The Acorns (Bronx, New York)
aka Vinny Catalano aka The Pyramids (5) aka The Original Pyramids

Personnel :

Vinny Catalano (Solo)

Discography :

The Pyramids (5)
1958 - Ankle Bracelet / Hot Dog Dooly Wah (Shell 711)

The Original Pyramids
1961 - Ankle Bracelet / Hot Dog Dooly Wah (Shell 304 / Shell 100)

The Acorns
1958 - Angel / I'm Gonna Stick To You (Unart 2006)
1959 - Please Come Back / Your Name And Mine  (Unart 2015)

Vinny Catalano
1963 - Please Mr Juke Box Man / Rags To Riches (Hammer 6312)

Biography :

In November of 1958, The Pyramids recorded "Ankle Bracelet" and "Hot Dog Dooly Wah" .It has quite a pedigree, what with Billy Mure arranging and conducting, on a song co-written by Vincent (Vinny) Catalano. It is very unusual that we can't find any information on This group. Quite who these Pyramids were remains a mystery, but there's every chance that 'they' were really just co-writer Vince Catalano. Around the same time he also disguised himself as The Acorns on singles released on the Spring and Unart label, under which moniker he had two number one songs in Hawaii (on the Unart label): "Angel" and "Your Name And Mine," in 1958 and 1959 respectively. He recorded under many other aliases and group names.

  
Vince Catalano                                                                                                Donnie & the Dreamers

Vince Catalano was born on a farm in New London, Connecticut. He has spent over 45 years in the music business. As a recording artist he waxed his first 45 on Gee Label in 1956, "Ding Dong" by The Echoes.  He went on to have several other releases under many different names - Vinny Downes, Tom Swift under the name The Lonely Boys, Vinny & Sue, Vinny & Kenny, Bea & Dea & the Buttons. His greatest success came under the name The Acorns where he had two number one songs in Hawaii .

 
The Excellents                                                         

 As a songwriter Vinny has penned over 300 tunes. Eventually he would star his own short lived label C&A before becoming partners in Blast Records a subsidiary of Sinclair Records owned by the late Don Ames. Also under the Sinclair Banner, Vinny worked with groups on Mermaid and Whale. It was here Vinny penned one of his best tunes "Conney Island Baby" by the Excellents. Vinny worked with his kid brother's group, Donnie & the Dreamers, recording over 10 excellent sides, most lost and unreleased.  When Vinny left Blast he started his own label again, Wilshire, and released several great sides by the Dubs and Love Notes.  He Release a great album, The Dubs meet the Shells, rerecording both groups with the end result sounding just like the earlier original recording.

Songs :

The Pyramids (5)

  
Ankle Bracelet                                 Hot Dog Dooly Wah

The Acorns

    
               Angel                                     Please Come Back


      
Your Name And Mine                    I'm Gonna Stick To You

Vinny Catalano

      
Please Mr Jukebox Man                         Rags to riches         
 

...

Donny Manzo, Teddy Santos, Mike Lanzo and Kenny Marsh

The Precisions (3) (Scranton, Pa)
aka The Magics (2) aka The Palisades (3)

Personnel :

Mike Lanzo (Lead & Bass)

Donny Manzo (Tenor)

Ken Marsh (Baritone)

Teddy Santos  (Second Tenor)

Discography:

The Precisions (3)
1960 - Dream On / You Can't Play Games (Strand 25038)
1963 - Sweet Dreams / Stop Leading Me On (Debra 1001)

Tommy Genova & The Precisions (3)
1962 - The Lover / What Has Happened (Bella 606)

1962 - The Whole World In My Arms / Mama Done (Debra 1007)

Jo Jo Vitale  bb The Precisions (3)    
1962 - My Little Cinderella (May 127)

The Magics (2)
1963 - Chapel Bells / She Can't Stop Dancing (Debra 1003)

The Palisades (3)
1963 - Chapel Bells / She Can't Stop Dancing (Debra 1003)

Mike Lanzo & The Blue Counts
1964 - At The Fair / Ghost Town (Debra 2006)

Biography :

"The Magics" are best known for their hit recording "Chapel Bells", which reached number three on the local charts in the Northeast part of the country. The song was written by " The Monotones" who had the smash hit " Book of Love". 100 Records pressed under the name of the Palisades, name was changed to the Magics because Palisades was taken.

