with CKLW disk Jockey Eddie Chase (L to R) Kris Dorjath. Jack Costello, Jim Beasley and Dick Allman.

The Classmates (4) (Detroit)


Personnel :

Kris Dorjath

Jack Costello

Jim Beasley

Dick Allman


Discography :

The Classmates (4)
1955 - Gotta Go And See My Baby / Washed My Heart Of Love (Silhouette 509/510)
1955 - Little Red Berries / One For The Money (Silhouette 511/512)
1955 - Break Down And Love Me / Two Straws In The Wind (Silhouette 513/514)
1956 - Whose Gonna Take You To The Prom / Return My Heart (Dot 15460)
1956 - Break Down And Love Me / Two Straws In The Wind (Dot 15464)
1956 - Friends / I Want My Love Close By (Dot 15504)
1957 - You Do Something To Me / You Aren't The Only One (Dot 15589)

Jim Beasly & The Charmers
1959 - Caught Roped And Tied / Sweetheart Of Alpha Phi Alpha (Silhouette 519/520)

Jack Costello
1959 - Gotta Go And See My Baby / For Sale One Broken Heart (Silhouette 525/526)
1959 - I'm A Maker Of Dreams / Time Tellin' Mosheen (Silhouette 527/528)



Biography :

The Classmates are Kris Dorjath. Jack Costello, Jim Beasley and Dick Allman. All except Kris were classmates at Bass Tech. Jim is a graduate and attends Wayne University. Kris goes to South Lake High School St. Clair Shores. All four of them sing in the Don Large "Make Way for Youth" Chorus. The Three Detroit boys started singing together privately... were very satisfied with the result... but thought a first tenor was just the note they needed. So Kris became a classmates by adoption.

In Mars 1955, The Classmates cut their first record, "Gotta Go And See My Baby" b/w "Washed My Heart Of Love" on the Silhouette label owned by Robert West. Detroit soul pioneer Robert West was born March 1, 1912, in Montgomery, AL, relocating to the Motor City in 1935. In 1955 he formed Silhouette Records, doubling as manager for the Falcons, a local doo wop group featuring future solo stars Eddie Floyd (West's nephew) and Mack Rice.

Their first record is doing some business in scattered places besides Detroit, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and a place in California. Two more singles will be released by Silhouette Records : "Little Red Berries" b/w "One For The Money" and "Whose Gonna Take You To The Prom" b/w "Return My Heart". In May 1956, with "Break Down And Love Me", The Classmates  are No. 7 in Houston on KXYZ, first released on Silhouette then picked up by Dot Record. Dot Records will sign the band and release three more singles. In 1959, Jack Costello and Jim Beasley return to silhouette records for a new attempt but without success
 

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Classmates (4)

  
Gotta Go And See My Baby             Washed My Heart Of Love

  
Break Down And Love Me          Whose Gonna Take You To The Prom

  
             Return My Heart           You Do Something To Me / You Aren't The Only One
 
  
 Friends / I Want My Love Close By           Two Straws In The Wind       


...

Larry Gales

The Starlings (1) (Bronx, New York)
aka The Twilighters (2)


Personnel :

Larry Gales (Lead)

Stan Gilbert (First Tenor)

Jackie Marshall (Second Tenor)

John E. Johnson (Baritone)

Clyde Franklin (Bass)


Discography :

The Starlings (1)
Singles:
1954 - Music Maestro Please / My Plea For Love (Josie 760)
1955 - I’m Just A Crying Fool / Hokey-Smokey Mama (Dawn 212)
1955 - A-Loo, A-Loo / I Gotta Go Now (Dawn 213)
Unreleased :
1954 - Fine Brown Frame (Josie)
1954 - Ebb Tide (Josie)
1954 - The Girl That I Marry (Josie)

The Twilighters (2)
Singles:
1955 - Little Did I Dream / Gotta Get On The Train (MGM 55011)
1956 - Half Angel / Lovely Lady (MGM 55014)


Biography :

The Starlings who hail from the Bronx, NYC., had a fairly ordinary beginning in 1951: five friends who sang on the street. All Morris High School students, they were: Larry Gales (tenor lead), Stan Gilbert (1st tenor), Jackie Marshall (2nd tenor), Johnny Johnson (baritone), and Clyde Franklin (bass).  The group called themselves the "Starlings" from the beginning, as a conscious tribute to the other "bird groups" of the time, their repertoire consisted mostly of songs that they had written themselves.

They appeared in talent shows, at the Renaissance Casino and in the Apollo amateur show. Their Music teacher, Herb Miller got them a contract with Jubilee's Jerry Blaine, and he had them record for his new label Josie. In April of 1954, "Music Maestro Please" b/w "My Plea For Love" was Josie's first release. The record failed to get any airplay or a push from Blaine. Johnson and Gales reorganized the group in late 1954 or early 1955 with former Crickets' Bill Lindsay & Donald Redd, the brother of the Fi-Tones’.

