Shep & The Limelites (Queens, New York)
(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel:

James "Shep"  Sheppard (Lead)

Clarence Bassett (Tenor)

Charles Baskerville (Baritone)

Discography :

Shep & The Limelites

Singles :

1960 - Too Young To Wed (Apt 25038)
1961 - Daddy's Home / This I Know (Hull 740)
1961 - Ready For Your Love / You'll Be Sorry (Hull 742)
1961 - Three Steps From The Altar / Oh What A Feeling (Hull 747)
1961 - Three Steps From The Altar / Ready For You (Roulette 102)
1962 - Our Aniversary / Who Told The Sandman (Hull 748)
1962 - What Did Daddy Do / Teach Me, Teach Me How To Twist (Hull 751)
1962 - Everything Is Going To Be Alright / Gee Baby What About You (Hull 753)
1963 - Remember Baby / The Monkey (Hull 756
1963 - Stick By Me (And I'll Stick By You) / It's All Over Now (Hull 757)
1963 - Steal Away (Whith Your Baby) / For You My Love (Hull 759)
1963 - Why, Why Won't You Believe Me / Easy To Remember (When You Want... (Hull 761)
1964 - Why Did You Fall For Me / I'm All Alone (Hull 767)
1964 - Party For Two / You Better Believe (Hull 770)
1965 - I'm A Hurtin' Inside / In Case I Forget (Hull 772)

Unreleased :

1959 - Freckle Face (Apt)
1959 - Little Star (Apt)

Albums :

1962 - Our Anniversary (Hull LP  1000)
Daddy's Home / This I Know / Ready For Your Love / You'll Be Sorry / What Did Daddy Do / Gee Baby What About You / Our Anniversary / Who Told The Sandman / Three Steps From The Altar / Oh' What A Feeling / Stick By Me (And I'll Stick By You) / I'm A Hurtin' Inside

1967 - Our Anniversary ((Roulette LP 25350)
Daddy's Home / This I Know / Ready For Your Love / You'll Be Sorry / What Did Daddy Do / Gee Baby What About You / Our Anniversary / Who Told The Sandman / Three Steps From The Altar / Oh' What A Feeling / Stick By Me (And I'll Stick By You) / I'm A Hurtin' Inside

Shane Sheppard & The Limelites
1960 - I'm So Lonely (What Can I Do?) / One Week From Today (Apt 25046)

Biography :

Shep & the Limelites' name will forever be etched in rock & roll history for recording the endearing "Daddy's Home," a tender ballad about returning from war that soared to number two on the pop charts in May 1961. James Sheppard's career began with the Heartbeats, a band from Jamaica, Queens, NY. (They were the Hearts until a female group from Harlem with the same name scored a minor hit called "Lonely Nights" in early 1955.) The Hearts would mimic songs by the Orioles, the Ravens, Five Keys, the Moonglows, the Larks, the Flamingos, and others. When not rehearsing, they competed with wannabes in parks and under street corner lamps. During one encounter they battled a group led by James Sheppard; impressed, the Hearts asked Sheppard to be their new lead.

The Heartbeats

The acquisition of Sheppard helped the Hearts twofold: not only could he blow, he also wrote gorgeous ballads. Shortly after he joined the Hearts, they became the Heartbeat Quintet and started playing clubs, weddings, graduations, ceremonies, and basement parties. Jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet befriended them and let them rehearse in his basement. Jacquet's brother arranged their first recording opportunity. "Tormented," a ballad written by Sheppard, was released on Network Records in Philadelphia, but lack of promotion killed any chance of success. After shortening their name to the Heartbeats, they came to the attention of William Miller, who worked for Hull Records. He introduced the quintet to owner Bea Caslin, who was impressed by their tight harmonies and Sheppard's songwriting skills; the group was soon signed to the label. Three initial releases sold well, particularly the magnificent "Your Way"; all were ballads written by Sheppard.

