The Shallows on Rae Cox

The Shallows (New York)

Personnel :

Joseph Bailey

Lawrence Bailey

William Branch

Eddie Brooks

Discography : 

Singles :
1961 - How Lucky I Am / Wrecking My Life (Rae Cox 108)
1962 - I Wonder / Do The Bug (Forlin 503)
Unreleased :
1961 - How Well I Remember (Rae Cox)
1961 -  Wrecking My Life  (Acappella) (Rae Cox)
1961 - How Lucky I Am  (Acappella) (Rae Cox)

Biography :

In June of 1959 music veterans Eddie Wilcox and Teddy McRae form two record labels to be called Rae-Cox and Enrica. Some of the talent signed to the new labels were Edmund Hall, jazz clarinetist, pianist Linton Garner (brother of Errol), The Sunsets, Serenaders, Carnations, and Patti Russo.

   
                                                                                                 Eddie Wilcox

In 1961, The Shallows, composed by Joseph Bailey, Lawrence Bailey, William Branch and Eddie Brooks cut "How Lucky I Am" b/w "Wrecking My Life" on Rae Cox (108) and have an unreleased side "How Well I Remember" . In 1962, Forlin Records from New Jersey released "I Wonder" b/w "Do The Bug" but I don’t know if it's the same group, but there is a high probability ...
Thanks to Mike Swenney

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

  
How Lucky I Am                               Wrecking My Life

  
How Well I Remember (takes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)        Do The Bug / I Wonder       

  
Wrecking My Life (acap.)               How Lucky I Am (acap.)

…

Leon Hughes

The Signeals (Los Angeles)
Ref : The Celebritys

Personnel :

Leon Hughes

Shirley Hughes

Elder O'Neal

Mack McKent

Grady Bridges

Discography :

The Celebritys
1956 - This Is My Plea / Juanita (Caroline 2301)

Clay Hammond & Johnnie Young & The Celebritys
1956 - We Made Romance / Absent Minded (No group) (Caroline 2302)

The Signeals
Single :
1956 - Juanita / Show Me The Way (Leoneal 1483)
Unreleased :
1956 - Leap Year Cha Cha (Leoneal)

Leoneal & Janet & The Signeals
1956 - No One / What Is This Thing (Leoneal 02)


Biography :

Born Thomas Leon Hughes, August 26, 1932 in Los Angeles County, CA. Started acting with his parents as a child and toured with early lineups of the Hollywood Flames (with which he also recently acted in a 1998 revival show). He was an original member of the Lamplighters during 1952-53 (together with Mathew Nelson and Willie Ray Rockwell). Hughes left the Lamplighters before they recorded with new lead Al Frazier. Leon was recommended by Bobby Nunn (who knew him from Watts, L.A.) for the Coasters´ original line-up.

  
                                                                                                                    Clay Hammond

Before joining The Coasters, Leon had been a member of doo wop group The Celebritys which included his brother Elder O'Neal, the group cut "This Is My Plea" b/w "Juanita" and backed Clay Hammond & Johnnie Young on "We Made Romance" for the Caroline Label. That same year, he also recorded on his own label Leoneal Records with The Signeals which included his sister Shirley Hughes, his brother Elder O'Neal, Mack McKent and Grady Bridges. Leon also recorded a single as "Leoneal and Janet" (backup vocals by The Signeals).  After leaving The Coasters, he teamed with Bobby Nunn to record as The Dukes in 1959 for Flip Records. "Looking For You" b/w "Groceries, Sir" (Flip 343), and "I Love You" b/w "Leap Year Cha Cha" (Flip 344) were the singles released.

Leon Hughes                                                                                                                    

In the 1970s, Leon Hughes recorded with several Coasters groups. In 1975, recorded with "The Coasters Two Plus Two" for Chelan Records. The record "Searchin' 75" b/w "Young Blood" stated that these recordings were from the album called "Reunion." In 1976, he recorded an album with "The World Famous Coasters" which included Will "Dub" Jones. This album was released on American International Records (In Europe on DJM). In 1998, a CD called "Leon Hughes: One Of The First Original Coasters" was released on Oldie CD, and a VHS tape called "The Coasters: Tribute To Their Greatest Hits" was released. Hughes still performs with a Coasters group, sometimes as "Leon Hughes and his Original Coasters." He also has done some performances with a Hollywood Flames group.



Songs :

The Celebritys

  
This Is My Plea                                            Juanita         


Clay Hammond & Johnnie Young & The Celebritys


 We Made Romance


The Signeals


Show Me The Way



…

The Futuretones (1) (Cleveland, Ohio)


Personnel :

Charles Hatcher (Edwin Starr) (Lead)

John Berry

Parnell Burks

Richard Isom

Roosevelt Harris



Discography :

1957 - I Know / Roll On (Tress 1/2)

Biography :

Edwin Starr was born in Nashville, as Charles Edwin Hatcher on 21 January in 1942. Edwin was educated at Cleveland's East Technical High School. Whilst a student at this school his interest in singing developed. Edwin became a member of a group formed at the school, his group adopting the name of the FutureTones. The group got it's name by adapting the name of an established local group, the Metrotones. The FutureTones consisted of Edwin, John Berry, Parnell Burks, Richard Isom and Roosevelt Harris. The group performed at school shows and set about increasing their profile locally after Edwin graduated from school in 1956. They became ground breakers on the Cleveland scene as they soon became the first local outfit to be fully self contained, having their own instrumentalists as members. 

