The Big Five (Cleveland, Ohio)
aka The Fabulous Five Flames aka The Fabulous Five aka The Fabulous Flames (1)

Personnel :

Otis Carter

Harvey Hall

David McPhatter

Richard Fisher

Ernest Smith

Discography:

The Big Five
1958 - Wob-Ding-A-Ling / Baby, I Need You So (Junior 5000)
1960 - Blue Eyes / Stardust In Her Eyes (Shad 5019)

The Fabulous Flames  (1)
1958 - Josephine / My Joan (Rex 3000)

The Fabulous Five
1960 - Janie Made A Monster / Gettin' Old (King 45-5220)

The Fabulous Five Flames
1960 - Lonely Lover / No More Tears (Time 1023)

Biography :

This Vocal group from Cleveland was known locally as The Fabulous Flames. The group included  J. C. Tatum, Otis Carter, David McFadden, Ernest Smith, and Harvey Hall. The group started while some of the members were students at East Technical High School. The group performed at local clubs, and in Detroit. Their first single "Wop Ding A Ling" (also Known as "Wab Ding A Ling") plus the flip "Baby, I Need You So" was issued on the Shad predecessor Junior label (Junior 5000) on 29 October 1958. Bobby Shad renamed The Fabulous Flames by The Big Five. Their second single "Josephine" b/w "My Joan " released as their original name (The Fabulous Flames) was a local production, done for the short lived Rex label. Bill Jacocks, a local entrepreneur, wrote the songs and helped get the record released. Jacocks later became known as Cleveland's first African-American TV news anchor, along with producting some records in the mid 1970s.

  
Bobby Shad                                                                                                                        

The group was known as the Fabulous Flames, but changed for The Fabulous Five for their third record for the King label to prevent confusion with other groups with that name. The song "Janie Made A Monster" is a classic R&B Halloween record. Richard Fisher replaced J. C. Tatum. Four sides were recorded at Capitol Studios in New York on 4 December 1959, "Lonely Lover", "No More Tears", "Blue Eyes" and "Stardust In Her Eyes". The first two will be released on the Time (/Shad) Label on April 1960 as The Fabulous Five Flames, and the next two were released on 10 June 1960 on Shad 5019 as The Big Five.  Richard Fisher was the brother of Jesse Fisher. He wasn't with the group for long as he left for New York where he ended up joining the Jive Five. Art Blakey replaced him, not long before the group disbanded. Harvey Hall - later known as Harvey Nickerson-Hall - went on to lead Harvey and the Phenomenals. https://www.buckeyebeat.com/

Songs :

The Big Five

  
Wob-Ding-A-Ling                               Baby, I Need You So

  
      Blue Eyes                                     Stardust In Her Eyes

The Fabulous Flames  (1)

  
Josephine                                             My Joan

The Fabulous Five

  
Janie Made A Monster                            Gettin' Old       

The Fabulous Five Flames

  
Lonely Lover                                    No More Tears

...

The Wailers
(Thanks to Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Robert Douglas

Discography :

1954 - Hot Love / Stop The Clock (Columbia 40288)

Biography :

???

Songs :

   
Stop The Clock                       Hot Love

...

The Griffins (1)  (Washington, D.C)
aka The Warblers
(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

William Ross (Lead)

Bill Alford (First Tenor)

Lewis "Flip" Thompson (Second Tenor)

Lawrence Tate (Bariton)

Joshua Bright (Bass)


Discography :

The Griffins (1)

1955 - Sing To Me / I Swear By All The Stars Above (Mercury 70558)
1955 - Bad Little Girl / Scheming (Mercury 70650)
1956 - Forever More / Leave It To Me (Wing 90067)
1956 - Why Must You Go / My Baby's Gone (Mercury 70913)

The Warblers

1973 - Is This The Real Thing / It’s Wrong (The Ontarios) (Baron 101)
1973 - Love Me Baby (The Ontarios) / Scheming (Baron 106)
1974 - She's Too Tall For Love / Lonesome Again (The Serenaders) (Outhouse 102)

Marie Knight (bb The Griffins (1)) (not credited)
1956 - As Long As I Love / Tell Me Why (Wing 90069)


Biography :

Lawrence Tate and William Ross joined the Griffins in 1953 from the RCA Heartbreakers, who had disbanded in 1953.The Griffins were previously known as the Warblers. The tunes shown below as by the Griffins on Mercury, Entitled "Scheming", was earlier cut by the Warblers.In February of 1955 Mercury Records signs The Griffins to their label.

