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Leon Hughes
The Celebritys (Los Angeles)
Ref : The SignealsPersonnel :
Leon Hughes
Elder O'Neal
Discography :
The Celebritys
1956 - This Is My Plea / Juanita (Caroline 2301)Clay Hammond & Johnnie Young & The Celebritys
1956 - We Made Romance / Absent Minded (No group) (Caroline 2302)The Signeals
Single :
1956 - Juanita / Show Me The Way (Leoneal 1483)
Unreleased :
1956 - Leap Year Cha Cha (Leoneal)Leoneal & Janet & The Signeals
1956 - No One / What Is This Thing (Leoneal 02)
Biography :
Born Thomas Leon Hughes, August 26, 1932 in Los Angeles County, CA. Started acting with his parents as a child and toured with early lineups of the Hollywood Flames (with which he also recently acted in a 1998 revival show). He was an original member of the Lamplighters during 1952-53 (together with Mathew Nelson and Willie Ray Rockwell). Hughes left the Lamplighters before they recorded with new lead Al Frazier. Leon was recommended by Bobby Nunn (who knew him from Watts, L.A.) for the Coasters´ original line-up.
Clay Hammond
Before joining The Coasters, Leon had been a member of doo wop group The Celebritys which included his brother Elder O'Neal, the group cut "This Is My Plea" b/w "Juanita" and backed Clay Hammond & Johnnie Young on "We Made Romance" for the Caroline Label. That same year, he also recorded on his own label Leoneal Records with The Signeals which included his sister Shirley Hughes, his brother Elder O'Neal, Mack McKent and Grady Bridges. Leon also recorded a single as "Leoneal and Janet" (backup vocals by The Signeals). After leaving The Coasters, he teamed with Bobby Nunn to record as The Dukes in 1959 for Flip Records. "Looking For You" b/w "Groceries, Sir" (Flip 343), and "I Love You" b/w "Leap Year Cha Cha" (Flip 344) were the singles released.
Leon Hughes
In the 1970s, Leon Hughes recorded with several Coasters groups. In 1975, recorded with "The Coasters Two Plus Two" for Chelan Records. The record "Searchin' 75" b/w "Young Blood" stated that these recordings were from the album called "Reunion." In 1976, he recorded an album with "The World Famous Coasters" which included Will "Dub" Jones. This album was released on American International Records (In Europe on DJM). In 1998, a CD called "Leon Hughes: One Of The First Original Coasters" was released on Oldie CD, and a VHS tape called "The Coasters: Tribute To Their Greatest Hits" was released. Hughes still performs with a Coasters group, sometimes as "Leon Hughes and his Original Coasters." He also has done some performances with a Hollywood Flames group.
Songs :The Celebritys
This Is My Plea JuanitaClay Hammond & Johnnie Young & The Celebritys
We Made RomanceThe Signeals
Show Me The Way
…
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The Four Embers (Bronx, New York)
aka The Twilights (2) aka The Embers (9)
ref : The Juveniles
Personnel :
Robert "Bobby" Perryman (Lead)
Claude "Indio" Chenet (Second Tenor)
Joseph Durant (Baritone)
Cal Washington (First Tenor)
Peter Reyes (Bass)
Discography :
The Twilights (2)
Single :
1959 - My Heart Belongs To Only You / Oh Baby Love (Finesse 1717)
Demo :
1958 - Soda Pop (acapella)
1958 - My Heart Belongs To Only You (acapella)
Maria Elena & The Twilights (2)
1962 - I Was Too Careful / Temptation (Countess 113)
The Embers (9)
Singles :
1961 - Solitaire / I’m Feeling All Right Again (Empress 101)
1961 - I Won’t Cry Anymore / I Was Too Careful (Empress 104)
1962 - Abigail / I Was Too Careful (Empress 107)
Unreleased :
1961 - What A Surprise (Empress)
1961 - I Wish I Didn’t Love You So (Empress)
The Four Embers
1963 - But Beautiful / You’ve Been Away Too Long (Smash 1846)
Biography :
In 1957, Marilyn Bishop Marilyn gave birth to a baby girl, Michelle, and left The Juveniles. Larry Peters will make even some time after. At this time, the group has only three members. Robert Perryman stepped up to become the new lead singer and Cal Washington was recruited by Claude Chenet to become the new first tenor.