   
Edwin Starr                                                                                                     

The musician members of the group were Russel Evans ( guitar ), Pinhead ( trumpet ), Julius Robertson ( bass ), Brownie ( drummer ) and Gus Hawkins ( sax ). The group would enter local talent contests such as those that were held at the Circle Ballroom. Eventually the FutureTones got to appear on a local TV show, the Gene Carroll Talent Show and not long afterwards they went professional. The first engagement they secured after this was at the Chatterbox Club, which was located on Woodland near 55th Street, as support act to Billie Holliday. Edwin was totally in awe of Billie and although he got the opportunity to visit her dressing room to speak with her he doesn't think that his attempts at conversation would have been too coherent. Further successful engagements followed and in 1959 the group secured a recording contract with Tress Records. A single, "I Know" b/w "Rolling On" was released and made a few waves locally. In 1960 Edwin was drafted into the Army, here his obvious talent as a singer was soon recognised and he got to perform for other servicemen at bases across the USA and Germany.

  
Edwin Starr                                                                            The Futuretones                             

Upon his discharge in 1962 he returned to Cleveland and attemped to pick up the reigns with the group again. In his absence, one of his old friends Demon ( William Isom ) had joined the group but they hadn't been able to progress their career. With Edwin back in the fold they continued to perform locally but they had lost the impetus they had possessed a few years earlier. In 1963 Bill Doggett and his group swung through Cleveland and at the time Doggett was on the lookout for a new vocalist. Edwin caught his eye and so was offered the position. He accepted, quit the FutureTones and left town to tour with his  new outfit. Bill Doggett had a great influence on Edwin, especially with regard to his professional attitude to the business. He didn't drink, always expected good discipline   and insisted that those associated with him were accessible to the people they came in contact with.

Songs :

  
I Know                                                    Roll On

...

The Tune Timers (Long Island, New York)

Personnel :

Sal LaPorta (Vocal & Guitar)

Harvey Sheppard (Vocal & Vibraphone)

Frank Dana (Vocal & Bass)

Carl Oliver (Vocal & Drummer)

Discography :

1957 - Thinking / What Have I Got To Dream About (Okeh 7081)
1960 - Malaguena / Ain't Got Nobody  (Adonis 111)

Biography :

Vocal & instrumental group from Long Island composed by Sal LaPorta who plays guitar, Frank Dana takes care of the bass,  Carl Oliver handles the duties as drummer and Harvey Sheppard, who scores with crowds at the vibraphone. The group takes its name from the famous club, the Tune Timers Club in Jackson Heights, Long Island,  where they perform regularly…for more than eight years. In early 57 the group recorded "Thinking" b/w "What Have I Got To Dream About" on the Okeh label.

 

Their vocal and instrumental talents allow them to perform in the country's largest clubs, Lounge and cabaret. The band will perform for many years, They Performed at the Rainbow Room, Radio City, The Plaza Hotel, The New Yorker Hotel. They perform as Tune Timers Quartette for 12 seasons at The Sands, Las Vegas,......  with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, all performing separately, and at times all on stage ensemble! The Rat Pack!!!

Songs :

  
What Have I Got To Dream About                      Thinking                    


Malaguena / Ain't Got Nobody

...

Willie Davis & Lloyd McCraw

The Thor-Ables (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Willie Davis (Lead Tenor)

Bobby Baker (Second Tenor)

James Lanier (Baritone)

Lloyd McCraw (Baritone/Bass)

Discography :

1962 - Our Love Song / Get That Bread (Titanic 1001)
1962 - My Reckless Heart / Batman And Robin (Titanic 1001)

Biography :

Willie Davis has been Lead & first Tenor for the Jacks and The Cadets, In 1958 he joined the Flairs (soon to become the Flares). In June 1961, The Flares were in Europe and Davis who had not gone on tour was working in a car wash. That's where he met Bobby Baker in 1962, who, along with his partner James Lanier, was an aspiring songwriter. Bobby interested Willie in some of his songs and the three of them decided to record. Calling themselves the "Thor-Ables" (after the space satellite launching rocket), they approached Lloyd McCraw (the original baritone of the Jacks/Cadets), who was setting up the Titanic label.

 
                                                                                            Willie Davis

The Thor-Ables recorded four songs. Two of them ("Our Love Song" and "My Reckless Heart") have the trio of Willie Davis (lead tenor), Bobby Baker (second tenor), and James Lanier (baritone). (Note that "My Reckless Heart" was a remake of a song Willie had done with the Rocketeers/Rockets/Planets on McCraw's M.J.C. label in 1958.) On the other two tunes ("Get That Bread" and "Batman And Robin"), the trio is joined by baritone/bass Lloyd McCraw, who was also the group's manager. All four sides were released in late 1962. While James Lanier remembers the songs being pushed for a short while by Rudy Harvey on KGFJ, the Thor-Ables only had a few appearances (including one in Willow Brook, California and some with Big Jay McNeely) and soon broke up.

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Flairs/flairs.html





Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
Our Love Song                       Get That Bread

  
Batman And Robin                           My Reckless Heart






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