The Desidero’s  (Chicago)
Ref: The Belvederes (3)
Ref: The Four Gents (1)

Personnel :

Joe Manuel (Lead)

Robert Goley (Lead)

Albert "Eddie" Sullivan (Tenor)

Marshal Thompson (Baritone)

Del Brown (Tenor)

Creadel "Red" Jones (Bass)

Discography :

1960 - I Pledge My Love / Flat Foot Charlie (Renee 1040)

Biography :

Around 1954, in grade school, Eddie Sullivan meet the futures members of the Four Gents, Sullivan was with these individuals through high school. After being together all those years and practicing for so long, they finally recorded a disc. "On Bended Knee". Around 1958, the Four Gents split in half. Louis Pritchett and Waymon Bryant joined Matthew Perkins and Calvin Baron to form the Twi-lites and Eddie Sullivan and John Staples joined with Willie Crowley, and brothers Jerry and Kenneth Brown to form the Belvederes. Eddie Sullivan on lead and the Belvederes recorded "Let's Get Married" b/w "Wow Wow Mary Mary" on Trend Records, a subsidiary of Kapp Records owned by Fred Kaplan.

    

The latter group lasted one year before breaking up. A few years later, in 1963, Eddie Sullivan recorded another record as a member of the Desideros. With a tongue-twisting moniker like the Desideros, these Chicago natives had little chance for success. The association of Joe Manuel (lead), Robert Goley (lead), Albert "Eddie" Sullivan (tenor), Marshal Thompson (baritone), Del Brown (tenor), and Creadel "Red" Jones (bass) had one record release on Renee Records in 1960 that went nowhere.  The lineup wavered between quintet and quartet. Two members, Thompson and Jones joined Eugene Record, Robert "Squirrel" Lester, and Clarence Johnson of the The Chaunteurs to form the Hi-lites. Noting that the name Hi-lites was already in use, and wishing to add a tribute to their home town of Chicago, they changed their name to "Marshall and the Chi-Lites" in 1964. Johnson left later that year, and their name was subsequently shortened to The Chi-Lites.


Songs :

  
I Pledge My Love                       Flat Foot Charlie


....

Bill Baker & The Chestnuts (2)  /  Five Chestnuts

The Five Chestnuts  (New Haven, Conn.)
aka The Chestnuts (2) 
aka The El-Lanos


Personnel

Ruby Whittaker (Lead)

Lyman Hopkins (First tenor)

Frank Hopkins (Second Tenor)

Jimmy Curtis  (Baritone)

Reuben White     (Bass)



 

Discography :

The Chestnuts (2)
Singles :
1957 - It's You I Love / Love Is True (Davis 447)
1957 - Forever I Vow / Brother Ben (Davis 452)
1957 - Who Knows Better Than I?  / Mary, Hear Those Love Bells (Standord 100)
1957 - Who Knows Better Than I? / I'm So Blue (Eldorado 511)
Unreleased :
1957 - Tilly, Take Your Time (Standord)

Bill Baker & The Chestnuts (2)
1959 - Won't You Tell Me My Heart / Tell Me Little Darling (Elgin 007/008)
1959 - Wonderful Girl / Chit Chat (Elgin 013/014)

Marvin Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts
1958 - Chi-Chi / Chapel In The Moonlight (Drum 001/002)

The Five Chestnuts
Singles :
1959 - My kind Of Baby / Chi Chi (Elgin 002/003)
Unreleased :
1958 -  I’m So Glad (Drum)

Marvin Baskerville /  Hayes Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts
1958 - Chi-Chi / Billy (My Kind Of Baby)  (Drum 003/004)

Hayes Baskerville / Norven Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts
1958 - Billy (My Kind Of Baby)  / My One And Only Love (Drum 003/004)

Vicki Lee bb The Five Chestnuts
1959 - Crying My Heart Out / With All My Heart (Drum 017/018)   

----------------------

The El-Lanos
1989 - I Wonder Why / In Mexico (Crescent 200)

Biography :

The Chestnuts were named for their home state, Connecticut. They were from New Haven and the original members of the group were Leroy Griffin (lead, but not the lead singer of another New Haven group, The Nutmegs), Lymon Hopkins (first tenor ), Frank Hopkins (second tenor), Jimmy Curtis (baritone), and Reuben White (bass) . When they thought they were ready for a shot at recording, they made the rounds of a number of independent record companies in New York City without much success. The group thought about their status and felt that if they featured a female lead singer, they would have a more unique sound and have a better chance for a recording contract.

