The Corsairs (1) (New York)

Personnel :

?

Discography :

Single:
1957 - Goodbye Darling / Rock Lilly Rock (Hy-Tone 110)

Unreleased:
1957 - Believe In Me (Hy-Tone)
1957 - Darling (Please Be Mine) (Hy-Tone)

Biography :

Not the Hy-Tone from Chicago that from the late forties to the mid fifties issued many good blues records, this record company was in fact from Queens, New York. Operating between 1957 and 1959, the Hy-Tone label presented here released fine records by The Lyrics and The Hy-Tones, as well as this single by The Corsairs.

 Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim)

  
Goodbye Darling                             Rock Lilly Rock

  
Darling (Please Be Mine)                       Believe In Me       

...

Harry & The Keyavas (Rahway, New Jersey)

Personnel :

Harry Starr (Lead)

Jerry Timmons

Kevin Garrity

Discography :

Harry & The Keyavas
1963 - If This Is Goodbye / Tears (IPG 1011)

Harry Starr
1966 - Step Into My World / Another Time, Another Place (End 1129)

Biography :

C&M Records from Elizabeth,N.J. were a label owned by Castino Queen and Mary Linkowitch (also owners of Wanger Records). The C&M label was just beginning but was about to sign a young black group from Elizabeth called the Nobletones . C&M Records was a small outfit so they worked out of a storefront and these kids happened to be from the neighbourhood and they went in and he recorded them first.   

Among the Nobletones was Jerry Timmons, who a few years later would again register for C&M as a member of the Keyavas. They recorded two great doo-wop : "If This Is Goodbye" b/w "Tears" as Harry & The Keyavas. Lead singer Harry Starr`s real name was Harrison William Pennington and he was married to Eller Weas Little, aka Elouise Pennington from the Spellbinders. In 1966 Harry Starr recorded "Step Into My World" b/w "Another Time, Another Place" for the End label.

Songs :

Harry & The Keyavas

   
  If This Is Goodbye                                        Tears      

Harry Starr

   
Another Time, Another Place                         Step Into My World 

...

(L to R) Phyllis Walker, Mary Clemons and Patricia Allensworth Stephens

The Arvettes (New Kensington / Ford City, PA.)

Personnel :

Patricia Allensworth Stephens

Mary Clemons

Phyllis Walker

Discography :

1962 - At A School Dance / Lovely Emotions (Hac 100)
1963 - Pledge Of Love / I Want To Dance With You (Ideal 100)
1963 - Stolen Hours / Pledge Of Love (Ideal)
1965 - Stolen Hours / Pledge Of Love (Ideal 272G-3776)

Biography :

Vocal group, composed of Phyllis Walker, Mary Clemons and Patty Allensworth Stephens. Phyllis Walker, Mary Clemons were from New Kensington and Patty Allensworth Stephens, is from Ford City. The trio signed a contract with HAC Records named after the three song writing partners, Hal-Al-Chuck. They recorded "At A School Dance" and "Lovely Emotions" released by HAC in 1962.

"At A School Dance" and "Lovely Emotions" was written by Ford City, PA native Frank Tolliver. He was also the writer of "I Found a Dream" and "I Wanna Dance With You" for the Pacers (from Ford City). He and Patricia Allensworth was part of the Pacers who recorded the two songs in 1958 for Calico.  In 1963, Ideal records released their second single with "Pledge Of Love" and "I Want To Dance With You" (written by Frank Tolliver). December of the same year, the label will release a new single with a new title : "Stolen Hours" coupled with "Pledge Of Love".

Songs :

  
At A School Dance                        Lovely Emotions

  
       Pledge Of Love                   I Want To Dance With You


Stolen Hours

...

1962 - Michael & The Continentals

Michael & The Continentals (8) (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Michael Zarzana (Lead)

Dennis Muro (First Tenor)

Joey Noto (Second Tenor)

Mark Weiner (Baritone)

Billy Schlanger (Bass)

Discography :

1967 - Little School Girl / Rain In My Eyes (Audio Fidelity 139)

Biography :

Michael and the Continentals were from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and consisted of Michael Zarzana (lead), Dennis Muro (first tenor), Joey Noto (second tenor), Mark Weiner (baritone) and Billy Schlanger (bass).  Originally, Tony Battiglia was the 2nd tenor but Michael asked Joey Noto to take his place.  All were from Sheepshead Bay and started singing in the early 1960 on the street corners of Brooklyn or any other practice venue the groups could find. They eventually form  "Michael & the Continentals" & sang professionally for 10 years.  The group makes several recordings but nothing comes out. They have to wait until the mid-60s to finally see the release of a single : "Little School Girl" b/w "Rain In My Eyes". There are many unreleased doowop cuts by the Continentals, produced by Barney Zarzana of the Bay Bops.

Songs :

 
Little School Girl / Rain In My Eyes

...

Paul & Paula (left) with Connie Burns & Sandra Matthews (The Buttons) and Hugh Jarrett (The Jordanaires).

The Buttons (2) (Nashville, TN)

Personnel :

Sandra Lucille Matthews

Connie Burns

Discography :

1962 - Shimmy Shimmy Watusi / Pretty Li'l Lovelights (Columbia 42618)
1963 - Popeye Does The Mashed Potatoes / My Photograph Book (Columbia 42700)
1963 - Foot Stompin' U.S.A./ Walk Away Girl (Columbia 42834)

Biography :

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee in 1949, Sandra Matthews started her singing career in 1962, at the tender age of 12, with an R&B group called The Buttons, which further consisted of Connie Burns. Purportedly named by Jimi Hendrix, who nicknamed a young Sandra “Button” during he and Billy Cox’s stay in Nashville in 1962. Together the Buttons recorded a few songs for the Columbia label, including ‘Shimmy Shimmy Watusi’, ‘Pretty li’l lovelights’ . Although still very young, Sandra Matthews was close to making a big break, since all recordings were produced by legend to be Carl Davis, who was just starting out at the time but would hit it big with acts like Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, The Chi-Lites and Young Holt Unlimited not long after.

Connie and Sandra were obviously talented. Both get writing credits on the first two songs, while Ronnie Wilkins is credited on the last. Again a sign of the Buttons’ proximity to stardom, because it was Wilkins who wrote chartbusters such as ‘Son of a preacherman‘ and  ‘Love of the common people.’ The latter was sung by a great many artists, with various results, but seriously dominated the European charts in a reggae version: the one Joe Gibbs recorded with Nicky Thomas in 1970. Sandra Matthews later changed her stage name to Reggae singer Dhaima.

Songs :

  
   Pretty Li'l Lovelights                      Shimmy Shimmy Watusi

  
Popeye Does The Mashed Potatoes               My Photograph Book           

  
     Walk Away Girl                          Foot Stompin' U.S.A.


...