• The Four Esquires aka The Esquires (1)

    The Four Esquires (Boston, Massachusetts)
    aka The Esquires (1)

     

    Personnel :

    Bill Courtney

    Frank Mahoney

    Wally Gold

    Bob Golden

     

    Discography :

    The Esquires (1)
    1954 - If You Only Knew What A Three Cent Stamp Could Do / Now, Now, Now (Epic 9024)

    The Four Esquires
    1955 - Three Things / The Sphinx Won't Tell (Cadence 1260)
    1955 - Adorable / Thunderbolt (Cadence 1277)
    1956 - Follow Me / Summer Vacation (Pilgrim 717)
    1956 - Look Homeward Angel / Santo Domingo (London 1652)
    1957 - Song Of April / Everyone's Sweet On My Sugar (Paris 501)
    1957 - The Chopstick Rock / Never Look For Love (Paris 505)
    1957 - Love Me Forever/ I Ain't Been Right (Paris 509)
    1958 - Always And Forever / I Walk Down The Street (Paris 512)
    1958 - All Around The Clock / The Big Dance (Paris 515)
    1958 - Hideaway / Repeat After Me (Paris 520)
    1958 - Follow me / Land of you and me (Paris 526)
    1959 - Lucky Old Sun / Non E Cosi (Paris 531)
    1959 - Act Your Age / So Ends The Night (Paris 535)
    1959 - Wonderful One / Wouldn't It Be Wonderful (Paris 539)
    1960 - Make Them Mine / Peg O' My Heart (Paris 544)
    1960 - Sweet Sixteen She'll Never Be / The Chopstick Rock (Paris 549)
    1962 - Can't help falling in love / Merry-go-round of home (Terrace 7502)
    1969 - My Heart Belongs To Only You / Momma Look Sharp (Columbia 44996)

    Jack Gold & The Four Esquires
    1954 - Ev'rything / A Kiss Should Mean We're Sweethearts (Cadence 1242)

    Susan Capone & The Four Esquires
    1956 - Click-I-Dee, Click-I-Dee / Maybe Someday (Pilgrim 718) 

    Eps :

    1956 - The Pajama game (Epic Ep 7056)
    Steam Heat

     

    Biography :

    Bill Courtney (lead singer) and backing vocalists Walter Gold, Robert Golden and Frank Mahoney were students at the University of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in the early 50s who harmonized for their own amusement to whatever instrumental accompaniment they could muster. They first performed locally under the name of The Esquires. It is under this name that they record their first singles "If You Only Knew What A Three Cent Stamp Could Do" b/w "Now, Now, Now "for Epic Records. They will add "four" in front of Esquires and will continue with this title throughout their career.

    The Four Esquires aka The Esquires (1)

    After three records on Cadence Records that go unnoticed, the group signs with Pilgrim. "Follow Me" b/w "Summer Vacation"  on Pilgrim Charted at #43 on Cash Box Top Singles chart in January 1957. Released in July 1956 so it took quite awhile to get to the Cash Box chart. Though popular locally, they waited until they were sufficiently schooled before becoming professional entertainers.

          

    After London Records signed them in March 1956, "Look Homeward Angel" was a turntable hit, but it was eclipsed by Johnnie Ray's version. The group signs with Paris Records which will release a dozen singles. Their workmanlike "Love Me Forever' (augmented with a female session vocalist's obligato), was overshadowed by a US cover version by Eydie Gorme and one in Britain by Marion Ryan."Love Me Forever" Charted at #25 on Billboard Hot 100 in November 1957 and #23 on UK Singles chart. The Four Esquires had two other Billboard chart records, "Look Homeward Angel" (#55 in May 1956)  and "Hideaway" (#21 in September 1958).



    While able to fill moderate-sized auditoriums and becoming a reliable support act in bigger venues, the Esquires clocked up no further chart entries and had disbanded by the early 60s.   In the 1960's Wally Gold co-wrote Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm" and "It's Now Or Never", Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" and Gene Pitney's "Half-Heaven, Half-Heartache." Later in the decade, he produced albums for Barbra Streisand, Jerry Vale, and Tony Bennett.


    Songs :

    (updated by Hans-Joachim)   

    The Esquires (1)


    If You Only Knew What A Three Cent Stamp Could Do / Now, Now, Now

     

    The Four Esquires

         
    Love Me Forever                     Follow me                   Look Homeward Angel

           
    Hideaway                         The Land of You and Me          Always And Forever

         
    The Chopstick Rock                   Steam Heat          Sweet Sixteen She'll Never Be

             
    Wonderful One             I Ain't Been Right Since You Left             Non E Cosi

       
    Three Things / The Sphinx Won't Tell     My Heart Belongs To Only You / Momma Look Sharp

     

    ....