 At this time they contacted someone whom they thought would be the perfect addition to the group, and so Ruby Whitaker became the lead voice of the group (When Ruby came in, Leroy went out). Now the Chestnuts were set and they were put in contact with long time record producer and company owner Joe Davis. He had previously went out on his own with the Beacon label, and then Jay-Dee Records, and had good sellers with The Mellows and Dean Barlow and The Crickets.

  

The Chestnuts were set to record on another label, this one called Davis Records. In June of 1956 Davis # 447 is released featuring The Chestnuts on "It's You I Love" and "Love Is True". The 'A' side "Love Is True" gets good airplay in New York and Philadelphia, especially from Herman Amis and Doctor Jive in the Big Apple, and Jocko in Philadelphia. Although the song is an excellent group ballad featuring Whitaker's lead, sales do not dent the top hit charts and Joe Davis readies another try for the group. n September of the year, The Chestnuts record "Brother Ben" and "Forever I Vow" on Davis # 452. Unfortunately, not enough record buyers followed through on this great song and Davis dropped the group from the label.

IIn February of 1957, the group signed on with a Connecticut outfit called National Enterprises which featured a record label called Standord Records located in the group's home town of New Haven. Standord would become famous as the original label for The Five Satins epic hit "In The Still Of The Night". Martin Kugell, the head of Standord Records, promotes the Chestnuts recording of "Who Knows Better Than I" b/w "Mary Hear Those Love Bells". By May Standord # 7701 featured "Who Knows Better Than I?" as by Ruby Whitaker & The Chestnuts, and the new flip side was "Mary Hear Those Love Bells" as by Lymon Hopkins & The Chestnuts. The song "Who Knows Better Than I?" was also released on Eldorado Records on # 511 with "I m So Blue" on the flip side.

In early 1959, Ruby Whitaker had left the group, but the Chestnuts carried on with a lineup of Lymon Hopkins, Frank Hopkins, a third brother Arthur Hopkins, Reuben White, and new lead singer Bill Baker who had spent some time in New Haven's Five Satins. A Connecticut record producer named Clarence Drum began two local labels in 1958, Elgin and Drum Records. He signed The Chestnuts to his label and in February of the year Elgin # 007 is released featuring "Won't You Tell Me My Heart" and the flip side is listed as by Bill Baker & The Chestnuts on the song "Tell Me Little Darling".

    
  Bill Baker & The Chestnuts (2)                                          Bill Baker & The Chestnuts (2)

During May of the year Elgin Records releases "Chit Chat" and a version of The Five Satins song "Wonderful Girl" listed as by Bill Baker & The Chestnuts on # 021. Neither of the Elgin releases did much for the group or the label. Further sides for the labels by the group with new members Marvin and Hayes Baskerville included "Chapel In The Moonlight" by Marvin Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts, and "Billy My Kind Of Baby" by Hayes Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts both on the Drum label.
Thanks to Marv Goldberg





Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)  

The Chestnuts (2)

     
Love Is True                        It's You I Love                      Forever I Vow

     
Brother Ben             Who Knows Better Than I?      Mary, Hear Those Love Bells

   
Tilly, Take Your Time               I'm So Blue

Bill Baker & The Chestnuts (2)

     
Won't You Tell Me My Heart       Tell Me Little Darling          Wonderful Girl

Chit Chat

Marvin Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts

      
Chapel In The Moonlight                  Chi-Chi                     Billy (My Kind Of Baby)


Norven Baskerville & The Five Chestnuts


My Love and Only Love


The Five Chestnuts

   
My kind Of Baby                               I'm So Glad

Vicki Lee bb The Five Chestnuts

Crying My Heart Out / With All My Heart

The El-Lanos

I Wonder Why / In Mexico

...

