(L to R) Cynthia Badie, Wanda Burt, Ernie, George Banks and Odell Alford

The Crescendos (2)  (Berkeley, CA.)
aka The Casual Crescendos
aka The Creschendos

Personnel :

Wanda Burt (Lead)

Cynthia Badie (Tenor)

Ernie (Tenor)

George Banks (Tenor/Baritone)

Odell Alford (Bass)


Discography :

The Creschendos
1960 - My Heart's Desire / Take My Heart (Music City 831)

The Crescendos (2)
1960 - My Heart's Desire / Take My Heart (Gone 5100)
1960 - I Don't Mind / Teenage Prayer (Music City 839)

Wanda Burt (bb The Crescendos)
1961 - Scheming / Your True Love Is Standing By (not them) (Music City 840)  

The Casual Crescendos
1963 - Wish That You Were Here / Uncle Ben's Concentrated Blueberry Jam (MRC 12001)


Biography :

In 1950, Ray Dobard decided to open a record shop, Berkeley’s Music City in Adeline Street, San Francisco. Not long after that, Ray founded his first record label Delcro Records. Three years later, with his latest business expanding his record store, now called Music City Record Store moved to new premises. Music City Record Store’s new premises were at 1815 Alcatraz Avenue. Behind the shop, there was an empty space. Ray decided to build a small studio. This meant he could record artists, release their music on his own label and sell them in Music City Record Store. In 1960, Dobard signed a quintet composed of two young women and three men. The group had began at Willard Junior High several years before, with tenor/baritone George Banks and Bass Odell Alford . At Berkeley high, a tenor named Ernie, beauty queen alto Cynthia Badie and sweet-voiced lead singer Wanda Burt gravitated to the group, who now called themselves the Crescendos.

(L to R) George Banks, Cynthia Badie, Odell Alford, Wanda Burt and Ernie

Wanda Burt, of all Music City Artists should have achieved a measure of stardom. Born Arkansas in 1942 and raised in Berkeley, she worked at Dobard’s store on the Weekends. One day she gave Dotard a Crescendos’demo. Dobard decided he wanted to record this group. Tough all the members sang lead during their live shows, Wanda became the only Crescendo voice on Music City-and no wonder. The Crescendos first release, "My Heart's Desire" in October 1960, in fact inspired Goldner to lease the record for another one of his labels, Gone. The song made some noise on the East Coast but never broke out. Impressed with Burt Potential, Dobard made a concession to the white mass market on the Crescendos’ next records, "Teenage Prayer" by adding violins. The added expense must have gnawed on him. One thing is certain : Those strings did more harm than good to the ballad, which was in the first place not as interesting as it flipside "I Don't Mind".

 
Wanda Burt (1961)                                                                                                                                         

The Crescendos’ third release, "Scheming" must have disappointed the other members of the group, because their name was nowhere in sight. Instead Dobard put it out as the B-side "Your True Love Is Standing By", which Burt had cut with another group. and he featured Burt as solo on the label. Wanda Burt had also stepped out on her own as a live performer. In late 1961, she appeared on the bill at a huge concert at San Fransisco’ Cow Palace with Chubby Checker, Eugene Church and girl group the Marvelettes. Unfortunately, health and personal problems sidelined her before she could build any momentum, and bought her promising career to a premature close. The Crescendos replaced her with a sound alike, Anna Lois Jones, and recorded as The Casual Crescendos for the MRC label. Cynthia Badie left the group to go to College, and nowadays she’s the manager of a successful young pop group, The New edition.



Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Crescendos (2)

  
My Heart's Desire                            Take My Heart


Take My Heart / I Don't Mind

Wanda Burt (bb The Crescendos)

  
                Scheming                           Your True Love Is Standing By

The Casual Crescendos

  
      Wish That You Were Here       Uncle Ben's Concentrated Blueberry Jam

…

Betty & Dupree (Chicago, Il.)
aka  Etta & Harvey


Personnel :

Etta James

Harvey Fuqua

Discography :

Betty & Dupree
Single :
1959 - I Hope You're Satisfied / If It Ain't One Thing (Kent 318)
Unreleased :
1959 - We're In Love (Kent)

Etta & Harvey
1960 - If I Can't Have You / My Heart Cries (Chess 1760)
1960 - Spoonful / It's A Crying Shame (Chess 1771)

Biography :

The success of "Roll with Me Henry" on the Bihari brothers' Modern label prompted Etta James  to split from the Peaches and pursue a solo career. She had a few more but minor hits, notably "Good Rockin' Daddy" (1955) and "Tough Lover" (1956 ). She also did some appealing duets with Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows as "Betty and Dupree," but by the late 1950s James had fallen into obscurity.

James and Fuqua were also romantically involved, and Fuqua, who was becoming more immersed in A&R work for Chess, was thus the reason that James left Modern and joined Chess in 1959. James and Fuqua were quickly recorded together under the name of "Etta and Harvey," and came up with a fine double-sided hit, "My Heart Cries' and 'If I Can't Have You" (1960).

But the songs harked back to the 1950s and did not represent James' subsequent work on chess. There was another Etta & Harvey duet release in December 1960. This time it was "Spoonful"/"It's A Crying Shame."
Robert Pruter "Chicago Soul"


Songs :

   
I Hope You're Satisfied                    If It Ain't One Thing

We're in Love

...

The Caslons (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Sal Mondeuri (Lead)

Lou Smith (Second Tenor)

Richie Smith (First Tenor)

Joe Carvelli (Baritone & sometimes Lead)

Bernie Belkin (Bass)

Discography :

The Caslons
1961- Anniversary Of Love / The Quiet One (Seeco 6078)
1962- For All We Know / Settle Me Down (Amy 836)

Lani Zee bb The Caslons
1961 - Funny, Funny, Funny / Sea Tides (Seeco 6074)

Biography :

Sal Mondeuri (Lead), Richie Smith (First Tenor) Lou Smith (2d tenor), Joe Carvelli (baritone), Bernie Belkin (bass) . The Caslons initially got together in 1960 in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn as students at Madison High School. They made many local appearances and rehearsed a great deal. It was their manager/promoter Lou Stallman who wrote "Anniversary of Love" and "The Quiet One." The Caslons recorded demo tapes and Stallman took them around to record companies for their review. The Label Seeco Recorded the Caslons and released the Single.

TThe Label will use the group to support Lani Zee (Lani Zarief) on "Funny, Funny, Funny" and "Sea Tides."Shortly after recording "Anniversary of Love" in Spring 1961, Bernie Belkin joined the Army, leaving the Caslons.  Since most performances at the time werelip-synched, the group decided to remain a quartet. Late in 1961 , Amy Records released "For All We Know" b/w "Settle Me Down." Nothing happened with this release and Lou Smith decided to join the army. The Caslons' magic was gone and the group split.

Songs :

The Caslons

    
Anniversary Of Love                            The Quiet One

  
For All We Know                                 Settle Me Down

Lani Zee bb The Caslons

  
       Sea Tides                                    Funny, Funny, Funny

 ...

The Wanderers (1)  aka The Singing Wanderers (New-York)

Personnel :

Ray Pollard (Lead)

Frank Joyner  (Second Tenor)

Robert Yarborough (Bariton)

Sheppard Grant  (Bass)

Discography:

The Singing Wanderers
1954 - Say Hey, Willie Mays / Don't Drop It (Decca 29230)
1954 - Three Roses / The Wrong Party Again (Decca 29298)

The Wanderers (1)
1954 - Say Hey, Willie Mays / Don't Drop It (Decca 29230) 

1954 - Three Roses / The Wrong Party Again (Decca 29298) 

1953 - We Could Find Happiness / Hey Mae Ethel (Savoy 1109) 

1954 - You Gotta Be Good To Yourself / Love Can't Be Blind (Savoy 1121) 