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  •  

    The Aquatones (Queens, New-York)

     

    Personnel :

    Dave Goddard

    Lynne Nixon

    Larry Vannata

    Gene McCarthy

     

    Discography :

    Singles :
    1958 - You / She's the one for me (Fargo 1001)
    1958 - Say you'll be mine / So fine (Fargo 1002)
    1958 - Our first kiss / The drive-in (Fargo 1003)
    1959 - My one desire / my Treasure (Fargo 1005)
    1959 - My darling / For you, for you (Fargo 1111)
    1959 - Every time / There's a long long trail (Fargo 1015)
    1960 - Crazy for you / Wanted (A solid gold cadillac) (Fargo 1016)
    1962 - My treasure / Say you'll be mine (Fargo 1022)

    Lps :
    1959 - The Aquatones Sing (Fargo LP 3001)
    You / She's the One for Me / My Darling / So Fine / Say You'll Be Mine / Everytime / My Treasure / My One Desire / Light Up the Sky / Wanted (A Solid Gold Cadillac) / Our First Kiss / For You, For You

     

    Biography :

    The Aquatones were formed as "The Rhythm Kings" in September 1956. The original members were Dave Goddard, Larry Vannata, and Gene McCarthy. They got together to record a song written by Dave for their junior class play at Valley Stream Central High School on Long Island.

    All of them played instruments as well as sang – Gene on clarinet and tenor sax, Larry on alto and tenor sax, Dave on piano. They added a drummer – their friend Bob Boden – to perform their music live. They were never a dance band – all of their songs were original, and they hoped to be "discovered" and become recording stars.

     The Aquatones

    They played some of their home recordings for a classmate's father, a record distributor, and he suggested that they needed a high voice in the group. Shortly thereafter, Larry met Lynne Nixon at a dance, found out that she sang, and asked Gene and Dave to give her an audition. They agreed and were happy to hear Lynne's beautiful voice. At first, she sang only backgrounds, until Larry wrote the song "You" for her to sing.

    After changing their name to the Aquatones – so the guys could wear a "cool" shirt from the 1950s (aqua with a black velvet "V" down the front) as a uniform – the group continued their efforts to land a recording contract. In November 1957 they appeared in a talent show in the neighboring town of Malverne, NY. At that show, they were heard by Lou Fargo, a local realtor who wanted to get into the music business – and Fargo asked them the question they'd been waiting to hear:

"How'd you like to make a record?"

         

    Fargo was interested in working with a vocal group, so Bob, the non-singing drummer, left. The group's very first release, in January of 1958, was the ballad "You", with the rocker "She's The One For Me" on the flip side. Helped by airplay on American Bandstand, "You" soon hit the Top 40 charts all over the country.

    It reached #7 in New York, #1 in Boston, and #21 on the Billboard national pop charts. After "You", the Aquatones released 6 more singles, but none of them made the charts. Their last single, "Crazy For You" b/w "Wanted (A Solid Gold Cadillac)" was released in July 1961.

    After that, the Aquatones went their separate ways. Lynne stayed on Long Island, Larry moved to New Hampshire, Gene moved to the midwest and then to Atlanta, and Dave moved to California, Ohio, and finally Kentucky. Most important, Lynne stopped singing. Though the group members remained friends and stayed in touch, it was difficult to get together to perform – and without Lynne, they were missing the "sound" for which they were known.

    http://thebigbeat.50megs.com/TheAquatones.htm
    http://www.aquatones.us
    http://www.destinationdoowop.com/aquatones.htm
    http://www.colorradio.com/Aquatones.htm
    http://www.doowopy.de/old/02page/A/eAquatones.html


     


    Songs :

         
    You                             She's the one for me                   Say you'll be mine

         
    So fine                         Our first kiss                                The Drive-in

         
    My one desire                       My treasure                         Every time

         
    There's a long long trail            Crazy for you         Wanted (A solid gold cadillac)

         
    My darling                          For you, for you                     Light Up the Sky

     

    ...


