The Chimes (5) (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Lenny Coco (Lead)

Pat DeBrisco (First Tenor)

Richard Mercardo (Second Tenor)

Joe Croce (Baritone)

Pat McGuire (Bass)

Discography:

The Chimes (5)
1960 - Once In Awhile / Summer Night (Tag 444 / Musictone 1101)
1961 - I'm In The Mood For Love / Only Love (Tag 445)
1961 - Let's Fall In Love / Dream Girl (Tag 447)
1963 - Once In Awhile / My Love (Oldies 45)
1963 - Who's Heart Are You Breaking Now? / Baby's Comming Home (Laurie 3211)

Lenny And The Chimes (5)
1962 - Paradise / My Love (Tag 450)
1964 - Two Times Two / Only Forever (Vee Jay 605)

The Videls [The Chimes (5)]
1963 - We Belong Together / It's All Over (Musicnote 117)

Biography :

A Brooklyn street corner group formed in 1957, they originally called themselves the Capris until they found out that friends of theirs from Rockaway Beach in Long Island were already using that name. So Lenny Cocco and company renamed themselves The Chimes. The original Brooklyn quintet's lead singer Lenny Cocco (leader and originator of the group), was into standards at an early age since his father was a professional accordion player. Lenny's father, Leonard, thought Tommy Dorsey's 1937 number one hit "Once In Awhile" would work well in a vocal quintet arrangement, so the group began practicing in a local pool hall that had a piano.

In 1960 the group went into the studio and recorded a demo of "Once In A while", attracting the interest of the engineer. While The Chimes were in the studio the engineer called a friend at Tag Records and within an hour Andy Leonetti was there listening to the group's first recording. By the fall of 1960 "Once In Awhile", was hitting the Billboards’ national charts. It finished one spot shy of the top 10, spent 18 weeks on the charts, and sold over one million copies. Although they had a white doo-wop sound by today's standards, in 1960 The Chimes were thought by many to be a black group.

Their first major booking were thus in black theatres such as the Howard in Washington, the Regal in Chicago, and the Apollo in New York. Their second single was "I'm In The Mood For Love" another standard (Little Jack Little, 1935). Recorded in a similar style to "Once In Awhile" it charted on March 27th and rose to number 38 nationally. By spring, the group was on its third standard in three tries, the Eddy Duchin number one smash "Lets Fall In Love" , but apparently radio stations weren't buying it (perhaps due to a deviation in vocal arrangement from the first two hits- "Lets Fall In Love" had the group up front singing the lead).

 The group tried a Lenny Cocco original "Paradise" in 1962, and then moved over to Metro Records for one 1963 release, "Who's Heart Are You Breaking Now". At this point, the group was now a quartet: bass singer Pat McGuire had died in a car accident. To this date in memory of Pat, Lenny has kept the group a quartet without another bass singer. In November of that year, Laurie Records picked up the Metro recordings but released them with no success.

 In 1964 The Chimes wound up on Vee-Jay Records but again with not much success as Vee-Jay records was putting all their energy into releases by the Beatles and The Four Seasons. With that kind of competition, the Chimes release of "Two Times Two" was virtually ignored. By 1965, the group had separated only to reunite for some rock and roll revival shows in the early 1970's.

Songs :

The Chimes (5)

  
Once In Awhile                              Summer Night

  
I'm In The Mood For Love                            Only Love              

  
Let's Fall In Love                                  Dream Girl

  
                        My Love                   Who's Heart Are You Breaking Now?

  
Baby's Comming Home                            Paradise          

  
Two Times Two                                   Only Forever    


The Videls [The Chimes (5)]

  
We Belong Together                                   It's All Over        

....

The Saucers  (Dallas, Texas)
aka  The Velvetones (5) 
(with Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Jimmy Beacham

Leonard Allen

Charles Beacham

Verdie Lee Thomas

James Stanley

Discography :

The Saucers  

Singles :
1959 - Why Do I Dream? / Cha Wailey Routa (Felco 104)
1959 - Flossie Mae / Hi-Oom (Kick 100)
1964 - Hello Darling / Giggle Goo (Lynne 101) 

Unreleased :
1959 - Hey Girl
1959 - Time Gives Me Plasure
1959 - Who Took My Girl
1959 - Old Mother Hubbard
1959 - Please Understand
1959 - Debbie Lee
1959 - Darling
1959 - Mighty Mighty Man
1959 - This Feeling Is Killing Me
1959 - Please Come Back To Me
1959 - Love You Baby
1959 - Come Back To Me
1959 - My Love My Love (Eddy McCall bb The Saucers)

The Velvetones (5)

Singles :
1959 - Come Back / Penalty Of Love (D 1049)
1959 - Worried Over You / Space Man (D 1072)

Biography :

Compsed by Jimmy Beacham, Leonard Allen, Charles Beacham, Verdie Lee Thomas and James Stanley, the Saucers were on of the few doo wop groups from Texas, a blues and R&B stronghold. They are a really good Black quintet with strong, beautiful lead vocals and harmonizing on ballads, uptempo and novelty tunes.

