The Ray-O-Vacs (New-York)
(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Lester Harris (Lead)

Herb Milliner

Discography :

The Ray-O-Vacs
1949 - I'll always be in love with you/Lillette (Coleman 100)
1949 - Happy Am I / Why did you break my heart (Coleman 105)
1949 - Happy Am I / Travel on (Coleman 111)
1949 - Hot Dog / I'm The Baby Now (Coleman 112)
1949 - The Battle of the blues / Lover come back to me (Coleman 113)
1950 - Once upon a time / Sentimental me (Decca 48141)
1950 - Besame Mucho / You gotta love me too (Decca 48162)
1950 - What's Mine Is Mine / I Still Love You (Decca 48234)
1950 - Take Me Back To My Boots And Saddle / Goodnite my love (Decca 48197)
1950 - If You Ever Should Leave Me (Decca)(Unreleased)
1951 - My Baby's Gone /  Let's (Decca 48211)
1951 - Charmaine / Hands accross the table (Decca 48260)
1951 - When the swallows come back to Capistrano / She's a Real Lovin' Baby (Decca 48274)
1952 - What can i say / Start Lovin' Me (Jubilee 5098)
1953 - You Know / Outside Paradise ( (Jubilee 5124)
1954 - Darling / Riding high (Josie 763)
1956 - Crying All Alone / Party Time (Kaiser 384/Atco 6085)
1957 - Wine-O / Hong Kong (Kaiser 389)
1957 - Shine (Chess) (Unreleased)
1957 - Party Time (Chess) (Unreleased)

"Flap" Mc Queen & The The Ray-O-Vacs
1955 - I Still Love You / All About Daddy (Josie 781)

Biography :

The Ray-O-Vacs are best remembered for "I've Got Two Arms to Hold You," which sold well in both the R&B and pop music fields in the mid-'50s. The Ray-O-Vacs -- led by Lester Harris -- appeared on the doo wop scene in early March of 1950. At the time, "Once Upon a Time" was a big number one hit for the Ames Brothers, who recorded for Coral Records. Coral's parent label -- Decca -- had tried to get additional sales by having the Ray-O-Vacs cover the song and their version did sell some copies, but not nearly enough to make a dent in the sales by the Ames Brothers. Decca tried again with the pop standard "Besame Mucho," which managed to sell well throughout the summer and into fall. That November, Decca issued a final side for the Ray-O-Vacs, this time spotlighting Harris on "I've Got Two Arms to Hold You" b/w "A Kiss in the Dark," which was the first recording on Decca by the group released in the new 45-rpm format.

The single sold well in both the R&B and pop music fields, but subsequent singles failed to further their career. Ray-O-Vacs lead vocalist Harris left the group and signed a contract to record as a solo artist for RCA Records; Harris was eventually replaced by Herbert Milliner, who was spotlighted on their final Decca release, "Hands Across the Table," from 1951. The next year brought new attempts to find success within the pop music field. The Ray-O-Vacs issued "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano," which had been a hit for the Ink Spots years before, but it too failed to ignite any sales. Decca eventually dropped the Ray-O-Vacs from their roster. They were soon signed to Jerry Blaine's Jubilee label. In November, their first release -- "Start Loving Me" b/w "What Can I Say?" -- was issued in both 78- and 45-rpm formats. During February of 1953, the group performed in Philadelphia (well-received shows at both Pep's and the Club Bill & Lou).

The following month, they learned that founding member and former lead singer Lester Harris had died. He was 33 years old. A few months later, in May, The Pittsburgh Courier, a black and mostly urban newspaper, conducted a prestigious readers poll. The Courier's readers picked the Ray-O-Vacs as the best small-combo attraction (beating out Paul Gayten and Louis Jordan's groups) and this award somewhat seemed to make up for the group's lack of success. That same month, the Gale Agency signed the group to its talent representative roster, and by the fall the Ray-O-Vacs performed during the Operation Music Show, which presented the winners of the Pittsburgh Courier poll and helped to benefit the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

In April of 1954, Jubilee decided to move the Ray-O-Vacs to its Josie subsidiary, hoping their association with other Josie acts (the Cadillacs and the Five Notes) would help them score with the public. The first release for the Josie label was "Riding High," and featured a lead vocal by Milliner. It failed to ignite interest in the group. During the following summer, Josie tried again with a new single; "Daddy" featured a lead vocal by Babe Hutton, while "I Still Love You" was led by Herb Milliner, although the single's label credits the group as Flap McQueen & the Ray-O-Vacs. In 1956, the small independent Kaiser label issued "Crying All Alone" b/w "Party Time" and later that same year, "Wino" b/w "Hong Kong." The next year, they were shuffled over to the Atlantic subsidiary label Atco, which re-released this same single. It would end up being the final release by the Ray-O-Vacs.

Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/rayovacs.html

CD

       Past up Picture : Johnny Terry, James Walton & Herbert Fisher

The Links (Washington, D.C)
aka The Bachelors (2) aka The Jets (1)

Personnel :

James "Toy" Walton (First Tenor)

Herbert Fisher (Baritone)

Wilbert Hess Dobson (Baritone)

Joe Woodley (Baritone)

Johnny Terry (Bass)

Discography :

1958 - She's The One / Ba Bee (Teenage 1009)

Biography :

When their fourth record got nowhere, the Bachelors decided to call it quits, breaking up in early 1958. But Toy Walton decided to try it again, getting Herb Fisher back, along with Wilbert Hess Dobson (baritone), Joe Woodley (baritone) and Johnny Terry (bass). Calling themselves the Links, they recorded "She's The One" for the Teenage label in 1958. They lasted for about a year, and then Toy and Johnny Terry formed the Knickerbockers with Roosevelt "Tippie" Hubbard (tenor) and Alonzo Simmons (baritone). They were together for a couple of years, but never recorded.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Bachelors/bachelors.html

Songs :

   
She’s The One                                     Ba-Bee
 

...

 1959 (l-r) Danny Levy, Eddie Stokes, Ray Figueroa, Waldo Champen and Sonny Jordan

 The Five Delights  (New York)
aka The Mood Makers
aka The Watusi Warriors


Personnel :

Ed "Sonny" Jordan (First Tenor)

Waldo Champen (First Tenor)

Douglas Ferrer (Second Tenor)

Georges Rosa (Baritone)

Daniel Levy (Bass)

Discography :

The Five Delights
Singles:
1958 - There'll Be No Goodbye / Okey Dokey Mama (Newport 7002/Unart 2003)
1959 - The Thought Of Losing You / That Love Affair (Abel 228)
Unreleased :
1959 - Sweet Little Girl (Abel)

The Mood Makers
Single:
1961 - Dolores / Dream a Dream (Bambi 80)
Unreleased :
1961 - Sweet Little Girl (Bambi)

The Watusi Warriors
1959 -  Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba  / Kalahari (Prince 1206)


 

Biography :

In 1958, Waldo Champen and Ed Jordan reunited in the 5 Delights, with Douglas Ferrer (second tenor), George Rosa (baritone) and Daniel Levy (bass). This mixed group (George was Spanish and Daniel was white) was already in existence; when they brought in Ed (an old friend), he, in turn, brought in Champ. They recorded a single record which was released on another of Jerry Winston's labels in June (Newport this time; it was distributed by George Goldner's Gone label).

(l-r) Danny Levy, Eddie Stokes, Ray Figueroa, Waldo Champen and Sonny Jordan 

Ed led "There'll Be No Goodbye," while Douglas fronted "Okey Dokey Mama." When it started making a little noise, the masters were sold to United Artists, which re-released it on Unart in September. However, a little noise was all it made, and George and Douglas left. Two new members were found in Raymond Figuroa (a Spanish second tenor) and Ed Stokes (a white baritone). They had a release, in March 1959, on the Prince label (under the embarrassing name of the Watusi Warriors): "Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba," backed with "Kalahari.

Then, a new label (Alan Abel's Abel Records) and a couple of new tunes: "The Thought Of Losing You" with Ed and "That Love Affair" with Champ.  Once again there was no action, but this time they hung in there. In 1961 they changed the group's name to the Mood Makers and had a single release on the Bambi label in May. "Dolores" (the Bachelors' tune) is led by Ed Jordan and "Dream A Dream" is a duet between Ed and Champ.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/WaldoChampen/waldochampen.html


Songs :

The Five Delights

    
There'll Be No Goodbye                  The Thought Of Losing You

    
That Love Affair                              Okey Dokey Mama

The Mood Makers

    
Dolores                                  Dream A Dream

 The Watusi Warriors

   
Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba                      Kalahari

...