    3 comments
  • The Diamonds (2) (Toronto, Canada)
    (By Hans-Joachim)


    Members :

    Dave Somerville (Lead) (replaced by Jim Malone 1961)

    Ted Kowalski  (Tenor) (replaced by Evan Fisher 1958)

    Phil Levitt (Baritone) (replaced by Mike Douglas 1957)

    Bill Reed (Bass) (replaced by John Felten 1958)



    Discography :


    Singles


    1955 - Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots / Nip Sip (Coral 61502)
    1955 - Be My Lovin' Baby / Smooch Me (Coral 61577)
    1956 - Why Do Fools Fall In Love / You Baby You (Mercury 70790)
    1956 - Church Bells May Ring / Little Girl Of Mine (Mercury 70835)
    1956 - Love, Love, Love / Ev'ry Night About This Time (Mercury 70889)
    1956 - Ka-Ding-Dong / Soft Summer Breeze (Mercury 70934)
    1956 - My Judge And Jury / Put Your House In Order (Mercury 70983)
    1956 - A Thousand Miles Away / Ev'ry Minute Of The Day (Mercury 71021)
    1957 - Little Darlin' / Faithful And True (Mercury 71060)
    1957 - Words Of Love / Don't Say Goodbye (Mercury 71128)
    1957 - Zip Zip / Oh, How I Wish (Mercury 71165)
    1957 - Silhouettes / Daddy Cool Mercury 71197)
    1957 - The Stroll / Land Of Beauty (Mercury 71242)
    1957 - Straight Skirts / Patsy (Mercury 45223) (Canada)
    1958 - High Sign / Chick-Lets (Don't Let Me Down) (Mercury 71291)
    1958 - Kathy-O / Happy Years (Mercury 71330)
    1958 - Kathy-O / Where Merry Go (n/a)
    1958 - Happy Years / Honey (Mercury 71782)
    1958 - Walking Along / Eternal Lovers (Mercury 71366)
    1959 - She Say (Oom Dooby Doom) / From The Bottom Of My Heart (Mercury 71404)
    1959 - Mothers Love / Gretchen (Mercury 71449)
    1959 - Holding Your Hand / Sneacky Alligator (Mercury 71468)
    1959 - Young In Years / Twenty Second Day (Mercury 71505)
    1959 - Oh Carol / Believe Me (Mercury 45325) (Canada)
    1959 - Walkin' The Stroll / Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein Or Dracula (Mercury 71534)
    1960 - Tell The Truth / Real True Love (Mercury 71586)
    1960 - Passion Flower / San Antonio Rose (Mercury 45349) (Canada)
    1960 - Slave Girl / Pencil Song (Mercury 71633)
    1960 - You'd Be Mine / The Crumble (Mercury 71734)
    1961 - I Sho Lawd Will / You Short Changed Me (Mercury 71782)
    1961 - Munch / Woomai (Mercury 71818)
    1961 - One Summer Night / It's A Doggone Shame (Mercury 71831)
    1962 - The Horizental Lieutenant / Vanishing American (Mercury 71956)
    1963 - Melody Of Love / The Slide (Nathaniel)


    Albums

    1957 - 'Til My Baby Comes Home / Shoo Ya Blues / Oh, How I Wish / One And Only / Honey / Girl Of Mine / /Honey Bird / For You Alone / My Dog Likes Your Dog / Zip Zip / Cool, Cool Baby / You Are The Limit (Mercury LP 20309)

    1958 - Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away ) / Baby Won't You Please Come Home / The Best Things In Life Are Free / Ain't Misbehavin' (I'm Savin' My Love For You) / Until The Real Things Comes Along / I'll Always Be In Love With You / Will You Still Be Mine / Tenderly / For All We Know / One For My Baby (And One More For The Raod) / Lulu's Back In Town / You'll Never Walk Alone (Mercury LP 20368)

    1958 - The Stroll / You Baby You / Ev’ry Night About This Time / Ka-Ding-Dong / A Thosand Miles Away / Ev’ry Minute Of The Day / Little Darlin’ / Faithful And True / Straight Skirts / Silhouettes / Passion Flower / Daddy Cool (Mercury-Wing LP 12114)

    1959 - Cool Water / San Antonio Rose / Beautiful Brown Eyes / High Noon / Wagon Wheel / Gold Mine In The Sky / My Little Buckaroo / Cattle Call / Empty Saddles / Streets Of Laredo / Train Of The Lonesome Pine / Home On The Range (Mercury LP 20480)



    Biography :

    The Diamonds were a clean-cut white vocal group that had sixteen hits between 1956 and 1961, ten which were covers of songs sung by black R&B artists. The original group, formed in 1953, consisted of Dave Somerville, Phil Levitt, Ted Kowalski, and Bill Reed. In the beginning the group practiced several types of vocal styles, including four part "barber style" harmony. The Diamonds began their singing in local clubs, school functions, church socials, and anywhere they could find an audience.

