Frank Chiaro, Howard Odell, Bobby Dreeben & Lionel "Ly" Wilsea

The Chippendales (Yonkers, New York)

Personnel :

Howard Odell (Bass / Vocal)

Frank Chiaro (Guitar / Vocal)

Lionel "Ly" Wilsea (Drums / Vocal)

Jess Felanchek (Guitar / Vocal)

Discography :

1959 - What A Night / Drip Drop (Andie 5013)
1960 - Voodoo / The Day Will Come (Rust 5023)

Biography :

Vocal and instrumental group, the Chippendales were first known as the Cytations and had established a good local reputation with their regular appearances for two years. The Cytations includes Frank Chiaro, who plays first guitar; Howie Odell, rhythm guitar; Bobby Dreeben on the bass, and Lionel Wilsea at the drums.  All the boys will be seniors at Yonkers High School. The young musicians organized their combiation in 1957 and have been playing together ever since at teenage dances, amateur shows, and all kinds of benefit performances all over the county.

They have had a number of professional engagement by Sigmund Dreeben, the bass player's father, has acted as their “business manager” arranging appearances and handling their finances. In October 1959, the group landed a recording contract with Andie Records, A Laurie Subsidiary. By this time, Bobby Dreeben had left the group and was replaced by Jess Felanchek. Their first record will be released the same month with "What A Night" b/w "Drip Drop". The song was introduced by Cleveland area DJ’s but failed to chart nationally.  Andie Records morphed into Rust Records with release #5022, following on numerically from Andie #5021, and the Chippendales had their next release as the second single on the Rust imprint, #5023 with "Voodoo" b/w "The Day Will Come".

Songs :

  
What a Night                                Drip Drop

  
      Voodoo                                       The Day Will Come

...

The Three Guys (Cleveland, Oh)

Personnel :

Ron Bakalar

Robert Puls

William Puls

Discography :

1960 - Where Or When / Not Yet (Clown 3009)

Biography :

The record, “Where or When,” has received wide praise from the public who heard a trial version of the song. The trio, known as “The Three Guys,” includes Ron Bakalar, 21-year-old senior from Lakewood, Bob and Bill Puls from Parma. Ron and Bill sang in a semi-professional quartet in high school, which broke up just before graduation in 1955. Then in November 1958, the trio got together. Don got the idea for the song by watching the TV program, “Concentration.” He noticed that everytime the M.C.  asked the contestants if they could guess the puzzle, they answered, “not yet.” He thought that would make a good title for a song, and so he wrote it. The song, however, doesn’t deal with the TV show, but with lovers.

The record was cut in February on the Clown label. The boys originally cut the record Jan. 3 in Chicago, and brought it back to Cleveland for a preview. At the time they were told it needed some refining, so they re-cut it, this time in Cleveland. Al Russ and his orchestra provide the music for the recording. The “three guys” credit WERE disc jockey Tommy Edwards with discovering the group. They brought the “dub” a rough draft of the record to Edwards, who played it on his show. It was picked up by the station’s other DJ’s, including Phil McLean. McLean played the record on his Saturday night request show. At the close of the program he announced over the air that the record “Where or When” had received more requests than any other recording he has played on a Saturday night program.

Songs :

  
Where Or When                                        Not Yet

..

The Sunny Lads (Newark, NJ)

Personnel :

Frank Racanelli (Lead)

Anthony J. Cuozzo

Lewis “Fred” Biancone

Kenneth Rohn  

Discography :

Single :
1959 - You're In Love / That's My Desire (Jax 103)

Unreleased :
1959 - Hi-Fi (Jax)

Biography :

Born in Newark, NJ, Frank Racanelli graduated from Irvington High School, then completed his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Seton Hall University.

                                                                                         Frank Racanelli

 His joyous years began as lead singer in the group The Sunny Lads. The group signed a JAX / BMI records label, performed with celebrities like Connie Francis, Allan Freed show... They cut one single for Jax with the classic song "That's My Desire" and "You're In Love" wrote by Frank Racanelli . The group have an unreleased side "Hi-Fi".

Songs :

  
That's My Desire                        You're In Love


…..

(L to R) Howard Washington, Chet Stewart, Dave MacPhail, Joan Stewart, Ernie Madison, and Jim Jackson.