      
Bill Lindsay

Gene Redd. Miller brought he revamped Starlings to Dawn Records where they recorded two singles, "I'm Just A Crying Fool"/"Hokey-Smokey Mama" and "A-Loo, A-Loo"/"I Gotta Go Now" in the winter of 1955. After rechristening themselves the Twilighters, the group waxed four tunes for M-G-M Records in June of 1955, "Little Did I Dream"/"Gotta Get On The Train" (released that July), and "Lovely Lady"/"Half Angel", which came out in early 1956.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Starlings/starlings.html


Songs :

The Starlings (1)

  
   My Plea For Love / Music Maestro Please          I’m Just A Crying Fool / Hokey-Smokey Mama

  
A-Loo, A-Loo / I Gotta Go Now              Fine Brown Frame            


The Twilighters (2)

  
Little Did I Dream / Gotta Get On The Train       Half Angel / Lovely Lady                



…

Johnny & The Jokers (2) (New York)


Personnel :

Johnny "Power" Del Pizzol  (Lead)

Ralph

Jimmy

Pat (Baritone)


Discography :

Johnny & The Jokers (2)
Singles :
1959 - Do Re Mi Rock / Why Must It Be (Harvard 804)
1962 - Where Did You My Baby Go /  I Know  (Beltone 2028)
Unreleased :
1961 - Learning About Love (Rome)
1961 - Comic Book Romance (Rome)
1961 - The Seven Teens (Rome)

Bobby Bare & Johnny & The Jokers (2)
1959 - I’m Hangin' Up My Rifle / That's Where I Want To Be (Fraternity 861)



Biography :

Trade Martin's career has covered so many eras of music -- as a producer, arranger, songwriter, and even occasionally as a recording artist -- that he's almost impossible to pin down as a musical figure. In the late '50s, in a partnership with Johnny Power (Del Pizzol), he began recording acts such as Johnny & the Jokers and released their work on the Harvard Records  "Do Re Mi Rock" and "Why Must It Be".

Ralph & Johnny Del Pizzol

Johnny & The Jokers consists of lead singer Johnny "Power" Del Pizzol along with Ralph, Jimmy & Pat. Trade Martin and Johnny Del Pizzol formed Rome Records in 1960. The group recorded some songs for Rome records, unfortunately none of these titles will be released. Rome only lasted until 1962, weighted down by its lack of reliable distribution, which prevented the company from succeeding despite signing such talent as the Earls (who went on to score their hits for Old Town Records), Del & the Escorts, and the Glens. Martin usually played all of the instrumental accompaniments for these groups, overdubbing the instruments one at a time.

In 1962, "Where Did You My Baby Go" b/w  "I Know" by Johnny & The Jokers was released on Beltone Records,a King Records subsidiary. In 1963, following the demise of the Rome label, Martin left the partnership and recorded under his own name on Roulette and other labels through the end of the '60s, and even got an entire LP, Let Me Touch You, out on Buddah Records in 1972.



Songs :

Johnny & The Jokers (2)

  
Do Re Mi Rock                               Why Must It Be

  
Where Did You My Baby Go                         I Know            

  
Learning About Love                  Comic Book Romance


The Seven Teens


Bobby Bare & Johnny & The Jokers (2)

  
I’m Hangin' Up My Rifle                   That's Where I Want To Be



...

The UpperClassmen (Inglewood, California)


Personnel :

Richie Rotkin

Arnie Marcus


Discography :

1959 - Cha Cha With The Zombies / Cryin' Towel (Freedom 44010)



Biography :

"The UpperClassmen" had a minor hit in the late 50's/early 60's with "Cha Cha With The Zombies on Freedom Records backed with "Cryin' Towel" . Both sides of the single were written by Eddie Cochran Friend Ray Stanley. Richie Rotkin & Arnie Marcus were members of this group prior to joining The Rip Chords, and are featured on this record. It has become a mainstay of Dr. Demento's Halloween radio shows for years. 

  
Arnie Marcus and Richie Rotkin                                                             The UpperClassmen 

Freedom Records was a subsidiary of Liberty Records from Hollywood. It was launched during the summer of 1958 and Jerry Capehart was hired as A&R man. One of the artists on the label was Johnny Burnette. Eddie Cochran provided lead guitar on some of the records. Freedom closed down in the summer of 1959. The Rip Chords are known for their 1964 million-seller smash hit "Hey Little Cobra" written by Carol Connors, and their chart hits "Three Window Coupe," "Here I Stand," "Gone," "409" and "Red Hot Roadster" from the Beach Movie "A Swingin' Summer." 


Songs :

  
Cha Cha With The Zombies                           Cryin' Towel            

...

The Ban-Lons (Wichita Falls, TX)



Personnel :

Nat Dixon (Lead)

George Flagg

Noe Girault

Junius Thompson

Clement Lynch



Discography :

1962 – Hey Baby / Highest Mountain (Fidelity 4051)
1962 – Hey Good Lookin’/ I Like It (Fidelity 4056)



Biography :

Vocal group from the United States Air Force Stationed at Shepard AFB Texas composed by  A.1C,  Nathaniel Dixon, A.1C, George Flagg,  A.2C., Clement Lynch, Noe Girault and Junius Thompson.  The Ban-Lors took the first place in the vocal group category of the 1962 Air Training Command Talent Contest held at Sheppard Air Force base. In the same time, Nathaniel Dixon won the popular vocalist solo event.

   
                                                                                             Bruce Channel

Thanks to this recognition, they take the path of the studios and record two songs : "Highest Mountain" and a nice cover of Bruce Channel's hit, "Hey Baby". The single will be released by Fidelity out of Wichita Falls. Two months later a new single will be released by Fidelity, "Hey Good Lookin’" b/w "I Like It ". At some point their Fidelity 4051 was distributed by Milwaukee-based (and largely song-poem) lbl, Brosh, the only difference being a Brosh address sticker placed over the Fidelity name.




Songs :

The Ban-Lons

  
      Hey Baby                                       Highest Mountain

  
Hey Good Lookin’                                          I Like It  

Bruce Channel

  
      Hey Baby   

...