The Rag Dolls  (New York)
aka The Beach Girls (2)

Personnel :

Jean Thomas (Lead)

Mikie Harris

Susan Lewis


Discography :

The Rag Dolls
1964 - Society Girl /  Ragen (Society Girl Bossa Nova) (Parkway 921)
1964 - Dusty / Hey, Hoagy (Mala 493)
1964 - Baby's Gone / We Almost Made It (Mala 499)
1965 - Put A Ring On My Finger / Little Girl Tears (Mala 506)

The Beach Girls (2)
1965 - Goin' Places / Skiing In The Snow (Dynovoice 202)



Biography :

Originally from Sarasota, Florida (Though born in Weymouth, Massachusetts) Jean Thomas had moved to New York in the early 60s and recorded as a solo artist for Cadence and M-G-M. Pitch perfect, she began picking up extra work as a demo singer and from there graduated to full session work, sometimes accompanied by an old friend from Sarasota, Mikie Harris who sang with the Ardons. The recording community liked Thomas for her ability to emote with all the  chutzpah of an eager novice getting his first break in a recording studio, even though she was a pro in her mid-twenties.

    
Jean Thomas                                                                                                                             

  Crewe had used Thomas on "Society Girl" by the Rag Dolls (a fabricated 'answer' record to the 4 seasons' "Rag Doll") which had dented the Hot 100 in late 1964.  Consolidating with a second release, "Dusty", Crewe had Thomas and Harris lay down their vocals over a storming track by 4 Seasons arranger Charlie Calello. The winning four seasons groove bagged a lot of airplay, pushing "Dusty" to # 55 in February 1965, and led to a demend for a group that did not exist outside the confines of a recording studio.

Thomas preferred the quiet backwaters of studio work to the limelight and toured only briefly as a member of the Rag Dolls.  The sessions for ‘Dusty’ were on 24th and 27th October and again on 12th November 1964 to perfect the mix, with ‘Skiing In The Snow’  and ‘Hey Hoagy’ also being recorded. The latter would become the cute ‘B’ side to ‘Dusty’ whilst Bob would release ‘Skiing In The Snow’ as the Beach Girls on Dynavoice 202 to provide another classic harmony laced girl group sound


Songs :

The Rag Dolls

  
Society Girl                                 Put A Ring On My Finger

   
Dusty                                         Little Girl Tears

   
Hey Hoagy                                    Baby's Gone

The Beach Girls (2)

Skiing In The Snow

...

top : Johnny Hopson & Earl Wade Bottom - Bottom : Teddy Williams & Marty Brown

The Opals (1)  (Harlem, New-York)
aka The Crystals (1)

Personnel :

Earl Wade (Lead)

Marty Brown (Tenor)

Johnny Hopson (Tenor)

Teddy Williams (Bass)

Discography :

The Crystals (1)
1954 - Come To Me Darling / Squeeze Me Baby (Luna 100/ 101/5001)

The Opals (1)
1954 - Come To Me Darling / Squeeze Me Baby (Luna 100/ 101/5001)
1954 - My Heart's Desire / Oh But She Did (Apollo 462) 

Biography :

In June of 1954 Luna Records issues #10-101, its very first recording by a group called The Crystals. The songs are "Come To Me Darling" and "Squeeze Me Baby". Soon after its release they find another group called The Crystals exists and they record for the DeLuxe label.

Six weeks after its initial release the record is re-issued as Luna 5001 by The Opals and the label is now identified as a subsidiary of Apollo Records. In October of that year The Opals record again, this time for the parent label Apollo and #462 is released - "Ooh But She Did" and "My Hearts Desire". That seems to be the entire history of The Opals on record. Later, Wade joined The Cadillacs. Earlier, Williams had been with The Vocaleers.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/ROWNEW2/ComeToMe.htm


Songs :

   
Come To Me Darling / Squeeze Me Baby                  My Heart's Desire / Oh But She Did

 ...

