Top : Tom Zenda - Middle : Joe Riccio and George Slivocka - Bottom : Raiph Feuker

The Notations (4) (Bayonne, N.J.)
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

 

Personnel :

Joe Riccio (Lead)

George "Tiny" Slivocka (Baritone)

Tom Zenda (Second Tenor)

Raiph "Butch" Feuker (First Tenor)

Discography :

Singles :
1965 - On The Other Side Of The World / I Just Want To Know (Clarity 106)
1966 - Gone Away / Louie Louie (Clarity 108)

Unreleased:
1966 - Lucky Old Sun (demo)
1966 - You Make Me Feel So Good

Biography :

The Notations were a vocal group out of Bayonne, N.J. composed by Joseph Riccio (Lead), Tommy Zenda (Second Tenor), George "Tiny" Slivocka, and Raiph "Butch" Feuker (First Tenor).  The Group performs locally and opened for groups like The Drifters and Duprees. In 1964, they recorded some demos in N.Y.C. 45s pressed on 78 vinyl..

 Front Row : Tom Zenda, Raiph Feuker, George Slivocka and Joe Riccio.

Finally, in 1965 in the midst of the Vietnam War, The Notations recorded "On The Other Side Of The World" b/w "I Just Want To Know" released by the Clarity Records label out of Union City, New Jersey. In 1966 Clarity released their latest single with "Gone Away" and "Louie Louie"

Songs :

  
 On The Other Side Of The World              I Just Want To Know            

  
       Gone Away                             Lucky Old Sun (demo)


You Make Me Feel So Good

...

The Wailers (San Antonio, Texas)

Personnel :

Darlene Love


Biography :

1955 - San Antonio, Texas - A young teenage Darlene Love (top right) in a school group during the mid-1950's. At the time, Darlene was singing in her father's church. She also started joining glee clubs at school - Wheatley Junior High in San Antonio - and this group, "The Wailers," which sang at school assemblies.

...

Top : Buddy Scott, Ike HickMan and Howard (Seaphus) Scott
Botom :Tommy Scott, Walter Scott & Charles Scott

The Masquerades (Chicago)
aka The Masquarades
aka The Five Masqueraders


Personnel :

Howard (Seaphus) Scott

Charles Scott

Tommy Scott

Ike HickMan

Jimmy Thompson


Discography :

Seaphus Scott & The Five Masqueraders
1958 - Summer Sunrise / Nature's Beauty (Joyce 303)

The Masquarades
1960 - The Whip / Fanessa (Boyd 1027)

The Masquerades
1960 - These Red Roses / Mister Man The Guitar Man (Formal 1012)

Unreleased :

N/A - Portia
N/A - These Foolish Things
N/A - Good Golly Miss Molly
N/A - That's When Your Heartaches Begin


Biography :

The Masquerades were formed in 1957 as the Elpeccios and originally consisted of Howard, Charles, and Robert Scott, and cousin Jesse "Chico"Golden. Golden and Robert Scott soon dropped out, and in early 1958 the group reorganized as the Masquerades, consisting of Howard, Charles, and Tommie Scott, Jimmy Thompson, and Ike Hickman. Robert Scott entered the professional boxing ranks as a welterweight, fighting in the same stable as world junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins. The group went down to St. Louis to record two sides for Ike Turner on the Joyce label, "Summer Sunrise" backed with "Nature's Beauty." But nothing happened for the group.

The Masquerades were discovered by Entrepreneur Don Talty in 1958 singing in a North Side nightclub. At the time, the group consisted of Howard, Walter, Charles, and Tommie Scott, plus Ike Hickman and guitarist Howard Taylor. Jimmy Thompson had left the group to take up guitar, and years later would emerge as a well-respected Chicago blues performer  Jimmy Johnson. Thompson changed his name to "Johnson" after his brother Syl had achieved fame as a soul singer under the name "Syl Johnson." The following year Buddy Scott replaced Taylor on guitar and the group came out with "The Whip" backed with "Fanessa"  on the Boyd label. "The Whip" was intended to promote a dance and was considered the A side. Talty even had artwork done to show the dance steps, but nothing came of the record.

    
Howard (Seaphus) Scott                                                                                                            

The Masquerades released "Mister Man" backed with "These Red Roses" in 1960 on the Formal label. No more records by the Masquerades were released for Talty. They continued on, and guitarists who worked for them in the following years included their old vocal mate, Jimmy Johnson, and his brother, Syl Johnson. Around 1963-64, the Masquerades called it quits as a vocal group, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes re-emerged as the Scott Brothers Band. Seaphus Howard Scott started a label called Al-Tog in Chicago working with several artists in the 1960s publishing several songs through his music publishing company (Scot-Tees Publishing Co.) and releasing them with record labels such as Numero One and Okeh!.


