Ray Allen Trio (Westchester, New York)
aka The Gum Drops aka The Upbeats (2)  aka The Classmates (1) aka The Four Classmates

Personnel :

Ray "Allen" Albanese (Vocal/Guitar)

Frank Rey (Vocal/Bass)

Harold "Feirstein" Stone (Vocal/Piano)

Vinnie Bell "Vinnie Gambella" (Guitar) 

Discography :

Ray Allen Trio

1954 - Why Should I Love You / Love My Love (King 1383)

1954 - Amapola / Love In Rhyme (King 1399) 

1955 - I Miss You So / Money, Money, Money (King 1438)

1961 - See Africa First / Two Angels (Joy 247)

The Classmates (1)
1955 - What Am I Gonna Do / A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (King 1487)

The Four Classmates
1955 - What Am I Gonna Do / A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (King 1487)

The Gum Drops

1955 - Gum Drop / Don't Take It so Hard 1955 (King 1496)
1955 - I'll Wait For One More Train / Don't Take It So Hard (King 1499)
1955 - I Wonder and Wonder / I'll Follow You (King 4913) 

1956 - Natural born Lover / Chapel Of Hearts (King 4963)
1957 - Ba-Bee-Da Boat Is Leaving / Pigeon (King 5051)

1958 - You're The One / Gum Drop Shoes and Bells In Her Hair (Decca 30584) 

1958 - My Own True Love / On The Wings Of The Wind 1958 (Coral 62003)
1959 - I Spoke Too Soon / Sie-Tu (It's You, It's You) (Coral 62102)
1959 - It Happens Every Day / They Wake Me 1959 (Coral 62138)

Ray Allen & The Upbeats (2) 

Singles:
1961 - Let Them Talk / Sweet Lorraine (Sinclair 1004)
1962 - Peggy Sue / La Bamba (Blast 204) 

Lps :
1962 - "Tribute To 6" (Blast BLP-6804)
C'mon Everyboby / Peggy Sue / Sittin' In The Balcony / Earth Angel / Chantilly Lace / Battle Of New Orleans / La Bamba / Every Day / Running Bear / Donna / North To Alaska / Goodnight My Love

Biography :

The Ray Allen Trio started recording for King Records in 1954, and "Why Should I Love You / Love Me Love" King 1383 was there first release.

Ray Allen Trio (about 1952) -The Arthur Godfrey Show

The personal were "Ray Allen (Ray Albanese) (Guitar), Frank Rey (Bass) and Harold "Feirstein" Stone (Piano). They had very good success with there first two records, and released a total of three on King. The group added Vinnie Bell (Vinnie Gambella) (Guitar) and recorded " What Am I Gonna Do" b/w "A Kiss Is Not A Kiss" released as The Four Classmates and The Classmates

In 1955, DeLuxe released "Gum Drop" and "Save Me, Save Me" by Otis Williams and his New Group's ."Gum Drop" getting a lot of play from Alan Freed. "Gum Drop" was almost immediately covered by the Crew Cuts on Mercury Records, and that made Syd Nathan mad .

With George Montgomery

Syd Nathan refused to grant a license for "Gum Drop." As a final insult, Syd Nathan re-named the Ray Allen Trio to "The Gum Drops" and released their version of the song on King 1496 to cut into the Crew Cuts' sales. 

The group consisted of "Ray Allen (Ray Albanese), Frank Rey, Harold "Feirstein" Stone and new member Vinnie Bell (Vinnie Gambella) (Guitar), all were from New York. The Gum drops cut 9 singles for King, Decca & Coral. Their last release was as the Ray Allen Trio on the Joy record label.

In 1961 the Ray Allen Trio signing for Sinclair record as Ray Allen & The Upbeats , and released "Let Them Talk" /" Sweet Lorraine" (Sinclair 1004). The next year they released the LP "Tribute to 6" for Blast Records (a division of Sinclair Record Corp.)

Ray Allen & The Upbeats do two songs each by Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper, Johnny Horton and Jesse Belvin . "Tribute to 6" Conducted and Arranged by Vinny Catalano. A single from the LP was also released on Blast 204 with "Peggy Sue" and "La Bamba".
Thanks To Alicia Albanese

Songs :
(Updated By Hans-Joachim)

Ray Allen Trio

   
Two Angels                                Amapola

The Classmates (1) aka The Four Classmates

What Am I Gonna Do / A Kiss Is Not A Kiss
 

The Gum Drops

       
You're The One                 Don't Take it So Hard               Natural born Lover

       
Gum Drop Shoes and Bells ...                   Gum Drop                            Sei Tu                     

     
I Wonder And Wonder...     Ba-Bee, Da Boat Is Leaving        They Wake Me

     
I'll Wait For One More Train     It Happens Every Day         I Spoke To Soon


Chapel Of Hearts

Ray Allen & The Upbeats (2)

       
    Let Them Talk                      Sweet Lorraine                  Sittin´ In The Balcony

       
Earth Angel                                Donna                              Goodnight My Love

       
North To Alaska                       Peggy Sue                               La Bamba       

 ....

