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The Vibraharps (1) (Buffalo, NY)
aka Lenny O’Henry & The Short StoriesPersonnel :
Donnie Elbert
Danny Cannon [aka Lenny O'Henry] (Lead)
Charles Hargrove [Charles Hargro] (Bass)
Donald "Duck" Simmons
Douglas Gibson
Discography :
The Vibraharps (1)
1958 - Walk Beside Me / Cosy With Rosy (Beech 713)
1959 - It Must Be Magic / Nosey Neighbours (Atco 6134)Charles Hargro The Vibraharps (1)
1959 - Baby Oh Baby / Over And Over (Dab 101)Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories
1961 - Cheated Heart / Billy The Continental Kid (ABC 10222)Biography :
Donnie Elbert and Danny Cannon co-founded the group in 1955, joined by Donald ‘Duck’ Simmons, Douglas Gibson, and Charles Hargro. Donnie was still in the group when they made their first record (written by Buffalonians Bobby Fonville & Ralph Hernandez) for NYC’s Beech Records. In fact Donnie was in the studio but due to a group squabble he didn’t sing on it!So it’s not surprising that he was the first to leave, beginning his solo career on Deluxe Records in 1957. He continued to stay in touch and remained friendly with the group though. As he was hitting the charts the Vibraharps were breaking up – for the first time. During this down time Charles Hargro went to work as his driver.
Donnie ElbertThey reunited, broke up again, reunited again. At one point Danny Cannon and Duck Simmons took off to Toronto to perform as a duet, “Danny & Donnie”, singing Everly Brothers covers! During one of their reunions the Vibraharps brought in Thomas ‘Cookie’ Hardy Jr who had a bonus talent – he could write R&B / R&R songs. He wrote both sides of their 1959 single on Atco Records. Later in 1959 they recorded a single for a local label which saw them working with Bobby Fonville & Ralph Hernandez once again. It featured Hargro and credited only him on the label. Unfortunately not much in the way of financial or chart success resulted from either of these 1959 efforts.
L-R Donnie Elbert, Danny Cannon ("Lenny O'Henry"), Donald "Duck" Simmons, Charles Hargrove ("Charles Hargro")They were drifting in and out of “active” status when local DJ Lucky Pierre took them under his wing. He hooked them up with new local management, a pair of hustlers with all kinds of connections. With the promise of work and good pay the group came solidly together and started performing in and out of town. Somehow the came to the attention of Berry Gordy (maybe through Donnie Elbert, who was also courted by the Gordy empire). They auditioned for Motown Records in Detroit, resulting in a contract offer. Unfortunately they had to turn this offer down. Their managers virtually simultaneously signed them to a deal with business contacts in New York City.
Danny Cannon and Donald "Duck" Simmons in their "Danny & Donnie"In 1961 the Vibraharps went off to NYC to record their first single, for music business powerhouse ABC-Paramount. At this time Danny met the man who would become a friend and guide his career for the next few years: Bob Crewe. The record was “Cheated Heart”. When it came out it was billed to Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories. Danny was told he was going to be the front man, he would be called Lenny O’Henry, and he was asked to sign a contract a separate contract from the whole group. Danny – not wanting to go behind their backs – disclosed this to the group and asked them what to do. Though they encouraged him to move forward with his career and appeared to accept secondary status as ‘his’ group, it was really the end of the Vibraharps. They never recorded together again, and Danny – though achieving some solo success – never was able to find the same feeling in the music business as he did when he was one of the boys. “Cheated Heart” was written by Danny. Bob Crewe wrote the flip side, a rocking number titled “Billy The Continental Kid”, a tale of hip cat Billy from Philly. Danny didn’t really care for this one that much. In general, he liked to sing ballads or anything in a Sam Cooke direction. Yet producers and his band mates often pushed him to do uptempos and rockers. So – “Cheated Heart” / “Billy The Continental Kid” is the last actual Vibraharps group record and also the first Danny Cannon solo record, though it’s credited to Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories.
by Bob The Record GuySongs :
The Vibraharps (1)
Cosy With Rosy Walk Beside Me
It Must Be Magic Nosey Neighbours
Charles Hargro bb The Vibraharps (1)
Over And Over Baby Oh Baby
Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories
Cheated Heart Billy The Continental Kid
...
