The Parliaments (2) (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Personnel :

Arnold Bennett (Lead)

Milton Harling (First Tenor)

James Frazier (Second Tenor)

John Gore (Baritone)

Bobby Taylor (Bass).

Discography :

The Parliaments (2)
1958 - Don't Need You Anymore / Honey Take Me Home With You (Len 101)

Joe VanLoan bb The Parliaments (2)
1959 -     Give Me Your Heart / Forever (V-Tone 200)




Biography :

The Parliaments were first called the Imperials, but Little Anthony came along and they were forced to choose another name. They spied a discarded parliament cigarette pack in the gutter of a street in their North Philly neighbourhood around 27th and York, and they were henceforth known as The Parliaments, Arnold Bennett, Milton Harling, James Frazier, John Gore and Bobby Taylor.

Joe VanLoan

In 1958, they cut "Don't Need You Anymore" and "Honey Take Me Home With You" released on the short lived Len records (1958-1960) subsidiary of V-tone label where the group backed Joe VanLoan in 1959 on "Give Me Your Heart" and "Forever".




Songs :

The Parliaments (2)

  
   Don't Need You Anymore              Honey Take Me Home With You

 

Joe VanLoan bb The Parliaments (2)

  
Give Me Your Heart                                      Forever           

...

The I.V. Leaguers (Portsmouth, Ohio)



Personnel :

Bud Stockman (Lead)

Mike Cranston

Tom Phillips

Don Stamper

Jim Middlecamp

Bob Destocki

Charles Bartlett

Discography :

1957 - The Story / Ring Chimes (Porter 1003/1004 / Dot 15677)
1959 - Told By The Stars / Jim Jam (Inst.) (Nau-Voo 803)

Biography :

The I V Leaguers were the founding rock-n-roll band from Portsmouth, consisting of students (and graduates) from Portsmouth High School. They were a self contained band that had the band lineup with the ability to sing group harmony vocals. 

The I V Leaguers were Tom "Flip" Phillips on drums (class of 1956), Charles "Chub" Bartlett and Bob Destocki on vocals (class of 1957), Harry "Mike" Cranston on bass guitar, Don "Dumbo" Stamper on vocals, and Jim "Monk" Middlecamp on lead guitar (Class of 1958), and lead singer Howard "Bud" Stockham on lead vocals. The group played every possible venue and show in the area during their time together, and are still well remembered in the area.

The group recorded two 45s, one for the local Nau-Voo label and one for Porter (rereleased on Dot) records. The Porter/Dot 45 features two doowop songs with Bud Stockham on lead. The uptempo "Ring Chimes" was the A side and got some airplay and sales. The Nau-Voo 45 has the doowop ballad "Told By The Stars" and the guitar instrumental "Jim-Jamin'" which from the title was a feature number for Jim Middlecamp. The Nau-Voo 45 has two pressings, the first one having the title as "Jim-Jam" and the writer credit mispelled as "Mim" for Jim.

Songs :

     
The Story                           Told By The Stars                      Ring Chimes

...

The Orients (Queens, NY.)
aka The Gents (5)




Personnel :

Al Mickens (Tenor)

James Davis (Tenor)

Alfred Seaman (Tenor)

Ernest Seaman (Baritone)

Clayton William (Bass)




Discography :

The Orients
1964 - Shouldn't I / Queen Of The Angels (Laurie 3232)

The Gents (5)
1964 - Island of Love / Till The End Of Time (The Teen 5) (Time Square 98)
1964 - I'll Never Let You Go / Darling I Love You  (The Teen 5) (Time Square 99)

Biography :

Vocal group from Queens, NY. The Orients consisted of Al Mickens (Tenor), James Davis (Tenor), Alfred Seaman (Tenor), Ernest Seaman (Baritone) and Clayton William (Bass). They recorded two songs "Shouldn't I" and "Queen Of The Angels" released by Laurie Records in 1964. The Orients are credited with writing “Shouldn't I.” The same years the group also recorded two songs acappella as The Gents for Times Square Records.

Songs :

The Orients

  
        Shouldn't I                                  Queen Of The Angels


The Gents (5)


I'll Never Let You Go

…

1958, The Rondells at the Apollo Theater

The Rondells (Bronx, New York)

Personnel :

Chuck Negron (Lead)

Phil Namanworth (Second Tenor)




Songs :

The Rondells
1958 - Bells Of My Heart (Unreleased)

Chuck Rondell & The Sorensen Brothers
1962 - I Dream Of An Angel / Sharon Lee (Hart-Van 122/3)

Chuck Rondell
1964 - Speak For Yourself / All's Fair In Love And War (Columbia 43187)




Biography :

At age 16, Chuck Negron sang lead in a vocal group The Rondells and they performed at the world famous Apollo Theater because their managers were black. A stone cold dead silence ensued as the curtain rose on The Rondells. They were not just the only white group on the bill, they were the only white people in the building. But by their second verse something magical happened. Soon after his Apollo triumph the teenage Chuck Negron and the Rondells began haunting Manhattan's famous Brill Building. The same names came up over and over again. Leiber and Stoller, Goffan and King, Mann and Weil, Bacharach and David among others.

Chuck "Negron" Rondell

They would go from office to office in hopes of meeting some of these great writers to sing for them. They performed 10 to 20 times a day for publishers as well as record companies. So they ended up recorded some songs. unfortunately they will never be released. After playing basketball for Santa Maria, CA's Hancock College and California State University in Los Angeles, Negron was ready to pursue his musical career. After two singles as Chuck Rondell, he remained in Los Angeles, eventually connecting with fellow singers Cory Wells and Danny Hutton and forming Three Dog Night in 1968.




Songs :

Chuck Rondell & The Sorensen Brothers


I Dream Of An Angel


Chuck Rondell

  
All's Fair In Love And War                        Speak For Yourself     

…

(L to R) Antonio Rosas, Adrian Del Valle, Valentine Del Valle, Arthur Cintron and Michael Cintron

 

The Citations (Brooklyn, NY)

Personnel :

Antonio Rosas

Adrian Del Valle

Valentine Del Valle

Arthur Cintron

Michael Cintron




Discography :

?



Biography :

In 1959,  a group of 15 and 16 year olds who grew up in the Boerum Hill area of Brooklyn, NY who loved to harmonize and sing doo-wop songs. After a couple of years practicing vocals in subway stations and street corners,  a member of the nationally known group The Mystics heard the group singing in the lobby of an apartment building and liked their vocals.

(L to R) Adrian Del Valle, Valentine Del Valle, Arthur Cintron, Michael Cintron and Antonio Rosas (seated)

He arranged a meeting and audition with the music and talent agent Jim Gribble who managed The Mystics and The Passions. For a short while, they were under contract with Jim Gribble. Although they never rose to fame the group disbanded in 1962.


…