The Victorials (Cincinnati, OH.)
Ref :The Emeralds (1)

Personnel :

Harold Davis (Lead)

Sedrick Cox (First Tenor)

Charles Godfrey (Second Tenor)

Willis Miller (Baritone)

Clyde Giles (Bass)

Discography :

1956 - I Get That Feeling / Prettiest Girl In The World (Imperial 5398)

Biography :

Harold Edward "Hal" Davis (February 8, 1933 — November 18, 1998) was an American songwriter and record producer. He is best remembered as the key figure in the latter part of the Motown career of The Jackson 5. Davis was the co-writer and producer of Jackson 5 hits such as "I'll Be There" and "Dancing Machine," and Eddie Kendricks' "Can I". Davis also produced for Bette Midler (her Motown record of 1975, produced by Davis, was never released), Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Brenda Holloway, Thelma Houston, Joy Holden, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Little Stevie Wonder, Four Tops, Junior Walker, and The Miracles.

Marc Gordon, Marvin Gaye & Hal Davis in Motown's studios

Back in the mid 50’, At the end of 1955, Hal Davis joined some neighborhood friends, Willis Miller, Clyde Giles and Sedrick Cox. The three fellows were part of Luther Bond & the Emeralds and have recorded three singles for the Savoy Label. With the addition of Charles Godfrey, they named themselves the Victorials after the car (Ford Crown Victoria). DJ: Charles "Bugs" Scruggs of WCIN managed the group for about eight months and recorded some demos at the station. 

   
                                   Charles "Bugs" Scruggs                             Charles Godfrey, Willis Miller, Harold Davis, Sedrick Cox & Clyde Giles                                                                                       
Scruggs sent the demos to Imperial Records. Imperial responded by sending pianist Ernie Freeman to Cincinnati to hire some pick-up musicians and oversee a recording session. The Victorials cut "I Get That Feeling" and "The Prettiest Girl In The World" written by Scruggs & Davis.  The record released in July went nowhere and the Victorials decided to call it a day, breaking up after about a year in existence.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Emeralds/emeralds.html

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
    I Get That Feeling                          Prettiest Girl In The World

...

The Big Five (Cleveland, Ohio)
aka The Fabulous Five Flames aka The Fabulous Five aka The Fabulous Flames (1)

Personnel :

Otis Carter

Harvey Hall

David McPhatter

Richard Fisher

Ernest Smith

Discography:

The Big Five
1958 - Wob-Ding-A-Ling / Baby, I Need You So (Junior 5000)
1960 - Blue Eyes / Stardust In Her Eyes (Shad 5019)

The Fabulous Flames  (1)
1958 - Josephine / My Joan (Rex 3000)

The Fabulous Five
1960 - Janie Made A Monster / Gettin' Old (King 45-5220)

The Fabulous Five Flames
1960 - Lonely Lover / No More Tears (Time 1023)

Biography :

This Vocal group from Cleveland was known locally as The Fabulous Flames. The group included  J. C. Tatum, Otis Carter, David McFadden, Ernest Smith, and Harvey Hall. The group started while some of the members were students at East Technical High School. The group performed at local clubs, and in Detroit. Their first single "Wop Ding A Ling" (also Known as "Wab Ding A Ling") plus the flip "Baby, I Need You So" was issued on the Shad predecessor Junior label (Junior 5000) on 29 October 1958. Bobby Shad renamed The Fabulous Flames by The Big Five. Their second single "Josephine" b/w "My Joan " released as their original name (The Fabulous Flames) was a local production, done for the short lived Rex label. Bill Jacocks, a local entrepreneur, wrote the songs and helped get the record released. Jacocks later became known as Cleveland's first African-American TV news anchor, along with producting some records in the mid 1970s.

  
Bobby Shad                                                                                                                        

The group was known as the Fabulous Flames, but changed for The Fabulous Five for their third record for the King label to prevent confusion with other groups with that name. The song "Janie Made A Monster" is a classic R&B Halloween record. Richard Fisher replaced J. C. Tatum. Four sides were recorded at Capitol Studios in New York on 4 December 1959, "Lonely Lover", "No More Tears", "Blue Eyes" and "Stardust In Her Eyes". The first two will be released on the Time (/Shad) Label on April 1960 as The Fabulous Five Flames, and the next two were released on 10 June 1960 on Shad 5019 as The Big Five.  Richard Fisher was the brother of Jesse Fisher. He wasn't with the group for long as he left for New York where he ended up joining the Jive Five. Art Blakey replaced him, not long before the group disbanded. Harvey Hall - later known as Harvey Nickerson-Hall - went on to lead Harvey and the Phenomenals. https://www.buckeyebeat.com/

Songs :

The Big Five

  
Wob-Ding-A-Ling                               Baby, I Need You So

  
      Blue Eyes                                     Stardust In Her Eyes

The Fabulous Flames  (1)

  
Josephine                                             My Joan

The Fabulous Five

  
Janie Made A Monster                            Gettin' Old       

The Fabulous Five Flames

  
Lonely Lover                                    No More Tears

...

(L to R) Eddie Miller, Tom Fagan and ed Burkhalter

The Chancers (Auburn, Alabama)

Personnel :

Eddie Miller (Lead)

Tommy Fagan (Tenor)

Fred Burkhalter (Bass/ Baritone)

Discography :

1958 - Shirley Ann / My One (Dot 15870)

Biography :

Vocal & Instrumental Trio, the Chancers formed in the late 1950s at A.P.I. (Alabama Polytechnic Institute), which in 1960 became Auburn University.  Better known as the KA Trio. Tommy Fagan (from Fort Valley), a member of this group, has gained added fame for himself and the trio by writing a ballad entitled "Remember The Night," which was previewed in february 1958 over a national TV hookup by singer Autry Inman. RCA has released the record­ing.

