1956 - The Fordham Baldies, Vinny Duke, Joe Zinzi, Jackie Serra & Dion Dimucci
 

Dion & The Fordham Baldies

Personnel :

Dion DiMucci

Discography :

1957 - Rooftop Serenade (Unreleased)

Biography :

The Fordham Baldies were a very real gang from the mid -1950s that centered around the Little Italy section of the Bronx (East 187th Street , Belmont Avenue, Arthur Avenue area). They boasted Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts as a member, and contrary to their representation in the movie (The Wanderers), they were not actually bald, but took their name from the bald eagle. According to Dion, The Fordham Baldies in a way were his first singing group, They would back up him singing and guitar playing in his Bronx Neighborhood, Schoolyard Parties, their Clubroom Dances.

Dion  

Dion recorded "Rooftop Serenade" on a Pentron tape recorder that his landlady owned. He got so much use outta it, he think his dad bought it for him. The way the guitar is so upfront, he can't believe a real studio woulda let him get away with that. The guys behind him were just a couple of guys from the poolroom. Then he took the tape to Allegro Studio in the basement of 1650 Broadway, and they made an acetate. You can only play that thing just so many times before it's unplayable, and that's why it sounds like it does. The tape must have been recorded over years back. Anyway, he  used that acetate to get his first record deal.

Songs :


Rooftop Serenade


…

The Deans (2) (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Four Playboys / The Four Deans


Personnel :


Joe Macaluso (Tenor)


Tom Cori (Baritone)


Fred Khoury (Bass)



Discography :



The Deans (2) 

Singles :
1960 - My Heart Is Low / I'll Love You Forever (Mohawk 114)
1960 - Humpty Dumpty / Le Chiam (Goodluck) (Mohawk 119)
1961 - It's You / I Don't Want To Wait (Just For Saturday Night) (Mohawk 126)
1961 - Little White Gardenia / I Don't Want To Wait (Just For Saturday Night) (Laurie 3114)
1963 - I'm Gonna Love You / Don't Let Her Cry Tonight (Tin Pan Alley 316)
1963 - Pretty Nola / Ricky Rocky Poo-Poo-Poo (Honeywell Jackson) (Tin Pan Alley 319)
 Unreleased :
1960 - Walk With Me (Mohawk)
1960 - Carol (Mohawk)
1960 - Little Girl (Mohawk)
1960 - Come On  (Mohawk)


The Four Deans (The Four Playboys)
1992 (Recorded 58) - So Very Wrong / Mr Echo (Park Ave.7)


Biography :

The Deans formed in 1956-1957 and went on to record for Mohawk records. Originally, calling themselves The Four Playboys : Ralph Maffei (Lead) , Tom Cori (Baritone),  Fred Khoury (Bass)and Joe Macaluso (Tenor)  and eventualy lead on all recordings, when Ralph Maffei  left the group to get married. The 3-man group liked Dean Martin and for awhile called themselves the Dino’s, eventually settling on the Deans. They auditioned live in 1960 for Irv Spice.

The Four Playboys

Irv Spice owner of Mohawk Records, was a musician who engulfed most of his productions with strings and full orchestration. He is probably best known releasing Dion & The Belmonts and The Dimensions’ first discs, two groups who went on to national fame. Mohawk Records and it’s subsidiaries Wizz, Abel, dragon, Dee and Hawk have been involved in many recordings both released and unreleased.

The Deans

Irv Spice quickly signed them to a contract, their outstanding "Blend and Sound" made them sound like a 5-man group. The group started recording at Dick Charles Studios, and cut three singles from 1960 to 1961 before joining Laurie records for one single: "Little White Gardenia" b/w "I Don't Want To Wait (Just For Saturday Night)". Despite two other records on the Tin Pan Alley Labels in 1963, they never achieved great success.

 In the early 1990, Park Avenue released  "So Very Much" and "Mr. Echo" recorded in 1958 by the original group, the Four Playboys, with Ralph Maffei on lead. The single was released under the name of The Four Deans .

Songs :

The Deans (2)

     
 My Heart Is Low                 I'll Love You Forever                       Humpty Dumpty

     
          Le Chiam                           It's You                              I Don't Want To Wait

     
  Little White Gardenia              I'm Gonna Love You              Don't Let Her Cry Tonight

     
Pretty Nola                        Walk With Me                                     Carol   

  
Little Girl                           Come On

 


The Four Deans / The Four Playboys


  
 So Very Wrong                          Mr Echo       


...

Darryl Perrault & John Saulter

The Jivers (Los Angeles, CA)

Personnel :

John Saulter (Lead)

Darryl Perrault (Baritone/Bass)

Peter Bryant (Tenor)

Douglas Brown (Tenor)

Charles Farmer (Bass)

Discography :

1956 - Cherie / Little Mama (Aladdin 3329)
1956 - Ray Pearl / Dear Little One (Aladdin 3347)

Biography :

Los Angeles-based R&B vocal group the Jivers formed in 1955--according to Marv Goldberg's profile in the November 2001 issue of Discoveries, founder Daryll Perrault (baritone) previously teamed in an unnamed quartet that briefly collaborated with Jesse Belvin before backing Al Smith on four sides for Combo as one of several Smith support staffs credited as the Savoys.

