Billy & Lillie (New York)
aka Billie & Lillie aka  Billy & Lilly
(By Hans-Joachim)

 

Personnel:

Billy Ford

Lillie Bryant

 

Discography:

Singles :

Billy & Lillie
1957 - La Dee Dah / The Monster (Billy Ford & The Thunderbirds) (Swan 4002)
1958 - Happiness / Creepin' Crawlin' Cryin' (Swan 4005)

Billie & Lillie
1958 - The Greasy Spoon / Hangin’ On To You (Swan 4011)

Billy & Lillie
1958 - Lucky Ladybug / I Promise You (Swan 4020)
1959 - Lucky Ladybug / I Promise You (Casino 105)
1959 - Tumbled Down / Aloysius Horatio Thomas The Cat (Swan 4030)
1959 - Bells, Bells, Bells / Honeymoonin' (Swan 4036)
1959- Terrific Together / Swampy (Swan 4042)
1960- Free For All / The Ins And Outs Of Love (Swan 4051)
1960- Over The Mountain, Across The Sea / That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles (Ah-So) (Swan 4058)
1961 - Bananas / Ain't Comin' Back To You (Swan 4069)

Billy & Lilly
1962 - My Pledge Of Love / You Made Me Love You (Stacy 928)

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

Billy & Lillie
1963 - Carry Me ‘Cross The Threshold / Why I Love Billie (Why I Love Lillie) (ABC-Paramount10489)

Billie & Lillie
1964 - Tic Tac Toe / Coconut Cake (Ric 144)

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

Billy & Lillie
1966 - Nothing Moves (Without A Push) / The Two Of Us (Cameo 412)
1966 - You Got Me By The Heart / Hear, You Better Hear! (Cameo 435)

Unreleased :

n/a - Draggin’
n/a - Till Death Do Us Part

Lillie Bryant
1957 - The Good Good Morning, Baby / Gambler (Cameo 122)
1959 - Smoky Gray Eyes / I’ll Never Be Free (Swan 4029)
1966 - Meet Me Half Way / Mama (Tay-Ster 6016)

 

Biography:

Billy & Lillie were an American pop vocal duo, comprised of Billy Ford (born March 9, 1925, Bloomfield, New Jersey) and Lillie Bryant (born February 14, 1940, Newburg, New York). Billy Ford was a trumpeter and singer and began his career in 1942. He had recorded two singles for United Records, without attaining much commercial success. When Lillie Bryant turned 14 she appeared during an amateur night at New York City's legendary Apollo Theater. For the next few years she performed in New York City working at different clubs.

In 1957 Ford and his band, The Thunderbirds, auditioned for Frank Slay and Bob Crewe's XYZ production company in the New York City Rehearsal studio the very same day as Billy tested out Lillie to replace one of his vocalists. Bob Crewe came up with the suggestion to record her with Billy as a duo in an attempt to cash in on the popularity of acts such as Mickey & Sylvia as well as providing a Pearl Bailey/Louis Armstrong comedic approach.

   

They recorded for Swan Records in the late 1950s and charted three hit singles in the United States, two of them written by the songwriter and record producer Bob Crewe. Billy & Lillie’s backing group was Billy Ford’s Thunderbirds. The first single, "La Dee Dah", was the only one of them to hit the Top 10 on the Billboard charts, peaking at #9.
Billy Ford died at age 59 in 1985.

Lillie Bryant biography by Ronnie Allen at Jersey Girls Sing
Lillie Bryant biography by Dik de Heer at Shakin’ Stacks
Billy & Lillie biography by The Big Geeze at Geezer Music Club
Billy & Lillie label scans at 45cat
Billy & Lillie discography at Soulful Kinda Music

 Songs:

Billy & Lilly

     
La Dee Dah               The Monster (Billy Ford & The Thunderbirds)              Happiness

     
Creepin' Crawlin' Cryin'       The Greasy Spoon / Hangin’ On To You       Lucky Ladybug

     
I Promise You                    Tumbled Down           Aloysius Horatio Thomas The Cat

     
Bells, Bells, Bells                  Honeymoonin'                    Terrific Together

     
Swampy                 Over The Mountain, Across The Sea            That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles (Ah-So)

  
Bananas / Ain't Comin' Back To You                My Pledge Of Love / You Made Me Love You

     
Whip It To Me Baby          Love Me Sincerely         Why I Love Billie (Why I Love Lillie)

     
Baby You Don't Know / I'm In Love         Nothing Moves (Without A Push)      The Two Of Us

  
You Got Me By The Heart / Hear, You Better Hear!         Draggin’ / Till Death Do Us Part

 

Lillie Bryant


Good Good Morning, Baby /The Gambler

     
Smoky Gray Eyes          I’ll Never Be Free                Meet Me Half Way

 

 

 

 

...

