• The Debonaires (1) aka The Five Debonaires

    The Debonaires (1)  (Atlanta, GA)
    aka The Five Debonaires


    Personnel :

    Arthur Simon

    Emory Cloud

    Milton Boykin



    Discography :

    The Debonaires (1)
    1957 - Darling / Whispering Blues (Herald 509)

    The Five Debonaires
    1957 - Darling / Whispering Blues (Herald 509)



    Biography :

    Bill lowery in Atlanta produced the Debonaires, or Five Debonaires as they were called originally on "Whispering Blues" (Herald 509). The group from Atlanta Georgia and included Arthur Simon, Emory Cloud and Milton Boykin, while Wesley J. Jackson arranged and provided guitar backing. Lowery had just a smash with "Young Love", he went on to produce Tommy Roe, Joe South and Ray Stevens, so the Debonaires’ catchy doo-wop was a real anomaly for him. Released in December, 1957, the flip  "Darling" became very popular among oldies fans for the tricky bass parts and nice harmonies.



    Songs :

      
          Darling                                        Whispering Blues








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  • The Brooks Four  (Bound Brook, New Jersey)
    aka The Four Winds (6)  aka The Teamates (3)
    (By Robert Paladino)

     

    Personnel :

    Bob Dileo (Lead & Second Tenor)

    Frank Giaretta (First Tenor)

    Frank Delisi (Baritone)

    Bob Paladino (Lead, Bass & Baritone)

     


    Discography :

    The Brooks Four  
    1962 - I'm Not Good Enough For You / I'll Be Faithful (Sinclair 1007)

    The Four Winds (6)
    Single:
    1963 - Playgirl / Jennifer (Felsted 8703 /Derby 10022)
    Unreleased :
    1963 - A chance To Live 

    The Teamates (3)
    Single:
    1964 - Calendar Of Love / I  Say Goodbye (Lemans 006/006)
    Unreleased :
    1964 - Darlene (Lemans)
    1964 - Sadboy (Lemans)

     


    Biography :

    The Brooks Four was formed in Bound Brook Highschool in 1960.  All four members were Italian/American friends living within 6 blocks of each other, in Bound Brook, New Jersey, USA.  We had 2 Franks (Frank Giaretta 1st Tenor, Frank Delisi, Baritone) and 2 Bob's (Bob Dileo, 2nd Tenor, Lead Singer, Arranger, Songwriter, myself ,Bob Paladino, Bass/Baritone, Lead Singer, Songwirter, ).  Hence our name The Brooks Four!  We practiced alot, realized that our voices blended well, and sang for school talent shows, private parties, etc. We were attracting adults and musicians who recognized that we could sing 4 part harmony.  As teenagers we sang with big bands, (At the Rutgers University Military Ball, we performed alongside the Duke Ellington Band. We performed original songs written by local adult composers, and guest stared with my brothers band in NJ nightclubs.  In 1961, we entered the battle of the groups in New York City hosted by renowned disc-jockey, "Murray The K". We placed in the top 20 finalists singing a 4 part harmony  song called  "It's a blue World", a vocal jazz standard, not a rock'n roll song!

     The Four Winds (6) aka The Teamates (3) aka The Brooks Four

    Bob DiLeo and I composed "I'll Be Faithful" in 1962 and sang it for Vinny Catalano, producer for Sinclair Records.  We recorded for V. Catalano, and that same night he produced "Your my Coney Island Baby", by the Excellents.  They got the hit record, and we did not.  However, Bob DiLeo and I arranged "I'll be faithful" with a great falsetto and harmony introduction, that was cut from the record by V. Catalano, I felt it was a major mistake on his part.  In 1963 we recorded under the name "The Four Winds" for Felsted Records, Jennifer , and Playgirl (written by Mike Paladino, my brother). Playgirl received a red bulllet sure hit potential) by Billboard Magazine in early November, in about 2 weeks Pres.

     

     The Four Winds (6) aka The Teamates (3) aka The Brooks Four   The Four Winds (6) aka The Teamates (3) aka The Brooks Four
    Vinny Catalano                                                                                                                               

    John F. Kennedy was assasinated, and "the music stopped", and when it resumed, our record was shelved!  In 1964 we recorded for LeMans Records under the name The Teamates. We recorded "Calendar of Love" (on youtube) written by my brother Mike, and "I say Goodbye", written by me.  We did the first live color TV broadcast from the NY Worlds Fair with the Shangrilas, Joe Williams, Ronnie Dove, etc.  We then did The Clay Cole TV Show from NYC with Jimmy Clanton, Gary U.S. Bonds, etc.  Shortly thereafter, we started to play instruments, and get bookings in seaside resorts.  In 1965 we had an audition set up for the Lawrence Welk TV show, and despite this prospect, Bob Dileo decided to try and make it as a solo performer. 