 
Marie Knight                                                                                                                The Griffins (1)

In less than a month Mercury # 70558 is released featuring the group's versions of the songs "I Swear By All The Stars Above" and "Swing To Me".In July "Bad Little Girl" and "Scheming" on # 70650. In March of 1956 The Griffins are moved to the Wing label from Mercury . In April "Forevermore" and "Leave It To Me" are released on Wing # 90067. In August The Griffins are back on Mercury with "Why Must You Go" and "My baby's Gone" on # 70913.

Songs :

The Griffins

  
              Sing To Me                      I Swear By All The Stars Above

  
Bad Little Girl                                          Scheming

  
Forever More                                     Leave It To Me


Why Must You Go / My baby’s Gone

Marie Knight (bb The Griffins (1))


As Long As I Love / Tell Me Why

The Warblers

  
Is This The Real Thing                             Scheming         

...

Billy Ford & The Thunderbirds (4) (New York)
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Billy Ford (Vocal)

Alma L. Johnson (aka Alma Fortez) (Vocal)

Freddie Pinkard (Vocal)

Hugh Brodie

Mace Morgan

Discography :

Billy Ford & The Thunderbirds (4)
1957 - La Dee Dah (Billy & Lillie) / The Monster (Swan 4002)
1957 - How Can I Be Sure / Billy Boy Blow (Vik 0263)

Billy & Lillie & The Thunderbirds (4)
1963 - Whip It To Me Baby / Love Me Sincerely (ABC-Paramount 10421)

Billy & Lilly & The Thunderbirds (4)
1965 - Baby You Don't Know / I'm In Love (Crossroad 101)

EPs:
1962 - Toddle Town Twist And Swing / My Little Girl (Ebony EP 105) (yellow label)
1962 - Twist And Swing / The Monkey & The Baboon / Shake And Swing (Ebony EP 105) (blue label)

Biography :

A single recording,  the now Famous "La Dee Dah" has placed Billy Ford's Thunderbirds featuring  Billy and Lillie among America's most popular music stars. It's release set off a chain reaction among music fans which was relayed through the nation's disc jockeys in a demand for more of the Ford magic, and considering Billy Ford's reputation for giving his audiences what they ask for, a future parade of hits is no idle speculation.

Billy Ford & The Thunderbirds (without Lillie Bryant)              Alma L. Johnson (aka Alma Fortez) and Lillie Bryant

An indefinable quality of showmanship coupled with an uncanny eye for spotting talent have enabled Billy Ford to create the seemingly impossible, the presentation of seven versatile performers in a show with a scope ordinarily required the talents of twenty.

Though Billy is undeniably gifted with wealth of innate talent, he credits much of his present success to two valuable years spent with Cootie Williams singing in vocal groups, collaborating with other writers, and most important of all, learning deft staging and the maximum use of talent.Ambition making him restless and confidence urging him on, Billy left Williams to form the Thunderbirds, and from the beginning the combination has clicked. The show's flexible format features comedy, choreography, instrumentals and vocals skillfully handled by the happy seven in the Ford fold.

With a show that is particularly suited to the intimate night club stage and is yet adaptable to a large theatre audience, success has followed success for billy and the group in such renowned spots as Hollywood's Brown Derby and New York's Paramount Theatre.
(Alan Freed's Publicity)

http://myweb.clemson.edu/~campber/ebony.html
http://www.45cat.com/artist/billy-ford-and-the-thunderbirds
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pressconnects/obituary.aspx?n=alma-l-johnson&pid=139627233

Songs :

   
The Monster                          La Dee Dah

...