The Bon-Aires (2)

   From left to tight, Dennis Diamond, Scot McLearie, Mike Paladino & George Lavatelli

The Bon-Aires (2) (New Jersey)

Personnel :

Georges Lavatelli (Lead)

Mike Paladino (Tenor)

Denis Diamond (Second Tenor)

Scotty McLerie (Baritone) 

Discography :

Singles :
1962 - Blue Beat / Driving Along (Rust TR3)
1963 - Bye Bye / My Love My Love (Rust 5077)
1964 - The Shrine Of St Cecilia / Jeannie Baby (Rust 5097)
1976 - My Heart's Desire / New Me (Catamount 130)
1976 - Cherry / At Night (Acapella) (Flamingo 1000)
1976 - Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind / I Love You (Acapella) (Flamingo 1001)
1977 - The Angel Sang / What Did She Use (Flamingo 1002)
Unreleased :
1963 - Angel Of Love (Rust)

Biography :

"My Love, My Love", "Jeanne Baby", "Bye, Bye", "The Shrine of St. Celia", "Blue Beat", "Driving Alone", "Angel of Love". All songs on the Rust Record label, produced by Neil Levinson ("Denise") and Steve Duboff. The original Bon-Aires were Dennis Diamond, Scotty McLearie, Mike Paladino and George Lavatelli. Scotty and George were members of a group called the Shades from Englewood, New Jersey. A product of St. Joseph's High School, West New York, Mike and a friend Pete Prince formed the Princetones - Pete Prince - wrote the classic tune Guardian Angel outside of Leone's pizza parlor in West New York. The group was the first to record a demo of the song in 1958.

The Princetones

The "Bon-Aires", were originally called "the Difference". The "Difference" auditioned for Bob Hilliard, a prolific song writer, Broadway and Pop, from Leonia, NJ. He wrote all the Ruby and the Romantics songs. Bob paid for their first demo album and introduced the group to Neil Levinson and Steve Duboff. The Name Bon-Aires was given to the group by Steve Venet, an A&R man at Columbia Records. He also arranged "My Love, My Love". They had picked "My Love, My Love" for the group , which was the flip side of "Have You Heard", by Joni James.

The Duprees took "Have You Heard" and the Bon-Aires got "My Love, My Love". The Duprees' recording came out 3 months before the Bon-Aires.  The Bon-Aires received bullets in Cash Box and Billboard Magazines. "My Love, My Love" was Pick Hit of the Week on WINS-AM NY. Then came the Beatles!!!!!


Songs :

     
Blue Beat                   The Shrine Of St Cecilia                  Jeannie Baby

     
My Love My Love                    Angel Of Love                    My Heart's Desire

     
Cherry                            At Night                           Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

  
The Angel Sang                       What Did She Use


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