Larry & The Conservatives (Chicago)  

Personnel :

Larry Johnson (Lead)

J.Johnson

B. Johnson

M. DeShields

Discography :

Larry & The Conservatives
1963 - Can you Wobble / Watch your Step (Like 417)

Larry Johnson
1963 - Can You Monkey? / Watch Your Step (Zorro 418)

Larry Johnson & The Ideals (6)
1964 - Please Love Me (What's It Gonna Be) / Don't Give In  (Zorro 420)


Biography :

The group, ranging in age from 13-15 were composed by Larry Johnson, his two brothers and M DeShields. In 1963, the group released "Can you Wobble" b/w "Watch your Step" on the Like Label.

   

The Same year, Larry Johnson recorded again "Watch Your Step" with "Can You Monkey?" on the Zorro Label. Larry Johnson backed by the Ideals recorded again on the Zorro label "Please Love Me (What's It Gonna Be)" b/w "Don't Give In.

Song :

Larry & The Conservatives

   
Watch Your Step                             Can You Wobble

...

The Four Queens (1) (New York)
aka The Rockin' Kids

Personnel :

?

Discography :

The Rockin' Kids
1958 - Yea Yea (I'm in the Mood) / Black Stockings (Dot 15749)

The Four Queens (1)
1963 - Black Stockings / It's To Late (ABC 10409)

Biography :

   

Songs :

The Rockin' Kids

   
Yea Yea (I'm in the Mood)                  Black Stockings


The Four Queens (1)

Black Stockings / It's Too Late

...

   ...

The Checkers (New York)

Personnel :

John Carnegie (Lead)

Charlie White (Lead)

James "Buddy" Brewer (Baritone)

Bill Brown (Bass)

Discography :

The Checkers
1952 - Flame In My Heart / Oh, Oh, Oh Baby (King 4558)
1952 - Night's Curtains / Let Me Come Back (King 4581)
1953 - My Prayer Tonight / Love Wasn't There (King 4596)
1953 - Ghost Of My Baby / I Wanna Know (King 4626)
1953 - I Promise You / You Never Had It So Good  (King 4673)
1953 - White Cliffs Of Dover /Without A Song (King 4675)
1954 - House With No Windows / Don't Stop Dan (King 4710)
1954 - You've Been Fooling Around / Over The Rainbow (King 4719)
1954 -  Mama's Daughter / I Wasn't Thinking, I Was Drinking (King 4751)
1954 - Can't Find My Sadie / Trying To Hold My Gal (King 4764)
N/A - A Friend In Need (King) (Unreleased)
1959 - Let Me Come Back / White Cliffs Of Dover (Federal 12375)

The Original Checkers
1962 - Love Wasn't There / Over The Rainbow  (King 5592)

Biography :

In early 1952 Billy Brown a member of The Dominos cited differences with Billy Ward the group's manager and left the group. He formed a new vocal group which he called The Checkers.Other members of the group at times were Charlie White, Eddie Harris, John Carnegie, and Perry Heyward (this information comes from Marv Goldberg). In September of 1952 King Records of Cincinnati announces the release of #4558 which features The Checkers on the tunes "Flame In My Heart" and "Oh Oh Baby". The next record by the group features the songs "My Prayer Tonight" and "Love Wasn't There" on #4596. In November King releases "Night's Curtain" and "Let Me Come Back" on #4581.In the spring of 1953 King releases a new side by The Checkers. The songs are "Ghost Of My Baby" and "I Wanna Know" on #4626. Late in the year of 1953 the Checkers record "White Cliffs Of Dover" and "Without A Song" released by King on #4675. In January of 1954 King is still at it with a new record by The Checkers. The songs are "You Never Had It So Good" and "I Promise You" on #4673. In March last year's recording of "White Cliffs Of Dover" begins to sell on the West coast. In May King Records pushes the group's "Don't Stop Dan" and "House With No Windows" on #4710.

In late May Billboard picks the record as its "buy of the week" and states that both sides are selling well despite limited air play on radio. The 'A' side seems to be "Don't Stop Dan" and it is selling well especially in the South. It turns out to be the group's biggest hit and top seller. In July the Cincinnati, home base of King Records, reports big sales of the flip side of the record - "House With No Windows" (the tune would be covered by The Midnighters for King in 1958). On the strength of record sales The Checkers hit the road for a tour of one nighters throughout the South during the last three months of the year. Cootie Williams & his Orchestra, Dinah Washington, and Danny Overbea are also part of the package show. The second part of the tour will head out to the Midwest with James Moody and his band replacing the Williams unit. Meanwhile King is out with another side by the group - "Over The Rainbow" and "You've Been Fooling Around" on #4719. In November King follows up The Checkers big seller with a new release featuring the tunes "I Wasn't Thinking I Was Drinking" and "Mama's Daughter" on #4751.