 N/A - Tell Me How (aka How Can I Get Along Without You) (Savoy) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Don't Do Nothing I Wouldn't Do (Savoy) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - What Do I Do (Savoy) (Unreleased)

 N/A - My First, Last And Only Gal (Savoy) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Did You See That (Savoy) (Unreleased)

1957 - Thinking Of You / Great Jumpin' Catfish (Onyx 518) 

1958 - A Teenage Quarrel/ My Shining Hour (Orbit K9003/Cub K9003)
1958 - Two Hearts On A Window Pan / Collecting Hearts (Cub K9019) 

1959 - Please / Shadrach, Meshack And Abednego (Cub K9023) 

1959 - I'm Not Ashamed  / Only When You're Lonely (Cub K9035)
1959 - I Walked Through A Forest / I'm Waiting In Green Pastures (Cub K9035) 

1960 - I Could Make You Mine / I Need You More (Cub K9075) 

1961 - For Your Love / Sally Goodheart (Cub K9089)
1961 - I'll Never Smile Again  / A Little Too Long (Cub K9094) 

1961 - Somebody Else's Sweetheart  /She Wears My Ring (Cub K9099) 

1962 - As Time Goes By  / There Is No Greater Love(Cub K9109/MGM K13082) 
 

N/A - Special One (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)

 N/A - Gonna Live Till I Die (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Mam'selle (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Daybreak (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)

 N/A - Makin' Whoopie (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Where Can I Go (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Sweet Sweet Love (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Count On Me (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Miss Fine (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Mr. Satan (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - I Cried For You (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Baby Don't You Cry (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Blue Prelude (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)
 
N/A - Thinking Of You (Cub/MGM) (Unreleased)

1963 - After He Breaks Your Heart / Run Run Senorita (United Artists 570) 

1963 - I'll Know  / You Can't Run Away From me (United Artists 648)

Biography :

This group began their career in the early fifties known as The Barons. The members were Ray Pollard on lead, Frank Joyner on tenor, the baritone voice was Robert Yarbrough and the bass was Shep Grant. In early 1953 they came to the attention of Newark based label Savoy Records and were signed to a recording contract in mid October. The first release by the group was soon out on Savoy #1109 - "Hey Mae Ethel" and "We Could Find Happiness". The record got enough airplay in the New York area to allow the group to start making in person appearances. Their first big gig came in December of that year when they appeared at Harlem's Club Baby Grand as the opening act for Big Maybelle. After the new year The Wanderers had a chance to hit the road and make personal appearances in other parts of the country.

They appeared with Galdys (Glad Rags) Patrick at Detroit's famous Flame Show Bar in February, and the next month toured with Tiny Grimes and his band through Ohio and Indiana. One last release for Savoy was in the role of backup vocals for Dolly Cooper on #1121 - "Love Can Be Blind" / "Be Good To Yourself".
By the middle of 1954 the group had left Savoy and were now on Decca Records. Their stay with the old major label did not bring much success. Decca #29230 was "Say Hey Willie Mays" and "Don't Drop It", which was an obvious try at the topical novelty category. The follow up on Decca #29298 returned them to their strong suit of the ballad - "Three Roses" and "The Wrong Party Again".

They played pop music venues and appeared with non R & B acts to try and broaden their appeal. Even an appearance on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town TV show in 1955 did not do the trick for the group. In 1957 the group now called simply The Wanderers appeared on one of New York's great indie labels, Onyx Records. They recorded a pop tune called "Thinking Of You" which was familiar to New Yorkers as the theme song to Brad Phillips radio show "Battle Royal" (in a version by smooth pop vocal group The Honeydreamers) and the response to the Wanderers version was good. It was their best known record and gave their career some direction.

