The Wrens (Bronx, New-York)
https://www.uncamarvy.com/Wrens/wrens.html

Personnel :

Bobby Mansfield (Lead)

George Magnezid (First Tenor)

Francis Conception (Bariton)

Jimmy "Archie" Archer  (Bass)

Discography:

The Wrens
Singles :
1954 - Love's Something That's Made For Two / Beggin' For Love (Rama 53)
1955 - Come Back My Love / Beggin' For Love (Rama 65)
1955 - (Will You) Come Back My Love / Beggin' For Love (Rama 65)
1955 - Come Back My Love/ Eleven Roses (Rama 65)
1955 - Love's Something That's Made For Two / Eleven Roses (Rama 110)
1955 - Hey Girl  / Serenade Of The Bells (Rama 174)
1955 - Hey Girl  / Love's Something That's Made For Two (Rama 174)
1955 - I Won't Come To Your Wedding / What Makes You Do The Things You Do (Rama 184)
1956 - C'est La Vie / [C'est La Vie - Jimmy Wright Ork.] (Rama 194)
1992 - Why Can't You / I'm Just The Kind Of Guy  (Classic Artist 131)
Unreleased :
1955 - She's My Everything (Rama)
1955 - Betty Jean (Rama)

Bobby Mansfield backed by the Supremes
Unreleased
1956 - Reckless (Gee)
1956 - House of cards (Gee)

Biography :

The Wrens were one of the best of the dozens of R&B vocal groups who recorded in the mid- to late '50s for George Goldner, signed to his Rama and Gee labels in the wake of his success with "Gee" by the Crows. Lead singer Bobby Mansfield, George Magnezid (tenor), Francis "Frenchie" Concepcion (tenor), and James "Archie" Archer (bass) first started singing together in 1954 at a community center in the Bronx, NY. There they were spotted by Fred Johnson, a promoter who organized local talent shows, and he offered to manage the quartet. The Wrens were known best for their smooth, elegant harmony singing, which elevated both their ballads and their jump numbers above much of the competition. They sang R&B, but it tended more toward mature ballads and serious jump songs, rather than teen novelties.

Johnson got the group an audition with George Goldner's Rama Records and a recording contract followed late in 1954, with the group's first session taking place on November 21 of that year. Fred Johnson played piano behind them on that session and Goldner produced; in later recordings, legendary saxman Jimmy Wright led the band that backed them up. The group's first released single was "Love's Something Made for Two" b/w "Beggin' for Love," featuring Mansfield and Concepcion, respectively.It was their second single, "Come Back My Love," however, that achieved some local popularity in New York early in 1955 and put the Wrens on the map for R&B vocal fans.

At their best, the Wrens sounded a lot like the Moonglows -- Mansfield's singing at times bore a striking resemblance to Harvey Fuqua of the latter group, and both outfits were at their best doing mid-tempo jump numbers and ballads, though the Wrens' records also had a hard edge from Wright's sax and the bold sound of the Rama house band under his leadership. Goldner issued a total of six singles by the Wrens, but they never enjoyed a bigger hit than "Come Back My Love," which became their signature song despite competition from a cover version done by the Cardinals on Atlantic that same year. By 1956, however, Bobby Mansfield had split off from the group for a solo career, during which he made some records for Goldner with the Supremes (the male R&B vocal group, not the Motown trio) backing him.

The Wrens disappeared into the mists of R&B vocal group history, while Mansfield remained active into the 1990s, even recording with a new group of "Wrens" in the middle of the decade. The original Wrens all lived long enough to see themselves inducted into the United Group Harmony Association's Hall of Fame in 1998.

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The Four Coachmen (1) (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
aka The Banners

Personnel :

William Bates

Discography :

The Four Coachmen (1)
1959 - My Own True Love / These Golden Years (MGM 12810)

The Banners
1960 - Fortune Teller / Sales Talk (MGM 12862)

Biography :

Little information on this group from Allentown in Pennsylvania. According to youtube,  William Bates would be one of the members of the group. They are not related with the four Coachmen on Castle & Adonis records.

During the summer of 1959, the Four Coachmen recorded "My Own True Love" and "These Golden Years" which would be released by MGM. Some six months later, the group recorded two good new titles, "Fortune Telle" and "Sales Talk". Mgm released the single changing the name of the group by The Banners.

Songs :

The Banners

  
Fortune Teller                                  Sales Talk

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The Coronets (1) (Cleveland)

Personnel :

Charles Carruthers (Lead)

Lester Russaw (First Tenor)

Sam Griggs (Second Tenor)

George Lewis (Baritone)

William Griggs (Bass)

Discography :

The Coronets (1)
Singles:
1953- Nadine / I'm All Alone (Chess 1549)
1953 - It Would Be Heavenly / Baby's Coming Home (Chess 1553)
1955 - I Love You More / Crime Doesn't Pay (Groove 0114)
1955 - Hush / The Bible Tells Me So (Groove 0116)
Unreleased :
1953- I Want You To Know (Chess)
1953- G.I. Misery (Chess)
1953- Should I (Chess)
1953- Cobella (Chess)
1953- Beggin' And Pleadin' (Chess)

The Bill Reese Quintet & The Coronets (1)
1955 - The Little Boy / Don't Deprive Me (Sterling 903)

Sammy Griggs & The Coronets (1)
1959 - Footsteps  /Long John Silver (Job 100)

Biography :

The Coronets were Cleveland second most famous R&B vocal group behind the Moonglows. The group started around 1952 when they were students at Edison High School. The group included Sammy Griggs, brother Bill Griggs, Lester Russaw, and George Lewis. Not long after they started performing, Charles Carruthers joined as primary lead singer. The group made a couple demos to WJW DJ Alan Freed and he was able to get them signed to Chess records, at least a year before the Moonglows. The group wrote "Nadine" and that was the A side of their first 45 on Chess, and it was a big R&B hit. When the record was released, Alan Freed had put his name as writer, not the first and last time that happened. They were backed by the Sax Mallard Combo when they recorded at Chess.