The Juveniles "Bobby" Perryman , Claude "Indio" Chenet, Marilyn Durant, Larry Peters and Joe DurantCal had sung with a local street group, had a background in gospel and blues and also hung out with the Chords. Pete Reyes was recruited by Bobby to replace Larry Peters as the bass singer. The Twilights now consisted of Robert Perryman (lead) Cal Washington (first tenor) Claude “Indio” Chenet (second tenor) Joseph Durant (baritone) and Peter Reyes (bass).
The Twilights Pete Reyes, Joe Durant, Claude "Indio" Chenet, Cal Washington and Robert PerrymanThe Twilights recorded “My Heart Belongs To Only You” and “Oh Baby Love,” with Bobby Perryman singing both leads, which came out on Finesse Records in November of 1959. The Twilights also backed up Maria Elena on “I Was Too Careful” and “Temptation,” both of which weren’t released until 1962 on Countess Records. They appeared at one of Clay Cole’s shows in Palisades Park, New Jersey also starring the Drifters, Moonglows, Skyliners, Belmonts, Bobby Rydell and Neil Sedaka.
The Twilights sang “My Heart Belongs To Only You” as well as “Oh Baby Love” and this performance was broadcast live on television. The Twilights also appeared at the RKO Franklin Theatre on Prospect Avenue in the Bronx where they also backed up Maria Elena. The Twilights changed their name to the Embers and signed with Empress Records, owned by Gene and Jody Malis, which was a subsidiary label (as was Valmor) under Countess International.
The Embers had been rehearsing an old standard ballad that Tony Bennett recorded named “Solitaire,” a song that Jody wanted them to record because she felt it had hit potential. The Embers recorded “Solitaire” with Bobby Perryman singing lead. On the week of August 22, 1961, “Solitaire” reached number 9 on WABC’s radio survey. It was also doing extremely well on Billboard’s charts. By mid 1963, the Embers were down to four members as Pete Reyes had left the group. The Embers were still under contract with Empress, which wasn’t doing well at the time so Gene and Jody Malis sent them to writer and record producer Wally Zober in order to see what he could do for them.
The Embers : Pete Reyes, Joe Durant, Claude "Indio" Chenet, Robert Perryman and Cal WashingtonWally took them down to Odo Recording Studios on West 54th Street in Manhattan on August 1, 1963 where they recorded “But Beautiful” and “You’ve Been Away Too Long.” A bass player, George Butcher, arranged the orchestra and the group arranged the vocals. “But Beautiful” was recorded first, with Robert Perryman singing lead. “You’ve Been Away Too Long” was a fast number that Jody had given to them but they did not care for. They recorded it with Cal singing lead. The session lasted for most of the day and the songs were released on Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury Records, in December of 1963 as by the “Four Embers.” By 1964, with the British Invasion underway, the Embers (without a hit record since 1961) broke up and decided to get on with their personal lives.
