The Gladiolas  (Lancaster, C.S)

Personnel :

Maurice Williams (Lead)

Earl Gainey (Tenor)

William Massey (Tenor/Baritone)

Willie Jones (Baritone)

Norman Wade (Bass)


Discography :

1957 - Little Darlin' / Sheetheart Please Don't Go (Excello 2101)
1957 - Run Run Little Joe / Comin' Home To You (Excello 2110)
1957 - Hey Little Girl / I WantA Know (Excello 2120)
1958 - Say You' ll Be Mine / Shoop Shoop (Excello 2136)
  

Biography :

Maurice Williams (born 26 April 1938, Lancaster, South Carolina) had his first experience with music in the church, where his mother and sister both performed. By the time he was six, Williams was performing regularly there. With his childhood friend Earl Gainey, Williams formed the gospel group 'The Junior Harmonizers', but as rock and roll and doo-wop became their primary interest, the Junior Harmonizers changed their name to 'The Royal Charms'.

In addition to Williams and Gainey, The Royal Charms were made up of Willie Jones (baritone), William Massey (tenor, baritone, trumpet), and Norman Wade (bass). In the winter of 1956, while still in high school, Williams and his band traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to record for the Excello record label. At the time they were going by the name 'The Royal Charms,' but the founder of Excello Records, Ernie Young, convinced them to change their name to 'The Gladiolas.' At the time, there were at least two other bands using the same name.

The song "Little Darlin'" was a #11 hit on the R&B chart in 1957, but did not break the Billboard Hot 100's Top 40. However, when the song was covered by the Canadian group The Diamonds, it moved up to #2.

Williams finished high school and while on the road with the band (after their station wagon broke down in Bluefield, West Virginia), the band came across a small car known as "The Zodiac" and the band changed their name. Shortly thereafter, Henry Gatson replaced Earl Gainey.

http://www.mauricewilliams-stay.com/littledarlin.htm
http://www.mauricewilliams.com/indexNEW.cfm
http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/maurice_williams_zodiacs.
html http://www.tsimon.com/zodiac.htm

Songs :

   
Little Darlin'                            Say You' ll Be Mine


Shoop Shoop


...

The Cardigans (1) (Chattanooga, TN)
(Updated by Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Mike Alday  (Lead)

Jack Bookout

Ted Schreiner, Jr

Curtis Harmon

Discography :

1957 - Your Graduation Means Goodbye / Bo Weevil On The Mountain (Mercury 71251)
1958 - Wacky Wacky / It's Better That You Love (Mercury 71349)
1959 - Each Other / Poor Boy (Mercury 71367)
1959 - Make Up Your Mind / Half Breed (Spann 431)

Biography :

 The Cardigans from City High School in Chattanooga, TN. Mike Alday was the lead singer along with Jack Bookout, Ted Shriner and Curtis Harmon.The Group cut four singles between 1958 and 1959, the first three for Mercury records . Curtis Harmon left the group in 1958 to return to college and was replaced with Bob Brandon.

 "Your Graduation Means Goodbye " received some airplay in several parts of the country around this time in 1958, but not enough to reach the top 100 nationally. The songs written in part by lead vocalist Mike Alday.

Songs :

    
Your Graduation Means Goodbye    Bo Weevil On The Mountain

  
Wacky Wacky                  It's Better That You Love

  
Poor Boy / Each Other                  Make Up Your Mind / Half Breed

 ....

Quintones (1956) Leon McClain, Pauline, Gerald Johnson, Johnny Maye & Donald Lawrence

The Quinns   (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Quintones (2)





Personnel :



Freddie Brown (Lead)


Gerald Johnson (Baritone)


Leon McClain (Bass)


Donald Lawrence (Tenor)


Richie Brown (Second Tenor)





Discography :

Jimmy Witherspoon & The Quintones (2)
Single :
1956 - Still In Love / My Girl Ivy (Atco 6084)
Unreleased :
1956 - Congratulations Baby (Atco)


The Quinns
1957 - Oh Starlight / Hong Kong (Cyclone 111)
1965 - Unfaithful /Who Stole The Cookies (Relic 1012)

Biography :

Brooklyn-based R&B group the Quinns formed on the grounds of the Brownsville Community Center in 1954 -- according to Marv Goldberg's profile in the February 1998 issue of Discoveries, co-founders Johnny "Dusty" Moye (second tenor), Gerald Johnson (baritone), and Leon McClain (bass) rotated through a series of leads before finally settling on tenors Donald Lawrence and Freddy Brown in mid-1956. Originally dubbed the Quintones, the group cut its teeth at local talent showcases prior to auditioning for Atco Records head Herb Abramson, who extended a contract offer on the spot.   