1962 - The Intervals 

The Intervals (4) (Saint Louis, Missouri)
aka The Vocals aka The Indexes

Personnel :

Lamont McLemore

Richard Trulove

Paul Grady

Ron Townson

Fritz Baskett

Discography :

John Golden / Blanton McFarlin  & The Indexes
1962 - Take A Chance / You Changed My Mind (Douglas 101)

The Intervals (4)
Single :
1962 - Here's That Rainy Day / Wish I Could Change My Mind (Class 304)
Unreleased :
1962 - You Are My Only Love (Class)
1962 - Funny How Time Goes By (Class)
Practice session
1962 - Here's That Rainy Day (Class 304 / bootleg)

The Vocals
1964 - Lonesome Mood / Look Out For Love (Tangerine 938)

Margie Hendrix & The Vocals
1964 -     Let No One Hold You / A Lover's Blues (Tangerine 940)

Biography :

Lamont McLemore began harmonizing under the streetlamps of St. Louis with a bunch of guys. He sang the bass, and a guy they called Johnny Gold sang lead. They called him Johnny Gold, but his real name was John Golden. One night they were outside a club where Redd Foxx was performing. Because it was so hot inside, the doors were left open, and Foxx stepped outside for a moment after his set. Lamont McLemore asked if he could please let us do one number on stage. He was understandably hesitant at first, but when he overheard them practicing he gave them a shot.

(L to R) The Vocals - L. McLemore, M. McCoo, Fr.  Baskett, Rex Middleton (Arranger), Ray Charles, H. Elston & L. Summers.

They were eager to find a studio to record them. While in the Los Angeles area on a Sunday when everything is usually closed up, they found a studio where a guy was sweeping up. They offered to do his sweeping if he would let them have a few minutes to record a couple of songs they had written. After much begging and pleading, he called the owners of the studio and they were told to come back in a couple of days.” The result was a release as by John Golden and the Indexes on the Douglas label (#101). The record got a lot of airplay for the first couple of days after it was released, but then disappeared.  Lamont McLemore formed the Intervals, The group had a brief recording stint with Leon Rene in late 1961. the result was the two sided "Here's That Rainy Day" / "Wish I Could Change My Mind" (Class 304) plus two a cappella tracks, "You Are My only Love" and "Funny How Time Goes By" Which were unissed. The Group consisted of Lamont McLemore, Richard Trulove, Paul Grady, Ron Townson & Fritz Baskett.

The Fifth Dimension

Then Lamont joined the Hi-Fis. A short time later, McLemore began assembling another group, which consisted of Hi-Fis Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Harry Elston and Lawrence Summers. The Hi-Fis became the Vocals and In 1963, they sang at local clubs while taking lessons from a vocal coach. In 1964, they came to the attention of Ray Charles, who took them on tour with him the following year. Eventually, the group changed their name to the Vocals and recorded for Charles’ Tangerine label. When none of their singles charted, the group went their separate ways. Lamont McLemore, Ron Townson and Marilyn McCoo went on to a career with the Fifth Dimension.



Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

John Golden & The Indexes         Blanton McFarlin & The Indexes

  
    Take A Chance                             You Changed My Mind

The Intervals (4)

  
       Here's That Rainy Day               Wish I Could Change My Mind

  
You Are My Only Love                     Funny How Time Goes By


Here's That Rainy Day (practice session)

Margie Hendrix & The Vocals

  
Let No One Hold You                              A Lover's Blues    


...

The Belverderes (New Jersey)

 

Personnel :

Robert D. Mangan Sr.

Sonny ...

Herbert Miller

Sam ..

Anthony Mangan

Discography :

?


Biography :

Vocal group from New Jersey that happened around 1957/1958 and will record a single at this time ... But which one? They are not The Belvederes on Hudson, not those of Trend and Jopz...

...

The Tender Tones (Brentwood, NY.)


Personnel :

Alex Fermaint (Lead)

John Jackson

Frank Ortiz (Second Tenor)

Charlie Mercado


Discography :

1959 - Just For A Little While / I Love You So (Ducky 713)


Biography :

Vocal group from Brentwood , Long Island,  NY. composed by Alex Fermaint (Lead), John Jackson, Frank Ortiz (Second Tenor) and Charlie Mercado. The Tender Tones recorded "Just For A Little While" and "I Love You So", both composed by Miller & the group. Composer and producer Bill Miller is William H. Miller who was all over the New York R&B/pop scene in the '50s and early '60s. He was the father of The Miller Sisters but is probably best known for his A&R work at Hull Records (Heartbeats, Shep & The Limelites). Miller Songkraft Publishing (BMI) was his firm and he was also involved with Glodis/Glodus Music. The single was released in 1959 by Ducky Records, 2800 Watson Blvd. Endicott, NY.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
      I Love You So                              Just For A Little While 

  
Just For A Little While (Demo)
 

...