  

Darryl Perrault then teamed with fellow Centennial High students Peter Bryant (tenor), Douglas Brown (tenor), John Saulter (Lead) and Charles Farmer (bass) to form the Jivers--after signing to Aladdin, the group cut four songs at Capitol Studios in June 1956, with their debut single "Cherie" hitting stores a month later.  The follow-up, "Ray Pearl," appeared in October, like its predecessor failing to generate any notice--with bookings scarce and their Aladdin deal expiring, the Jivers dissolved in 1957. Perrault resurfaced briefly in 1965, teaming with brother Larry to record "Oldie But Goodie" for Ray Charles' Tangerine label.

Songs :

  
Little Mama                                                 Cherie     

  
   Ray Pearl                                             Dear Little One


…

The Swans (3) (Toledo, OH.)


Personnel :

Tommy Jones

Byron Thomas

Earl Fontain

Henry Goodwin



Discography :
 

Paul Lewis (The Mighty Swamba) & The Swans (3)
1954 - Wedding Bells Oh Wedding Bells / Little Senorita (Fortune 813)
 

The Swans (3)
1955 - Mister Cool Breeze / I'll Forever Love You (Fortune 822)


Biography :

Fortune Records was formed by composer-lyricist Devora Brown and her husband Jack in 1946 in Detroit. Jack and Devora decided to establish their own record company with the main purpose to record Devora's songs. In the beginning, they operated out of their home, then they rented a place on Linwood Avenue in Detroit. Their first record was "Jane" by Russ Titus. It was a hit in Detroit. The elusive national hit record was "Jealous Love" by The Davis Sisters in 1952. Two years later "Adios My Desert Love" and "The Wind" by Nolan Strong & The Diablos was a triumph in Black vocal group harmony.

The Swans with disc jockey Lady B (Fran Belcher) (L to R) Earl Fontain, Tommy Jones, Lady B, Byron Thomas and Henry Goodwin

Fortune released records by Rhythm & Blues artists Blues Legend John Lee Hooker, Nolan Strong & The Diablos, Andre Williams, Nathaniel Mayer and many others. In addition, the label featured product by Rockabilly, Country and Gospel artists. Fortune's Biggest National Hit was "Village Of Love" by Nathaniel Mayer. Released in May, 1962, the record reached #22 on the Billboard Pop Chart.

In November 1954, a group of Four Fellows From Toledo named the Swans and constituted by Tommy Jones, Byron Thomas, Earl Fontain and Henry Goodwin signed a recording contract with Fortune Records. The Swans were managed by Paul lewis, a reverend prophet from Toledo. Lead singer Tommy Jones wrote two songs "Wedding Bells Oh Wedding Bells " and  "Little Senorita ". Paul lewis recorded the two songs backed by the group. The single was released in December 1954 by Paul Lewis (The Mighty Swamba) & The Swans. Finally, early 1955, the Swans recorded their single "Mister Cool Breeze" b/w "I'll Forever Love You", both wrote by Tommy Jones.



Discography :

The Swans (3)

  
Mister Cool Breeze                               I'll Forever Love You
 

Paul Lewis (The Mighty Swamba) & The Swans (3)

  
              Little Senorita                    Wedding Bells Oh Wedding Bells

…

Richard Pegue (with the glasses) & Toya Perry (Girl)

The Norvells (Chicago, IL,)





Personnel :

Richard Slaughter (Lead)

Billy Smith (Tenor)

Richard Pegue (Baritone)

Claude “Dee-Dee” Wyatt  (Tenor)

Victor Trice (Bass)

Toya Perry





Discography :

1963 - (Why don’t You Try That) Greasy Kid Stuff / As I Walk Alone (Checker 1037)
1968 -  Without You / Whv Do You Want To Make Me Sad (Penny 107/Janis 6366)

Biography :

Richard Pegue was born on July 29, 1943, in Chicago to a beautician and a policeman. His father died in the line of duty when he was only two years old. Pegue would go on to develop a strong career in radio. This career began at age eleven, when Pegue's grandmother gave him a reel-to-reel tape recorder for his birthday. By sixteen, he was using his recorder to D.J. at dances at South Side schools. Richard Pegue With Billy Smith, formed a vocal group named the Belvederes at Hirsch High School. They recruited replacements from the Hirsch cafeteria. They brought in first tenor Claude "Dee-Dee" Wyatt, bass singer Victor Trice, and primary lead/second tenor Richard Slaughter, who had transferred in from Parker High. Gary, Indiana's Spaniels were the foundation from which the Belvederes built their sound.

  
Richard Pegue (with the glasses)                                                                                                                    

Slaughter's voiced gave the group an edge over other kids at Hirsch who didn't sound like the biggest stars of local radio. Keen marketers, the Beleveders created a special Yuletide program for the school hallways. These flashes of creativity sold them at the newly integrated Hirsch, where they were a bit of an anomaly. In 1963, the Belvederes changed their name to the less-square Norvells, a brainchild all Pegue's. The Novells cut two songs for Checker at the end of 1962 "Greasy Kid Stuff" b/w "As I Walk Alone". In 1965, Pegue wrote and produced “I’m Not Ready to Settle Down.” Performed by the Cheers, the song still enjoys radio airplay today. In 1968, he became the music director at WVON Radio. In 1968, Penny Records will release another Norvells single "Without You" b/w "Whv Do You Want To Make Me Sad". When WVON was sold in 1975, Pegue found work at various radio stations in Chicago and Northwest Indiana, including WOPA and WGCI, where he worked as a program director and fill-in disc jockey.





Songs :

  
              As I Walk Alone               (Why don’t You Try That) Greasy Kid Stuff

  
Whv Do You Want To Make Me Sad                   Without You                      



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