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Jewel Akens
The Four Dots (2) (Los Angeles)
aka The ComposersPersonnel :
Jewel Akens (Lead)
Albert “Jerry” Stone (Lead)
Freddy Clark
Sam Dearden
Warn Crosby (Bass)
Discography :
Jerry Stone & The Four Dots (2)
1958 - My Baby (She Loves Me) / It's Heaven (Freedom 44002)The Four Dots (2)
1959 - Don't Wake Up The Kids / Pleading For Your Love (Freedom 44005)John Ashley bb The Four Dots (2)
1959 - I Want To Hear It From You / Seriously In Love (Silver 1002)The Composers
1963 - I Had A Dream / You And Yours (Era 3118)Biography :
The Houston-born singer spent his teenage years in Los Angeles; around 1958 he met Jerry Stone of doo wop group The Fascinators, whose "Shivers and Shakes" had been released that year on Walter "Dootsie" Williams' L.A.-based Dootone label. Jerry and Jewel formed The Four Dots with Warn Crosby, Freddy Clark and Sam Dearden (unwittingly taking the name of a Pittsburgh group that had recorded for Bullseye in 1956); entrepreneur Jerry Capehart, a songwriter and manager of Liberty Records rock and roller Eddie Cochran, took notice. "My Baby," a routine uptempo doo wop song credited to Jerry Stone and the Four Dots, appeared in the fall of '58 on a new Liberty subsidiary label, Freedom.
Cochran played guitar on the group's Freedom sides. "Don't Wake Up the Kids," a domestic novelty along the lines of The Coasters' chart topper "Yakety Yak," was promoted in trade magazines in January '59; Jewel composed the B side, "Pleading For Your Love," his name misspelled on the label as "Jewel Akins." Liberty had no further interest after these two singles, so Capehart started his own label, Silver, and had the group do backing vocals for actor John Ashley (star of late '50s guilty pleasures Dragstrip Girl, Motorcycle Gang and Hot Rod Gang) on his initial bid to be a singing idol; "Seriously in Love" was a good midtempo rhythm/teen track, but it failed to establish Ashley among the ranks of hitmaking actor-singers.
John Ashley
In 1963, Jerry and Jewel formed the Composers. The Composers were an offshoot of the Four Dots. In 1963 they worked for Herb Newman at Era Records, demoing songs. They got their chance to record two Albert Stone songs for which Newman named the group the Composers. Though excellent sides, nothing happened with the release. Akens would come back to the label in 1964 when his other group the Turn-Arounds (formerly the Rainbows) cut ‘Ain't Nothin’ Shakin”, That same session had Jewel singing The Birds And The Bees’ as a solo because the group refused to sing the novelty song. Akens got sole billing and a new career when his record became a pop hit around the world.
https://www.waybackattack.com/akensjewel.htmlSongs :
Jerry Stone & The Four Dots (2)
My Baby (She Loves Me) It's Heaven
The Four Dots (2)
Don't Wake Up The Kids Pleading For Your Love
John Ashley bb The Four Dots (2)
I Want To Hear It From You Seriously In Love
The Composers
I Had A Dream You And Yours
... your comment
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The Sedates (New York)
Personnel :
John Downer
Wendell Davis
John Dyches
Jerald Reed
Steve Adamson
Discography :
Singles :
1958 - Please Love Me Forever / I Found (Port 7004 / MRB 171 / 20th Century )
1962 - Bei Mir Bist Du Schon / Girl Of Mine (Trans Atlas 692à)
Unreleased :
1959 - Don't Laugh At My Dreams
1959 - Miracle In the NightBiography :
Vocal Group From New York, the Sedates were composed by John Downer, Wendell Davis, John Dyches, Jerald Reed and Steve Adamson . In 1958, The group wrote and recorded "I Found" and "Please Love Me Forever" wrote by Johnny Malone and recorded by Tommy Edwadrs for MGM two months before. Sedate's "Please Love Me Forever" was reviewed on September 15, 1958s. Edwards' version of "Please Love Me Forever" spent 3 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 61. The Sedates version, although excellent, will go unnoticed. In 1959, the Sedates wrote a lot of good songs like "Don't Laugh At My Dreams", "Miracle In the Night" and the splendid "Girl Of Mine". Despite several studio recordings, none of their pieces were published. It was well after separating that Trans-Atlas released "Girl Of Mine" with "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" in 1962.
Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)
Girl Of Mine Please Love Me Forever
I Found Don't Laugh At My Dreams
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon Miracle In The Night
... 1 comment
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(L to R) Murrie Eskridge , O. C. Perkins, Millard Edwards, James Dennis Isaac, Jimmy Allen & Kermit ChandlerThe Sheppards (2) (Chicago, IL.)
Personnel :
Murrie Eskridge (Lead / Top Tenor)
Millard Edwards (Lead / Tenor / Bass))
O. C. Perkins (Second Tenor / Baritone)
Jimmy Allen (Baritone / Second Tenor)
James Isaac (Tenor / Bass)
Kermit Chandler (Guitar)
Discography :
Singles :
The Sheppards (2)
1959 - Island Of Love / Never Felt Like This Before (Apex 7750)
1960 - Just Like You / Feel Like Lovin' (Apex 7752)
1960 - Meant To Be / It's Crazy (Apex 7755)
1960 - Society Gal / Just When I Needed You Most (Apex 7759)
1960 - Come Home Come Home / Just Like You (Apex 7760)
1961 - Tragic / Come Home, Come Home (Apex 7762)
1961 - Tragic / Feel Like Lovin’ (Apex 7762)
1961 - Never Let Me Go / Give A Hug To Me (Pam 1001)
1961 - Glitter In Your Eyes / Every Now And Then (Wes 7750)
1961 - Every Now And Then / Glitter In Your Eyes (Vee-Jay 406)
1962 - Come To Me / Tragic (Version With Echo) (Vee-Jay 441)
1962 - Loving You / Elevator Operator (Abner 7006)
1963 - Pretend Your Still Mine / Walkin' (Okeh 7173)
1967 - Stubborn Heart / How Do You Like It (Mirwood 5534)
1969 - What's The Name Of The Game / Glitter In Your Eyes (Sharp 6039)
1969 - Steal Away / Island Of Love (Bunky 7764)
1969 - Your Love (Has A Hole In It) / I'm Not Wanted (Bunky 7766)The Shepards
1965 - Little Girl Lost / Let Yourself Go (ABC-Paramount 10758)Murrie Eskridge
1961 - So In Need For Love / Never Felt This Way Before (Apex 7764)Lps:
1964 - The Sheppards – Collectors Showcase Vol. IV (Constellation CS 4)
Island Of Love / Never Felt Like This Before / I'm Not Wanted / Never Let Me Go / Forgotten / Queen Of Hearts / Tragic / Elevator Operator / Give A Hug To Me / Come To Me / Loving You / Glitter In Your Eyes
Biography:
The group was formed in 1959 by the members of two earlier groups, the Ballads and the Bel Aires (who had actually gotten a record, "Rockin' and Strollin'," released by Decca), who decided to pool their abilities under one cover -- in addition to Eskridge, who sang in a full, soulful wail, and the smoother-voiced Edwards, the members included baritone Jimmy Allen, bass Dennis Isaac, and second tenor O.C. Perkins, with Kermit Chandler playing guitar. Edwards, Perkins, and Chandler also wrote songs, providing them with a stream of originals, which helped set the group somewhat apart from most of their rivals. The sextet, taking the name the Sheppards, signed to Apex Records, a company owned by Bill "Bunky" Sheppard (who had produced the Bel Aires' single) in late 1958.