The minor successes of the recordings encouraged Hull Records to invest in professional choreography to tighten the band's stage presentation. Appearances at premier New York venues like the Brooklyn Fox and the Apollo had become common. To the surprise of Hull Records, fans called radio stations in record numbers demanding to hear the flip of "Baby Don't Go," the exquisite "A Thousand Miles Away." Sheppard's craving for an ex-girlfriend who moved to Texas had inspired "A Thousand. Not only did the song do well locally and regionally, it started selling nationwide. Bookings poured in, providing appearances with luminaries like Ray Charles, B.B. King, and the Flamingos. Touring, however, didn't prove lucrative, as they experienced an inordinate share of misfortunes including vehicle breakdowns and promoters leaving with the proceeds. "Daddy's Home" would be the Heartbeats' final Hull Record release.

   
Bea Caslin then sold the Heartbeats' contract and the publishing rights to the Roulette Record conglomerate. "I Won't Be the Fool Anymore" came out on Rama Records in 1957; after another Rama release, Roulette switched them to Gee Records, and eventually to Roulette itself. "500 Miles to Go" and "After New Year's Eve" were the most successful commercially, while "Down on My Knees" was the most notable artistically. Problems within the group began to show: the last straw came when Sheppard passed out at the microphone in Philadelphia, and bandmate Al Crump sang the lyrics until Sheppard was able to continue. The group wanted to breakup after this embarrassment but had commitments, so the group sang on gigs as a quartet doing standards, and Sheppard appeared afterward to sing the Heartbeat hits. They did their last gig in 1959 at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., and Sheppard opened a restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, singing solo on the side.

Two years after the the Heartbeats' demise, Sheppard met some old friends - Clarence Bassett and Charles Baskerville of the Videos - and formed Shep & the Limelites. Bassett had also warbled with the Five Sharps. After two flops on Apt. Records, Shep returned to Hull Records and Caslin signed them on the spot. "Daddy's Home" was Shep & the Limelites' first Hull release and it nearly aced the pop chart, stopping at number two. (Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man" kept it from the top spot.) Hull released 12 Shep & the Limelites singles between 1961 and 1965. "Our Anniversary" went to number seven R&B in 1962 and was their only other chart success. Personal differences caused the Limelites to disband by 1966. Baskervlle joined the Players, and Bassett sang with the Flamingos and later Creative Funk. Sheppard reunited with the Limelites in 1970 to perform on the oldie revival circuit, but this quickly ended when Sheppard was found on January 24, 1970, shot to death in his car on the Long Island expressway.
Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/JSheppard.html
http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/james_sheppard.htm

...

The Kool Toppers  (Kinston, NC)
Ref The Corsairs (2)

Personnel :

James L.Uzzell

Georges Wooten

Jay Dee Uzell

Charles Joyner

Irving B.Perry

James Lewis

Lindberg Uzzell

Discography :

1956 - Is That Exactly What You Wanna Do / Cause I Love You So (Beverly  702)

Biography :

James L.Uzzell, Georges Wooten, Jay Dee Uzell & Lindberg Uzeell are the part of the Kool Toppers that later became The Corsairs (2).

     Top Row (Left to right) Leamond Drumgo (Manager), James L.Uzzell, Georges Wooten, Jay Dee Uzell
Bottom Row (Left to right) Charles Joyner, Irving B.Perry , James Lewis (Lindberg Uzzell not pictured)

Songs :

    
Is That Exactly What You Wanna Do    Cause I Love You So

CD :

Ron Treodway, Rich Kenny, Frankie Adams & Mike Grim

The Emperors (3)  (Columbus, OH)
aka The Emporers

Personnel :

Frankie Adams (Lead)

Mike Grim

Ron Treodway

Rich Kenny

Discography :

The Emperors (3)
1963 - Steve Allen / Darlin' In The Moonlight (Olimpic 245)

