The Debonairs (1) (Long Beach, CA)
aka The Debonaires (2) aka The Jades (4)

Personnel :

Arthur Holly (Lead)

David Kelly

Joe Sprewell (Tenor , Piano)

Willie "Hootie" Melvin

Bobby Miles (Bass)

Discography :

The Debonairs (1)
Singles :
1957 - Why Can't We Be As Other Lovers Are / The Bill Collector (Combo 129)
1957 - Cause Of A Bad Romance / For The Woman I Love (Combo 149)
Unreleased :
1957 - In My Memories (Combo)
1957 - Christmas Time (Combo)
1957 - Crazy Santa Claus (Combo)
1957 - Nita (Combo)

The Debonaires (2)
Singles :
1959 - Every Once In A While / Mama Don't Care (Dore 526)
1961 - Every Once In A While / Gert's Skirt (Dore 592/702/795)
1962 - Hold Back The Dawn / Mama Don't Care (Dore 654)
1964 - Everybody's Movin' / Mama Don't Care (Dore 712)
Unreleased :
1959 - Dorothy (Dowley)
1959 - Laura (Dowley)
1959 - Fare Thee Well (Dowley)

The Jades (4)
1963 - Hold Back The Dawn / Mama Don't Care (Dore 687)

Biography :

The Debonairs from Long Beach, California, evolved through numerous line-up changes into an accomplished amateur vocal group in the early 50s. They recorded some material for Johnny Otis' Dig label in 1956 and for Dootsie Williams in 1957 but this was shelved.

Jake Porter                                                                                                         

Jake Porter was one of the select group of independent record company owners who gave us the best of West Coast R&B and doo-wop music. Starting in the early 50s and persevering until the early 70s, Jake recorded numerous groups, duos and R&B outfits for his Los Angeles-based Combo label. Jake Porter recorded the Debonairs and released "Why Can't We Be As Other Lovers Are" b/w "The Bill Collector" and "Cause Of A Bad Romance" b/w "For The Woman I Love". When these failed to sell, they split up.

Reforming in 1959 with different personnel, the Debonaires laid down some tunes for the Downey label, run from a record store in the LA suburb of that name but, yet none of this was issued. Their next stop, a session for Dore on 17 June 1959, 'Every In A While', an outstanding ballad featuring Joe Sprewell on lead. It became such a favourite of Bedell's that he issued it four times between 1959 and 1967. In an attempt to update the arrangement, some extraneous overdubs including strings were added to the 1967 pressing .

Songs : 

The Debonairs (1)

  
Cause Of A Bad Romance                   The Bill Collector       

  
Why Can't We Be As Other Lovers Are          For The Woman I Love         

  
Crazy Santa Claus                              Christmas Time     

  
    Nita                                             In My Memories

The Debonaires (2)

  
              Doroyhy                         Every Once In A While / Gert's Skirt

  
 Hold Back The Dawn                            Mama Don't Care        


Everybody's Movin'

…

   
The Melodears : Millie, Annette and Maddy 

The Melodears (Belmore, New York)

Personnel :

Annette Chimento

Madeline "Maddy" Stone

Millicent "Millie" Fitzgerald

Discography :

1958 - Charock  / Summer Romance  (Gone 5033)
1958 - It's Love Because / They Don't Say (Gone 5040)

Biography :

In 1958, Ed Portnoy and Stan Feldman, Ivy records, just overhead in love with their newest group, The Melodears. The Trio consists of Millicent "Millie" Fitzgerald, Annette Chimento  and Madeline "Maddy" Stone , Seniors at Wellington C. Mephan High school in Belmore. Though busy with school work and extra curricular activities, they still find time to practise every day and stay on the top of their class scholastically.

Their first on Gone, "Chamrock" was written and a & r’d by writer of "Wheel Of Fortune" and many other hits, George Weiss and produced by Portnoy and Feldman. Ivy Records was set up in Sept 57 by Stan Feldman & Ed Portnoy. It was based out of 1697 Broadway, New York. The label's 1st release was "it's Only You Dear" by the Deltairs. The pair didn't have too much success distributing their product so signed lease deals for it to come out on APT, Gone & Felsted . A second single was released by Gone in 1958 with "It's Love Because" b/w "They Don't Say".

Songs :

  
     Charock                                 Summer Romance

…

Jennell Hawkins

The Combo-Netts (Los Angeles, CA)
aka The Combonets aka The Combo-Nets

Personnel:

Jennell Hawkins

Mary Ann Miles

Dora Lee Pickett

Darlene Powell

Discography :

Singles :

Jake Porter & The Combo-Netts
1955 – If I Had My Wish / Hi-Diddle Diddle  (Combo 74)

Clemons Penix & The Combonets
1956 - No Evil  / I’ve Been Searching  (no backing group) /(Combo 117)

Jake Porter & The Combo-Nets
1956 – I Ain’t Got Time / What Kinda Man Is This (Combo 118)

Unreleased :
1956 – Got To Have You Baby (Combo)

Discography :

A student at Jefferson and Freemont High Schools, Jennell gained her first singing experience with Ray Brewster, Bill Piper and Marc Gordon in the Fidelitones. (The group never recorded, but Gordon eventually became a successful producer of acts like the Fifth Dimension.) While at school, Jennell met Richard Berry (of 'Louie, Louie' fame). One day early in 1954 Berry told Jennell he was going to the studio and asked her if she wanted to accompany him. They met [arranger] Maxwell Davis and ended up recording that same afternoon. The result was 'Each Step', which was released by Flair Records under the monicker Ricky & Jennell.