     The Four Winds (6) aka The Teamates (3) aka The Brooks Four

    He had Bob Marcucci, Frankie Avalon & Fabians manager representing him.  He had many opportunities, but to this day, he still performs in local nightclubs.  1n 1968 I wrote, produced and performed on 2 Motown type songs entitled "You don't love Me"and "Where were You" (both on youtube).  The Studio owners were Tony Bongiovi (Jon Bonjovi) uncle, and Tony Camillo.  Tony Camillo arranged the strings/horns for both sides, took my record to Motown, as part of his portfolio of arrangements, and became a " Grammy winner arranger/conductor" for Gladys Knight.  I always hoped that The Brooks Four would reunite!  In 2006, Frank Giaretta passed away!


    Upper left is Bob DiLeo, Upper right is  Bob Paladino
    lower left is Frank Giarett  and lower right is Frank Delisi

    Notes :

    Here are a few notes about Darlene and Sadboy unreleased demos by The Teamates, in 1964.  Both songs were written by Robert Paladino and vocally arrranged by Bob DiLeo of the Teamates.  The demo's were recorded in the same timeline with the released record (Calendar of Love, I Say Goodbye), using the same studio (Stea Phillips, NYC), same music arranger (Charles Calello), same Engineer (Gordon Clark).  It should be noted that the exact same staff and studio were utilized by Frankie Vallie/Four Seasons for most of their long list of hit records in the 1960's.  Listeners may be able to hear a similarity between the style of the Seasons and that of The Teamates on these two selections.  The Teamates on many occasions would perform at Record Hops, or on Television, and would sing Calendar of Love (A Side), and encore with Darlene, instead of I Say Goodbye, which was the released B side of the record.  These songs are made available through an old demo that Robert Paladino kept for the last 46 years.

    A Chance To Live (Unreleased)
    Song written by Tom DeCillis (US Disc Jockey) called "a chance to live".  We recorded this as the Four Winds in 1964 for Nick Massi and Tom DeVito of The Four Seasons.  It was for the Leukemia Foundation and was never released.

    Robert Paladino
               The Brooks Four            

     

     

     

    Songs :

    The Brooks Four 

       
    I'll Be Faithful (My favorite Doo Wop)     I'm Not Good Enough For You


    The Four Winds (6)

           
        Jennifer                                        Playgirl                                A Chance To Live



    The Teamates (3)

       
    Calendar Of Love                        I Say Goodbye

       
    Darlene                                   Sad Boy

     

     

    ...


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  • The Seniors (2)

    The Seniors (2) (Cincinnati, Ohio) 

     

    Personnel :

    Ray "Dean" James

    Harry Clifton

    Keith Ross

    Paul Powers

     

     Discography :

    The Seniors (2)
    1956 - Evening Shadows Falling (I Think Of You) / I’ve Got Plenty Of Love (Tetra 4446)
    1959 - Ah Sweet Mystery Of Life    Young / Rock And Rolly (ESV 1016)
    1960 - I've Lived Before / Hello, Mr. Robin (Decca 31112)
    1961 - When Will I Fall In Love   /  Baby, Say The Word (Decca 31244)

    Carl Dobkins, Jr. & The Seniors (2) (instru. The Orbits)
    1958 - If You Don't Want My Lovin' / Love Is Everything (Decca 30656)

    Ronnie Neat With The Four C-Notes And The Orvits
    1957 - Have Mercy On Me, Baby / Mister Rock And Roll (Four C-Notes) (Bramble 3003)

    Ron Neat with The Janet Shay Trio
    1960 - Ronnie / Say I'm The One (Alcar 1501/ Pelpal 1502)




    Biography :

    Carl Dobkins Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in January 1941. He was raised in a musical family. At the age of nine Carls’ mom and dad bought him a ukulele with a plastic Arthur Godfrey attachment that played chords by pushing buttons. He soon took off the attachment and learned over fifty hillbilly songs as a child. At the age of sixteen, young Carl made a demo of two songs he wrote with his backup group, The Seniors. The Seniors first met with a common interest in singing at Nast Memorial Methodist Church in Cincinnati. The group sang together for approximately eight years.

    The Seniors (2)    The Seniors (2)
    Carl Dobkins, Jr. & The Seniors (2)

    The group was formed in the early 50's in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area and consists of Paul Powers, Keith Ross, Ray James & Harry Clifton. The seniors will have several staff changes over the years, Bill Smith, Marv Lockart, Mike "Froggy" Bridges... In 1956, the group recorded "Evening Shadows Falling (I Think Of You)" b/w "I’ve Got Plenty Of Love" on Tetra. They toured the East Coast when “Evening Shadows Falling” climbed to the top of the local charts in Philadelphia.

    The Seniors (2)
    Carl Dobkins, Jr. & The Seniors (2) & The Orbits (Instru.)