Songs :
The Twilights (2)
My Heart Belongs To Only You Oh Baby Love
Maria Elena & The Twilights (2)
Temptation I Was Too Careful
The Embers (9)
Solitaire I’m Feeling All Right Again I Won’t Cry Anymore
I Was Too Careful Abigail What A Surprise
I Wish I Didn't Love You So
The Four Embers
But Beautiful / You’ve Been Away Too Long
... 1 comment
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The Chimes (3) (Los Angeles)
aka The Champs (1)
ref: The Wonders (4) aka The Wanderers (3)Personnel :
Horace "Pookie" Wooten (Tenor)
David Cobb (Second Tenor)
Charles Jackson (Tenor)
Booker Jones (Baritone)
Talbert Walton (Bass)
Discography :The Chimes (3)
Singles :
1955 - Zindy Lou / Tears On My Pillow (Specialty 555)
1956 - Chop Chop / Pretty Little Girl (Specialty 574)
Unreleased :
1956 - The Chimes Ring Out (Specialty)Tony Allen & The Chimes (3)
1956 - Especially / Check Yourself, Baby (Specialty 570)Tony Allen & The Champs (1)
1955 - Nite Owl / I (Specialty 560)The Wonders (4)
1958 - Be My Love Be My Love / Tell Me (Forward 601)Tony Allen & The Wonders (4)
1958 - Be My Love, Be My Love / Tell Me (Tampa 157)
1959 - Loving You / Lookin' For My Baby (Jamie 1119)Bobby Starr (Tony Allen & The Wonders (4))
1959 - Sweet Man / Please Give Me A Chance (Radio 120)Tony Allen & The Wanderers (3)
1961 - Everybody's Somebody's Fool / If Love Was Money (Kent 356)
Biography :In August 1955, The Chimes from South Central, Los Angeles, under band leader Horace "Pookie" Whooten signed a contract with Specialty Records. The group consists of Horace "Pookie" Wooten (Tenor), David Cobb (Second Tenor), Charles Jackson (Tenor), Booker Jones (Baritone) and Talbert Walton (Bass) . In September, they released "Zindy Lou" and "Tears on My Pillow" their first single, the A-side with influences of African rhythm and a hypnotic singing in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, the local charts reached, but without nationwide reactions.
Tony AllenRobert Alexander "Bumps" Blackwell songwriter and arranger at Specialty Records make session With Tony Allen, held at Master recorders in Hollywood on 12 August 1955 with The Chimes singing behind him even though they were billed on the Record as The Champs. The Chimes backed everybody on Specialty. They were properly named on Allen's sequel Single Especially. The back of Especially was improvised in the studio based on an idea by Charles Jackson "Check Yourself, Baby". The collaboration as a session musician with Allen was abruptly terminated by its breach with Specialty. Then the band released again in April 1956 under their own name "Pretty Little Girl" and "Chop Chop".
David Cobb & Horace "Pookie" Wooten
The record career of the Chimes was already finished in 1956, but the connection to Tony Allen was maintained: So supported him Horace "Pookie" Wooten, Charles Jackson & David Cobb as "The Wonders" and "The Wanderers" repeatedly in various publications. Horace "Pookie" Wooten, Charles Jackson & David Cobb would go on to form The Lions in 1960, and later reformed as The Resonics.Songs :
The Chimes (3)
Zindy Lou Tears On My Pillow Chop Chop
Pretty Little Girl The Chimes Ring Out
Tony Allen & The Chimes (3)
Especially Check Yourself, Baby
Tony Allen & The Champs (1)
Nite Owl I
The Wonders (4)
Be My Love Be My Love Tell Me
Tony Allen & The Wonders (4)
Loving You Lookin' For My Baby
Bobby Starr (Tony Allen & The Wonders (4))
Sweet Man Please Give Me A Chance
Tony Allen & The Wanderers (3)
Everybody's Somebody's Fool / If Love Was Money
… your comment
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Kenny ChandlerKenny, Frank & Ray (Harrisburg, Pa)
ref: Kenny & The Beaus
Personnel :
Kenneth Bolognese "Kenny Chandler" (Lead)
Dick Donmoyer
Bob. Napotonia
Frank Desendi
Ralph Stevens
Discography :
Kenny, Frank & Ray
1958 - Everybody Loves Saturday Night / I'm Going Away (Cameo 144)
1959 - If You Love Me / Why Was I Born (PL 13)
Kenny & The Beaus
(Credited to Kenny Beau & The Whirlwinds)
Single:
1959 - You're The Right One / Gift Of Love (PL 1015)
Unreleased :
1959 - What Is Love
1959 - Cindy Lou
Biography :
Kenny Chandler, born Kenneth Bolognese, was originally from. “The Hill” section of Harrisburg,Pa. and was a member of John Harris High School Class of 1959. Interested in music at an early age, Kenny got together with four classmates 1n senior high school to form a group called the Montclaires (later changed to the Clairmonts). This first group consisted of Micky Liddick. (drums), Junie Brown ( congas),Nathanial Edmonds (piano), with. Lee Bradshaw, Ray Carlisle, George Campbell, and Kenny doing vocals. They split up after only a short time but Ken stayed together with Ray Carlisle, in hopes of forming another group. it was after football practice, while singing in the showers, that. Ray got word that teammate Frankie Cacapardo was interested in joining the group. Thus, the trio was formed, calling them- selves Kenny, Frank, and Ray.
