(November 1959) L-R: Eddie Griffin, Arthur Stewart, Yusef Khan, Eddie Albino and Al Heitzer 

The Sinclairs (New York)


Personnel:

Arthur 'Party Artie' Stewart (Lead)

Eddie Albino (Lead)

Al Heitzer (Tenor/Falsetto)

Yusef 'Joe' Khan (Second Tenor/Baritone)

Eddie Griffin (Baritone/Bass)

Discography :

Unreleased :
1963 - My Guardian Angel

Biography :

The Sinclairs were strictly an amateur doowop quintet back in the day although quite a visual one as they danced in sync while the main two lead voices, Arthur 'Party Artie' Stewart and Eddie Albino, leaped off the stages landing in split position. Looking back to that era of the late 1950's-early 1960's when they really couldn't have cared less about money as they sang and danced everywhere and anywhere they could get an audience to listen and enjoy them.

(Early 1960) L-R: Jimmy Clarke, Jimmy Jarosz, Al Heitzer, Sam Garcia and Eddie Horta

They sang at paid gigs in Westchester and Nassau Counties where the competition wasn't as great as it was in New York City where it seems that every block had a doowop group entertaining the masses. They sang in churches, YMCA/YMHA's, Audubon Ballroom, P.S. 189, P.S. 152, the Dyckman Projects' Building 1 Community Room, high school assemblies, building courtyards, parks, building basements, subway arcades, subway station platforms and subway trains. But they didn't write their own music preferring to sing others' hit tunes. When Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records over near Columbus Circle at the time, and Bob Crewe of XYZ Records in the Brill Building told them in no uncertain terms: "Come back when you have original material". The Sinclairs broke up in early 1962 after after a lot of personal change.


Song:

My Guardian Angel

…

The Bob-o-links  (Washington DC)
aka The Memories (1)

Personnel :

Jim Durtz

Lou "DeMartino" Martin

Ron Lutz

Robert "Boot"s Dove

Gene Fitzgeearld

Discography :

The Bob-o-links
1962 - I Promise / Mr Frog ( Hi-Ho 101)

The Memories (1)
1962 - Love Bell / I Promise (Way-Lin 101)

Biography :

In 1957 a group of guys got together in southeast Washington DC at an eatery called the Hi Ho (a happy days teen hang out before there ever was a TV Happy Days show). These guys began to sing acapella on the street corners and in teen clubs around the D.C. area. They were noticed by a local radio personality who befriended them and entered them in numerous talent contests around the metro area. Over a period of time, the guys, who named themselves The Bobolinks, won twenty three talent shows in a row. The group was then noticed and signed by the record label "Colt 45 Records." They have never looked back. The Bobolinks, who changed their name to The Memories in 1960,  have appeared on numerous TV and radio shows over the years, including the Milt Grant, Buddy Dean, and Bandstand shows.
http://www.thememories.org/fr_photoalbum.cfm

Songs :

   
I Promise                                Love Bell

...

The Harmony Grits (New York)
(The Original Drifters Minus Clyde Mcphatter)

Personnel :

David "Little David" Baughan (Lead)

Bill Pinkney (Tenor)

Andrew "Bubba" Thrasher (Second Tenor)

Gerhart "Gay" Thrasher (Baritone)

Discography :

1959 - I Could Have Told You / Am I To Be The One (End 1051)
1959 - Santa Claus Is Coming / Gee (End 1063)

Biography :

In 1959, the Original Drifters made two records for George Goldner's End label, billed as the "Harmony Grits" (although a Billboard advertisement included the phrase "formerly the Original Drifters").

David, Gerhart, Bill, Andrew

In June 1959, they released "I Could Have Told You" (led by Little Dave), backed with "Am I To Be The One" (all). November saw Gerhart leading "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town," coupled with a remake of the Crows' classic, "Gee," with Bill doing a high lead.