The Jets (1) (Washington, D.C)
aka The Bachelors (2) aka The Links

Personnel :

Waverly "Buck" Mason (Lead)

James "Toy" Walton (First Tenor)

Walter Taylor (Second Tenor)

Herbert Fisher (Baritone)

John Bowie (Bass)

Charles Booker (Baritone / Guitar)

Discography :

1953 - The Lovers / Drag It Home Baby (Rainbow 201) 


Biography :

The Jets had met and connected in high school and were now putting together a musical package to present to their as yet unknowing public. Soon they had enough polish and singing talent to become a mainstay in the area's clubs and nightspots. They finally got a break in the desire to expand their sphere of influence, so to speak, by securing a recording contract in 1952. They were set to record for Eddie Heller's New York based Rainbow Records. That independent label had been trying to break out in the rapidly growing R & B market in the Northeast.

In late December, right at the end of the year, Rainbow releases a tune called "The Lovers" by The Jets. The flip side was a throwaway jump tune called "Drag It Home Baby", and the pair of tunes was out on Rainbow #201. Rainbow touted the group in its ads headlining "Introducing The Jets", and "An R & B Must". One of the factors that complicated the attempt of the group to find an audience was that soon after their record came out, a vocal group on the West Coast also called The Jets released a record on the 7-11 label.

The California group would eventually hit paydirt as The Hollywood Flames some years later. The Washington D.C. group however saw their first recorded effort pull a disappearing act despite the efforts at promotion and airplay. To add a bit of irony to the prodeedings, the next effort by the group in the recording studio was for Aladdin Records who had the West Coast Jets (Flames) under contract. Thus the D.C. Jets were now known as The Bachelors.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Bachelors/bachelors.html

Songs :

   
The Lovers                               Drag It Home, Baby

...

   The Cascades: Charles Johnson,Henry Brackenridge, Willie C. Robinson,Stacy Steel. Front Joe Brackenridge.

The Cascades (1) (Chicago)
 aka The Von Gayles

Personnel :

Joe Brackernridge (Lead)

Stacy Steele J.R (First Tenor)

Willie C. Robinson (Second Tenor)

Henry Brackernridge (Baritone)

Charles Johnson (Bass)


Discography :

The Von Gayles
1959 - Loneliness / The Twirl (USA 1221)
1960 - The Twirl / Crazy Dance (Dore 544)

The Cascades (1)
1964 - Pains In My Heart / Only One I Can Spare (Mc Cormick 105/Renee 105)

Biography :

The Von Gayles got their start around 1956. The members of the group were lead singer Joe Brackenridge, Stacy Steele Jr., Jimmy Washington,  Willie C. Robinson and Charles Johnson. The Von Gayles eventually made contact with Woodtate Anderson, a go-getter in the music business, and he brought the group under the management of the Impressions'manager, Eddie Thomas. Anderson and Thomas were instrumental in getting the group on record, having them sign with the USA label. The label was owned by a Milwaukee pop deejay, Lee Rothman. Following the pattern of most groups of the era, the Von Gayles recorded four sides during their first session, held at Universal Recording. But as it turned out, the Von Gayles who performed on the records were more of an ad hoc group. Charles Johnson was temporarily separated from the group due to a spat and Jimmy Washington was working on the day of the session.

 The Von Gayles : Stacy Steel Jr., Jimmy Washington and Joe Brackenridge

So Joe Brackenridge and Stacy Steele were joined by second tenor Willie Dial  (Willie Wright), baritone Willie Daniels, and bass James " Doolaby" Wright. The three ad hoc members had actually been a part of an earlier  group from the near North Side, the Serenades. USA put out only two sides, "Loneliness" and " The Twirl" around 1959. In 1960 Dore Records, owned by Lou Bedell and headquartered in Hollywood, California, picked up two Von Gayles sides, "The Twirl" and "Crazy Dance," but achieved no better luck. The group played a few gigs in Chicago and even appeared on a television show in Milwaukee — via the Rothman connection — but their fame, such as it was, was fleeting. Joe Brackenridge and company cooled their heels for a while before appearing again on record. In 1964 the group, now calling themselves the Cascades cut "Pains In My Heart" b/w "Only One I Can Spare". The group now consisted of Joe Brackenridge, Stacy Steel Jr., Willie C. Robinson, Henry Brackernridge and Charles Johnson.
THE CHICAGO SCENE by Robert Pruter


Songs :

The Von Gayles

      
Loneliness                                 The Twirl                           Crazy Dance


The Cascades (1)

  
Pains in my Heart                           Only One I Can Spare



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