Chancers'Friend Dorothy Gideon spins their disc. Fred Burkhalter, Tommy Fagan & Eddie Miller

The Chancers began singing as a group about 1956 when they met as KA fraternity brothers. Tommy Fagan and Eddie Miller (from Anniston)  were roommates at the time, be­gan experimenting and came up with some very fine arrange­ments, with Fagan on the tub bass, a wash tub arrangement, and Miller on the guitar.  Fred Burkhalter (from Rome, Ga.) soon joined the group ad­ding his bass and baritone voice to those of Fagan, tenor, and Mil­ler, lead. The Chancers got their start by entertaining at fraternity activi­ties. Sev­eral of their originals were played over WAUD, and the group per­formed on Fagan's hometown sta­tion, WEPM in Fort Valley, Ga.

   
           Fred Burkhalter, Eddie Miller & Tommy Fagan                                      Autry Inman ("Remember The Night")               

The big break came when Jeff Whatley, Auburn's expert in high fidelity, sent tape record­ings of their work to Tru Pub­lishing Company. Tru sold Fa­gan's song, "Remember the Night" to RCA victor, who became very interested in both the group and the song. The group will record several songs, two of which, "My One" a song composed by the trio and "Shirley Ann" will be released by Dot records.

Songs :

The Chancers

  
My One                                          Shirley Ann

Autry Inman


Remember The Night

...

Top : W.Kimbrough - L.Alford       Middle : F.Abercrombie - W.Glenn    Bottom : G.Jones - M.Glenn   

The Vel-Tones (1) (Aliquippa, Pa.)

Personnel :

Willie Glenn (Lead)

Melvin Glenn (First Tenor)

Len Alford (Second Tenor)

Frank Abercrombie (Baritone)

William Kimbrough (Bass)

Discography :

1958 -  Please Say You'll Be True / Broken Heart (Vel 9177/9178 / Fee Bee 9177/9178)

Biography :

In 1954, Richie Blackson, Joe Freeman, Willie Glenn and Coyt Young formed a barbershop quartet from a Choir at Aliquippa High School in Aliquippa, Pa. In 1956, While in school Willie Glenn had been groomed to the more conservative musical stylings. Now, he and others would be crooners had become street corner vocalists. Not until early 1957 did a cohesive quintet, the Vel-Tones, surface with Willie Glenn, Melvin Glenn (Willie's brother), Len Alford, Frank Abercrombie and William Kimbrough. Initially, the only instrumental accompaniment was provided by Gorge Jones on piano and Organ. Although the Vel-Tones offerings lacked originally, their superb harmony impressed former original "Come Go With Me" Dell-Viking, Kripp Johnson. On account of contractual obligations, Johnson was still recording for Joe Averbach's Fee Bee Label with a new assemblage of Dell-Vikings, aka, the Versatiles.

  
Kripp Johnson                                                                    The Dell-Vikings - Willie Glenn in the Middle                                                      
Kripp johnson arranged an audition for the Vel-Tones at Averbach's home in Whitehall, Pa. The group brought along a new number called "Broken Heart" which had been written just for them In August, the group traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for a session at the Way Out Recording Studio. "Broken Heart" and "Please Say You'll Be True" were waxed. The Vel-Tones shared the stage with the Five Royales at the CIO Hall in Aliquippa. there were continuous engagements at a multitude of club in Pensylvania. In 1959, Kripp Johnson approached Willie Glenn about joining a new edition of the Del Vikings. Glenn agreed and With his departure the Vel-Tones finally Disbanded.

Songs :

 
Broken Heart / Please Say You'll Be True


...

Edward Harder, John Wray, Bob DelDin, Larry Chance & Larry Palombo.

The High Hatters (Bronx, New York)
aka The Earls (2)

Personnel :

Edward Harder (Lead)

Bob DelDin (First Tenor)

Larry Chance (Second Tenor)

John Wray (Baritone)

Larry Palombo (Bass/Baritone)

Discography :

Unreleased :
1959 - It's You (Rome)

Biography :

From the Bronx, The Earls began life as the High Hatters, cutting four demos in 1959 for Rome Records. They planned to buy themselves white tux & tails, spats, patent leather shoes, ruffled shirts, white gloves, white top hats and fancy white walking sticks. However, they had no money, so the name went out , along with the idea. At that time, the group consisted of Val Polillo (Lead), Bob Del Din, (First Tenor), Larry Palombo, (Bass/Baritone), John Wray,(Baritone), and Larry Chance, (Second Tenor). Val Polillo left and was replaced by Eddie Harder on lead.

        
Larry Palombo

Their First appearances as the High Hatters were at the Moose Lodge on 216th Street in the Bronx and at Teen Town in Mt. Vernon, NY. They sang all the standard street songs, "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom," "I'm So Happy," "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "Thousand Miles Away," etc. Knowing they couldn't afford to buy the outfits they had wanted, they decided to change the name. However, they had five guys, all of whom thought that the name they wanted was best. Five members, five ideas. So, they decided that the only fair way to arrive at a new name would be to get a dictionary, open a page at random, place a finger on a word and call the group whatever came up. Finger landed on the word "EARL,... nobleman of high rank." That was it....they would be called "The EARLS!". Later, in 1959, the Earls lost their original member Larry Palombo in an army skydiving accident when his parachute failed to open during an exercise. In 1961, Rome released the Earls' first record "Life is But a Dream" (Rome 101 – 1961) b/w "Lost Love".

Songs :

...