The Tremonts (1) (Bronx, New-York)
aka The Privateers


Personnel :

Dave Romano (Lead)

Julio "Joey Dee" Decicco (Lead)

Billy Frye (Second Tenor)

Ronnie Lapinski (Baritone)


Discography :

The Tremonts (1)
1961 - Legend Of Love / Believe My Heart (Brunswick 55217 /Pat Riccio 101)

Marty & The Tremonts (1)
1961 - Dear Mom And Dad / Since Your Mine (DiVenus 103)

Carlo bb The Tremonts
 (1)
Singles :
1963 - Baby Doll / Write Me A Letter (Laurie 3151)
1963 - The Story Of Love / Five Minutes More (Laurie 3175)
1964 - Ring A Ling / Stranger In My Arms (Laurie 3227)
Unreleased :
1963 - Brenda The Great Pretender (Laurie)
1963 - Kansas City (Laurie)

Joyce & The Privateers
1962 - Honor Roll Of Love / The Bunny Tale (Agon 1003)



Biography :

The Tremonts "Julio "Joey Dee" Decicco , Ronnie Lapinsky, Bill Frye & Dave Romano" that used Vito Picone's composition of "Please Believe Me" & recorded this in 1961 as "Believe My Heart". Billy Frye and Ronnie Lapinski with singer Joyce Heath formed the Privateers and have a single for the Dragon Record label owned by Vincent Gagliano : "Honor Roll Of Love" / "The Bunny Tale" . On "The Bunny tale" The Privatters were the Tremonts.

   
                                Joyce & The Privateers                                                                    Carlo Mastrangelo                                        

After recording " Come on Little Angel" with the Belmonts in 1962, Carlo Mastrangelo decided on a solo career, and with Laurie records looking for a replacement for Dion (who left the same year to sign with Columbia) . Laurie even used Carlo's first name only on the label to keep the Dion mystique alive. He recorded three singles backed by the Tremonts. In 1965 Vito Picone signed with Laurie Records and was matched with  the Tremonts (Ronnie Lapinsky, Bill Frye, and Dave Romano.

  
                                     Vito Picone                                                                           Carlo Mastrangelo                                                       

The group became Vito and the Elegants, releasing "A Letter from Vietnam" as a single. Then, thanks to a subtle change, they were the Elegantes for "Wake Up," an up-tempo side marred by a persistent falsetto alarm clock sound. The Elegantes then became the Tremonts, while Vito formed a new Elegants with original Jimmy Moschella, Fred Redman, and ex-Majestics Nino Armotto. Their one Laurie release as Vito and the Elegants ("Belinda") was a Swedish hit translated for the US Market...


Songs :

The Tremonts (1)

   
Believe My Heart                                  Legend Of Love


Joyce & The Privateers


Honor Roll Of Love

...

The Arrows (Los Angeles)
aka The Convincers aka The Appeggios

Personnel :

Leroy Bishop  (Lead)

Mel Alexander  (Second Tenor)

Frank Alexander (Bass)

Frank Dixon (High Tenor)

Malvin Perkins (Baritone)
                        


Discography :

The Arrows
Singles :
1958 - Indian Bop Hop / Annie Mae (Flash 132)

The Convincers
Singles :
1962 - Rejected Love / Go BacK Baby (Movin' 100)
Demos :
1959 - Betty
1959 - Sufferin With The Blues
1959 - My Baby Don't Love Me
1959 - What Did I do

The Appeggios
Singles :
1963 - Mary / I'll Be Singing (Aries 01)
Demos :
1956 - Rejected Love
1956 - We Belong Together
1956 - She's Not Bad
1956 - Lonely
1956 - Baby Let Me Come To Your House Tonight


Biography :

The group begin as the Arpeggios in New Orleans and sang strictly gospel, switching to the Arrows to sang R&B. The Original members are Mel Alexander (Second Tenor), Frank Alexander (Bass), Leroy Bishop (Lead), Frank Dixon (High Tenor) & Sidney Jones (Baritone).

  
Mel Alexander                                                                                                                                     

One by one  the Arpeggios came out to California. The Arrows composed of Mel Alexander, Frank Alexander, Leroy Bishop, Frank Dixon  & Malvin Perkins signed a contract with Charlie 'Flash' Reynolds of Flash record on 29th July,1958. Two months later "Indian Bop Hop" backed with "Annie Mae" hit the Streets.