 
Dick and the Halo's - Ted Santos, Ken Marsh, Dick Plotkin and Dom Manzo

The group was formed in the late 1950's with the original members being, Don Manzo (the founder), Mike Lanzo and Ken Marsh, at that time the group was known briefly as the " Supremes". Ted Santos was the next member to join the group and they then formed an alliance with Dick Plotkin who's group had recently broke up, and the name of the group was changed to Dick and the Halo's.

Dick & The Halo's  - Ken Marsh, Ted Santos, Dom Manzo and Dick Plotkin

The group split up once again and the original 4, Don Manzo, Mike Lanzo, Ken Marsh and Ted Santos moved to Tin Pan Alley in New York to search for a professional management. Nick Quesado Enterprises, the firm that managed the nationally known "Teenagers" of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" fame and "Randy & the Rainbows" of  "Denise" fame, took on the task and the group's name was changed to " The Precision's" then to "The Magics". 

The Magics : Donny Manzo, Mike Lanzo, Kenny Marsh, Teddy Santos

While in New York they recorded for  various New York labels and performed studio background for various artist such as Jo Jo Vitali who had the hit "My Little Cinderella", Jack Bailey from Canada who had hits such as "Tiger Lil" and "Your Magic Touch" all were hits in Canada. 

The group also did background for local artist  "Tommy Genova" who had a local hit "They Call Me the Lover". The group disbanded soon afterward and went on their own individual ways.


Songs :

The Magics (2)

  
Chapel Bells                        She Can't Stop Dancing (Debra 1003)

The Precisions (3)

     
You Can't Play Games             Sweet Dreams                 Stop Leading Me On 



Tommy Genova & The Precisions (3)

     
The Lover                    What Has Happened                        Mama Done

Jo Jo Vitale  bb The Precisions (3)  

My Little Cinderella

The Palisades (3)

  
Chapel Bells                         She Can't Stop Dancing

Mike Lanzo & The Blue Counts

At The Fair

...

The Federals (Brooklyn, New-York)
 aka The Wheels (1)

Personnel :

Rudy Anderson (Lead)

Reggie Barnes (Tenor)

James Pender (Tenor)

Kenneth Fox (Baritone)

Lorenzo Cook (Bass)

Discography :

The Federals
singles :
1957 - While Our Hearts Are Young / You're The One I Love (Fury 1005)
1957 - Dear Lorraine / She's My Girl (Fury 1009)
1957 - Come Go With Me / Cold Cash (Deluxe 6112)
Unreleased:
1957 - Good Wishes To You (Fury)
1957 - You Gotta Love Me Baby (Fury)

The Wheels (1)
singles :
 1956 - My Heart's Desire / Let's Have A Ball (Premium 405)
1956 - Teasin' Heart / Loco (Premium 408)
1957 - I Can't Forget / How Could I Ever Leave You? (Premium 410)
1958 - So Young And So In Love / Where Were You (Time 1003/Early bird 006)
1959 - Clap Your Hands, pt.1 / Clap Your Hands, pt.2 (Folly 800)
1960 - No One But You / I've Waited For A LIfetime (Roulette 4271)
Unreleased:
1956 - I can't go on without you (Premium)

Bubber Johnson (bb The Wheels (1))
1955 – Drop Me A Line / Ding Dang Doo (King 4793)

Vikki Nelson (bb The Wheels (1))
1956 - By My Side / Bright And Early (Premium 402)

Arthur Lake (bb The Wheels (1))
1956 - The Good Earth / May I Count On You (Premium 406)

Gloria Lynn (bb The Wheels (1))
1957 – I Can’t Waste My Tears / Run For Your Love(Premium 412)

Rudy & the Wheels (1)
1959 - Copy cat / It's not for me (Curtis 751)

Biography :

"While Our Hearts Are Young" is a very pretty ballad by The Federals on Bobby Robinson's Fury label from 1957. The Federals aka The Wheels were fronted by Rudy Anderson. This group was managed by Allen Bunn, Former member of the Larks on Apollo. Bunn would sometimes record with the Wheels.