   
                                                               Jimmy Witherspoon

Abramson first assigned them to serve backing duties on blues legend Jimmy Witherspoon's "Still My Love," but in the weeks following the session it seemed the Quintones slipped through the cracks, and with no other recording opportunities on the horizon, they wriggled out of their Atco deal in the spring of 1957. Moye left the lineup soon after, and after adding Brown's brother Richie as second tenor, the group renamed itself the Quinns to avoid conflict with a pair of rival acts recording under the Quintones banner. 
On the advice of fellow Brooklyn act the Paragons, the Quinns approached Winley Records owner Paul Winley, and in the summer of 1957 cut their official debut release, "Oh Starlight" -- the record barely registered at radio or retail, although the quintet played supper clubs across New York City in support. When Lawrence found himself in hot water with the law in 1958, the remaining Quinns hired lead Francis "Frenchie" Concepcion as his replacement.

   
                                                                                                                                           Francis "Frenchie" Concepcion


Frustrated with their lack of success, McClain exited two years later to take a job as a postal carrier, and with new bass Henry Thomas, the group cut its final studio session in late 1960. Two songs from the date, "Unfaithful" and "Who Stole the Cookies?," finally appeared on vinyl in 1965 via the Relic label -- by that time the Quinns were no more, although in 1974 Freddy and Richie Brown resurfaced as members of Final Touch, which issued the single "It's Spinning Love" on the Blue Thumb label. 
Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide



http://www.uncamarvy.com/Quinns/quinns.html


Songs :

Jimmy Witherspoon & The Quintones

  
Still In Love                                        My Girl Ivy   



The Quinns 


  
Oh Starlight                              Hong Kong

Unfaithful / Who Stole The Cookies





...

The Ribbons (Los Angeles)
aka The Sequins (6) aka The Sandpapers

Personnel :

Evelyn Doty

Arthetta Gibson

Lovie Kinchion

Vessie Simmons

Discography :

The Ribbons
1962 - Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya / My Baby Said (Marsh 202)
1963 - After Last Night /  This Is Our  (Marsh 203)
1964 - They Played A Sad Song / Melodie D'amour (Parkway 912)

Evelyn Doty & The Ribbons
1964 - Teach Me How To    / Dance I'd Like To Be (Gramo 107)   

The Sequins (6)
1965 - I'll Be Satisfied / Who Says You Can't Jerk (A & M 761)

The Sandpapers
1965 - Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya" / My Baby Said (Charger 114)




Biography :

"Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya", a #81 hit on Billboard in early 1963 but a much bigger hit in the Los Angeles area, was composed by James Marcus Smith, aka P.J. Proby.  The record was the object of a very hasty, and rather fine, West Coast cover version by Suzie Clark on the Rendezvous label.  The song was also rendered for the UK market by Simone Jackson (Piccadilly), Jean Martin (Decca) and, most famously, the Searchers (Pye). "After Last Night", another Proby song, was first cut by the Chiffons onReprise (not the "He's So Fine" gals, the Los Angeles lot).

Jackie DeShannon did a good version too (Liberty), as did the Rev-Lons (also Reprise).
Both of the Ribbons' Marsh 45s were produced by former Teddy  Bear, and old Phil Spector chum, Marshall Leib. The Ribbons probably recorded under further pseudonyms, such as Ribbons, Sequins, Buttons, Bows (sic).

http://spectropop.com/archive/digest/d500.htm

Songs :

    
Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya                         My Baby Said

...

The Rivals (1) (Camden, N.J.)



Personnel :

Johnny Smith (Lead)

Chandler Tribble (First Tenor)

Booker T. Weeks (Second Tenor)

Alfred Gaitwood (Bass)



Discography :

1950 - Rival Blues / Don't Say You're Sorry (Apollo 1166)



Biography :

The Group formed in Camden, N.J., in 1946 with Johnny Smith (Lead), Chandler Tribble (First Tenor), Booker T. Weeks (Second Tenor), and Alfred Gaitwood (bass) as the International Clavichords. They appear on the "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts" and changed their name to the Rivals.

   
Ira Mumford, Eugene's Brother, later sang bass for this group.
The group only recorded one single in the summer of 1950, "Don't Say Your Sorry Again" and "Rival Blues".

Despite the fact that they had only one disc, they had a very active career doing club dates and live appearances.



Their Songs :

   
Rival Blues                            Don't Say You're Sorry