Lattie Moore bb The Emporers
1962 - Skinnie Minnie Shimmy / You Got Me Woundering (Olimpic 4980)

Caleb & The Playboys (7) bb The Emporers
1963 - I'm Yours / See About Me (Olimpic 4575)

Biography :

Olimpic records was formed by Nick Kurlas and Phil Gary for releasing records by himself and his group, the Catalinas. Kay-Gee was a 'subsidiary' label of Olimpic. Olimpic assembled a studio group called The Emperors for backing solo artist consisted of Mike Grim, Ron Treodway and Rich Kenny. They back up in 1962 country singer Lattie Moore on their Olympic's as The Emporers.

Mike Grim, Frankie Adams, Ron Treodway and Rich Kenny

They Joined recording artist Frankie Adams who wrote The "Steve Allen" song and make up the dance to it, everyone knew these talented boys had their own unique style of singing and dancing. (Note on the Olimpic 245)

Songs :

The Emperors (3)

  
      Steve Allen                              Darlin' In The Moonlight


Lattie Moore bb The Emporers


Skinnie Minnie Shimmy



Caleb & The Playboys (7) bb The Emporers

  
See About Me                                      I'm Yours    


...

The Mystics (1) aka The Overons (Brooklyn, New York)


Personnel :


Phil Cracolici (Lead)

Albee Cracolici (Baritone)

George Galfo (Second Tenor)

Bob Ferrante (First Tenor)

Al Contrera (Bass)




Discography :

The Overons
1958 - The Bells Are Ringing (Unreleased)
1958 - Prayer To An Angel (Unreleased)
1958 - Why Do You Pretend (Unreleased)
1958 - Big Brown Eyes (Unreleased)

The Mystics (1)
1959 - Hushabye / Adam and Eve (Laurie 3028)
1959 - Don't Take The Stars / So Tenderly (Laurie 3038)
1959 - Wim O Weh (Unreleased)
1959 - Red Red Robbin (Unreleased)
1959 - In My Faithful Heart (Unreleased)
1959 - All Through The Night / I Began to Think of You (Laurie 3047)
1960 - White Cliffs of Dover / Blue Star (Laurie 3058)
1960 - Star Crossed Lovers / Goodby Mister Blues (Laurie 3086)
1961 - A sunday kind of love / Darling I know now (Laurie 3014)
1965 - In my faithful heart (Unreleased)
1982 - Now The Summer Is Here / Prayer To An Angel (Ambient Sound 02871)
N/A - Again (collectables LP 5043)
N/A - It's only a paper moon (collectables LP 5043)
N/A - Let me steal your heart away (collectables LP 5043)
N/A - Over the rainbow (collectables LP 5043)
N/A - Save A Dream (Unreleased)

Rusty Lane & The Mystics (1)
1961 - Karen / Come The Day (Laurie 3031)

Judy Allen bb the Mystics (1)
1959 - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree / Sentimental Me (Laurie 3025)

Scott Garrett bb the Mystics (1)
1959 - Love Story / Graduation Souvenirs (Laurie 3029)       

Rusty Lane bb the Mystics (1)
1959 - Karen / Come The Day (Laurie 3031)

Don Press bb the Mystics (1)
1959 - More Than Ever / Ask The Robin (Laurie 3036)

Rocky Hart bb the Mystics (1)
1959 - Come With Me (Cub 9052)

Connie Francis    bb the Mystics (1)
1964 - Tommy (MGM13237)

Pete and Vinnie bb the Mystics (1)
1963 - Hand Clappin' Time Part 1 / Part 2 (Big Top 3155)

The Tradewinds bb the Mystics (1)
1965 - The Party Starts At Nine / Summertime Girl (Red Bird 3155)



Biography :

The are so many great stories surrounding the great Brooklyn group - the Mystics.  How they met, how they had a classic recording snatched away from them, how they bounced back with a huge hit of their own and how they survived over the years as one of those perennial favorites of the doo-wop era of music.  Here's the story of this very interesting group.