The Appeggios with Mel Alexander on lead (Los Angeles, 1957)

They Changed their name from the Arrows to the Convincers. The Convincers were made up of Mel, his brother, Jones, Dixon and Willie Gibson on lead. The Group recorded the Beautifull "Rejected Love" spliced with "Go BacK Baby" for Movin' Records. In 1963, Mel & his quarter Friends, now renamed the Arpeggios (Misspelled Appeggios) with the Convincers' Line-up recorded "Mary" backed with "I'll Be Singing" for the Tiny Los Angeles based Aries label.

Songs :
 (Update By Hans-Joachim)

The Arrows

 
Indian Bop Hop                    Annie Mae

The Appeggios

     
I'll Be Singing                    Mary        Baby Let Me Come To Your House Tonight

       
Lonely                                 She's Not Bad                       Rejected Love


We Belong Together

The Convincers

     
 Rejected Love                   What Did I do                        Go BacK Baby

  
My Baby Don't Love Me                       Betty

.....

The Cordells  (Philadelphia)
aka The Cardells (2)
aka The Whirlwinds (2)
aka The Exceptions

Personnel:

Jimmy Ellis (Lead)

Earl Young (Bass)

Val Walker

Russell Boston

Charles Hynes

Discography :

The Cordells
1958 - Please Don't Go / Believe in Me (Bullseye 1017)
1962 - The Beat of My Heart / Laid Off (Bargain 5004)

Bunny Sigler & The Cardells (2)
1959 - Square From Nowhere / Laddy Daddy (Bee 1013)

The Whirlwinds (2)
1963 - After The Party / Heartbeat (Phillips)

The Exceptions
1965 - Down by the Ocean / Pancho's Villa (Inst.) (Pro 1/ Cameo 378)

Biography :

Along with the original Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, the Dreamlovers, and others, the Cordells were one of Philadelphia's pioneering R&B groups. The members were Jimmy Ellis, (lead), Earl Young (bass), Val Walker, and Russell Boston, all from the Broad & Lehigh area of North Philly. They recorded "Please Don't Go" b/w "Believe in Me," for Bullseye Records in 1958 and didn't get the opportunity again until 1959 when they Backed Bunny Sigler on "Square From Nowhere" b/w "Laddy Daddy" as the Cardells. Bunny Sigler was a champion swimmer, having won the city Championship representing Bok School in South Phully. Walter "Bunny" Sigler  will become a pop and R&B songwriter and record producer who has done extensive work with the team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and who was instrumental in creating the "Philly Sound" in the early 1970s. He is nicknamed "Mr. Emotion."

  
Bunny Sigler                                                                                                           

Return to Jimmy Ellis and his fellows. The Group didn't get the opportunity again until 1961 when "The Beat of My Heart"/"Laid Off," fell on Bargain Records, this time using their original name, The Cordells. Neither side was more than a local play and while the group kept busy doing local gigs and built a little reputation around town, nothing really happened for them. The Philly singers became the Whirlwinds and recorded in 1963, this time for Phillips Records. "Heartbeat" b/w "After the Party" stiffed. They added Charles Hynes and tried it as The Exceptions. Pro 1 Records released the first Exceptions' single, "Down by the Ocean" b/w "Pancho's Villa," in 1965. It was originally scheduled for Phil Gaber's P & L label, but the deal never consummated. The record created a stir locally so Cameo Records snagged it for national distribution, but it never took off. Switching to Cameo's subsidiary, Parkway Records.

   

By the late 1960's Jimmy Ellis and the Exceptions had moved from doo wop into soul music.  The signed with the Groovy Grooves label and had two releases. Groovey Groves issued two of their shelved singles in 1972 to piggyback on the Trammps' Buddah recordings. Ellis and Young, two ex-Exceptions, were now Trammps, comprised at that time of members from the Exceptions and the Volcanoes. In addition, Young became a sought after session musician and recorded with Ron Baker and Norman Harris as Baker, Harris, & Young.


Songs :

The Cordells


Please Don't Go / Believe in Me

  
The Beat of My Heart                                 Laid Off          


Bunny Sigler & The Cardells (2)


Square From Nowhere / Laddy Daddy


The Whirlwinds (2)

  
Heartbeat                                   After The Party


The Exceptions

  
Down by the Ocean                              Pancho's Villa        

...