Gene & Billy

The Chanters (1)  (Santa Monica, CA)
ref Gene & Billy aka The Cats


Personnel :

Ethel Brown

Gene Ford

Billy Boyd

Alan Boyd

Discography :

The Chanters (1)
Singles :
1954 - She Wants To Mambo / Tell Me, Thrill Me (RPM 415)
1955 - Watts / Why (Combo 78)
1955 - I love You / Hot Mama (Combo 92)
Unreleased :
1955 - Do you Remember (Combo)

The Cats
1955 - Get Gone / You're So Nice (Federal 12238)
1955 - I Don't Care No More / After I Gave You My Heart (Federal 12438)

Gene & Billy
1955 - Zerlene / It's Hot / (Spark 120)
1955 - Zerlene / The Whip (Billy & Billygoats) (Loma 702)

Biography :

The Chanters were a Santa Monica vocal group and not to be confused with the Queens, NY group. This group consisted of Ethel Brown from the squires (on Combo)  Gene Ford, Alan Boyd, and Billy Boyd. On RPM, they had just this one record. They also had two releases on Combo Records in 1955. Gene Ford had sung with Jim Forrest & The Four Feathers.

When the group broke up, Gene & Billy cut "Zerlene " "It's Hot" in 1955 on the short lived Spark label. Spark Records was the brainchild of the clever Jerry Leiber and the gutsy Mike Stoller. The Same year, Gene & Billy cut two Singles for Federal, King Record's subsidiary, under the name of the Cats.

Songs :

The Chanters (1)

  
She Wants To Mambo                           Tell Me, Thrill Me

  
I love You                                       Hot Mama

  
Watts                                                   Why


Do you Remember

The Cats

   
I Don't Care No More                                 Get Gone      

   
After I Gave You My Heart        You're So Nice

Gene & Billy

  
Zerlene                                      It's Hot

 ...

Eddie Delmar

Eddie Delmar bb The Bob Knight Four (Brooklyn, NY.)

Personnel :

Eddie Delmar (Lead)

The Bob Knight Four
Bobby Bovino
Paul Ferrigno
Ralph Garone
John Ropers

Discography :

1961 - Garden In The Rain / My Heart Beckons You (Vegas 628)
1961 - Blanche / Love Bells (Madison 168)

Biography :

In 1956, Bob "Nemo" Nemser was an aspiring songwriter and singer. He had many friends who had groups and "Hung out" with these types on a regular basis. Bob's close friend, Marvin Della Croce, Aka Eddie Delmar, was singing in a talent show at The China Lantern, a small club of Flatsbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. Bob "Nemo" Nemser became Eddie Delmar's Manager and a partner in a BMI publishing company called Nedell Music. A disc Jockey, Harry Newman, out of a radio in Philadelphia, PA, introduced Bob Nemser and Eddie Delmar to the Bob Knight Four. Formed in 1956 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, this vocal group featured Bob Bovino aka Bob Knight (lead), Paul Ferrigno (first tenor), Ralph Garone (baritone) and John Ropers (bass). This Meeting led the group in studio, and the Demo "Cara Mia" was recorded. The song written by Bob Nemser, was later turned into a hit by Jay & the Americans.

  
The Bob Knight Four                          

This association between Delmar and the Bob Knight four lead to a release in 1961, when DJ Harry Newman's friend, Sid Payne, heard Eddie and wanted to record him on his Vegas Label. They recorded the Old Standard "Garden In The Rain", and a Nemser original, "My Heart Beckons You". Payne had the group Follow-up, "Love Bells", and their version of "Blanche", and had this released on the Madison Label in late 1961. "Love Bells" became a hit; it sold ten thousand copies the first days. Nemser became the manager of the Bob Knight Four during the mid-'60s, a period in which the original group splintered amid the burgeoning British Invasion and the accompanying decline of interest in harmony vocal music. Charlie Licata joined Garrone and Nappier in a new version of the Bob Knight Four, with Eddie Delmar and Frank Iovino on lead. They endured into 1966, crossing paths with the Tokens at the time.

Songs : :

  
My Heart Beckons You                         Garden In The Rain

  
Love Bells                                                  Blanche

...

