The Matadors (1) (New York)


Personnel :

Johnny Garfield (Lead)

Juan Terry (Lead)

 

Discography :

1957 - Vengeance (Will Be Mine) / Pennies From Heaven (Sue 700)
1957 - Be Good To Me / Have Mercy Baby (Sue 701)


Biography :

Sue Records was formed by Henry "Juggy" Murray, Jr. (born November 24, 1922) in New York City in January, 1957. Juggy Murray, along with Bobby Robinson, were the two most successful black record label proprietors in New York City. Although Sue became nationally known for its rock and roll and rhythm and blues hits by acts such as Ike and Tina Turner, most of the albums on the Sue label were jazz.

  
Henry "Juggy" Murray, Jr                                                                                            

The Matadors fronted by Johnny Garfield gave Sue Records its first regional hit in 1957 with "Vengeance".  "Vengeance (Will Be Mine)" is a delightfully cold-blooded doo-wop song : quite a change from the romantic platitudes of many songs in this genre. It became a regional hit on the East Coast, particularly in New York, but it did not chart nationally. The Group cut another single then disbanded…


Songs :

  
Vengeance (Will Be Mine)           Pennies From Heaven

  
Be Good To Me                       Have Mercy Baby



…

(left to right): Ron Henries, George Smith, Richard Jones, Dell Padgett & Benny Barros 

The Castaleers (Providence, Ri.)

Personnel :

Richard Jones (Baritone / Tenor Lead)

Ron Henries (Tenor)

Boaventura "Benny" Barros (Baritone)

George T. Smith, Jr. (Baritone)

Dell Padgett (Bass)

Discography :

1957 - Come Back / Hi Fi Baby (Felsted 8504)
1958 - Lonely Boy / My Bull Fightin' Baby (Felsted 8512)
1959 - You're My Dream / I'll Be Around (Felsted 8585)
1960 - That's Why I Cry / My Baby's All Right (Planet 44 / Donna 1349)

Biography :

The Rhode Island Rhythm & Blues scene began in the mid-1950s when aspiring teen vocal groups moved off the street corners of Providence and into the rec center at the Doyle Avenue Grammar School on the East Side. The Castaleers evolved when members of various groups including The Parakeets and The Five Tones settled into a permanent lineup : Richard Jones (lead, baritone/tenor), George Smith (baritone), Dell Padgett (bass), Ron Henries (tenor) and Benny Barros (tenor). George had become friendly with songwriters Myron and Ray Muffs, the owners of Muffet’s Music Store in downtown Providence, one of the few shops in town where he could find R&B records.

After hearing the group, the Muffs were knocked out and produced four sides which they placed with Felsted Records, a U.S. division of the mighty British Decca company.  Released in 1957, “Come Back” charted in Providence, Philadelphia, Detroit and Montreal, but the group, all of whom had good jobs or were still in school, declined to tour outside of the Northeast until something bigger was on the horizon. Two more releases also fared well, but the group’s unwillingness to tour nationally led to them being dropped. Henries left and was replaced by singer/songwriter Joe Hill of The 5 Dukes and The Dials.

                                                                                                 Joe Hill

The Muffs produced another session on two of Joe’s songs and placed the master with L.A. label Donna/Del-Fi, home to Ron Holden and Ritchie Valens. Once again, there was action, especially in Los Angeles, but it never reached the top and in 1961, the group called it a day. Still, the Castaleers are recognized as trailblazers for Rhode Island artists who paved the way for national releases by Freddie Scott, The Del Rios (Tavares) and Dipsy & The Doodles. Their 45s are considered some of the greatest – and most collectible – group records of the pre-Soul R&B era.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Castaleers/castaleers.html

Songs :

  
Hi Fi Baby / Come Back        My Baby's All Right / That's Why I Cry

     
Lonely Boy               You're My Dream                    I'll Be Around



…

Jerry Marcellino                                     Lani Woodd                                             Mel Larson  

The Three Honeydrops (Berkeley, Calif)
aka The Naturals (1) aka Jerry & Mel

Personnel :

Jerry Marcellino

Mel Larson

Lani Woodd  replaced Jack Greenbach (The Naturals)

