Left to right: Charles Pennywell, Eddie Lejay, Thomas Odom, Steve Ross

The Fairlanes (4) (Shreveport, Louisiana)
 by Hans-Joachim

Personnel:

Charles “Diamond” Pennywell (Lead)

Eddie Lejay  (First Tenor)

Steve Ross  (Second Tenor)

Thomas Odeom (Baritone & Bass)

Discography:

The Fairlanes (4)
1959 - Seventeen Steps / Johnny Rhythm (Lucky Seven 102)
1959 – Bullseye / Just For Me (Dart 109)

Charles Perrywell [sic!] & His Fairlanes
1961 - Your [sic!] Lonesome Now / Come Along With Me (Tic-Toc 104)

Unreleased demo:
1961 - I Hear Someone (Goldband)

Biography:

Charles “Diamond” Pennywell was born in Shreveport, LA and formed a little vocal group called the Fairlanes for whom he sang lead. Their first record was “Seventeen Steps” b/w “Johnny Rhythm” for Dee Marais’ Lucky Seven label, released in April 1959. The haunting ballad "Seventeen Steps" tells the feelings of a death row inmate watching fellow inmates, one by one, walk the seventeen steps from the holding cell to "...that death cold chair..." knowing he'll be walking them tomorrow. Johnny Rhythm" is an up tempo tune rocker.

November 1959 saw the release of “Bullseye”, a Coasters-style up tempo song, backed with another great Charles Pennywell led ballad "Just For Me," on Pappy Dailey’s Dart label. The Fairlanes were back in the studio in 1961 to record "You're Lonesome Now" and the up tempo flip, "Come Along With Me". This time they recorded directly for Eddie Shuler's Tic-Toc label, a subsidiary of Goldband.

Charles Pennywell (1963)

"You're Lonesome Now" was a soulful group ballad, again led by Charles Pennywell. Oddly, when the record came out there were two misprints on the label. First, the title was printed as "Your Lonesome Now" instead of "You're Lonesome Now". And second, the artist was listed as "Charles Perrywell" instead of "Charles Pennywell". Charles “Diamond” Pennywell recorded for Smash in 1963 and formed the soul harmony group The Sunlover’s in 1967. He is still performing.

http://classicurbanharmony.net/
http://www.charlesdiamond.webs.com/


Songs:

  
Seventeen Steps                      Johnny Rhythm

  
Just For Me / Bullseye                    Your Lonesome Now

  
Come Along With Me                        I Hear Someone


….

Oscar Toney Jr.

The Searchers (2) (Columbus, GA)

Personnel :

Oscar Toney Jr.

Roosevelt Toney

James Toney

Discography :

The Searchers (2) (bb The Kayos)
1960 - Little Wanda / Yvonne (MAC 351)

Sonny Williams & The Searchers (2) (bb The Kayos)
1960 - Love / Oh Why Cha Cha Cha (MAC 352)


Biography :

Oscar Toney, Jr. grew up in the forties in Columbus, Georgia. He began singing with local Gospel quartet The Sensational Melodies Of Joy while barely into his teens. Young Oscar won the amateur competition at the landmark Liberty Theater so many times that he wasn't allowed to enter them anymore. By the late fifties, The Sensational Melodies took to singing doo-wop as well, calling themselves, simply, The Melodies. In 1958, Toney and his two brothers formed another vocal group called The Valentines, eventually changing their name to The Searchers, as their own version of the Coasters' Searchin' had become their signature song.

   
                                                                                              Oscar Toney Jr.

Although now a ‘Kayo’, Oscar also remained with The Searchers who, in November 1960, cut a 45 for Cement McNally’s Mac label (#351) at a New Orleans radio station. The ballad side “Yvonne” was written by (and features thee-part harmony by) Oscar and his two brothers, while Walker and Thomas weren’t present. The backing is supplied by The Kayos. The flip was the more up-tempo “Little Wanda”. Cement McNallywas also the leader of the 'house band', The Kayos. Another Searchers Mac single, “Love” c/w “Oh Why Cha Cha Cha”, it was really a Kayos recording put out by McNally under The Searchers’ name, with the Kayos other front-man Sonny Williams on lead vocals.The Searchers had been around for about 4 years but now the other members decided not to make a career out of singing and Oscar was left to carry on both as a solo act and as a featured vocalist with the Kayos.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
Yvonne                                           Little Wanda

 ..

Rickie & The Hallmarks (Queens, New York)

Personnel :

Ricky Lisi

Bixie Boyle

Denis McMahon

Jack Scandura

Discography :

Rickie & The Hallmarks
Single :
1963 - Joanie Don't You Cry / Wherever You Are (Amy 877)
Demos :
1963 - This I Swear
1963 - When I Fall In Love
1963 - That Lucky Old Sun
1963 - My Man The Moon

Ricky Lisi
1963 - The River / Don't Go Now (Roulette 4511)

Biography :

Ricky Lisi grew up in Queens, New York and was in his first group "The Pharo's" when he was only 12 years old. In 1959, The Pharo's cut four sides, "Gloria", "Lorraine", "Sunday Kind Of Love" and the original "Mama Twist". After the group broke up Ricky formed the Original Hallmarks with  Bixie Boyle, Tommy Oliveri, Tony DeFeo and the lovely Beverly Warren. Ricky really liked the Skyliner's at this time and on the back of their album was written hallmark of their style, he liked the word so much he christened the group the Hallmarks.

