The Vibes (3) (Chicago)
aka The Jayhawks aka The Vibrations aka The Marathons (2) aka The Cleeshays



Personnel :

Richard Owens (High Tenor)

James Johnson (First Tenor)

Carl Fisher (Second Tenor)

Dave Govan (Baritone)

Don Bradley (Bass)



Discography :

1958 - What's Her Name / You Are (Allied 10006 )
1959 - Misunderstood / Let The Old Folks Talk (Allied 10007)


Biography :

When their last singles ("Everyone Should Know"/"The Creature") failed to take off, the Jayhawks hooked up with promoter C.E. Tebbets. They decided to change their image, because they felt they were being typecast as a "novelty" act. The first thing was to get a new name.

They changed their name to the Vibes for two singles on the Allied label, but in 1959 they were again credited as the Jayhawks for a further two singles on Eastman Records. Then, in 1960, they changed their name - almost for the last time - to the Vibrations.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Jayhawks/jayhawks.html


Songs :

      
What's Her Name                       You Are                       

   
  Misunderstood                Let The Old Folks Talk

CDs :

The Dynamics (2) (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Personnel :

George Winesburgh (lead)

Jimmy Shoup (First Tenor)

Earl Viney (Second Tenor)

Dock Johns (Baritone)

Donny Fuchs (Bass)

Discography

Singles :
1957 - When The Saints Come Marching In / Gone Is My Love (Cindy 3005)
1958 - Someone / Moonlight (Impala 501/Seeco 6008)
1962 - Christmas Plea / Dream Girl (Dynamic sound 578/9)
1961 - Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams / I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Lavere 186)

Unreleased :
N/A - Angel Of Love
N/A - Newly Weds
N/A - Wedding Bells
N/A - Too Young (Acappela)
N/A - Pigeon Prance (Acappela)
N/A - Too Young (Acappela)
N/A - Pigeon Prance (Acappela)

Biography :

Hey, North Side is famous for its singers. In the fifties, a group of guys from the Shadeland Avenue neighborhood discovered they made a pretty good sound together and became the Dynamics.They were George Winesburgh (lead), Jimmy Shoup (first tenor), Earl Viney (second tenor), Dick Johns (baritone), and Donny Fuchs (bass).  They released their first wax on the George Goldner/Jay Michael's Cindy label in 1957, "When The Saints Come Marching In" b/w "Gone Is My Love." The flip got a lot of air time locally.  Looking to break out of the Pittsburgh market, they approached Brighton Height's George Bodnar, who organized area hops, managed West View Park's Danceland , and was the founder of a then-new local label, Impala Records.

Bodnar was impressed with the act, and took them to Nashville to tape two songs at the Bradley Film and Recording Studios. On May 4, 1958, the Dynamics had a tape of "Someone" penned by Dick Johns and "Moonlight," written by Donnie Fuchs.  It was reissued as Seeco 6008; they even sold European rights to the song. But we all know how the industry worked then - Seeco didn't push the record, and the Pittsburgh connection didn't receive a red penny for the work.  Winesburgh and Viney split, and Ron Barnett and Dick Spracier replaced them. But the new Dynamics didn't have much more luck than the originals. They released a couple of more singles - "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" b/w "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" on Laverve Records in 1961, and "Christmas Plea' b/w "Dream Girl" for Jules Kruspar's Dynamic Sound Records in 1962.

Neither took off, and the group faded into the mists of musical history. One problem was that no one took proper care of the business end for them. Another drawback was the group's name itself - it was estimated that up to a dozen groups went under the Dynamics tag during the fifties and sixties, and it's hard to break from the pack without a strong brand.
http://oldmonmusic.blogspot.com/2010/07/dynamics.html



Songs :

   
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams                         Someone                   
 
   
Gone Is My Love                                     Moonlight     

   
Dream Girl                                           Newly Weds

   
Christmas Plea                                    Wedding Bells

   
Pigeon Prance                                            Too Young

...

Ron & Bill (Detroit)

Personnel :

Ronnie White

William 'Smoky' Robinson

Discography :

1959 -  - It / Don't Say Bye Bye (Argo 5350/Tamla 54025)

Biography :

Ron & Bill was a short-lived incarnation of Ronnie White and Smokey Robinson from the early days of the Motown organization -- the credit appeared on one record, the single "It" b/w "Don't Say Bye Bye," released on the Tamla label, which was the label's attempt at charting with a novelty tune.

