The Gee Sisters (Forest Hills, NY)

Personnel :

Barbara Gross

Annette Gross

Discography :

1962 -  (Help Me) Telstar / Andy (Palette 5101)

Biography :

The Gee sisters were Barbara (13) and Annette (17) Gross . The girls were from Forest Hills, NY.. In 1962, they recorded "(Help Me) Telstar" and "Andy".

The record was first issued on Palette around August of 1962, then a record deal was struck with Hickory a couple months later. Notice the title has changed a little from Palette to Hickory. "Telstar (Help Me)" to "(Help Me) Telstar." This disc was also released in Australia on their Festival label.

Songs :

  
  Andy                                         (Help Me) Telstar

…

The Treytones  (Wooster, OH)
aka The Trey Tones

Personnel :

Bob Musselman

John Buss

Sylvester "Vester" Copley

Discography :

The Treytones
1960 - Blind Date / Cool Beat (B-W 603/604)

The Trey Tones
1964 - Nonymous / Dream Lover (Sunliner 101)

Biography :

The Trey Tones (also spelled Treytones) started as a 3 member vocal group. The group members were Bob Musselman, John Buss, and Sylvester "Vester" Copley. The group performed locally backed by fellow Woosterites the Collegians. In 1960 the group recorded their 1st 45 for the B-W label. The record was recorded at Hilltop studios, with the Collegians backing. Actually, BW Records was two labels. Quentin Welty, a long time producer, promoter, manager and agent for rock, gospel & country bands, was also a long time advertising salesman for WWST radio in Wooster.

Welty started BW Records in 1961. The named comes from the combination of Welty and (Dana) Burns, who was a former partner of Welty’s but had no financial interest in the label. The subsidiary label connected to BW Records and owned by Welty was the Wel Burn label that primarily produced country music but the output was minimal. "Blind Date" b/w "Cool Beat" was the second 45 on B-W. The songs were pretty typical teen vocal group songs, the slower ballad "Blind Date" written by Musselman, and the more uptempo "Cool Beat" written by Copley. The group continued to perform, eventually merging with a band to form a self contained Trey Tones.

In early 1964 the group unleased one of the craziest early rockers from the area, the now infamous "Nonymous". With a Bo Diddley like beat, the song included lyrics like "look like she's lost a hatchet fight"! The flip side was their version of the Bobby Darin classic "Dream Lover". The group disbanded around 1965. Bob Musselman continued to be a part of the Apperson/Welty orbit, with songwriting and production credits on some mid 1960s 45s. He is deceased. The other members whereabouts are not known.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
Blind Date                                               Cool Beat

     
Dream Lover / Nonymus

 ...

The Starlighters (2) (Washington, D.C.)
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

Personnel :

Van McCoy

Freddy Smith

Paul (Buddy) Comedy

Norman McCoy Jr

Discography :
Singles:
1958 - It's Twelve O'Clock / The Birdland (End 1031)
1959 - I Cried / You're The One To Blame (End 1049)
1960 - A Story Of Love / Let's Take A Stroll (End 1072)
Unreleased :
N/A - ICome Back To Me*
N/A - So True*
 *released in 1979 on the VAM LP 4079

Biography :

Van McCoy was born as Van Allen Clinton McCoy in Washington D.C. on January 1940, by his mid teens he formed a vocal group with his brother Norman McCoy, Fred Smith, Paul Comedy & Bernard Wisenant called the Starlighters. Van became the lead singer, writer, and music director for the group. In 1958, The Starlighter cut their first single with both sides written by Van for New York's George Goldner End Records "The Birdland" the B side was "It's Twelve O'Clock".

Van McCoy

The group appeared on stage in Washington, D.C. (Howard Theater), Philadelphia (Royal) and New York (Apollo). Vi Burnsides, a musician from the famous Sweethearts of Rhythm all female band, took the Starlighters with her to enhance her performance tours on the east coast corridor. This gave them their first exposure to audiences in theaters and stages in major cities away from home. George Goldner must have really liked the group cause their second single "You're The One To Blame" backed by "I Cried" was released in 1959.

   

The single was reviewed on June 20, 1959 receiving Excellent 4 stars. By 1960, the final Starlighters single came out on End with "The Story of Love" and "Let's Take a Stroll". Actually Van Was a student at Howard University for a couple of years but in 1961 he decided to start a record label based out originally Philadelphia called Rock'N.

Songs :

     
The Birdland                It's Twelve O'Clock                        I Cried

     
You're The One To Blame               A Story Of Love                        Let's Take A Stroll   


Come Back To Me / So True

…

The El Domingos (1)  (Elmont N.Y.)


Personnel :

Ernie Edgerson (Lead & First Tenor)

Roland Pickney (Lead & First Tenor)

Ted Dralus (Lead & Second Tenor)

Don Bencivegna (Baritone)

Sherman Walker (Bass)


Discography:

1962 - Lucky Me, I'm In Love / Made In Heaven (Chelsea 1009/Candelite 418)


Biography :

The El Domingos were from Elmont N.Y., Graduated Sewanhaka  H.S. in Floral Park N.Y. on Long Island.  Originally know as the Spin-Tones, The group was discovered by Bert Salmirs and Wally Zober, Producers, songwriters and owners of Chelsea Records.The group consisted of  bass Sherman Walker, baritone Don Bencivegna, Lead & first tenor Ernie Edgerson, Lead & second tenor Ted Dralus and Lead & first tenor Roland Pickney.

   

In October 1958 the El Domingos recorded in N.Y.C.  "Lucky Me, I'm In Love" and "Made In Heaven", Both written by Bert Salmirs and Wally Zober. The single was not released until 1962  on the Chelsea Label. The Single was re-issued on Candelite 418 a few years later. The Group Broke up in 1960 when Ted Dralus & Don Bencivegna enlisted in the service.



Songs :

  
Lucky Me, I'm In Love                      Made In Heaven

…

The Tremaines (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Toney Hughes (lead)

Julius Williams (Bass)

Discography :

1958 - Jingle, Jingle / Moon Shining Bright (Val 100/101 / Cash 100/101 / Old Town 1051)

Biography :

The Tremaines were a vocal group from  Gates Ave, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn  with Toney Hughes on lead and Julius Williams on Bass. The group recorded "Jingle Jingle" and "Moon Shining Bright" for Cash records. VAL Records bought the rights to Cash which produced the single.

In 1958, Old Town Records released the master purchased from Val Records "Jingle Jingle" and "Moon Shining Bright" under their name. But for some reason they reissued it in June, with the Tremaines renamed the "Packards." This has led many over the years to believe that there's a link between the "Ding Dong" Packards and the "Jingle Jingle" Tremaines. There isn't. The group will record nothing more and Julius Williams will join the Camelots in 1963.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
Moon Shining Bright                             Jingle, Jingle     

 
Moon Shining Bright  (Cash unreleased version)

…