Paul Simon & Carole King

The Cosines (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Carole King "Klein" (piano, vocals)

Iris Lipnik (vocals)

Joel Zwick (vocals)

Leonard Pullman (vocals)

Discography :

1992 - Ask Me Why / Just To Be With You (Chance 102)

Biography :

Paul Simon produced records for other artists and wrote many songs which he recorded, mainly for Amy Records, as $25 demos for  Dion, Fabian & Bobby Vee and many others.  From 1958 to 1959 he worked with Carole Klein "Carole King" who formed her own group in 1957, the Cosines. The Cosines were composed of Madison High School Pupils, has been attracting attention locally. The group  members are Carole Klein, Iris Lipnik, Joel Zwick and Leonard Pullman.

The Cosines which did demos for The Fleetwoods & The Passions and others. "Just To Be With You" recorded by The Passions in 1958 was their most successful work. Paul published his songs in his own company: Landis Music. From Amy Records times come these two tracks by The Cosines which were released by Chance label in 1992.

Songs :

   
Just To Be With You                                  Ask Me Why    

 ...

The Sonnets (1) (Baltimore, Maryland)
Thanks to  Liam

Personnel :

Guy "Doc" Bragg

Maxwell Chatman

Billy Nixon

Michael Monroe

Gordon Koger

Marvin ?

Discography :

1956 - Why Should We Break Up / Please Won't You Call Me (Herald 477)
1958 - Angel Of My Dreams / Oh, Judy (Lane 501)

Biography :

The Sonnets were a vocal group from Baltimore, Maryland, featured members Guy "Doc" Bragg, Maxwell Chatman, Billy Nixon, Michael Monroe, Gordon Koger, and Marvin ?. The Sonnets were brought to Al Silver's Herald Records by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman of "Flying Saucer" fame in May of 1956. "Why Should We Break Up?" b/w "Please Won't You Call Me" was Herald 477. Most groups made a single and disappeared from the musical landscape, not the Sonnets...
.

   
Guy "Doc" Bragg                                                                                                                                         Gordon Koger  

Two years later they recorded "Angel of My Dreams" and "Oh Judy" for Lane Records. Lane Records was formed with president Angelo Vinci, secretary Peter Forlini, treasurer Ralph Parla, and promotion man Nick Bellarosa. The Sonnets & Marty DeRose were the only artists signed by the label.

Songs :

  
Why Should We Break Up                   Please Won't You Call Me

  
Angel Of My Dreams                                 Oh, Judy         

...

The Corvells (1) & The RoyalTeens (Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn)

Personnel :

Manny Grubstein

Mark Woeschel

Peter Weiss

Discography :

1957 - We Made A Vow / Miss Jones (Lido 509 / Tip Top 509)

Biography :

In 1956, Bob "Nemo" Nemser was an aspiring songwriter and singer. He had many friends who had groups and "Hung out" with these types on a regular basis. Bob's close friend, Marvin Della Croce, Aka Eddie Delmar, was singing in a talent show at The China Lantern, a small club of Flatsbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. This amateur contest was arranged by comic Eddie Stevens. Eddie heard Bob's song and introduced him to a local group, the Corvells, whom he managed. The Corvells were from Bedford Stuyvesant (Hancock and Throop) in  Brooklyn and consisted of Manny Grubstein, Mark Woeschel and Peter Weiss.

   
"Jocko" & Leo Logers                                                                                           The Royalteens                    

Bob penned many songs for the group, including "We Made A Vow" and "Miss Jones" with was released on Lido and Tip Top label owned by Leo Rogers like many other labels  (BayFront, Bruce, Power, All Star and Lo Fi records). Leo Rogers had hit big in New York and a few other east coast markets in late '56 with "Blanche" by The Three Friends on the Lido label. Taking a trip across the bridge, a Vocal and instrumental group, the Royal-boys auditioned for Rogers, who gave them an assignment backing The Corvells, on "We Made a Vow," crediting as The Royalteens, a name the guys weren't fond of and didn't figure on using in the future.

Songs :


We Made A Vow / Miss Jones

...