    They came to the attention of Coral Records, a subsidiary of Decca Records, where they covered two records, Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots (a hit for the Cheers) b/w "Nip Sip" (a Clovers song) during the summer of 1955. Neither sold well enough to convince Coral to retain them. However, Bill Randle, an influential Cleveland deejay, liked them enough to mention their name to an executive at Mercury Records. The Diamonds signed with one of the labels that developed the market for "covers."
    The Diamonds decision to cover rhythm and blues artist was the result of economic reality: cover records sold very well in markets where the original versions wouldn't be acceptable. Among their hits in 1956 were "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "Church Bells May Ring," "Love, Love, Love" and "Ka-King-Dong," originally recorded by The Teenagers, The Willows, The Clovers, and The G-Clefs, respectively.

         
    Their biggest hit was a cover of The Gladiola's "Little Darlin'." The Gladiolas version came out in the first week in February, 1957. In less then two weeks the Diamonds version was out. Legend has it that prior to the recording session the group rehearsed the song all night in their hotel room, becoming so fed up that they exaggerated the bass and falsetto parts in an attempt to turn the song into a satire of itself. This is only partly true. Maurice Williams, The Gladiola's lead singer, invented all the vocal trills and hiccups. However, the spoken bridge was not performed by The Gladiolas.

    The Diamonds continued covering other artists and their version of "Words of Love" brought the song's writer Buddy Holly his first significant royalties. By late 1957, the music industry began to accept as true that what had been known by teenagers for two years: original rock and roll couldn't be copied just by anyone. Rock and Roll was a form of expression that relied as much on delivery as on lyrics and musical notation. Rock and Roll singers learned this lesson for themselves as they many switched from small companies to major labels. Often their first session's attempted to record their earlier hits by copying the original style.


    Seeing the future The Diamonds sought an original song to record. In the late spring of 1957, Chuck Willis' "C.C. Ryder" became the first of a string of rhythm and blues songs based on a dance named the Stroll. Clyde Otis, a songwriter who had with Nancy Lee written a song based on the new dance, approached the Diamonds. "The Stroll" became a huge hit partly as a result as a result of repeated airings on American Bandstand. "The Stroll" was perfect for television because it was exuberant and photogenic.
    The groups popularity waned after "The Stroll." By 1959, after "She Say (Oom Dooby Doom), the group's popularity was over as they no longer appealed to the teenagers. During the next two years the Diamonds became a popular attraction on the dinner club circuit in Las Vegas, New York, and Chicago. They had a minor hit in 1961 with a version of the Danleers 1958 hit, "One Summer Night." Soon thereafter, the group disbanded.

       
    The Diamonds became inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

    http://www.min7th.com/diamonds
    http://www.doowopy.de/old/02page/D/eDiamonds.html
    http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/diamonds.htm
    http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_diamonds.html


    Videos :

     

    CD :


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  • The Versalettes aka The Trinkets (2)
     

    The Versalettes (Chigago)
    aka The Trinkets (2)

     

     


    Personnel :

    Viola Floyd

    Vera Regulus Wallace

    Kathleen Spates Robinson

    Theresa Legg

    Helen Greenfield


     


    Discography :

    The Versalettes
    1963 - Shining Armor  / True Love Is A Treasure (Witch 116)
    1964 - Don Juan In Town / Don Juan In Town (Witch 120)

    The Trinkets (2)

    1964 - The Fisherman  / Nobody But You (Cortland 111)

     

     


    Biography :

    The Versalettes were an exciting Chicago female group of the mid-'60s whose records never amounted to anything. Forming at Marshall High School in 1961, Theresa Legg, Kathleen Spates, Vera Rugulus, and Viola Floyd built a reputation doing talent shows and community functions. Personnel at Cortland/Witch Records caught wind of the Versalettes' buzz and signed them in 1963, while they were still in high school.


    Donald Jenkins worked with them and imprinted his doo wop sound on their recordings, which, supposedly, they hated. At the urging of their manager, Bobby Mason, they added Helen Greenfield before cutting their first single, "Shining Armor" b/w "True Love Is a Treasure," in 1963 on Bill Erman's Witch label; the Blenders ("Daughter") recorded the B-side a year earlier.