Jimmy Beacham, Leonard Allen, Charles Beacham, Verdie Lee Thomas and James Stanley

Native vocal groups were not very popular in texas during the 50s and the style came to the state rather late in the decade after being extremely popular along the east and west coasts. Despite the late arrival, those few groups that did emerge in Texas learned their lesson well. Of these, the Saucers are the Velvetones, who recorded on Dee records under this name, were the Best and certainly equal to many to the more popular groups on either coast.
Note on CD  "Presenting the Saucers"

Songs :

The Saucers

  
Flossie Mae                             Hi-Oom

  
Why Do I Dream                           Cha Wailey Routa

  
Hello Darling / Giggle Goo               Please Understand     

  
Time Gives Me Pleasure                         Debbie Lee    


Please Come Back To Me

The Velvetones (5)

  
Come Back                                  Penalty Of Love

  
Worried Over You                                Space Men

   ...

The Du Vons (San Bernardino, Ca.)


Personnel :

Jerry Jackson (Lead)

Leonard Siders

Steve Parker

Gilbert Chavez

Bill Bridges

Discography :

1961 - Write Me A Letter / Come Back Baby, Come Back (Brand X 7) ‎

Biography :

In May 1960, Five Pacific High School students have recorded for the Pal Studio under the Management of George Babcock, Popular radio disc Jockey. Jerry Jackson sophomore at PHS, is the head of the group called "Jerry Lee & The Jesters". Also in the group are Leonard Siders, Steve Parker, Gilbert Chavez and Bill Bridges, all students PHS.

Jerry Lee & The Jesters

Jerry Jackson lived in Kentucky for 16 years before coming to California. He had lived one month when he meet Siders, and they began to sing together. In 1961, they started at PHS they met the rest of the group know as "Jerry Lee and the Jesters." In January 1961, their record "Write Me A Letter" b/w "Come Back Baby, Come Back" was released.

Jerry Jackson wrote both songs and also plays his own music. When the disc was released, "Jerry Lee & The Jesters" no longer existed, George Babcock had renamed the group The Du-Vons.

Songs :

  
          Write Me A Letter                    Come Back Baby, Come Back

...

The Val-Doros (Detroit)

Personnel :

Charles Pryor

Discography :

1956 - A Woman A Man (Feat Charles Pryor) / Don't Open The Grave (Silhouette 517)


Biography :

Detroit soul pioneer Robert West was born March 1, 1912, in Montgomery, AL, relocating to the Motor City in 1935. In 1957 he formed Silhouette Records, doubling as manager for the Falcons, a local doo wop group featuring future solo stars Eddie Floyd and Mack Rice. West also produced the Falcons' "Sent Up," far and away the most successful of the eight singles issued on Silhouette during its brief existence, among them records by little-known Detroit acts including Jan Wynn, the Vo-cals, Jim Beasley & the Charmers and the Val-Doros.

The Valdoros makes itself known locally by their appearance in the surrounding clubs. The group signed with Silhouette records in early 1956. This group impressed the people at Silhouette with their simple layed-out approach to music. They had a special blend in their harmony that stood out from the rest of the groups around town. It was said they sounded like a young Orioles group with lead singer Sonny Till when they recorded "A Woman A Man" Feat Charles Pryor and B-side "Don't Open The Grave".

Songs :

  
Don't Open The Grave                             A Woman A Man    

...

Jerome Louis Jackson

The Cordials (2) (Bronx, New York)

Personnel :

Jerome Louis Jackson (Lead)

Tito Gonzalez (Lead)

Frankie Giminez

Nicky Lopez

Bernard Newman

Discography :

1961- Dawn Is Almost Here / Keep An Eye (7 Arts 707)

Biography :

Vocal group from the South Bronx composed by Frank Giminez, Jerome Louis Jackson, Nicky Lopez, Bernard Newman and Tito Gonzalez. The Cordials would eventually record "Dawn Is Almost Here" backed by "Keep An Eye " for the 7 Arts label (#707) in 1961. The original lead singer of the Cordials was Jerome Jackson." Jerome Louis Jackson was born in Brooklyn but grew up in the Bronx. In 1966, long after leaving the Cordials he would gain fame as the solo singer, J.J. Jackson, with the song "But It's Alright".

Songs :

  
Dawn Is Almost Here                          Keep An Eye