Songs :

The Masquarades

  
Fanessa                                           The Whip


The Masquerades

  
These Red Roses                     Mister Man The Guitar Man


Seaphus Scott & The Five Masqueraders

 
Summer Sunrise


...

(l-r) Rod McBrien, Bob Musac, John Giametta and Benny Palmeri (bottom)

The Valrays (Long Island, N.Y.)




Personnel :


Rod McBrien

Benny Palmeri

Bob Musac

John Giametta


Discography:

1963 - Get Aboard / Pee Wee (Parkway 880)
1964 - Yo Me Pregunto / Tonky (Parkway 904)
1967 - I'm Walkin' Proud / It Hurts, Doesn't it Girl (United Artists 50145)


Biography :

John Giametta and Rod McBrien have been the best of friends for about many years, they were so close back in the early years of The Valrays, they joined the U. S. Coast Guard Reserves together under the "buddy plan." Some buddy plan! Rod went to boot camp two months before John did. But they did finish their tour of duty together because they were both in the Coast Guard Band.

  
 Rod McBrien (top), John Giametta and Bob Musac                                                                                        

The Valrays released two singles for Parkway, the Beach Boys-flavored "Get A Board" and "Yo Me Pregunto (I Ask Myself)". "Yo Me Pregunto" made significant inroads into the charts. John Giametta had been influenced by Spanish music while playing at The Copa. The decision for Spanish lyrics was a result of that influence and Pete's dissatisfaction with the sound of the English words. Their first two singles as The Valrays on Cameo Parkway were written and produced by John Linde and Pete Antell.

 
                                                                  1967 - Rod Mcbrien, Phil Tano, Johnny Giametta,  and Meco Menardo

Phil Giarratano (Lead singer of the Escorts on Taurus) and Meco Menardo joined the group in 1967 after Palmeri and Music left the group. For their next release on United Artists Records, Rod McBrien and Johnny Giametta wrote "I'm Walkin' Proud" and "It Hurts, Doesn't it Girl" and Produced it. After this, they formed Salt Water Taffy. John and Rod also produced all releases by The Casualeers and Salt Water Taffy together, as well as writing almost all of the songs recorded.


Songs :

  
Get Aboard                                  Pee Wee

  
Yo Me Pregunto                                      Tonky        

  
I'm Walkin' Proud                            It Hurts, Doesn't it Girl 

…

Jerry Stiftinger

The Velvets (3) (Farrell, Pennsylvania)

Personnel :

Jerry Sharell "Jerry Stiftinger" (Lead)

Eddie Daniels

Jim Repas

Bruce Williams

Lawrence Thomas

Steve Novosel


Discography :

The Velvets (3)
1959 - Everybody Knows / Hand Jivin' Baby (Plaid 101)

Jerry Sharell
1960 - Everybody Knows / That's My Business (Alanna 560)


Biography :

Jerry Stiftinger , sophomore radio-speech major from Farrell, Pa., is a member of the Velvets. He sings lead on "Everybody Knows", a ballad written by Ed Daniel, former “Velvet” who had to leave for the army. The flip side, “Hand Jivin’ Baby” is a rock ’n roll number written by Jim Repas, also a “Velvet” and a sophomore at Indiana State Teachers college.  Besides being a member of the » “Velvets,” the 19-year-old baritone, whose stage name is Jerry Sharell, also works as a single. He sings on week-ends at the Pines nightclub in Youngstown with Lenny Esposito’s band. Jerry has won several variety shows, among them the Gene Carroll TV show in Cleveland. He has also made appearances in numerous other variety shows and has done radio and TV work in Cleveland, Youngstown, Farrell, and auditioned for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts in 1958. On the KSU campus, Jerry appeared as an in-between act at Pork Barrel  and is on the WKSU-FM staff.

The Velvets were composed of five boys, all from Farrell, which organized five years ago, other members of  are Bruce Williams, Lawrence Thomas, apd Steve Novosel, Youngstown university freshman. Cut early in January 1959, the record was released in February on the Plaid label. It has made the top 40 in Cleveland, according to KYW disc jockey, Wes Hopkins. It received a “B” rating in Cashbox magazine. It has also been the WAKR “Pick of the Week” hit. The record has been distributed in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and later be distributed to DJ’s in other states. The following year Jerry Sharell re-recorded "Everybody Knows" b/w "That's My Business",  released by Alanna Records.


Songs :

The Velvets (3)

  
Everybody Knows                              Hand Jivin' Baby

Jerry Sharell

  
Everybody Knows                       That's My Business

...