      The Versalettes aka The Trinkets (2)

    Disc jockeys Lucky Cordell and Herb Kent gave it perfunctory hometown spins; for this favor, the Versalettes did free record hops for them. Around this same time, Erman released "The Fisherman" b/w "Nobody but You" on his Cortland imprint and credited it to the Trinkets, who were really the Versalettes. Again, sales were virtually nonexistent.

    The Versalettes aka The Trinkets (2)

    A third single, "Don Juan in Town," a dated doo wop, floundered as well; the Witch recordings never captured the group's essence. The song was an answer to "Don Juan," which was recorded by Donald Jenkins and Ronnie Strong as the Starr Brothers. Cortland also issued the song by the Ideals on the B-side of "Gorilla." Jenkins (Delighters) got them ready to record, but Bob Catron, the A&R man, got the production credits. Cortland/Witch stopped making records in 1964, and the original Versalettes took the opportunity to axe Greenfield, whom they considered a wayward outsider anyway. After graduating from high school in 1965, they continued the community gigs but didn't record again for awhile.

    The Versalettes aka The Trinkets (2)    

    A final single surfaced in 1968 on Okeh Records. The nondescript sides "So Glad Your Love Don't Change" b/w "Love Made to Order" didn't have a chance. The group never even knew Okeh released the single until the '90s because nobody bothered to tell them; Okeh credited it to the Little Foxes. Bill Erman is reclusive about his Cortland/Witch recordings, which is why they aren't found compiled on any albums, cassettes, or discs. ~ Andrew Hamilton

     

     

    Songs :
    (updated by Hans-Joachim)  

     

    The Versalettes

       
    Don Juan In Town                           Shining Armor

       
    Shining Armor                   True Love Is A Treasure

     

    The Trinkets (2)

       
    Nobody But You                                    The Fisherman

     

     

     

     

    ...


    1 comment
  • The Squires (8) (Brooklyn, New York)
    aka The Stagehands aka   The Empires (4)


     


    Personnel :

    Richie Kaufman

    Eddie Robbins

    Gary Kessler

    Phil Horowitz

     



    Discography :

    The Two Chaps
    1960 - Forgive Me / No More (Atlantic 1195)

    The Empires (4)
    1962 - Time And A Place / Punch Your Nose  (Epic 9527)

    Linda Lawrence bb The Empires (4)
    1963 - At This Stage Of The Game / A Tear For Tommy (Epic 9607)

    The StageHands
    1964 - Hello Dolly / You Started It (T.A. 101)

    The Squires (8)
    1964 - Joyce / Can't Believe That You've Grown Up (Congress 223)

     

     


    Biography :

    David (Jay) Black and Marty Sanders were next door neighbors who started to sing together in High School. A friend of theirs took them to Nat Garrick who decided to manage them and took them to Ivy Records as The Two Chaps. Atlantic Records heard the master of "Forgive Me" on Ivy and purchased it. The record didn't do much and that was the brief career of The Two Chaps. Subsequently, Marty formed another group called The Interludes who later changed their name to The Empires when they started recording for Epic.

    The Empires (4) aka The Stagehands aka The Squires (8)     The Empires (4) aka The Stagehands aka The Squires (8)
    The Two Chaps David Black & Marty Sanders                                                    The Empires                                                   

    The group consisted of Marty, Eddie Robbins, Leo Rose (lead) , Phil Horowitz and Gary Kessler. Right after their demo session, Leo dropped out of the group and Marty called in Jay Black. The Empires cut one record entitled "Time And A Place" b/w "Punch Your Nose". Jay and Marty wrote "Time And A Place" and Jay sang lead. "Punch Your Nose" was written by Marty and he sang lead. This too, was a short lived group.


    Jay & The Americans

    After this release, Jay and Marty left to join the already successful Jay & The Americans. The Other Members with Richie Kaufman continued as the Stagehands for T.A. and as the Squires for Congress Records.

     

     

     



    Songs :

    The Two Chaps

      
    Forgive Me                                         No More


    The Empires (4)

      
    Time And A place                          Punch Your Nose

     

    Linda Lawrence bb The Empires (4)

      
    At This Stage Of The Game                    A Tear For Tommy
     

     

    The StageHands

      
    Hello Dolly                                   You Started It


    The Squires (8)

      
    Joyce                                  Can't Believe That You've Grown Up

     

     

     

     

    ..


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