(L to R) Wanda Holder, Sandra Howell and Sue McCucthcin

The Melo-Tones (1) (Booneville, Miss.)

Personnel :

Sandra Howell (Lead)

Wanda Holder

Sue McCucthcin

Rubye Penna (Pianist)  

Discography :

1960 - Saturday Sweetheart / Special Delivery (Image 1009)

Biography :

In the fall of 1958, Sandra Howell started the ninth grade at Booneville High School (Miss.). One day early in the year, she was trying out for the high school chorus and was in the process of giving a voice recital on stage in the high school auditorium. Seated in the audience were about twenty other student swho were also trying out for the chorus. One of the people in the audience was Wanda Holder. Wanda was a couple of years older than Sandra and had ambitions of starting up her own singing group. Wanda was impressed with Sandra’s voice, so after the recitals, she contacted Sandra and asked if she would like to join her singing group. Fifteen-year-old Sandra was flattered and immediately said, “Sure!” As it turned out, the group would be called the “Mello-Tones” and would be composed of a piano player, Ruby Penna, and three singers, Wanda Holder, Sue McCutchin, and Sandra Howell. The Mello-Tones became a local phenomenon, singing at the radio station, WBIP, every weekend. Furthermore, one time they were even booked to sing for a week at a night club in Huntsville, Alabama. Another time they went to Birmingham and made a record at the Image Records Company. The À side of the record was a song called “Saturday Sweetheart.” The manager of Image Records, Bill Tucci, was quite impressed with Sandra’s voice. He said that he was interested in managing her as a solo performer. Sandra declined. For years the trio traveled and performed throughout Northeast Mississippi and Northern Alabama. They were also privileged to have recorded backup vocals for many artists at the renowned Sun Studio in Memphis, TN and Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL.


Songs :

?

...

(L to R) Martha Love, Mona Taylor and Ann Allen

The Blondells (Jasper, Alabama)

Personnel :

Mona Taylor

Martha Love

Ann Allen

Discography

1961 - Rocking My Blues Away / No One Will Ever Know (MBM 8020)

Biography :

Formerly known as "The Black Cats", The Blondells were composed by Mona Taylor, Martha Love and Ann Allen. However, it was after organizing the trio at Walker College in 1955 that the girls received their first big break. Local Kiwanians sent the girls to entertain at the International Kiwanis Convention in Convention Hall, Atlantic City. “Miss America” contestants have nothing on our gals.

   
                    Mona Taylor                                                  (L to R) Martha Love, Mona Taylor and Ann Allen

Blonde, shapely and talented — these girls were a natural. Soon after their triumph in Atlantic City came another boost, this time in the form of a first place award in the Farm Bu|reau Nation-wide Talent Contest. They went to Chicago, performing in the Civic Opera House, and making guest apearances in Sherman Hotel's Green Room. In 1961, They recorded "Rocking My Blues Away" b/w "No One Will Ever Know" released par the new label MBM from Birmingham, Alabama.

Songs :

  
Rocking My Blues Away                   No One Will Ever Know

...

(Top to Bottom) George Milan, Bob Moody, Jackie Allen and Warren Tippie

The Accents (1) (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Jackie Allen

George Milan

Bob Moody

Warren Tippie

Discography :

Jackie Allen é The Accents (1)
1955 - Cool-A-Roo (I Love You, Baby) / Don't Go (Ac'cent 1025)
1955 - Bop Me Baby / Mood To Be Wooed (Ac'cent 1027)

The Accents (1)
1955 - Yes Yes / Forever Yours (Ac'cent 1031)
1956 - Where Will You Be / Voice Of The Bayous (Ac'cent 1036)
1956 - The Name Song / This Ole Body (Ac'cent 1037)
1956 - He Guides Me / Good Bye, God Bless You (Ac'cent 1040)
1956 - Put Your Hand In His Hand / Trust In The Lord (Ac'cent 1043)

Lynn Howard & The Accents (1)
1956 -  Red Thunderbird / Walkin' After Midnight (Ac'cent 1044)

Nick Lucas bb The Accents (1)
1955 - Kind And Considerate / Soldiers Guitar (Ac'cent 1030)

Biography :

In 1955 George Milan were a popular motion picture and Television personality who has been featured in more 100 television shows and was part of a Pop Vocal group named The Accents with Jackie Allen, Bob Moody and Warren Tippie . The Accents has been seen on Ed Sullivan's "Toast On The Town", in the motion pictures, and are the lead singers with "Voices Of Walter Schumann" and are the voices heard on several commercials over radio and Television.

Scott Seely, a songwriter, arranger, and musician, started Ac'cent Records in 1954 as a way to promote original compositions for which he held the publishing rights. The Accents signed a recording contract with Scott Seely and recorded seven pop singles and backed some artist for the label.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Accents (1)

  
Cool-A-Roo (I Love You, Baby)                        Don't Go                

  
Bop Me Baby                                Mood To Be Wooed

  
The Name Song                        This Ole Body

  
 Yes Yes / Forever Yours  

Lynn Howard & The Accents (1)

  
 Red Thunderbird                             Walkin' After Midnight

...

