The Four Imperials (1) aka The Pharaohs (3)

The Four Imperials (1)  (Higland Park, Michigan)
aka The Pharaohs (3) 

Personnel :

Lynn Best (Lead)

Frank Amodeo (Bass)

Bob Manzagol (Baritone)

Jim Hartrick (Tenor)

Discography :

The Pharaohs (3)
1957 - Walking Sad / Come On Baby (Fascination 101/Skylor 101)

The Four Imperials (1)
1958 - Lazy Bonnie / Let's Make A Scene (Lorelei 4444/Dot 15737)
1958 - My Girl / Teen Age Fool (Chant 10067)
1959 - Valley Of Tears / Time Out (Dial 101)
1959 - Santa's Got A Coupe DeVille / Seven Lonely Days (Twirl 2005)

Pee Wee Crayton with Esther & The Four Imperials (1)
1958 - Give Me One More Chance / Look Up & Live (not them) (Fox 102)


Biography :

Four guys from Higland Park in Detroit started harmonizing on the street corners in the mid 50's they were Lynn Best (Lead), Frank Amodeo (Bass), Bob Manzagol (Baritone) and Leroy Casey (Tenor), they were all graduates of Highland Park High School in Michigan.  They called themselves The Pharaohs and recorded for Fascination Records in 1957 : "Walking Sad" b/w "Come On Baby."


The Pharaohs (3) around 1958

In 1958 Leroy left the group and the rest adde Jim Hartrick and changed their name to The Four Imperials and recorded in the Detroit label Lorelei "Lazy Bonnie" b/w "Let's Make A Scene." The record became popular and the group make many appearances throughout the midwest including one with Ricky Nelson at the Michigan State Fair.

The Pharaohs (3)

They Make a personal appearance at the Mount Clemens Bandstand teen-agers dance at the VFW Hall.The group soon snapped up by Fox Records manager George Braxton and the Four Imperials backed Pee Wee Crayton on  "Give Me One More"

After Fox records, Braxton started several subsidiaries : Brax, Dial, Chant, and Teen Life. The Four Imperials recorded for Braxton's Chant Records "My Girl" b/w "Teenage Fool" and "Valley Of Tears" b/w "Time Out" on Dial. The last recording of the group were for Twirl Records in 1959 "Seven lonely Nights" b/w "Santa's Got A Coupe DeVille" .  
 

      Lynn Best (left)  Bob Manzagol (top center) , Frank Amodeo (right)  Jim Hartrick(bottom center)

After that they broke up. Ed Wingate took Lynn Best into the studio to do a single for Golden World that was never issued. This was probably around '64 because one of the tunes, "I Want Your Love to Be Mine" is one of the best Beatles knock-offs. Frank Amodeo joined up with Byron Taylor and recorded as The Two-Tones.


Songs :

The Pharaohs (3)

  
Walking Sad                           Come On Baby


The Four Imperials (1)

     
Lazy Bonnie               Let's Make A Scene                   My Girl

     
Teen Age Fool              Valley Of Tears                     Time Out

  
Santa's Got A Coupe DeVille             Seven Lonely Days


Pee Wee Crayton with Esther & The Four Imperials (1)


Give Me One More Chance


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