 

The Pharaohs (3)

The Pharaohs (3)  (Higland Park, Michigan)
aka The Four Imperials (1) 

 

Personnel :

Lynn Best (Lead)

Frank Amodeo (Bass)

Bob Manzagol (Baritone)

Jim Hartrick (Tenor)

 

Discography :

The Pharaohs (3)
1957 - Walking Sad / Come On Baby (Fascination 101/Skylor 101)

The Four Imperials (1)
1958 - Lazy Bonnie / Let's Make A Scene (Lorelei 4444/Dot 15737)
1958 - My Girl / Teen Age Fool (Chant 10067)
1959 - Valley Of Tears / Time Out (Dial 101)
1959 - Santa's Got A Coupe DeVille / Seven Lonely Days (Twirl 2005)

Pee Wee Crayton with Esther & The Four Imperials (1)
1958 - Give Me One More Chance / Look Up & Live (not them) (Fox 102)

 

Biography :

Four guys from Higland Park in Detroit started harmonizing on the street corners in the mid 50's they were Lynn Best (Lead), Frank Amodeo (Bass), Bob Manzagol (Baritone) and Leroy Casey (Tenor), they were all graduates of Highland Park High School in Michigan.  They called themselves The Pharaohs and recorded for Fascination Records in 1957 : "Walking Sad" b/w "Come On Baby."


The Pharaohs (3) around 1958

In 1958 Leroy left the group and the rest adde Jim Hartrick and changed their name to The Four Imperials and recorded in the Detroit label Lorelei "Lazy Bonnie" b/w "Let's Make A Scene." The record became popular and the group make many appearances throughout the midwest including one with Ricky Nelson at the Michigan State Fair.

 

They Make a personal appearance at the Mount Clemens Bandstand teen-agers dance at the VFW Hall.The group soon snapped up by Fox Records manager George Braxton and the Four Imperials backed Pee Wee Crayton on  "Give Me One More" .

After Fox records, Braxton started several subsidiaries : Brax, Dial, Chant, and Teen Life. The Four Imperials recorded for Braxton's Chant Records "My Girl" b/w "Teenage Fool" and "Valley Of Tears" b/w "Time Out" on Dial. The last recording of the group were for Twirl Records in 1959 "Seven lonely Nights" b/w "Santa's Got A Coupe DeVille" .  
 

      Lynn Best (left)  Bob Manzagol (top center) , Frank Amodeo (right)  Jim Hartrick(bottom center)

After that they broke up. Ed Wingate took Lynn Best into the studio to do a single for Golden World that was never issued. This was probably around '64 because one of the tunes, "I Want Your Love to Be Mine" is one of the best Beatles knock-offs. Frank Amodeo joined up with Byron Taylor and recorded as The Two-Tones.



Songs :

The Pharaohs (3)

  
Walking Sad                           Come On Baby


The Four Imperials (1)

     
Lazy Bonnie               Let's Make A Scene                   My Girl

     
Teen Age Fool              Valley Of Tears                     Time Out

  
Santa's Got A Coupe DeVille             Seven Lonely Days


Pee Wee Crayton with Esther & The Four Imperials (1)


Give Me One More Chance

...

The Chantels (Bronx, New York)
aka The Tunemasters

(By Hans-Joachim) 

 

Personnel :

Arlene Smith (Lead)

Lois Harris (First Tenor)

Sonia Goring (Second Tenor)

Jackie Landry (Second Alto)

Rene Minus (Alto / Bass)

 

Discography:

The Chantels

Singles
1957 - He's Gone / The Plea (End 1001)
1957 - Maybe / Come My Little Baby (End 1005)
1958 - Every Night / Whoever You Are (End 1015)
1958 - I Love You So / How Could You Call It Off (End 1020)
1958 - Sure of Love / Prayee (End 1026)
1958 - If You Try / Congratulations (End 1030)
1958 - I Can't Take It / Never Let Go (End 1037)
1958 - I'm Confessin / Goodbye To Love (End 1048)
1960 - Whoever You Are / How Could You Call (End 1069)
1961 - I* / Believe Me (My Angel)* (End 1103)
1961 - I'm The Girl / There's Our Song (End 1105)
1961 - Look In My Eyes / Glad To Be Back (Carlton 555)
1961 - Well I Told You / Still (Carlton 564)
1961 - Summertime / Here It Comes Again (Carlton 569)
1963 - Eternally / Swamp Water (Ludix 101)
1963 - Some Tears Fall Dry / That's Why You're Happy (Ludix 106)
1965 - There's No Forgetting You / Take Me As I Am (TCF 123)
1966 - You're Welcome To My Heart / Soul Of A Soldier (Verve 10387)
1966 - Indian Giver / It's Just Me (Verve 10435)
1969 - Maybe / There's No Forgetting You (Roul 7064)
1970 - Love Makes All The ..../ I'm Gonna Win Him Back (RCA 74-0347)
1997 - So Real / My Memories Of You (Stoop Sounds 113)
* The Veneers (Annette Swinson Smith, Valerie Swinson, Barbara Joyner, Lorraine Joyner)