The Pacers (L to R) : Alfred Harris, Jamie Commodore , Pat Allensworth, Frank Tolliver and James Heffner

The Pacers (1) (Ford City, PA)

Personnel :

James Commodore  (Lead Tenor)

Alfred Harris (Tenor)

Patricia Allensworth

Frank Tolliver (Baritone)

James Heffner (Bass)

Discography :

1958 - I Wanna Dance With You / I Found A Dream (Calico 101)

Biography :

The Pacers, a Ford City singing group is composed of Alfred Harris (Tenor), Jamie Commodore (Lead Tenor), Pat Allensworth (Later with The Arvettes), Frank Tolliver (Baritone) and James Heffner (Bass). The Pacers have been singing for two years before landing a recording contract with Calico Records. Calico Records was a small, Pittsburgh-based label that is best known for breaking the doo-wop group, The Skyliners. Friends Lennie Martin, Lou Guarino, and attorney Al Capozzi founded the Calico Records label i 1958 to record and promote the music of Pittsburgh musicians.

 The pacers will be the first group to record for Calico.  Frank Tolliver composed and arranged two songs for the single. The featured song on the record is « I Found A Dream » a ballad. The other side contains « I Wanna Dance With You » a Rock and Roll number. The Group had recorded two other songs also been composed and arranged by Tolliver for a next record. They will perform at record hop and teenage dance around the Pittsburgh area, they will appeared at the Sherwin Hotel in Pittsburgh and appeared on a television program, the Jay Michael Show.



Songs :

  
I Wanna Dance With You                         I Found A Dream

….

The Fabulous Idols (Newark, N. J.)

Personnel :

Johnny King

Fred Waller (Bass)

Discography :

1960 - Nellie / Baby (Kenco 5011)

Biography :

Vocal group from Newark, NJ. Formed in 1959, the Impalas consisted of five members including Johnny Kink and Fred Waller, the other three remain for the moment Unknown. With the release of  "Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)" by the Impalas, they changed their name for the Fabulous Idols and recorded " Nellie" and "Baby" released by Kenco Records in 1960.

Songs :

  
Baby                                                     Nellie

...

The Delights (3) (Hyattsville, Maryland)

Personnel :

Linda

Martie

Discography :

The Delights (3)
1964 - Breaking Hearts To Him Is Just A Game / I Cry (Arlen 753)

Lorraine & The Delights (3)
1965 - Baby I Need You / I Just Couldn't Say No (Barry Records)

Biography :

Linda and Martie were seniors at Northwestern H.S. in Hyattsville MD when they recorded "Breaking Hearts To Him Is Just A Game" and "I Cry" in 1964 on Arlen Records out of Philadelphia. The song was written by WPGC Washington D.C. deejays Harv Moore "The Boy Next Door" and Don "PeeWee" Reese. 

The record was produced by music legend Bobby Poe, and The Chartbusters, of "She's The One" fame, were the backup band.  The flip side "I Cry" was also written by Harv Moore. It is probably the two girls who accompany Lorraine in 1965 on "Baby I Need You" and "I Just Couldn't Say No".


Songs :

The Delights (3)

  
                          I Cry                        Breaking Hearts To Him Is Just A Game

Lorraine & The Delights (3)

  
I Just Couldn't Say No                             Baby I Need You


...

Jim, Bob, Sandra "Daly" Daley and Tom Esopa

The Forevers (Baldwin, New York)
Ref : Tommy Sawyer & The Twains

Personnel :

Tom Esopa (Lead)

Sandra "Daly" Daley

Jim

Bob

Discography :

The Forevers
1958 - Baby / Slow Down (Apt 25022)

Sandra Daly
1961 - Ooh La La / My Only Cure Is You (TJ 101)

Tommy Sawyer & The Twains
1962 -  Fifteenth Down The Line / How Deep Is The Ocean (Diamond 112)

Biography :

The Forevers from Baldwin, New York were composed by Tom Esopa, Sandra "Daly" Daley, Jim and Bob. They perform locally and eventually have the chance to record a single: "Baby" b/w "Slow Down" released by Apt Records in November 1959. 

                                                                                               Sandra Daley

Three years later singer Sandra Daley will record a solo single. the disc is produced by Tom Esopa who also write one of the songs : "Ooh La La". The story could have ended there, but in 1962, Tom Esopa backed by an unknown group, recorded "Fifteenth Down The Line" b/w "How Deep Is The Ocean" billed as Tommy Sawyer & The Twains.

Songs :

The Forevers

   
Baby                                                  Slow Down

Sandra Daly

  
  My Only Cure Is You                              Ooh La La            

Tommy Sawyer & The Twains

  
Fifteenth Down The Line          How Deep Is The Ocean

 ...