The Clicks (1955) Top : Donald Ashby, Gabriel Suggs and Ray Wheaton - Bottom : Prentiss Polk

The Clicks (1) (New York)

Personnel :

Gabriel Suggs (Second Tenor)

Prentiss Polk (First Tenor)

Ray Wheaton

Donald Ashby (Bass/Baritone)

Discography :

Single :
1955 - Peace And Contentment / Come Back To Me (Josie 780)

Unreleased:
1955 - You Broke My Heart  (Josie)
1955 - Hold Me  (Josie)

Biography :

The Gabriel Suggs' Ebonaires changed their name to the Revelaires about March 1954 & recorded Three singles for Burgundy records in Detroit owned by Art & Bob Sutton. By 1955, Gabriel formed a new group with Ray Wheaton, Prentiss Polk and Donald Ashby.  Ray Weaton was part of the Ebonaires occasionally, and sang with Charlie Owens Ink Spots  and Also with Dusty Brooks & The 4 Tones in the late 40, early 50. Donald Ashby is not a beginner either, he have been with the Beale Street Boys in 1950.

The newly formed group named the Clicks signed a recording contract with Josie Records, a subsidiary of Jubilee Records in New York City and was active from 1954 through to 1971. At the session, the Clicks recorded four songs. Josie released "Peace And Contentment" b/w "Come Back To Me" in June 1955. The single will go unnoticed and the band split soon after. Prentiss Polk joined  Malcom Dodds & the Tunedrops in 1957.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

             
Peace And Contentment / Come Back To Me          Hold Me / You Broke My Heart         

 

...

The Kansas City Tomcats (Kansas City?)


Personnel :

Walter Spriggs (Lead)

Lucky Enois (Tenor / Guitar)

Eddie Saunders (Baritone / Sax)

Brooks Lewis(Bass)

Jimmy Waters (Tenor)


Discography :

1955 - Nobody Knows / Meet Me Meet Me Baby（Josie 786）
1956 - Blues For Josie (Inst.)  / Don't You Know（Josie 798）


Biography :

Walter Spriggs (aka Wally Wilson, aka Ray Scott) recorded several records for Apollo, Blue Lake & Atco from 1953-1957, he has been with the Five Echoes from Chicago and recorded "Lonely Mood" b/w "Baby Come Back to Me,"on Sabre 102 in September of 1953. Walter Spriggs sang lead on both songs..

Where Walter Spriggs got his musical instruction we do not know, but he sang and played piano, guitar, bongos, and drums. In 1959 he adopted the "Ray Scott" moniker and waxed several more singles for Antler, Tri-Ess, Ray-Dee and Decca up until 1967. Back in 1955, Walter Spriggs join the Kansas City Tomcats, whether or not they were from Kansas City is incertain. Despite the fact that they recorded for a New York label, there is is not a New York Sound.In October of 1955 the group auditions for Jubilee Records and is soon recorded.

The group consists of Walter Spriggs, Lucky Enois, Eddie Saunders, Brooks Lewis and Jimmy Waters. In November Jubilee releases the record on its Josie label as #786 - "Meet Me Meet Me Baby" and "Nobody Knows". In May 1956 Josie released a second single by the group with "Blues For Josie" and "Don't You Know" as #798.


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
         Nobody Knows                           Meet Me Meet Me Baby

Don't You Know / Blues For Josie 

…

The C-Notes (1) (Queens, New York)
aka The Gentle -Tones

Personnel :

Andy Yaeger

Paul Freitas

Manny Rivera

Tony Ortiz

Jerry Pendegar

Discography :

The Gentle-Tones
Unreleased :
1958 - It Was Never Meant To be
1958 - Darling
1958 - Life Is But A Dream

The C-Notes (1)
1959 - Last Saturday Night / We Were Meant For Each Other (Arc 4447)


 
Biography :

In July 1958 five guys from the Astoria section of Queens, New York City named Andy Yaeger, Paul Freitas, Manny Rivera, Tony Ortiz, and Jerry Pendegar recorded three accapela sides as the Gentle Tones, ("It Was Never Meant To be", "Darling", and  "Life Is But A Dream").

With their three demos, they will see several record company and finally Ed Danback and Joe DiMaggio (not the baseball player) heard the group, liked them and signed the group on their own label Arc Records based 12-16 Jefferson Avenue in Elizabeth (New Jersey).

The group recorded two sides  "Last Saturday Night "/ "We Were Meant For Each Other" who were released as The C-Notes. The C-Notes, are playing a host of TV hops performing their " Last Saturday Night" disk. They had a lot of talent but couldn't afford the Payola to play their songs on the air. 

The C-notes with Murray Kauffman (WINS deejays) Top : Jerry & Manny - Bottom : Tony, Andy & Murray Kauffman

It was a favorite doo wop song  in the surrounding area of Queens , NY. The C-Notes Cut only one single for the label and disbanded.

 
Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The C-Notes (1)

  
          Last Saturday Night                 We Were Meant For Each Other

The Gentle-Tones

  
        Darling                                      Life Is But A Dream

  
It Was Never Meant To be


...

Bill Sigman, "Doc" Chambers, Harry Danault,  

The Seniors (3) (Boston, Mass.)

Personnel :

"Doc" Chambers

Harry Danault

Bill Sigman

Discography :
Singles:
1959 - Who's Gonna Know / It's Been A Long Time (Interlude 163/ Tampa 163)
Unreleased :
1959 - All I HaveTo Do Is Dream (Tampa)
1959 - Shotgun Packin Baby (Tampa)

Biography :

Harry Danault and "Doc" Chambers are from Boston, Bill Sigman from Uniontown, PA.. The Trio got their start while with the Air Force In Europe. They won several Talent Shows and did night club work in both Germany & Danemark.

  
                                                                          "Doc" Chambers, Harry Danault, Bill Sigman

Since coming home in 1958, they have done night club engagements in the New England Aera, New York and Chicago. Then on a trip to the west came the chance to do a record for the Tampa Label in Hollywood. Calif. The group recorded two Unreleased song, "All I HaveTo Do Is Dream" and "Shotgun Packin Baby".


Songs :

   
Who's Gonna Know                            It's Been A Long Time

 ...

The King Bees (1) (Washington, D.C. )

Personnel :

?

Discography :

1957 - Lovely Love / Can't You Understand (KRC 302)

Biography :

The King Bees are an outstanding male quartet discovered by Lloyd Price. His band backs them on "Lovely Love" and "Can't You Understand". Founded by Lloyd Price, Harold Logan, and Bill Boskent, KRC Records was in existence for less than two years, but started out with a band. Its first release "Just Because" was a massive R&B hit that also made it into the top thirty Pop charts in the spring of 1957 when it was released by ABC Paramount.

It was owned by Lloyd Price, a twenty three year old singer just out of a stint in the army. Having relocated to Washington DC from his native New Orleans, Lloyd retained the New Orleans musical flavor that he made famous via his 1952 smash Lawdy Miss Clawdy. While only the follow up release of Lonely Chair was able to briefly dent the bottom of the Pop charts in the fall of 1957, his six releases on KRC maintained the high musical standards that he had previously set during four years of recording for Specialty Records.


Songs :

  
Can't You Understand                                  Lovely Love          

 ..