Unreleased :
1957 - Tasty Kisses (End)
1958 - I’ve Cried (End)
1959 - Two Loving Hearts (End)
1959 - Miracle Of Love (End)
1959 - Chantel Rock (End)
1961 - Cotton Fields (End)
1966 - From This Moment On (unreleased)
1966 - Lonely Am I (unreleased)
1966 - Lover’s Chant (unreleased)

The Tumemasters
1957 - It's All Over / Sending This Letter (Mark-X 7002)

Willie Wilson & The Tumemasters
1958 - I've Lied / Sending You This Letter (End 1011)

Willie And Arlene And The Tunemasters
1958 - I've Lied / Sending You This Letter (End 1011)

Richard Barrett & The Chantels
1959 - Come Softly To Me / Walkin' Through Dreamland (Gone 5056)
1959 - Summer's Love / All Is Forgiven (Gone 5060)

-------------------------------------------

Eps :
1958 - Sure Of Love / Prayee / I Love You So / How Could You Call It Off? (End 201)
1958 - Memories Of You / I’ll Walk Alone / C'est Si Bon / Congratulations (End 202)

   
 

-------------------------------------------

Lps:

1958 - We are The Chantels (End LP 301)
Maybe / The Plea / Come My Little Baby / Congratulations / Prayee / He's Gone / I Love You So / Every Night / Whoever You Are / How Could You Call It Off / Sure Of Love / If You Try

 

1961 - There's Our Song Again (End LP 312)
There's Our Song Again / Never Let Go / Believe Me (My Angel) / C'est Si Bon / Ific / My Darlin' / I'm The Girl / I / My Memories Of You/ / I'll Walk Alone/ I 'm Confessin' / Goodbye To Love

 

1962 -The Chantels on Tour (Carlton LP 144)
Look In My Eyes / Summertime / Glad To Be Back / Still / Well I Told You / You’ll Never Know / Here It Comes Again (Carlton LP 144)

 

1964 - The Chantels Sing Their Favorites (Forum Circle LP 9104)
There's Our Song Again / Never Let Go / Believe Me (My Angel) / C'est Si Bon / Ific / I'm The Girl / I / My Memories Of You / I'll Walk Alone / I'm Confessin'

 

1987 - Arlene Smith & The Chantels (Murray Hill LP 385)
Maybe / If You Try (alternate take) / Prayee / So Real (previously unreleased) / The Plea / I Can't Take It (There's Our Song Again) / Look In My Eyes (Stereo) / Every Night (alternate) / I'm Confessing / Whoever You Are (Stereo) / Goodbye To Love (alternate) / He's Gone / Every Night / Sure Of Love / Congratulations / I'm The Girl (alternate) / I'll Walk Alone / Memories Of You (alternate) / Come My Little Baby / I Love You So / How Could You Call It Off (alternate) / My Darling / Prayee (alternate) / If You Try /Goodbye To Love /Never Let Go / To Live My Life Again (Arlene Smith) / C'est Si Bon / Ific / How Could You Call It Off / Mon Cherie Au Revoir (Arlene) / Two Loving Hearts (unknown group) / I've Lied (Willie & Arlene) /All Is Forgiven (stereo - Richard Barrett & Chantels) / Is It Because (Ronnie Baxter) /Summer's Love (with Barrett) /Come Softly To Me (with Barrett) / Maybe (alternate) / Peruvian Wedding Song (stereo - prev. unreleased)

------------------------------------------- 

 

 

Biography:

„One of the very first girl groups, the Chantels are best-known for their 1957 hit "Maybe." Between 1957 and 1963, the trio racked up a number of hit singles, but none of them was ever as popular as "Maybe," which came to be regarded as one of the definitive singles of the genre. All five members of the Chantels - Arlene Smith, Lois Harris, Sonia Goring, Jackie Landry, and Rene Minus  - met as children, when they sang in the choir of Saint Anthony of Padua, a Bronx-area school. Arlene Smith was the leader of the quintet.

