(L to R) Huey Davis, Sylvester Potts, Juanita Davis and Tony York

The Hi-Fidelities (Detroit, Mi.)

 

Personnel :

Huey Davis

Sylvester Potts

Juanita Davis

Tony York

Discography :

The Hi-Fidelities
1957 - Street Of Loneliness / Help, Murder, Police (Hi-Q 5000 )

Gino Parks & The Hi-Fidelities
1957- Last Night I Cried / Just Go (Gino Parks)  (Fortune 528)



Biography :

Sylvester Potts was a singer and composer as well as an off and on member of The Contours and a one time member of The Four Sonics. Songs that he has either composed or co-composed have been recorded by The Contours, Mamie Galore, Jimmy Ruffin and The Temptations.Sylvester Potts was on January 22, 1938 and attended North Eastern High, the same school where Martha Reeves, Mary Wilson, and Bobby Rogers were educated at. Due to his love of the music and the excitement he got from it once said he wanted to die on stage.

  
Gino Parks                                                                                                                 

In the late 1950s, Sylvester Potts was a member of a group called The Hi-Fidelities who's line up consisted of Huey Davis, Potts, Juanita Davis and Tony York. They released two singles, "Street Of Loneliness" b/w Pott's own composition, "Help Murder Police" on Hi-Q 5000 in 1957 and backed  Gino Parks "Last Night I Cried"  on Fortune 528 in 1958. In 1959 late 1950s, Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Potts and Hubert Johnson formed The Blenders in 1959. They would later rename themselves as The Contours.

Songs :
 

The Hi-Fidelities

    
Street Of Loneliness               Help, Murder, Police

Gino Parks & The Hi-Fidelities

Last Night I Cried

...

The Selections (Brooklyn, NY.)



Personnel :

Al Reno "Di Paola" (Lead)

Joe Rivera (Tenor)

Gerald Bart Emptage (Baritone)

Tony Gravagna  (Bass)

John Tari (Tenor)



Discography :

The Selections
1958 - Guardian Angel / Soft and Sweet (Mona-Lee 129/Antone 101)

Al Reno bb The Dials (2)
1961 - Cheryl / Congratulations (Kapp 432)



Biography :

Lou Cicchetti was proprietor of the “Cousins” record label and the owner of the “Cousins Music Shop” in Fordham Road (The Bronx)  which was frequented by many local neighborhood groups (Dion/Belmonts, Earls, Consorts). These groups wanted Lou to record the songs they were singing on the street corner and help propell them to stardom. It was in this fashion that Cicchetti first encountered Al Reno, an important influence in the sense that this association led him into the business of producing records as well as selling them. Reno (whose subsequently co-wrote Dions's hit recording of "Lonely Teenager" under his real name, Al Di Paola) had recorded "Guardian Angel" b/w "Soft and Sweet" on the Antone Label with the Selections and had given Cicchetti the record to carry in the store.

   
Lou Cicchetti                                                                                                                        

Cicchetti was impressed not only by the sound of the record but by the relative ease which such a record seemingly could be made. The Selections were a Brooklyn-based group composed by Al Reno, Joe Rivera, Gerald Bart Emptage, Tony Gravagna (Later with the regents) and John Tari. "Guardian Angel" b/w "Soft and Sweet"  was reissued by Specialty Records owner Art Rupe's former wife, Lee, on her Mona Lee label in late 1958 and revived a few years later by the Imaginations from the borough of Queens.  Al reno will participate in many recordings on Lou Cicchetti's Cousins Records. In 1961, Al Reno recorded a solo single on Kapp Records backed by The Dials.





Songs :

The Selections

  
Guardian Angel                              Soft and Sweet


Al Reno bb The Dials (2)

  
     Cheryl                                           Congratulations

...

The Del-Chords (1) (Bunkie, Louisiana)


Personnel :

Frankie Simmons

James Jackson

Arthur Sterling

Marshall Hawkins

Arthur Lee Searcy

Discography :

1960 - Help Me / Say That You Love Me (Jin 126)


Biography :

This group from Bunkie, Louisiana consisted of Frankie Simmons, James Jackson, Arthur Sterling, Marshall Hawkins and Arthur Lee Searcy. When Floyd Soileau (the owner of the Jin Records) first heard The Del-Chords, he had high hopes . So, Floyd took The Del-Chords into the studio. They recorded "Help Me", which became their debut single. It was released on Jin Records in 1960. Floyd also sent copies of "Help me" to the major labels.

Floyd Soileau (Owner of the Jin Records)

 He thought they would find it hard to resist the combination of a needy vocal and tight harmonies. He was wrong. None of the majors expressed an interest in The Del-Chords. To make matters worse, the single flopped. Even veteran music men get it wrong once in a while. Thus, despite the high-quality harmonies, the group were never called back for a follow up.

Songs :

  
         Help Me                                   Say That You Love Me

...