The Tranells (Lancaster, PA)

Personnel :

Joan Stewart (Lead)

Chet Stewart (vocals)

Jimmy Jackson  (vocals)

Howard Washington (vocals)

Clyde Lucas (keyboards), Ernie Jamison (lead guitar) , Harry Wilkerson (bass), Al Gates (saxophone), Buddy Gantz (percussion)

Discography :

Singles :
1964 - Come On And Tell Me / The Music Swayed (Chelten 090)
1967 - Blessed With A Love / Take This Heart (Never Break This Heart) (Flo-Jo 101)

Unreleased :
1965 - Phantom Of The Light

Biography :

The Tranells hailed mostly from McCaskey High School in Lancaster. Also, most early 1960s-era groups practiced on the street corner, in church, a garage, school, or wherever they could find decent acoustics and space. For The Tranells, it was the house on Christian Street owned by “Uncle Herbie” Lynch where they got their start in the business. The year was

L to R (Front row) Buddy Gantz, Ernie Jamison, Joan Stewart (Back row) Howard Washington, Jimmy Jackson, Chet Stewart, David McPhail .

Founder Chet Stewart (who previously enjoyed a short stint with The Crystalaires), along with younger sister Joanie, Jimmy Jackson, and Howard Washington (who joined later), were the singers of the group. Band members included Ernie Jamison (early) and Harold Sheetz (later), lead guitar; Clyde Lucas (later replaced by David McPhail) on keyboards; Harry Wilkerson, bass; Al Gates, sax; and Buddy Gantz, drummer. The Tranells was actually the second name of the group, originally known as the Phoenicians. “Chet had the name,” said Washington. “It (The Tranells name) didn’t have meaning – it had a nice sound.” The group was Central Pennsylvania’s version of a Motown act, with a spit-and-polish, clean-cut image: well dressed, no smoking or drinking, always polite and never late. The first single, “Come On and Tell Me”/“The Music Swayed,” was released in 1964 on the Chelten label.

Originally written as an up-tempo number, this ballad had a sweet soul sound, prevalent at the time. The record enjoyed huge local success, especially at Lancaster’s WLAN-AM radio, where it pushed out Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” for the top spot. Air personality Chuck Raymond was the driving force in The Tranells’ success at that station. Three years later the second 45RPM, this time on the Flo-Jo label, was released. “Blessed With A Love”/“Take This Heart” is a very rare recording. Music collector sources say there could have been as few as 100 copies to as many as 500 pressed. (In 2005, a legitimate reissue on Lancaster’s X-Bat label was released of this hard-to-get recording.)

Another single, “Phantom of the Light,” was never released. The record was supposed to be released between the first and second singles. It was recorded at Dr. Henry Williams’ house on West Orange Street in Lancaster.Between recordings, the group would perform all over central and eastern Pennsylvania. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Orlons, and Patti and The Emblems were a few of the groups with whom they shared the stage. The Tranells backed Patti Labelle in the studio; however, they never received the credit they were due.
story by Derek Shaw

Songs :

  
Come On And Tell Me                The Music Swayed

  
Take This Heart (Never Break This Heart)         Blessed With A Love           


...

George "Lucky" Lloyd

The Joylarks (Allentown, Pa)
aka The Floridians

Personnel :

George "Lucky" Lloyd

Farouk Kamma

Norman Williams

John Price

Discography :

The Joylarks
1959 - Betty My Love / In The Rain (Snag 107)

The Floridians   
1961 - I Love Marie / The Lucky Old Sun (ABC-Paramount 10185)

Biography :

In Allentown, George Lloyd was approached by some other guys in the neighborhood who were interested in forming a singing group. The group consisted of Farouk Kamma, Norman Williams, John Price and George Lloyd and rehearsed and practiced the popular hits at the time.  They decided to  to name themselves the Joylarks and participed  to an audition for the “Pepsi-Teen-Show.” A record promoter had the show had this radio and was listening and heard them sing.

His name was T. Griffin. He approached the group afterward and asked them if we were interested in cutting a record.  Two songs written by two members of the group were recorded. "Betty My Love" which was written by Farouk Kamma and “In The Rain" which was written by John Price. George Lloyd arranged the background vocal and harmony for both songs.” It was officially released in May of 1959 by Snag records. Almost two years later, the group recorded two new titles "I Love Marie" and "The Lucky Old Sun" released in February 1961 as the Floridians.

Jay & the Techniques

Some years later George Lloyd met young Jay Proctor (from the Sinceres) and started a new group : Jay & the Techniques.


Songs :

The Joylarks

  
Betty My Love                         In The Rain

The Floridians   

  
I Love Marie                           The Lucky Old Sun

...