 


Discography :

The Three Honeydrops

Singles :
1957 - Honey Drop / In The Summer (Music City 813)
1957 - You're The One For Me / Rockin Satellite (Music City 814)
Unreleased:
1957 - Chickaboom (Music City)
 

The Naturals (1)
1959 - Don't Send Me Away / The Mummy (Era 1089)

Jerry & Mel
1961 - Once Upon A Time / Cannibal Stew (Boss-Sound 301)
1961 - Confessions Of A North Beach Poet / Double Whammy  (WB 5195)

Biography :

Jerry Marcellino born in Bekerley, California, and graduated from San Lorenzo Hi-School in 1955 as a music major. Lani Woodd, born in the Hawaiian Island and graduated from San Lorenzo Hi-School in 1955 being a soloist in the Hi-School choir. Mel Larson, born in San Francisco and graduated from Hayward Hi-School in 1955 as a music major.

Jerry Marcellino                                        Mel Larson                                            Lani Woodd

The Three versatile young men, Jerry, Mal and Lani organized their group "The Three Honeydrops " while still in High School and have been together since singing and playing everything from rock'n roll  to  Jazz. They  write  and play  their songs and  made appearances  at  Record  Hops and Dances around the area.

They will present their compositions at Music City Records. Music City Records, of Berkeley, California is most closely associated with vocal groups. Ray Dobard’s venerable imprint, in operation for a quarter century from the early 50s on, had its greatest success with records such as ‘WPLJ’ and ‘Ichi Bon Tami Dachi’. Music city release two singles by the group.

 1959 - The Naturals (1)  : Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson & Jack Greenbach 

After the departure of Lani Woodd, musician and composer Jack Greenbach  was hired to replace him in the group. Changing people causes a change in name, it is now The Naturals. As the Naturals, they recorded one single on Era Records. Era was an independent American record label located in Hollywood, California. It was founded by Herb Newman and Lou Bedell in 1955 as a pop, country and western and jazz label. Despite the failure of the single, Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson continue to write and compose songs and in 1961, they cut two singles as Jerry & Mel.  

Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson                                                                                                    

For the next twelve years, Jerry played in clubs in North Beach, San Francisco, and San Mateo. All the while, he and his partner, Mel Larson, were writing songs. It was then Jerry experienced his first songwriting successes. First, a hit record for Trini Lopez called Sad Tomorrows on Reprise Records. Then another for Martin Denny on Liberty Records called Strawberry Tree, and another on the hit album Figurines by The Fleetwoods. But Jerry wasn’t satisfied.

1965 - Jack Greenbach  , Jerry Marcellino & Mel Larson  

Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson went on to become one of the most successful creative forces in the music industry: producing for The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Al Jarreau, Lionel Richie, and countless others. His music has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, including 25 Gold and Platinum records.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Three Honeydrops

  
You're The One For Me                       Rockin Satellite

  
Honey Drop                       In The Summer


Chickaboom 

The Naturals (1)

  
Don't Send Me Away                        The Mummy


Jerry & Mel

  
Once Upon A Time                            Cannibal Stew

...

The Five Stars

(from Linden, New Jersey - 1960)

If anyone have informations .... doowop@club-internet.fr

...

Little Freddie & The Gents (6) (Ft.Lee, New Jersey)




Personnel :

?




Discography:

1965 –  Betty / Push, Kick & Shout (Showcase S-402)




Biography :

Little Freddie & The Gents were a three man white group out of Fort Lee, New Jersey whose first and last released called Betty / Push, Kick & Shout came out on Showcase Records in the late summer of 1965. The Showcase label was part of Pickwick International based out of Long Island City in Queens owned by businessman Carl Edelson (formerly a bookkeeper at APOLLO Records) in the late 50's and early 60's like the Michele, Ultra D'Or and Club labels.

Betty isn't a bad side,but it was much too dated for the market and could hardly compete with The Beatles and Stones,let alone the Jive Five,Temptations or Ronettes in the 1965 pop market.
(Notes from The Lp : The Best Of Club records)




Songs :

  
Betty                             Push, Kick & Shout





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