The Wheels

It was Bunn who brought the group to Joe Liebowitz, Owner of Premium, in 1955. In addition to their recordings for Premium, They Also became the Studio Group for the New Jersey-Based Label. They Backed up Vicki Carr, Gloria Lynne and Arthur Lake at Premium.

As the group began making a name for themselves, Liebowitz passed away and Premium's operations folded.

After Premium, the group became The Federals and recorded for Fury and DeLuxe. Then they went back to the Wheels and recorded for George Goldner's Curtis Label. Next they moved to Time Records, Then to Morris Levy's Label, and Finally to Folly.
Mitch Rosalsky (Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups)

Songs :

   
Your The One I Love                   Dear Lorraine

    
Come go with me                         Cold Cash

   
While Our Hearts Are Young             You Gotta Love Me Baby

   
Good Wishes To You                            She's My Girl

...

The Delacardos (Charlotte, NC)

Personnel :

Harold Ford

Vernon Hill

Robert Gates

Chris Harris

Discography :

1959 - Letter to a Schoolgirl / I'll Never Let You Down (Elgey 1001)
1961 - I Got It / Thing-A-Ma-Jig  (UA 276)
1961 - Mr Dillon / Hold Back The Tears (UA 330)
1961 - Dream Girl / I Just Want To Know (Shell 308)
1962 - Girl-Girl / Love Is The Greatest Thing (Shell 311)
1963 - On The Beach / Everybody's Rocking (Imperial 5992)
1966 - She's the One I Love / Got No One (Atlantic 2368)
1966 - I Know I'm Not Much / You Don't Have To See Me (Atlantic 2389)
1967 - They Put A Spell On You / A Fool For You (Atlantic 2419)

 
Biography :

This United Artist recording group originated about three years ago in Charlotte, NC The group consists of nine men — four singers and five musicians. The vocalists are: Harold Ford, Vernon Hill, Robert Gates and Christoper Harris. The musicians are: Jeremiah Shepherd, Luther Maxwell,allas Steele, Timothy Donald and James Knight.

The group was formed in their early years of high school. They were given the name "The Delacardos" by a Spanish teacher and the literal translation means "light of heart."The boys became a popular attraction at private parties and high school functions.  This led to a tour of the college circuit and various rock and roil shows.

   
The Delacardos' hit disk on UA, "Hold Back the Tears," is currently making a steady climb on the Hot 100.
(Billboard - 10 juil. 1961)

Songs :

     
Letter To A School Girl          I'll Never Let You Down         Hold Back The Tears

     
 I Just Want To Know           She's the One I Love                  Got No One

     
I Know I'm Not Much       They Put A Spell On You             A Fool For You

...

Left to right: Lorenzo Thomas, Leon Smith, Willie Wilson, Richard Givens & Charlie Watkins

The Fabulous Fabuliers (Jacksonville, Fl.)
Thanks to Juan  (informations)
 

Personnel :

Lorenzo Thomas (Lead)

Richard Givens (First Tenor)

Willie Wilson (Second Tenor)

Leon Smith (Baritone)

Charles Watkins (Bass)


 

Discography :

1959 - She's The Girl For Me / I Found My Baby    (Angle tone 539)

Biography :

Group From Jacksonville, Florida first know as The Petunians and consisted of Lorenzo Thomas-lead, Richard Givens.1st tenor,Willie Wilson 2nd tenor,Leon Smith-Baritone and Charles Watkins-Bass. In later years members of this group were the soul brothers on wanda records.

Songs :

   
I Found My Baby                  She's The Girl For Me

...