They made their debut in 1959 with "Island of Love," featuring Edwards on the lead vocal. The smoothly romantic ballad was a great showcase for the group that got into Billboard's "Bubbling Under" listings during the summer of that year. If the single's A-side was classic doo wop, the B-side, "Never Felt Like This Before," featuring Eskridge's lead vocal (sounding like a more passionate Jackie Wilson), was more representative of soul music and a much more forward-looking record. The Sheppards went on to release a handful of follow-up records on Apex, of which "Come Home Come Home" earned some airplay in the Midwest and local sales but never broke out to national audiences or chart placements.
Their efforts culminated with "Tragic," an achingly beautiful ballad that got them onto American Bandstand, the biggest single piece of national exposure they had during their history -- "Tragic" became the group's best-known track and is one of those songs that, when heard, usually makes non-soul fanatics scramble to find the artist's name. By this time, the Sheppards had developed a wonderfully engaging and commercial style that should have put them in the front ranks of soul groups of their era -- "Come to Me" sounds almost more like Ben E. King/Rudy Lewis-era Drifters than the Drifters did, yet somehow it never got heard.
In 1962, the group was shifted by Sheppard to his new Pam label, co-founded with Carl Davis, who had one major success to his credit with "Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler. Their debut on the new label, "Give a Hug to Me," was successful in Chicago but never got any wide exposure outside of the city. A brief association with Vee-Jay Records didn't do anything to raise the Sheppards' profile as a recording act. They also got one single, "Pretend You're Still Mine," issued on OKeh during 1963, courtesy of Davis. In 1967, the group released one single, "Stubborn Heart," but by that time their style was a little too dated to have much chance of competing. It was around this time that they were reduced to a quartet, when Edwards exited to begin a solo career under the name Mill Evans, on the King label. The group had ceased to exist by the end of the decade.
Songs :
The Sheppards (2)
Island Of Love Never Felt Like This Before Just Like You
Feel Like Lovin' It's Crazy / Meant To Be Just When I Needed You Most
Come Home Come Home / Just Like You Tragic Never Let Me Go / Give A Hug To Me
Glitter In Your Eyes Every Now And Then Come To Me
Tragic Loving You / Elevator Operator Walkin'/ Pretend Your Still Mine
Forgotten I'm Not Wanted Queen Of Hearts
Tragic (Version With Echo) Society Gal What's The Name Of The Game
Steal away
The Shepards
Little Girl Lost Let Yourself Go
Murrie Eskridge
So In Need For Love
... 1 comment
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The Kavetts (Chicago, IL,)
aka The KavettesPersonnel :
Jessie Birden (lead vocals)
Discography :
The Kavetts
1963 - I've Got A Story To Tell You / Stay With Me (Len Dre 101)The Kavettes
1964 - I'm Not Sorry For You / You Broke Your Promise (Okeh 7194)Biography :
For every glittering success story on the Windy City soul scene, countless artists came and went without much of anvone noticing. Such was the case with the Kavetts, a female quartet that had a 1963 release on the microscopie Len-Dre label, pairing the wonderfully raucous "l’ve Got À Story To Tell You" and "Stay With Me". It seems to have been the logo’s inaugural release, and maybe its only one. They turned up the next year on OKeh as the Kavettes, with another one-off coupling of "You Broke Your Promise" and "I'm Not Sorry For You". Among the good things the group had going for them were songwriters Karl Tarleton and Andre Williams, who provided much of their material. Tarleton would quickly establish himself as a Windy City soul scribe, penning Joyce Kennedy's "65 Blue Rock outing "l’m A Good Girl" with Andre Williams and two 1967 hits: Gene Chandler’s "To Be A Lover" for Checker and Jackie Wilson's Brunswick outing "I Don't Want To Lose You". No such luck for thKavetts, despite their roof-raising lead singer.
Songs :
The Kavettes
I'm Not Sorry For You You Broke Your PromiseThe Kavetts
Stay With Me I've Got A Story To Tell You...
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Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues - Mail : jcpiazza26@gmail.com
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