Jake Porter

The experience of making a record helped Jennell establish herself in local music circles. A reluctant vocalist, she preferred playing the piano and organ, so when Berry asked her to join Fanita Barrett, Gloria Jones and Annette Williams in the Dreamers, the group with which he regularly recorded, she initially declined. Her piano, however, was heard on 'My Aching Heart', a 1955 release on Flip Records by the Flippers. Jennell subsequently joined the Dreamers on the same label for 'Since You've Been Gone', on which she sang lead. Also during 1955-56, she teamed with Mary Ann Miles, Dora Lee Pickett and Darlene Powell in the Combo-Netts, who recorded three singles for Jake Porter's Combo label, including their best-known side, 'Hi Diddle Diddle'.

     
Jennell Hawkins

As a solo vocalist, Jennell enjoyed her biggest success late in 1961 with the Richard Berry-written tune 'Moments To Remember' on Titanic, which was reissued as 'Moments' on Amazon, a label owned by the DJ Rudy Harvey.Around the same time, Flip re-released 'Since You've Been Gone' as Jennell Hawkins and the Dreamers. Another single, her version of Barrett Strong's 'Money (That's What I Want)', reached the R&B chart in 1962. Jennell also released 'In The Groove' on Harvey's Azuza label, but his shady business practices (which may well have ultimately led to his unsolved murder) left her disillusioned with the recording industry and she quit the business, dedicating herself to her marriage and the church.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Jake Porter & The Combo-Netts


 Hi-Diddle Diddle / If I Had My Wish

Jake Porter & The Combo-Nets

  
I Ain’t Got Time               What Kinda Man Is This

Got To Have You Baby

Clemons Penix & The Combonets

No Evil

…

Harry "Little" Caesar

The Turbans (1) (Oakland, CA)
aka The Sharp Tones

Personnel :

Harry "Little" Caesar (Lead)

Al Williams (First Tenor)

Burl Carpenter Second Tenor)

Willie Roland (Baritone)

Andre Goodwin (Bass)

Charles Fitzpatrick (Tenor)

Discography :

The Turbans (1)    
1955 - No No Cherry / Tick Tock-A-Woo  (Money 209)    
1955 - The Goose Is Gone (But The Nest Is Warm) / Tick Tock-A-Woo (Money 209)    
1955 - When I Return / Emily (The Turks)   (Money 211)   

The Sharp Tones
1955 - Made To Love / Since I Fell For You (Post 2009)

Biography :

Record shop owner ("Dolphin's of Hollywood"), John Dolphin founded Money Records in 1954, after having sold his Recorded in Hollywood Records label masters.  In 1955, Money Records released "No, No Cherry" b/w "Tick Tock A-Woo" by The Turbans out of Los Angeles. These are not the same Turbans (from Philadelphia) who recorded for the Herald label ("When You Dance)", but a group from Oakland, California. The Turbans from Oakland were a sextet, led by Harry Caesar . Born Horace Caesar, 18 February 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pa. During his recording career Harry "Little" Caesar was based in Oakland, California. He sounded enough like Percy Mayfield that the Modern label withheld his 1951 session from release. He enjoyed one hit in 1952, "Goodby Baby".

    
                                                                                                          Harry "Little" Caesar

The other Turbans were Al Williams (1st tenor), Burl Carpenter (2nd tenor), Charles Fitzpatrick (tenor), Willie Roland (Baritone) and Andre Goodwin (Bass). The same year, also appears on Money "The Nest Is Warm (But The Goose Is Gone)" b/w "Tick Tock-A-Woo " same record number (Money 209) . The Group have a third single with "When I Return" coupled with Emily by The Turks on Money 211. The California Turbans had recorded  months before their East Coast namesakes However the group ended up changing their name to the Sharp Tones and recording for the Post label (a subsidiary of Imperial) "Made To Love" b/w "Since I Fell For You". Although Caesar is undoubtedly best known for his ‘story’ songs, he was recorded by his producers in a variety of different styles on different label (Modern, Dolphin, Downey). He recorded as Little Caesar before he made his acting debut in 1969 on an episode of Diahann Carroll's TV series JULIA, as Herb the Handy(man). He became known for his low, gravely voice and under-his-breath delivery.


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Turbans (1)    

  
When I Return                                 No No Cherry

  
         Tick Tock-A-Woo             The Goose Is Gone (But The Nest Is Warm)

The Sharp Tones


Made To Love / Since I Fell For You


...

The Treble Chords  (Bronx, N.Y.)

Personnel :

Ercote Gaudioso (lead vocals)

Anthony Cacase

Al Diaco

Tony DiBari

Discography :

Single :
1959 - My Little Girl / Teresa (Decca 31015)

Unreleased :
1959 - Little Louie (Decca)
1959 - Without Your Love  (Decca) 

Biography :

This vocal quartet came together in the Bronx in 1957 and was composed by Ercote Gaudioso, Anthony Cacase, Al Diaco and Tony DiBari. The Treble Chords winning several amateur contests and appearing at many local nightspots. They Came the attention of Decca Records through their appearances at one of these nightspots. They recorded four tunes for Decca in July 1959 : "My Little Girl", "Teresa", "Little Louie" and "Without Your Love".

   

Decca released "My Little Girl" b/w "Teresa" both composed by Al Diaco.  "Little Louie" and "Without Your Love"  should go out on a new single on Decca, but unfortunately will never be released. In 1961 the group broke up but Diaco and Gaudioso with Jay Ferrara and Anthony Biletto reformed the group with a new lead singer, Anthony Vizzari and recorded some demos for Cousin Records as The Monterays but again these sides were unreleased.

Songs :

  
My Little Girl                                               Teresa       

  
Without Your Love                                    Little Louie    

...