Smith wrote all of the group's early material and she was the one who convinced the other girls - whose age ranged between 14 and 17 at the time - to audition for Richard Barrett, a record producer and a member of the doo wop group the Valentines. Barrett signed the band to End Records and produced the Chantels' first single, a Smith song called "He's Gone." Released in the summer of 1957, the single peaked at number 71. However, the group's second single - another Smith composition called "Maybe" - was a smash hit, peaking at number two on the R&B charts and number 15 on the pop charts in early 1958.

"Maybe" sold more copies than its chart position suggests; the single was pirated by several other small record labels and none of those sales were tallied for the final chart position. For the next year, the Chantels tried in vain to deliver a follow-up as successful as "Maybe."  Two hit singles - "Every Night (I Pray)" and "I Love You So" - followed on End Records, but the label dropped them after a handful of other records failed to make an impact. Around that time, Smith left the group to pursue a solo career and Harris had left the group.

The Chantels didn't replace either singer and continued as a trio.In the summer of 1959, the group supported Richard Barrett on his single, "Summer's Love," which peaked at number 29 on the R&B charts. In 1961, the Chantels signed with Carlton Records, where they had two minor pop hits: "Look in My Eyes" and "Well, I Told You."

 

  

Carlton dropped the group the following year and the band moved to Ludix, where they had a minor hit with "Eternally" in the spring of 1963. The Chantels continued performing until the end of the decade; they officially disbanded in 1970. A few years later, Arlene Smith re-formed the Chantels, recruiting four new members; the other original members all retired from the entertainment business.

  

Smith continued to lead various incarnations of the Chantels into the '90s. When she wasn't touring the oldies circuit with the Chantels, Smith worked as a schoolteacher.”
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

http://www.thechantels.com
http://doowopy.de/old/02page/C/eChantels.html
http://www.electricearl.com/dws/chantels.html
http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_chantels.html
http://history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm
http://www.classicurbanharmony.net/Barrett%20Legacy%203%20copy%208.pdf

 
Songs :

     
Maybe                                      He's Gone                      Every Night (I Pray)

     
I'll Walk Alone                          The Plea                       Come Softly To Me
 

...

 

The Roomates aka The Roommates (Queens, New York)



Personnel :

Steve Susskind (Lead)

Jack Carlson (First Tenor and Falsetto)

Felix Alvarez (Second Tenor)

Bob Minsky (Bass)



Discography :

The Roomates

1960 - I Want A Little Girl / Making Believe (Promo 2211)
1961 - Glory Of Love / Never Knew (Valmor 008)
1961 - Band Of Gold / O Baby Love (Valmor 010)
1961 - My Foolish Heart / My Kisses For Your Thoughts (Valmor 013)
1961 - Gee / One Summer Night / Never Knew / Glory Of Love / Come Go With Me / To The Aisle (Valmor LP 789)
1963 - Answer Me, My Love / Gee (Philips 40105)
1963 - The Nearness Of You / Please Don't Cheat On Me (Philips 40153)
N/A - A place called love / Knowing youy (Ban 691)
N/A - Yes My Love (Relic LP 5041)
N/A - The Only Girl For Me (Relic LP 5041)
N/A - Song Of The Dreamer (Relic LP 5041)
N/A - To The Aisle (Relic LP 5041)
N/A - Come Go With Me (Valmor)
N/A - One Summer Night (Valmor)

1984 - Please Don't Cheat On Me / My Heart Belongs To Only You / Band Of Gold / Sunday Kind Of Love / Answer Me My Love / Gee / My Foolish Heart / My Heart / Making Believe / Glory Of Love / The Nearness Of You / Yes My Love / A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / To The Aisle / I Want A Little Girl / Song Of The Dreamer / Oh Baby Love / The Only Girl For Me (Relic LP 5041)

 

The Roommates
1960 - My Heart / Just For Tonight (Canadian American 166)
1962 - Sunday Kind Of Love / A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Cameo 233)

Dick Dixon & The Roommates
1959 - Be Good, be good, be good / Caterpillar crawl (Kapp 292)

The Roomates (Fb Cathy Jean)

 
Biography :

From Kew Gardens, Queens New York, the Roommates were fifteen year old Steve Susskind and Bob Minsky of Russell Sage Junior High. Susskind originally sang with a local quartet called the Sparklers, but in 1959 he and Minsky became a duo. Later that year they took second place at a Forest Hills High School competition losing to Tom and Jerry who would later become Simon and Garfunkel.

