The Medallionaires

The Medallionaires (Chicago)



Personnel :

Willie Wright (aka Willie Dial) (Lead)

Ernest Montgomery (Tenor)

David Anderson (Baritone)

Ronald Anderson (Bass)

Discography :

Singles :
1958 - Magic Moonlight / Teen-Age Caravan (Mercury 71309)
Unreleased :
1958 - Darling Don't (Mercury)

 

Biography :

In 1958, after the Von Gayles and the Serenades Willie Wright formed another group from the Cabrini-Green neighborhood called the Medallionaires, consisting of Wright as lead, tenor Earnest Montgomery, and two brothers, baritone David Anderson and bass Ronald Anderson. They were yet another group managed by Woodtate Anderson and Eddie Thomas.33 In May 1958 the Medallionaires came out with a single that featured two Wright originals, "Magic Moonlight" backed with "Teen-age Caravan."

The ballad side was "Magic Moonlight," which opens with a "bell-tone" separation of the harmony and has the exaggerated melodramatic lead and full vocal group support of the period, with burbling bass and such. The record is highly appealing. The jump flip, on the other hand, is uninteresting and sounds like a folksong, even though it deals with the subject of rock 'n' roll. This folk aspect will surface again in association with Wright. Today's collectors of vocal group records may find it hard to believe, but it was "Teen-Age Caravan" that got played on local R&B radio - but not enough to make it a hit.

THE CHICAGO SCENE by Robert Pruter

Songs :

    
Magic Moonlight                         Teen-Age Caravan



Darling Don't

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