The group returned to Chess and cut some more songs, two of them were released on a second., less successful 45. Meanwhile the success of "Nadine" got them shows at chitlin circuit stops in the Great Lakes and Midwest. Russaw and Carruthers left and the group replaced them with Bobby Ward. By 1955, Chess was no loger interested in them, and Freed and long given them up as both Chess and Freed picked the Moonglows to promote. The Coronets recorded  a bunch of new songs locally (believed to have been done at Schneider), and were signed on to Sterling records, a short lived label run by Shelly Haims and Irving Lief. On the recordings, they were backed by the Cleveland R&B group the Bill Reese  Quintet, who also recorded on their own for Sterling. Other names show up on the Sterling 45, LaMotta and Schroeder.

Sterling was able to get RCA's R&B subsidiary Groove records to release 2 Coronets 45s apparently simultaneously. None of these records got much action, and the group continued to perform in the Cleveland area. Bobby Ward left and was replaced by the returning Charles Carruthers. In 1960 they made one more 45, with Charles singing lead and Sam Griggs writing the songs. The 45 was on the JOB label, a one-off which seems to have been their own. The record was recorded at Audio, with one side using Joe Petito's Big Song publishing.
The group disbanded at the end of 1960.

https://www.uncamarvy.com/Coronets/coronets.html

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Joey & The Twisters (3) (Manhattan, New York)
(By Hans-Joachim) 

Personnel: :

Joey Villa (Vocals)

Bob Azzara (Piano)

Albert Leonardis (Drums)

Frankie Natale (Saxophone) 

Discography :

1961 - Peppermint Twist Time / Silly Chili (Dual 502)
1962 - Bony Moronie / Mumblin’ (Dual 505)
1962 - Do You Want To Dance / Last Dance (Dual 509)
N/A - My Mother's Eyes / Jailer, Bring Me Water (Armour 2244)

Biography :

Joey & The Twisters was a Twist group formed from remnants of the original Royal Teens around 1961. The group was led by Teens vocalist Joey Villa (aka Joe Francovilla), along with several other members from the local Manhattan Doo Wop scene. The band played regularly at the Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan, alongside Joey Dee and the Starliters and other acts. The Twisters never released an album, but did release several singles on Duel Records, including remakes of Bobby Darin's "Jailer, Bring me Water," Bobby Freeman's "Do You Want To Dance," and "Bony Maronie," and penned "Peppermint Twist Time" in honor of the club that gave them a home.

They did launch on a national tour, the highlight of which was playing the Dream Room in New Orleans. The group dissolved as the Twist fell out of fashion. Joey Villa continued playing as a solo artist. Bob Azzara and Louis Burgio, along with friend Flip Cesario, who briefly played with The Royal Teens, later formed the band Mardi Gras.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_and_the_Twisters

Songs :

  
Do You Want to Dance                          Bony Maronie    


Mumblin'
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 The Youngsters (1) (Los Angeles)
aka The Preludes (1)  aka Tempters aka Them

Personnel :

Homer Green (Lead)

Charles Everidge (Second Tenor)

Donald Miller (First Tenor)

Harold Murray (Baritone)

James Monroe Warren (Bass)

Discography :

The Youngsters (1)
1956 - Shattered Dreams / Rock'n Roll'n Cowboy (Empire 104)
1956 - Counterfeit Heart / You're An Angel (Empire 107)
1956 - Dreamy Eyes / Christmas In Jail (Empire 109)
1956 - Dreamy Eyes / I'm Sorry Now (Empire 109)

The Preludes (1)
1956 - Don't Fall In Love Too Soon / I Want Your Arms Around Me (Empire 103)

The Them
1956 - Shattered Dreams / I'm Sorry Now (Heg 501)

The Tempters
1956 - I'll See You Next Fall / I'm Sorry Now (Empire 105)

Biography :

The Youngsters had one good sized hit on the west coast, several records under different names, and members that were involved in other fine groups.  The group formed at Manual Arts High School on Vermont Street in Los Angeles in 1955. Group members originally included Homer Green, Don Miller, Charles Everidge, Harold Murray and James Warren.

 Their first recording was issued as the Preludes and was with the newly formed Empire record label, owned by George Motola and Jack Hoffman. Backing them on the session was noted pianist Ernie Freeman. "Don't Fall In Love Too Soon" was actually recorded at the same session as "Shattered Dreams" and "Rock And Roll Cowboy". Besides the Preludes and Youngsters, they also had the name of the Tempters. 

Their next release stalled, and the group made a personnel change. Homer Green joined the service, and Herman Pruitt jumped aboard. He had sung with another fine LA vocal group, the Calvanes. And, coincidently, was also from Manual Arts High School. "Dreamy Eyes" became their best selling record and earned them spots on a few local tours and some great gigs.

The song was also covered by many groups, including the Squires on Aladdin, the Viceroys, the Sparklers, and others. By 1957, the Youngsters fortunes faded for at least a couple of reasons.Two members of the group left, and Empire records folded. Everidge and Warren eventually joined the Shields touring group, as they were then hot with "You Cheated".

Songs :

     
Shattered Dreams                   Rock'n Roll'n Cowboy              I'm Sorry Now

  
Counterfeit Heart / You're An Angel        Dreamy Eyes / Christmas In Jail


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