Kenny remembers that, at the time they were singing a lot of street-corner harmony, and became practiced enough to win second place in a talent show at the Senate Theater, Harrisburg. This little bit of notoriety brought the trio to the attention of WHGB disc-jockey Paul Landersman,who was, at the time, doing a live radio show from the Colonial. The boys came down to the theater during one of these live broadcasts and actually auditioned for him on the fire escape during a break. Paul had already established good connections in the music business as manager of the Quintones. (York, Pa), and was impressed enough with the trio's talents that he asked to manage them on the spot. The first big local show that Kenny, Frank, and Ray performed at was at the Zembo Mosque, Harrisburg, featuring Danny and the Juniors and Connie Francis .
During rehearsals, one of the members of Danny & The Juniors became very impressed with the trio's vocal stylings, and inquired whether they had a record out. This connection soon got them to an office in Philadelphia where they auditioned for Bernie Lowe. They presented 4 orignal songs at the audition, but Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe were more impressed with the talent than the songs and arranged a recording session at Reco-Arts Studios which produced 2 sides: “Everybody Loves Saturday" and "I'm Going Away." Bernie Lowe was the piano player on the session, and Paul played the folding slat chairs (a low-budget version of the drums). Lowe issued it on his own label as Cameo #144. ”Everybody” was written by Cameo staffer Tony Mamerella under the pseudonym. Anthony September. Cameo was one of the new ”hot” labels when the song was released in the summer of 1958. Unfortunately, although “Everybody Loves Saturday" received good local play, it never went national.
Reco-Arts was again used to record “If You Love Me” and “Why Was I Born” (a Ray Carlisle original). Issued as PL #13 in late 1958, the record received only limited regional exposure. By 1959,. Ray had become disillusioned and dropped out of the group, ending their string of near-hits at two. Kenny, however, had been writing some original material, and formed a new group in 1959 called The Beaus. This group consisted of Dick Donmoyer, Bob Napotonia, Frank Desendi, and Ralph Stevens. Kenny took on the stage name “ Kenny Beau,” and returned to Reco-Arts to cut “You're the Right One” and “Gift of Love". The Session produced a solid 2-sides doo-wop records, released as PL 1015. The Whirlwinds, which is the group credited on the label, were really the studio musicians used on the session, as the name of the group was officially “Kenny and The Beaus".
The good looking Harrisburg resident hijacked the surname of movie star Jeff Chandler, finally attracting some notice in 1961 with 'Drums', written and produced by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, then creative geniuses in residence at United Artists. Chandler subsequently signed with Laurie about the time Dion was leaving the label for Columbia.
Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)
Kenny, Frank & Ray
If You Love Me Why Was I Born
Everybody Loves Saturday Night / I'm Going Away
Kenny & The Beaus
You're The Right One Gift Of Love 1 comment
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The Dontells (Chicago)
aka The Don-TelsPersonnel :
Nathaniel Pendleton (First Tenor)
Leroy Dandridge
Larry Nestor
Willie Weems (Guitarist)
Discography :
The Don-Tels
1963 - People Gonna Talk / I Found A Love (Witch 119)
1963 - Lonely Boy / The Old Man (Witch 121)The Dontells
1963 - Lover's Reunion / Make A Chance (Beltone 2040)
1965 - In Your Heart / Nothing But Nothing (Vee Jay 666)
1965 - Ain't Cha My Baby / I'm Gonna Tell The World (Vee Jay 967)
1965 - I Can't Wait / Gimmie Some (Ambassador 3346)Biography :
The Dontells come from Chicago, and cut their first single on the legendary Beltone label (distributed by King Records, Cincinnati).
The same year the group release two singles on the Witch / Cortland label changing the name to the Don-Tels. With only 1 original member , the group have three nice Soul singles in 1965 for the Vee Jay & Ambassador label.
Make A Change Lover's Reunion People Gonna Talk
In Your Heart I Can't Wait
Nothing But Nothing I`m Gonna Tell The World...
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