  
Andrew, Gerhart, Bill, David                                                

Unfortunately, Little Dave still had not become the stable member they needed. While he'd drift in and out of the group over the next ten years, he only appears on the End sides.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/OrigDrifters/origdrifters.html

 
Songs :

   
I Could Have Told You               Santa Claus Is Coming

   
Am I To Be The One                       Gee

The Clouds (1) (Chicago)


Personnel :

Sherrard Jones (Lead) 

Al Butler  

Williams English 

Bobby Walker 
 

Discography : 

Single :
1956 - I Do / Rock and Roll Boogie (Cobra 5001)
Unreleased :
1956 - Say You Love Me (Parrot)
1956 - Baby Wants To Rock  (Parrot)


Biography :

 The Clouds were one of hundreds of R&B, doo-wop vocal groups in the 1950s and 1960s. Members were Sherrard Jones, Al Butler, William English, and Bobby Walker. The groups had been finalists in a talent contest put on by disk jockey McKie Fitzhugh at the Pershing Ballroom; the prize was a recording session, and a joint venture between Al Benson and Leonard Chess was involved.in 1956, they cut “Rock & Roll Boogie” b/w “I Do“ on the Cobra Records. Cobra was started on Chicago's West Side in 1956 by Eli Toscano, a record-store- and television-repair-shop owner, with help from promoter Howard Bedno. When his previous record label, Abco Records, failed to generate much interest, Toscano approached Willie Dixon about working for Cobra. Dissatisfied with his arrangement with Chess Records, Dixon joined Cobra. There he served in many capacities, including talent scout, producer, arranger, songwriter, bassist, and became "the artistic vision behind Cobra Records.


Songs :

   
            I Do                                          Baby Wants To Rock

Say You Love Me / Baby Wants To Rock

 ...

The Illusions (2) (Fishtown, Philadelphia)

Personnel :

Al Lancellotti (Lead)

Pete Siciliano (Bass)

Freddie Jones (First Tenor / Falsetto)

Jackie Fox (Baritone/Bass)

Freddie Faulkner (Secondnd Tenor / Baritone / First Tenor)


Discography :

Singles:
1957 - Better Late Than Never / Rock and Roll Train  (Axtel 101)
1964 - Hey Boy / Lonely Soldier (Mali 104/Sheraton 104/Northeast 801/Relic 512)
1964 - Story Of My Life / Walking Boy (Little Debbie 105)

Unreleased :
N/A - One Mint Julep (Reco-Art)
N/A - Dancing In The Dark  (Reco-Art)
N/A - To A Girl I Don't Know So Well
N/A - Fake Love
N/A - Together Eternally
N/A - I Feel Rejected



Biography :

Group from South Philadelphia originally consisted of Al Lancellotti (Lead), Freddie Jones (1st Tenor), Jackie Fox (2nd Tenor-Baritone), Freddie Faulkner (2nd Tenor-Baritone-1st Tenor) and Pete Siciliano (Bass).

In 1957 they recorded for Axtel Records the sides "Better Late Than Never / Rock And Roll Train" After this recording the group temporally disbanded. In 1962 The Illusion's back with Freddie Jones ,Freddie Faulkner, Jackie Fox and a new member Tony"Carmen"Antoniolo.

They recorded for Mali Records "Hey Boy/Lonely Soldier" .The A side was a regional Hit and the disc was re-released by Northeast and Relic Records. In 1963 Freddy Faulkner recorded as a solo artist (with background vocals by The Rockafellas) for Swan Records the sides "Cigarettes & Matches / Little Driftin' Amy."

In 1964 the group recorded their last single for Little Debbie Records with the sides "Story Of My Life" b/w "Walking Boy". The group disbanded around 1966. Pete Siciliano  join a group called The leisure Lad.  Fred Jones later was a member of The Hustlers, The Common Pleas, Hubba Hubba, Star, Jones and Falcone and Studebaker

Songs :

   
Better Late Than Never             Rock and Roll Train                  Hey Boy

    
Lonely Soldier                         Story Of My Life                        Walking Boy

 ...