In Brooklyn, there was a group of about 15-20 guys that hung around together singing on the street corner.  "It all started when they started doing those rock and roll shows -you, know Alan Freed," recalls Phil Cracolici.   "We used to go see the Valentines, Dion and the Belmonts, the Heartbeats, and dance in the aisles with the girls.  Afterwards, we'd try to sing like those groups on the way home."   Phil says "you know they say that back then there was guys singing on every streetcorner - that wasn't an exaggeration!  No matter what street corner you'd go to - there were guys singing."

Out of that group of guys would emerge a number of great doo-wop talents and at least two memorable groups - the Passions and the Mystics.  They would later help along the career of a third group - the Classics.  And so it is that these three groups will be remembered together forever as the great Brooklyn threesome.


The Mystics came first.  It all started around Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue they would sing. "Wherever we could get together," remembers Phil.  Backstage behind the Lowe's theatre was a favorite because the echo was so good.  Among the group of guys were:  Tony Armato, Vinnie Acierno, Albie Galione, Nicki Lombardi, John Pungi, Joe Strobel, Allie Contrera, Bob Ferrante, Albie Cracolici, Phil Cracolici, and George Galfo.

Some time around 1957, Contrera, Ferrante, the Cracolicis, Galfo, Armato (who went onto the Passions), and Joe Strobel formed the Overons. They performed a bit and even recorded some unreleased material (see below).  But that group split up.  The Cracolicis, Contrera, Ferrante and Galfo would continue on under the Overons name. 

They tried out for many agents and labels but kept getting rejected.  "A lot of people made a lot of promises and took a lot of money from us," recalls George Galfo.  Later they would try out at Broadway Studios in the Brill Building and catch the eye of Jim Gribble.  "He loved the way we sounded," says Galfo.  Phil recalls that Gribble said "I will get you a record contract."  Gribble would take the group over to the now famous Laurie Records (Dion and the Belmonts' home) in early 1959 for an audition.  "They gave us a contract right there and then," says Phil.  Instead of the Overons, they would have to change their name.  George Galfo recalls that the group threw possible names into a canister or hat and out came "Mystics" - Contrera's choice.
Laurie wheeler-dealers Gene and Bob Schwartz called in the immortal songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman to write the group's first song.   And what a great song they wrote.  None other than Teenager in Love.  The song was so good that Dion heard it and claimed it for his own.  And so it was that Teenager in Love was recorded by Dion and the Belmonts and not the Mystics.

   
The Mystics weren't all that unhappy.  "We were just kids, we didn't care.  We knew we were going to record," says Phil.  The Schwartz's sent Pomus and Shuman (who the guys knew from their neighborhood) back to work and wrote the lovely "Hushabye" in one day!  In the vein of the Elegants' Little Star, Hushabye was the classic lullaby transformed into the standard white doo-wop arrangement.  Sugar sweet lyrics and harmonies, soft beautiful lead, charming musical score.  "We took the subway down to the studios and they started playing it for us on the piano," says Phil.  "The Schwartz brothers said 'wow - that's a hit.'"  It was released on Laurie in April 1959 and hit number 20.  It established the Mystics as one of the premier white doo-wop groups of the time.  The bad part for the Mystics was that, at the time the group's song was hitting in New York, they were in the midwest on tour.  They couldn't get back in time to promote their subsequent songs.
[A side note - there is no truth to the legendary story that Hushabye was also to be a Belmonts tune but that the Belmonts got stuck in a snowstorm and couldn't record it.  This song was to be the Mystics from the start].