  
In January of 1955 "Try Holding My hand" and "Can't Find My Sadie" are released by King Records on #4764.The Checkers suddenly drop off the radar screen so to speak and they are not heard from on record for three years. Just as suddenly The Checkers reappear in late 1958 with "Heaven Only Knows" and "Nine More Miles" on King #5166. The next year there are two records by the group - "So Fine" and "Sentimental Heart" is released on Federal #12355 which is followed by "Teardrops Are Falling" on one side of King #5199. There has been much speculation over the years that these three late 50s releases are not by the original version of The Checkers at all. The final record release by the group is on Federal #12375 in 1960 which features re-issues of "White Cliffs Of Dover" and "Let Me Come Back".  The Checkers - another fondly remembered group by those who are anchored in the sound of the R & B vocal groups all those years ago. For all others, try and find the work of this group if for no other reason than they were part of that magical scene "back in the day".
back to title page . . . . . .
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Checkers/checkers.html

The Gales (1) (Detroit)
aka The Question Marks (1) aka  The Violinaires

Personnel :

Isaiah Jones (Lead)

Calvin Fair (Lead)

Bob Gandy

Wilson DeShields (Baritone)

Leo Coney


Discography :

The Violinaires
1954 - Another Soldier Gone / Joy In The Beulah Land (Drummond 4000)

The Gales (1)
1955 - Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying / My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble (J.V.B 34)
1955 - Darling Patricia / All Is Well, All Is Well (J.V.B 35/J.O.B. 3001)

The Question Marks (1)
1954 - Another Soldier Gone / Get Some More (Hollywood Flames) (Swing Time 346)

Biography :

Calvin Fair, along with Isaiah Jones, Wilson DeShields, Leo Coney, and Dempsey were the Violinaires singing "Another Soldier Gone." The Pressing plant personnel at Drummond misspelled the Group's name on the label as Voilinaires. The same group of people recorded the four (4) songs attributed to the Gales.  Los Angeles label Swing Time issued 'Another Soldier Gone'  with the credited artists as The ? Marks. In fact "Another Soldier Gone" seems to be an alternate take by the Violinaires. The group who sing on the flip of the record featured here is in fact The Hollywood Flames.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/another.htm


Songs :

The Violinaires

  
  Another Soldier Gone                      Joy In The Beulah Land


The Gales (1)

     
    My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble     Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying      Darling Patricia                 

All Is Well, All Is Well

  The Question Marks (1)

Another Soldier Gone
 

...

Thomas Wayne & The DeLons (Memphis, TN.)

Personnel :

Thomas Wayne (Lead)

Sandra Brown

Nancy Reed

Carol Moss




Discography :

1958 - Tragedy / Saturday Date (Fernwood 109 )
1959 - Eternally / Scandalizing My Name (Fernwood 111)
1959 - Gonna Be Waitin' / Just Beyond (Fernwood 113)



Biography :


When elvis was conscripted into the US Army in early 1958, his backing trio, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and DJ Fontana, were made redundant. Retourning to Memphis, Black and Moore found themselves at a lose end. Black took a day job (pending the subsequent formation of Bill Black' Combo) while moore fell in with owners of Fernwood Records, a local label run on a shoestring by a memphis truck driver named Slim Wallace.

Thomas Wayne with Scotty Moore

Neither Moore nor Black harboured any lingering thoughs about a Fernwood session they were invited to play on in September 1958. The whole deal, from the singer to the song, seemed so low key as to be barely memorable. Or so they thought.

The Vocalist, Thomas Wayne, was the younger brother of Johnny Cash's guitarist, Luther Perkins while the only other personnel present, aside from Moore & Black, were The DeLons, (Sandra Brown, Nancy Reed, Carol Moss), Three school friends of wayne's who had come in as background vocalists. Out-takes feature a drummer using brushes but he was ommited from the final arrangement.

 
Billboard's review offered room for optimism : "Fine warble by Wayne on a haunting ballad with a beat that is nicely backed by a fem chorus. It can attract." This prescience proved well founded. Something of a 'sleeper', "Tragedy" did not reach Billboards's chart until February 1959 eventually peaking at #5.

The Fleetwoods took the song back into the top 10 in 1961. Wayne, who was born in Bathsville, Mississippi in 1940, was killed in a motoring accident in 1971.

Songs :

    
Saturday Date                              Just Beyond                Gonna Be Waitin'

   
Tragedy                                    Eternally

...