   
_{Beverly Warren                                                                                 Ricky Lisi}   

One night while singing under the "El" (an elevator train line) on Queens Blvd. and 43rd St in Woodside Queens, they were discovered by Tony Powers on his way to the movies. Tony was a writing partner at this time with Ellie Greenwich. Tony took the group into Bell Sound where they would record "Like A Million Years". The next step was the Brill Building where Leiber & Stoller pass on the group. Ellie liked Bev and pulled her from the group to do background vocals and eventually had her record "Like A Million Years" released on the United Artists label.

    
Ricky Lisi                                                                                                                     

At this time both Tony and Tommy exited the group as well. Replacement were Denis McMahon first tenor and from the Starlings, Jack Scandura. With a much better Knowledge of how things worked and now knowing about the Brill Building the group went into variety studios and once again cut some demos : "This I Swear", "When I Fall In Love", "That Lucky Old Sun" and the original "My Man The Moon". They would end up at the door of Wemar music where Johnny Brandon decided he would record the group. The group was brought into Mira Sound Studio as the Four Seasons were leaving. The two side recorded that night were "Joanie Don't You Cry" and "Wherever You Are". The songs were placed with Amy records a division of Bell. At the sessions, Paul Simon played guitar. The records didn't do much and the group broke up after they recorded "Don't Go Now". The Powers to be decided they didn't like the way the recording came out and shelved it. In the meantime the Concords would record it and Ricky himself would have a 45 release of the tune with the Concords on Back Up.

 

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Rickie & The Hallmarks

  
   Wherever You Are                            Joanie Don't You Cry

  
When I Fall In Love                        This I Swear

  
That Lucky Old Sun                       My Man The Moon
 

Ricky Lisi

  
Don't Go Now                                         The River
 

...

June Jackson

 

J.J. Jackson & The Jackaels (San Diego, Ca)
aka The Jackals aka Hank Blackman & The Killers

Personnel :

William E. 'June' 'J.J' Jackson (Lead)

Hubert Richardson (First Tenor)

James Famber (Second Tenor)

Hank Blackman (Baritone)

Discography :

J.J. Jackson & The Jackaels
Singles :
1959 - A Lifetime From Today /  That Look In Your Eye (Storm 501)
1959 - Oo-Ma-Liddi / Let The Show Begin (Storm 502/ Prelude 502)
Unreleased :
1962 - Port of Happiness (Brent)
1962 - Don't Let Her Make You Cry (Brent)

J.J. Jackson & The Jackals
1962 - False Face / Ring Telephone (Everest 2012)

Hank Blackman & The Killers
1962 - Everyone Has Someone /Itchy Koo (Brent 7030)

Bertha Tillman bb J.J. Jackson & The Jackaels
1962 - Oh My Angel / Lovin' Time (Brent 7029)

J.J. Jackson bb The Jackaels
1963 - Time / Shy Guy (Crescent 632)

Biography :

There is much confusion about J.J. Jackson.  Jerome Louis 'J.J' Jackson (B. 4/8/41) was a Soul Artist who did 'But It's Alright".  He was in a doo wop group called 'Cordials'. William E. 'June' 'J.J' Jackson (B. 1931) from San Diego, Ca is the lead singer of The Jackaels  with Hubert Richardson (First Tenor), James Famber (Second Tenor) & Hank Blackman (Baritone) . In 1959, the group recorded  four songs released by Storm Records .

In 1962, June Jackson & The Jackaels recorded four songs for Brent records. Because they had two releases under that name, the company decide to re-brand them and use the two song sung by group member Hank Blackman rather than the two June Jackson sang lead on. The group was renamed Hank Blackman & The Killers. the two songs left in the can were June Jackson sung and penned numbers "Port of Happiness" and "Don't Let Her Make You Cry".

During the same session the Jackaels also recorded with Bertha Tillman.  Bertha Tillman was working as a department store salesgirl in San Diego when she was discovered by Hank Blackman . June Jackson had written "Oh My Angel" and the Jackaels were the uncredited group that backed Tillman on this tremendously soulful tearjerker. There were two more 45s with the Jackaels :  "False Face" b/w "Ring Telephone" on Everest and "Time" b/w "Shy Guy" on Crescent. June Jackson will continue to record for Imperial, Bell and Musette in the 60s and 70s.

Songs :

J.J. Jackson & The Jackaels

     
A Lifetime From Today             That Look In Your Eye                   Oo-Ma-Liddi       

  
Let The Show Begin             Port of Happiness 

J. Jackson & The Jackals

  
False Face                           Ring Telephone


Hank Blackman & The Killers

  
Everyone Has Someone                             Itchy Koo             

Bertha Tillman bb J.J. Jackson & The Jackaels

  
Oh My Angel                                 Lovin' Time

J.J. Jackson bb The Jackaels


Time

...

Debbie & The Diplomats (3) (Chicago, Illinois)
 

Personnel :

Debbie Kelly (Soprano)

Mel Johnson

Howard Berhalter (Baritone)

Bert Steling (Tenor)



Discography :

1958 - Burnin' The Torch / Unchangeable Heart  (Stepheny 1826)


Biography :

Pop vocal group from Chicago, Debbie & The Diplomatswere composed by Debbie Kelly, Mel Johnson, Howard Berhalter and Bert Steling.  The group formed in the mid-1950s. In 1955, the quartet began to perform in the clubs, restaurants, cabarets & palaces of indianpolis. Debbie & The Diplomats gain a little notoriety in the region and multiply performances.

   

They backed some artist and orchestra  and in 1958, the group can recorded their own single "Unchangeable Heart" b/w "Burnin' The Torch" on Stepheny record based in Evanston, Illinois and owned by Norman Forgue. The group performed until 1962 before separating.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
Unchangeable Heart                               Burnin' The Torch


…