Soon after "Thinking Of You"ran its course on the pop charts and dropped from the radio playlist, Onyx Records was taken over by a major label, in this case MGM. They moved the group to the short lived Orbit Records label run by Onyx head Jerry Winston. The label soon changed names a month later (in April of 1958) because of the proliferation of small labels using that name. The new label was called Cub, and the first release by The Wanderers on the new label was the withdrawn Orbit 9003 release "Teenaged Quarrel" / "My Shining Hour" and now on Cub 9003. In the late 50s a number of records on the Cub label were released but all met with little or no success. There was "Two Hearts on a Windowpane" (#9019), "Please" (#9023), "I'm Not Ashamed" / "Only When You're Lonely" (9035), "I Walked Through A Forest" (9054), and "I Need You More" / "I Could Make You Mine" (9075).

   
By 1961 it had been just about a decade in the business for The Wanderers without too much success on records for the group.Just about the time they were ready to call it a career as the music moved away from the standard R & B group sound, they met with critical and commercial success with a version of Ed Townsend's 1957 classic ballad "For Your Love" on Cub #9089. It made the national pop charts in the summer of 1961 and was a favorite of the East Coast vocal group fans. The followup on #9094 was a group ballad rendition of Sinatra's early forties tune "I'll Never Smile Again". The last record by the group in 1961 was called "Somebody Else's Sweetheart" coupled with another pop standard ballad "As Time Goes By". The original ballad did well and as it moved up in the national charts the Cub label record was switched to the parent MGM label. It was the best pop chart performer the group had ever recorded. Because it came at the end of the R & B vocal group era, the group was dropped by MGM in 1962.

This still was not the end of The Wanderers. They were signed to the United Artists label in 1962 and had two releases for UA. "After He Breaks Your Heart" was released in late 1962 on #570, and the following year "You Can't Run Away From Me" on #648. Neither record was a factor in the sales or airplay categories. From then on The Wanderers performed sporadically in the Northeast. Ray Pollard, the lead voice for all those years landed a role in the Broadway musical "Purlie" and began to make club appearances as a solo performer doing a wide variety of styles and songs.

The history of The Wanderers (and Singing Wanderers) lasted for two decades, and in that time fame and fortune certainly bypassed the group for most of that period of time. They may be known only for one hit in each decade of the era("Thinking Of You" in the fifties, and "Somebody Else's Sweetheart" in the sixties), but in their longevity they remained a classic vocal group that defined an era.
From : http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/wanderers.html

http://home.att.net/~marvart/Wanderers/wanderers.html


Videos :

CD :

The Ovations (3) (Queens, New York)
aka Little Romeo & The Casanovas (3)

Personnel :

Sammy Cantos (Lead)

Gary Willet (First Tenor)

Ron Buchter (Second Tenor)

Greg Malmeth (Baritone/Bass)

Discography :

The Ovations (3)
1964 - Who Needs Love / Remembering (Josie 916)

Little Romeo & The Casanovas (3)
1965 - That's How Girls Get Boys / Remember Lori (Ascot 2192)

Biography :

The Ovations are another you white vocal group who made their way to the Josie label in the 1960's. The Group consisted of Sammy Cantos (Lead), Gary Willet (First Tenor),Ron Buchter (Second Tenor) and Greg Malmeth (Baritone/Bass). They hailed from Flushing and Bayside in the New York city borough of Queens.They were all still in high school when they recorded two sides for writers and producer Neil Levenson and Steve Duboff. Levenson had already been successful writing "Denise" for Randy & The Raimbows (Rust 5059) in 1963.

Jubilee then bought the Masters and released "Who Needs Love" / "Remembering" as Josie 916 on January10,1964.  "Who Needs Love" was picked as the 'Boss Record of the Week" on the popular Murray the K radio show in New York City.  However, with no promotion and changing musical tastes, record sales and applause for the Ovations was mostly confined to their local Queens neighborhood. The Group stayed together long enough to release another favorite "That's How Girls Get Boys" / "Remember Lori" as Little Romeo & The Casanovas (Ascot 2192) in 1965

Songs :

The Ovations (3)

   
Who Needs Love                               Remembering     


Little Romeo & The Casanovas (3)

   
That's How Girls Get Boys                       Remember Lori              





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