The Four Cheers

                     (L to R) Ortel, Ferraro, Salera and Salveggi

The Four Cheers (Bronx, NY)

Personnel :

Anthony Salveggi (Lead)

Tommy Salera (Tenor)

Angelo Ferraro (Second Tenor)

Pete Ortiz (later Ortel) (Bass)

Discography :

The Four Cheers
Singles :
1958 - Fatal Charms of Love / Perriwinkle Blue (End 1034)
Unreleased :
1958 - Holly (End)

The Solidtones :
Demo:
1957 - Madness (Group Backing Frankie Sal)
1958 - It's The Talk Of The Town
1958 - Tears In My Heart
1958 - Love's Fatal Charms
1958 - Holly

Biography :

The Four Cheers were a vocal group whose members were from the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, NY. They actually got their start as a group called the Solidtones. The Solidtones were 5 guys whose members came and went. Sammy Dolson was an original member but he soon got drafted and the group was reduced to four members. They were: Anthony Salveggi, Tommy Salera, Angelo Ferraro and Pete Ortiz . The group had a manager named Sheldon Noren who introduced the group to George Goldner, who was in charge of Gone Records. Goldner, however, did not like the name Solidtones, and it was decided to change the name to the Four Cheers. 

Terry Deann & The Solidtones (Circa 1958)

The first song the group recorded was a song called “Holly,” and they actually cut it in George Goldner’s office. They recorded the song live and in one take but it was not released at the time. Goldner liked the song and decided to sign them to Gone Records, which had a subsidiary label called End Records. End was primarily a black group label, and the only other white group signed to the label was the Del Satins, who went on to back Dion on many of his records.  A few months later, they went to Bell Sound Studios on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, where they recorded the two songs which thereafter were released on End, a subsidiary of Gone Records.

 The songs were “Fatal Charms of Love” and "Perriwinkle Blue".  Sheldon Noren and Anthony Salveggi wrote Fatal Charms of Love and Perriwinkle Blue was a song that had earlier been given to the group by George Goldner, and was written by a famous writer named Jay Livingston. An interesting note is that Little Anthony and the Imperials were also on the label, and they came in and recorded their hit song “Tears on My Pillow” right after the 2 songs by the Four Cheers, and using the same backup band. 

  
George Goldner                                                                                                  The Casals       

Anthony Salveggi, the lead singer of the Four Cheers, also became good friends with Richard Barrett.  The Four Cheers were supposed to go out on tour with Little Anthony and the Imperials but it never worked out due to a feud that took place. End Records was having an argument with Sheldon Noren, manager of the Four Cheers, and the manager got too pushy and End decided to drop interest in the Four Cheers. Little Anthony and the Imperials went on to become very popular.Tony Salveggi remained active in the music Bussiness and joined forces with Jimmy castor and formed a Rock'n Roll vocal duet in 1961 called the Casals, with Castor alson on Saxophone and Tony also playing Guitar.


Songs :

       
   Fatal Charms of Love                       Perriwinkle Blue                               Holly                 
 

...