Following its success, Galfo recalls that "we were in la-la- land."  "You just don't know how to appreciate it.  It just came so fast and furious.  If I could do it over again I would appreciate how it happened."  The success of Hushabye generated some memorable shows for the group.  Alan Freed's show at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre was incredible - these guys were kids watching the show just a few months earlier and now they are the star.  "That was a dream come true," remembers Phil.  "You got all your friends in the neighborhood calling out your name."  And the group got close to some of the other entertainers at the time like Jackie Wilson and some of the other white doo-wop groups of the time like the Skyliners and Crests.  Phil recalls going the first tour after The Day the Music Died when we lost Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens.  "We went to the same locations, we saw the airport where they took off."  Phil also remembers a show where the kids rushed the stage and some girl cut a piece of his hair off.  "Good thing it was in the back 'cause I had the big pompadour." 

The group followed up with the a nice rockin ballad entitled Don't Take the Stars which barely cracked the Top 100. 

In 1960, the famous Paul Simon (aka Jerry Landis) would join the group on backup on All Through the Night which didn't make it into the Top 100 but received some nice reviews especially on the East coast.   The group followed with three more recordings - Blue Star (keeping in the heavenly doo-wop vein with Jay Traynor on lead), Goodbye Mr. Blues and a remake of the Harptones' Sunday Kind of Love.  After their brief six record career, the group disbanded.
   
Throughout the years, there have been many contemporary versions of the group that have kept the Mystics sound and memories alive.  In 1982, a version featuring the Cracolicis, Contrera, and Ferrante did a great record for Ambient Sound that included a new version of Hushabye called Hushabye My Darling.  A nice tribute to this great Brooklyn group.

http://www.answers.com/topic/the-mystics
http://www.destinationdoowop.com/mystics.htm
http://www.themystics.biz/history.htm
http://www.originalmystics.com/

Songs :

The Mystics (1)

    
Let me steal your heart away         Again


    
Adam and Eve                         Hushabye

    
Over the rainbow                   All Through The Night

Rusty Lane & The Mystics (1)

   
Karen                                Come the day






CD :

Tony & The Technics (Detroit)



Personnel :

Othea George (Tenor/Lead)

Willie "Tony" Ewing (First Tenor)

Gabriel Garrett (Baritone & Bass)

C.Washingtons (Baritone)



Discography :

Tony & The Technics
1963 - Ha ha He Told You / Workout With A Pretty Girl (Chex 1010)

The Technics
1963 - Because I Really Love You / A Man’s Confession (Chex 1012)
1963 - Hey Girl Don’t Leave Me / I Met Her On The First Of September (Chex 1013)

Tony Ewing
1963 - Every Dog Has His Day / Drum Drum Deeda (Chex 1016)



Biography :

Chex records would have been a distinctly minor footnote in R&b history had it not been for the Volumes catchy and memorable 1962 hit, "I love You". Chex was the Brainchild of Detroiter, Willie "Tony" Ewing, a sharp young producer who fashioned a handful of gritty pre-soul singles on a shoestring budget.

Willie "Tony" Ewing

Donald Richards, A former member of the legendary Twilighters on JVB and Spin, cut "I cried for you"/"Hello Operator" in the winter of 1962. Although Ewing Stated that the Volumes backed Richards on this session (released as Chex 1003), Richards and Ewing both sang with the Twilighters.
They waxed "It's a possibility" for Mike Hanks in 1959, then recorded for Chex under the Name "Tony & the Technics" in the Winter of 1963.

"Ha ha He Told You" / "Workout With A Pretty Girl" by Tony & the Technics got good airplay in Detroit. Othea George was Tenor and main lead of the Technics; Willie "Tony" Ewing, first tenor; Gabriel Garrett, Baritone & Bass, and C.Washingtons was the Baritone. Their Next single was "A Man’s Confession" for Chex, then they called themselves the Four Voices on several neat soul 45s for Ewing (the best was "we live in the ghetto") in the mid-sixties.

The group toured Michigan and Canada and was featured on the local club circuit.
Don Fileti



Songs :

   
Ha ha He Told You               Workout With A Pretty Girl



CD :