The Criterions (1) (Belmar, N.J.)
aka The Kents (2)

Personnel :

John Mangiarcine (Lead)

Tommy Picardo (Tenor)

Tim Hauser (First Tenor)

Jimmy Ruff (Second Tenor)

Steve Casagrandre (Baritone)

Joe Ernst (Bass)

Discography :

The Criterions (1)
1959 - Don't Say Goodbye / Crying The Blues Over You (Cecelia 1010)
1959 - I Remain Truly Yours / You Just You (Cecelia 1208 / Laurie 3305)

The Kents (2)
1965 - Don't Say Goodbye / My Juanita (Relic 1013)

Johnny Starr (John Mangiarcine )
1960 - The Way You Look Tonight / Love That Girl Of Mine (Cecelia 1212)   

Biography

Nowadays the Criterions are chiefly remembered for being the launching pad to the 70s success of Manhattan Transfer, but they boasted a distinctive career in their own right. Essentially a doo-wop group from Belmar, New Jersey, USA, their origins can be traced to 1956 when Tim Hauser (lead) visited a Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers concert in Asbury Park which ended in a riot.

Hauser escaped the trouble by making his way into the stage wings, where Lymon himself invited him into the dressing rooms. That meeting was to prove pivotal, and encouraged Hauser to form his own neighbourhood vocal group. By 1958 he had recruited St. Rose High School classmates Tommy Picardo (top tenor), Jimmy Ruff (second tenor), Steve Casagrande (baritone) and Phil Miller (bass).

  
John Mangiarcineming                                                                                                                                         

They began rehearsing together after taking their name from a local restaurant, quickly replacing Miller with Joe Ernst. Growing in proficiency, they approached several New York labels, eventually making the acquaintance of producer Al Browne after a failed audition for End Records. They entered the studios with Browne in September 1958, recording live staple ‘Nita Juanita’ (a cover version of the Crests’ ‘My Juanita’) and an original composition, ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’.

However, this brace were rejected by a succession of labels, resulting in the introduction of a new lead vocalist in John Mangi (ex-Point Pleasant), with Hauser switching to first tenor. After declining a contract from home town label Arc Records they eventually signed with Cecilia Records in April 1959. Their debut single was ‘I Remain Truly Yours’, which was picked up for airplay immediately by disc jockey Alan Freed (unsurprising perhaps, as Cecilia Records’ boss Marty Foglia was Freed’s sound engineer).

The Criterions performing at a college function in Pennsylvania

It became a local success, but not enough of one to dissuade the Criterions’ members to defer their impending college careers. A revision of ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ was their next release. Sessions held with the Fabulous Dominoes, which resulted in the latter band enjoying a hit under the guise of the Viscounts with ‘Harlem Nocturne’, failed to produce any results. The proposed Criterions single from this time, a sizzling arrangement of the gospel standard ‘Over The Rainbow’, instead became a Top 20 US chart success for the Dimensions in 1960. The Criterions played a few more shows and backed singer Jerry Perci’s record for Cecilia, but never recorded afterwards. Picardo went on to become a noted producer and writer (especially through his work with Jim Croce) while the other members, Hauser aside, left the music business. Hauser formed Manhattan Transfer in 1969 and enjoyed global success, though in a direction far removed from his earthy R&B roots.

Songs :

The Criterions (1)

      
Don't Say Goodbye              Crying The Blues Over You       I Remain Truly Yours

    
You Just You                    Don't Say Goodbye (take 6)

The Kents (2)

     
  My Juanita                                    Don't Say Goodbye

Johnny Starr (John Mangiarcine)

  
The Way You Look Tonight                    Love That Girl Of Mine  

...

Edward Nicholson, Woodrow Walker, Earl Tyler, Harvey Lee Jones and Wayne Johnson

The Premiers (3) (Roanoke, Va.)

Personnel ;

Edward Nicholson

Woodrow Walker

Earl Tyler

Harvey Lee Jones

Wayne Johnson

Discography :

The Chevies (& The Premiers (3) Uncredited)
1959 - Come On And Love Me (vocal  W. Johnson)/ I Love That Girl So (vocal  E. Nicholson) (Dove 1033)

The Chevies & The Premiers (3) Featuring Alice Spinner
1962 - I've Got You (I've Got Everything) / Go Get 'Em (Instrumental) (Intern 1101/1102)


Biography :

Vocal group from Roanoke composed by Edward Nicholson, Woodrow Walker, Earl Tyler, Harvey Lee Jones and Wayne Johnson . In 1959, the group had been singing together for three years feature a singing and cut-up show and perform rock'n' Roll, Jazz, ballads and pop songs often in conjonction with the chevies, a Roanoke band. The Chevies included drummer Jimmy Lewis, Alfred Randolph on baritone sax, baritone Ernest Petty, bass player Bump Bumbry, and guitar player Charles “Slick” Dillon in addition to Allan Walker and Elmer Coles. the Chevies and Premiers played colleges in the region including Virginia, VMI, Virginia Tech, and Washington and Lee. At one such fraternity appearance at W&L, the gig overlapped with a show by Lionel Hampton and his band who were playing elsewhere on campus.

     
Alice Spinner

In 1959, the Premiers went to Baltimore accompanied by the Chevies for the recording of "Come On And Love Me" (vocal by Wayne Johnson) and "I Love That Girl So" (vocal by Edward Nicholson). Surprisingly the single was released by Dove Record under the name of The Chevies, The Premies disappeared from the single except the two singers, Wayne Johnson and Edward Nicholson. In 1962, the Premiers backed singer Alice Spinner on "I've Got You (I've Got Everything)".  Alice’s musical career started with The Chevies and The Premiers Featuring Alice Spinner. The Corvettes, The Artie Sherman Trio, Summer Breeze, The Ron Norfolk Trio featuring Alice Spinner.  She also sung with Miles Davis.  Her final group was the Communicators formed around 1977.

Songs :

The Chevies (& The Premiers (3) Uncredited)

  
Come On And Love Me                    I Love That Girl So  

The Chevies & The Premiers (3) Featuring Alice Spinner


I've Got You (I've Got Everything

...