" and 28 takes on "An Eye For An Eye".

    David Panama Francis                                                                                                            

In 1964 Teddy Grable join Mike Lewis when he decided to reform The Concords. The new formation recorded for Epic Records in 1964 "Should I Cry" b/w "It's Our Wedding Day". Many of these Brooklyn groups were friends and were sometimes like interchangable parts.
By Teddy Grable




Songs :


An Eye For An Eye / She's Gone

…