Actually, the A-side is very pretty, with superb singing and exquisite choruses, and if the effort here was to imitate "The Purple People Eater" or "The Flying Saucer," as suggested by Bill Dahl in his notes for The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 1 1959-1961, then the label ended up with something smoother and more sophisticated than either of those sides, and one well worth hearing as straight R&B. The record constitutes an understandably obscure event in the life of the singer and the history of the Miracles.Bruce Eder, Rovi

Song :


it

...

The Dyna-Sores (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Rene Hall (Lead)

Ty Terrell (Tenor)

Jimmy Norman Scott (Second Tenor)

H.B. Barnum (Baritone/Bass)

Discography :

1960 -  Alley Oop / Jungle Walk (instrumental) (Rendezvous 120)

Biography :

Led by vocalist/guitarist Rene Hall, the Dyna-Sores were the third group to enjoy a hit with "Alley Oop," the Dallas Frazier-penned ode to the comic strip caveman. Although not as successful as Dante & the Evergreens, who reached the 15th chart position, and the Hollywood Argyles, whose version went to number one, the Dyna-Sores helped to turn Frazier's tune into one of the most commercially successful releases of 1960.

   
                                                  Ernie Freeman                                        (paste-up picture) Left to right : Hall, Barum, Terrell and Scott (bottom)  

The group  consisted of Rene Hall, H. B. Barnum (formally of "The Robins"), Jimmy Norman Scott (formally of "The Chargers and who would later become a member of "The Coasters") , Terrell Leonard who went by the name of "Ty Terrell" (also formally of "The Robins") and Ernie Freeman on piano.

Songs :

   
Alley-Oop                                        Jungle Walk








...

The Limelighters (1)  (Bronx, New York)
aka The Rockets (4) aka The Teeners (1) aka The Four Blades aka The Four Angels

Personnel :

Eugene Tompkins (Tenor)

Sammy Fain (Tenor)

William 'Dutch' Nadel (Tenor)

Henry Gunter (Baritone)

Otis Anthony 'Tony' Streeter (Bass)




Discography :

The Limelighters (1)
Singles:
1956 - Cabin hideaway / My sweet Norma Lee (Josie 795)
Unreleased :
1956 - Dreams (Rama)
1956 - Love conquers all (Rama)
1957 - I owe my life to you (Backbeat/Pet)
1957 - Tangiers (Backbeat/Pet)

The Rockets (4)
1956 - Long tall Sally ( Ep Prom 715)
1956 - Church bells may ring ( Ep Prom 716)

The Teeners (1)
1956 - I want you to be my girl ( Ep Prom 715)
1956 - Little girl of mine ( Ep Prom 716)

The Four Blades
1956 - I want you to be my girl ( EP Big 4 Hits 190/Gateway 1170)
1956 - The magic touch / Long tall Sally ( EP 4 Hits 335) 
1956 - Church bells may ring (Gateway 1174)

The Four Angels
1956 - The Magic Touch / Speedo (LP - Today's Items 1910)      
1956 - I Want You To Be My Girl / Little Girl Of Mine / R-O-C-K (LP - Today's Items 1911)
1956 - Church Bells May Ring  / Long Tall Sally (LP - Today's Items 1912)




Biography :

This group was formed in 1954 in the Morrisania section of the Bronx in New York City, patterning themselves after the popular R&B groups of the day. Gunter had been working in a shoe store and one of their styles was called Limelighters; hence, their name.

They got themselves a manager, Buddy Dunk. He was acquainted with someone associated with one of the budget labels and a session was arranged in 1956. The group was given seven songs to familiarize themselves with in one day. They were able to accomplish this. Incredibly, because there was time remaining at the end of the session, two original tunes they wrote, "My Sweet Norma Lee" and "Cabin Hideaway," were recorded.

These two songs were ultimately sold to Jubilee's Jerry Blaine. Eventually both were released on the Jubilee subsidiary label, Josie. The other songs recorded that day found their way to budget LPs, EPs, and singles as by the Rockets, Teeners, Four Blades, or Four Angels. This in spite of the fact that the group was a quintet.

Dunk got them to record for several other labels, including Rama, but nothing else was ever released.  Tenor Willie Williams sang for the Limelighters when Streeter went into the service. Since they were all getting older and nothing ever happened for them professionally, they broke up in 1959. Years later Tompkins and Fain joined with Lillian Leach and the Mellows
Mitch Rosalsky "Encyclopedia of rhythm and blues and doo wop vocal groups"
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Limelighters/limelighters.html




Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Limelighters (1)

     
Love Conquers All      Talking To Myself        Cabin Hideaway /My Sweet Norma Lee

The Four Angels

     
The Magic Touch                       Speedo                         Long Tall Sally

     
R-O-C-K                            Little Girl Of Mine                Church Bells May Ring

 
I Want You To Be My Girl

 

Cds :