    Friends in Carls’ neighborhood introduced Carl Dobkins, Jr. & The Seniors to Gil Sheppard. In Cincinnati Gil Sheppard was a popular deejay, Gil was taken with young Dobkins Jr. and his musical ability and the demo he had recorded. Sheppard offered to become his his manager. Carl Dobkins Jr. was promoted as “The Teenage Rage.” As a result of the buzz that happened as a result of his singing at dance parties and record hops, Carl was signed up with Fraternity Records in Cincinnati. His only release with Fraternity was his 1958 single “Take Hold of My Hand” b/w “That’s Why I’m Asking.”

    The Seniors (2)
    The Seniors (2)

    Carl moved over to the Decca label for his next recording. "If You Don't Want My Lovin" was the plug side. A nice mid tempo outing, it is credited to Carl Dobkins Jr. and The Seniors. It was recorded at the King record studios in Cincinnati, and the record did well in a few markets, including Charleston West Virginia. After recording "If You Don't Want My Lovin'" at King Records studios, Sheppard sold the master recording to Decca Records. Dobkins then recorded sessions for Decca in Nashville, Tennessee, which included "My Heart is an Open Book" in 1959, which reached No. 3 on the pop chart and number 11 on the R&B chart.

    The Seniors (2)     The Seniors (2)
                 The Seniors (2)                                                                                Ray James (Ron Neat)

    At the same time, the Seniors recorded "Ah Sweet Mystery Of Life Young" and "Rock And Rolly" single for ESV and two for Decca, and signed with Decca for two records "I've Lived Before" b/w "Hello, Mr. Robin" and "When Will I Fall In Love" b/w"Baby, Say The Word". Ray Dean James, one of the Seniors recorded two singles in 1957 and 1960 under the name of Ron'nie' Neat. He also released a number of singles under his own name, did some session work as a background vocalist at the legendary King Records studios and did nightclub performances that included music and stand-up comedy at dozens of clubs in Greater Cincinnati.





    Songs :

    The Seniors (2)

      
              Evening Shadows Falling                 I’ve Got Plenty Of Love               

      
     Hello, Mr. Robin                               Baby, Say The Word


    Carl Dobkins, Jr. & The Seniors (2)

      
    If You Don't Want My Lovin'                     Love Is Everything        


    Ron Neat with The Janet Shay Trio


    Ronnie





    ...


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  • The Cordovans
     

    The Cordovans (New York)


    Personnel

    Irvin Cox

    Alvin Grant

    Alvin Hassell


    Discography :

    1960 - My Heart / Come On Baby (Johnson 731)


    Biography :

    Hiram Johnson ran a small R&B label that, in the late '50s, recorded some of the best of the Chicago's doo wop groups. Although he only had hits with the Shells' "Baby Oh Baby" and the Dubs' "Don't Ask Me to Be Lonely," reveals that Johnson Records was a haven for obscure vocal acts. Groups like the Carribians, the Arcades, Little Nate and the Chryslers, the Cameos, the Marvels, Bobby Capri and Velvet Satins, Cleo and the Crystaliers and the Cordovans show that the label had a sound -- a crude one, to be sure.

    The Cordovans

    The Cordovans' "My Heart" / "Come On Baby" (#731) was first released in the Winter of 1958 on The Johnson Label now run by Jim McCarthy. The group, Which included Irvin Cox (the songs were written by Alvin grant and Alvin Hassell, also in the group), could not be located when the records was re-issued by McCarthy in the Fall of 1960.




    Songs

      
    Come On Baby                                      My Heart      



    ...


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  • The Cubs 

    The Cubs (Brooklyn, New York)

     

    Personnel :

    Lee Witherspoon

    Beni Israel

    David Makonnen

    Tafari Makonnen

     

    Discography :

    Single :
    1956 - Why Did You Make Me Cry / I Hear Wedding Bells (Savoy 1502) 

    Unreleased:
    1956 - What Is The Proper Age (Savoy)
    1956 - Do You Know (Savoy)

     

    Biography :

    Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 1956, Herman Lubinsky announced the signing of a new group of teenagers from the Brooklyn, The Cubs. The group consists of  Lee Witherspoon, Beni Israel, David Makonnen and Tafari Makonnen recorded four song in New York; "Why Did You Make Me Cry", "I Hear Wedding Bells", "What Is The Proper Age" and "Do You Know".

    The Cubs    The Cubs
    Herman Lubinsky                                                                                                               

    The first two titles will be released on Savoy # 1502. "I Hear Wedding Bells" by The group is a Masterpiece with a spoken bridge that combines diffidence and sincerity Quite a Trick. The Cubs have the classic kiddie lead voice ala the Schoolboys, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers.


    Songs :

      
          I Hear Wedding Bells                   Why Did You Make Me Cry  
     

    ...


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