Deciding to become a group several members came and went until the 1960 members included Steve Susskind (lead), Jack Carlson (first tenor and falsetto), Felix Alvarez (second tenor) and Bob Minsky (bass).
The group practiced after school and began writing songs. Realizing the songs weren't good enough they began going through their 45s to find workable material coming up with "One Summer Night" and "The Glory of Love." The group often sang in the lobby of the Forest Hills apartment building where Jody Malis lived. Malis was the record librarian at WMGM radio, which had one of the nation's first top 40 formats. Along with her husband Gene she signed them to a management contract.

      

The Roommates first single was a country hit from the '50s "Making Believe". "Making Believe " received some airplay, but soon disappeared.
On May 3, 1960 the Malis' recorded another new single for their recently established Valmor label. The singer, fourteen year old Cathy Jean, recorded the ballad "Please Love Me Forever." Feeling that something was missing the Roommates were brought in and overdubbed the harmony parts. Cathy Jean had already left the studio by the time the Roommates recorded so they never met her. Feeling that if they had a hit they would have two acts, the Malis' credited both on the label.

"Please Love Me Forever" won Murray the K's Boss record of the Week on WINS in New York City in late 1960. On February 27th it entered the Billboard Hot 100 and by April it was at number twelve, reaching number two in New York. None of Cathy's follow-ups sold many copies.
As a reward for their part in "Please Love Me Forever" The Malises gave the Roommates a free session at the Regent Sound Studio. That night, November 25, 1960 they recorded "Band of Gold," "Glory of Love," and "My Foolish Heart." "Glory of Love" entered the charts and rose to #49. "Band of Gold," made it into the top twenty in New York, but failed to chart nationally for a technical reason.

Before Valmor Records closed down in 1962 a Cathy and the Roommates album was issued. George Rodriguez was added to the Roommates. Versions of "Gee" and "A Sunday Kind of Love" were recorded, but no one was buying. In the spring of 1965 the Roommates disbanded.
Cathy later got married and quit the business. With her children grown Cathy is back. As Cathy Jean Ruiz she sings with a new version of the Roommates and has hosted a Saturday morning talk show on WNYG in Long Island, NY.
http://www.bsnpubs.com/la/valmor.html

CD :

The Channels (1) (New York)
"The Early years"

 

Personnel :

Earl Lewis (Lead)

Larry Hampden (First tenor)

Billy Morris (Second tenor)

Edward Doulphin (Baritone)

Clifton Wright (Bass)

 

Discography :

1956 - The Closer You Are / Now You Know (Whirlin 100 / Port 70014)
1956 - The Gleam In Your Eye / Stars In The Sky (Whirlin 102/Port 70017)
1957 - I Really Love You / What Do You Do (Whirlin 107/Port 70023)
1957 - Flames In My Heart / My Lovin' Baby (Whirlin 109/Port 70022)
1957 - Stay As You Are / That's My Desire (Gone 5012)
1957 - All Alone / Altar Of Love (Gone 5019)
1957 - Bye, Bye Baby / My Love Will Never Die (Fury 1021/1071)
1959 - The Girl Next Door / My Heart Is Sad (Fire 1001)

 

Biography :

The Channels formed in 1955 around the singers Larry Hampden, Billy Morris, and Edward Doulphin; they started as a quintet with two additional part-time members, but soon after they permanently added Earl Michael Lewis and Clifton Wright, formerly of The Lotharios.  In early 1956 the group somehow got together with Bobby Robinson owner of Red Robin Records. The group signed a two year contract with Robinson's Whirlin Disc label. In their first recording session they were able to record "The Closer You Are" written by Earl Lewis who was only 15 at the time.

  
Bobby Robinson

"The Closer You Are" was an instant hit on the national airways, but because of poor distribution it never made the national charts. The song did become very popular on the East Coast and a New York street corner doo-wop favorite. The group's next release came in late 1956, the song was "The Gleam In Your Eye", also written bt Lewis. The song showcased Lewis' full range of talent.  The Channels recorded for record labels Gone, Fury, Fire. 

  

They enjoyed significant regional success on the East Coast but never charted a major nationwide hit. The group disbanded in late 1959, but in 1961 Jubilee Records started releasing Whirling Disc early releases as if they were new and The Channels became hot again. The lineup changed several times over the course of the band's lifetime.

 

Songs :

  
The Closer You Are / Now You Know          The Gleam In Your Eye / Stars In The Sky

  
I Really Love You / What Do You Do              Flames In My Heart / My Lovin' Baby

  
Stay As You Are                                         That's My Desire

  
All Alone / Altar Of Love                         Bye, Bye Baby / My Love Will Never Die


The Girl Next Door / My Heart Is Sad  

.....