The Hi-Fives (2) (Garfield, New Jersey)


Personnel :

Dave Brigati (Lead)

Howie Lanza (Baritone)

Pete Grieco (First Tenor)

Ron Menhart (Second Tenor)

Rich Jezercak (Bass)


Discography :

1958 - My Friend / How Can I Win (Decca 30576)
1958 - Dorothy / Just A Shoulder To Cry On (Decca  30657)
1958 - Lonely / What's New, What's New (Decca 30744)



Biography :

In 1957, while in Garfield High School, Rich Jezercak formed the vocal group the Bel Airs, then changed to the Shal-Vans with the original members, and named the Hi-Fives in 1958. As the Shal-Vans they sang at school affairs, dances and amateur shows some of these in the Apollo Theatre. In 1958 their manager, Junie Dee send the group to Decca Records for an audition,the label liked the group but not their name and change to The Hi-Fives.

The group recorded a number of songs on the Decca label. One of those recordings, "Dorothy", became a regional hit in the New York City/Philadelphia region. While with the Hi-Fives, Dave Brigati  began collaborating with Joseph DiNicola (known professionally as Joey Dee) of nearby Passaic, New Jersey, who sang back-up on a few of the Hi-Fives recordings.

In late 1958, Dee recruited Brigati (after a gig at Garfield High School) to join his group the Starliters. Brigati became a lead singer with the group and his lead vocals can be heard on their first single release entitled "Face of An Angel".

Songs :

The Hi-Fives (2)

     
My Friend                          How Can I Win                          Dorothy

     
Just A Shoulder To Cry On             Lonely              What's New, What's New

Joey Dee with David Brigati "on lead"

Face of An Angel

…..

The Tammys (Franklin, PA)
aka Ritchie & The Runarounds (3)

Personnel :

Cathy Owens

Gretchen Owens

Linda Jones



Discography :

The Tammys
1963 - Take Back Your Ring / Part Of Growing Up (UA 632)
1963 - Egyptian Shumba / What's So Sweet About Sweet Sixteen (UA 678)
1965 - Hold Back The Light Of Dawn / Gypsy (Veep 1210)
1965 - Blue Sixteen / His Actions Speak Louder Than Words (Veep 1220)

Ritchie & The Runarounds (3)
1963 - Lost In The Crowd / Don'tcha Backtrack (Ascot 2136)



Biography :

The Tammys were an American girl group made up of sisters Gretchen and Cathy Owens and their friend Linda Jones. They are best known for their song "Egyptian Shumba" with its faux Middle-Eastern instrumentals and sweet girlish vocals backed up by wild shrieks.

In high school Cathy and Gretchen participated in a group called The Impressions. Billed as The Charnelles, Cathy, Gretchen and Linda first publicly performed on March 31, 1962 at a school talent show. Early on, they were thrown out of a local restaurant for singing along to the jukebox. "We'll be on that jukebox someday", they vowed.

The Tammys with Lou Christie

The girls first met Lou Christie in 1961 at a concert where he was performing in the band "Lugee and The Lions". He took them for a ride in his Cadillac. He sang while they did back-up harmony. He told them "If I ever get discovered, I'll call you", and they said the same to him.  A year later Lou hit it big with his single "The Gypsy Cried" and he brought the girls in to sing backup for him.  He also signed them to a contract with United Artists. Despite local airplay, "Take Back Your Ring", "Gypsy" and "Egyptian Shumba" all failed to chart nationally throughout 1963-1964.

  
                        Kripp Johnson                                                                                                          The Tammys

In 1963 Ritchie & the Runarounds cut "Lost In The Crowd" / "Don'tcha Backtrack" on Ascot 2136. Ritchie & the Runarounds consisted of Kripp Johnson, Lou Christie, and the girl group the Tammys. Johnson, formerly in the Del Vikings, takes the lead on both sides, which were written by Christie and Christie's songwriting partner Twyla Herbert.



By 1965, Lou Christie was using another tough sounding girl group to back him, Jessica James and the Outlaws, which consisted of Bernadette Carroll, Denise Ferri and Peggy Santiglia. Meanwhile, The Tammys continued to play local shows and sing background tracks until later in the decade; but with three no-hit singles to their credit, their waxings became impossibly rare and the group became a footnote in music history.
http://egyptianshumba.com/



Songs :

     
Take Back Your Ring            Part Of Growing Up               Egyptian Shumba

     
Hold Back The Light Of Dawn           Gypsy                      Blue Sixteen


 His Actions Speak Louder Than Words

....

(L to R) Alvin H. Brandon, Billy Lee, Joseph Raguso, Richie Pettagano and Paul Fernandez

The Bell-Tones (Yonkers, New York)
aka Belltones (2)

Personnel :

Alvin H. Brandon (lead)

Paul Fernandez

Billy Lee

Richie Pettagano

Joseph Raguso

Discography :

The Bell-Tones
1958 - The Merrengue / I Love You  (Scatt 1609/1610)

The Belltones (2)
1958 - The Merrengue / I Love You  (J&S 1609/1610)

Biography :

Zelma "Zell" Sanders is a Bronx-based songwriter and producer who owned and operated J&S, Dice, Scatt, Zell's and other record labels. A powerful matriarch, she controlled her recording artists, sometimes firing them on the spot if they broke her rules. Before entering the record business she was employed as a security guard, while writing songs on the side. She was working for the Police Athletic League in Harlem's 23rd Precinct. She saw the talent; it was there on the street. They all got to know Zell as the lady who went around grabbing groups. "Do you sing?", she'd ask them. "Come on up to my house." Zelma Sanders also had a particular fondness for female singers.

  
                                                                                                              Zelma "Zell" Sanders

In 1958, Zelma Sanders managed The Bell-Tones and wrote two songs for them, "The Merrengue" and "I Love You". The vocal group from Yonkers High School consists of Alvin H. Brandon, Paul Fernandez, Billy Lee, Richie Pettagano and Joseph Raguso. Before the release of their record, The boys have appeared at local dance spots, on television in Washington. D.C. and have made an Army show at Fort Belvoir, Va. Zell Sanders’ Scatt label released the single in April 1958, before one of her other labels, J&S, did the same shortly after, but under the name Belltones.

Songs :

  
   I Love You                                       The Merrengue

...

The Tangents from 59 - 60. Bill Redd (Billy Thedford) top right

The Tangents (Pacoima, Ca)
aka The Twilighters (4)
aka The Twiliters (3)
Thanks to  Liam

Personnel :

Billy Thedford (Lead)

Jodell Base

Howard Hogains

Willie Marshall

Leonard H.

Discography :

The Tangents
1960 - Send Me Something / I Can't Live Alone (Fresh 1)

Horace Wooten & The Tangents
1961 - That Lucky Old Sun / Never Leave Again (Fresh 2274)

The Twilighters (4)
1961 - Nothin’/ Do You Believe (Eldo 115)

Ron Holden & The Twiliters (3)
1962 - Things Don't Happen That Way / Ya Got That Lovin' Touch (Baronet 3)


Biography :

Vocal Group from Pacoima, Ca. in the San Fernando Valley.  The group consisted of Billy Thedford (Lead), Jodell Base, Howard Hogains, Willie Marshall and Leonard H..In 1960, The Tangents recorded "Send Me Something" and "I Can't Live Alone" released in may 1960 on the Fresh Label owned by Danny Sanford Coggins. For their next record on the label, Horace Wooten joined the group .Horace "Pookie" Wooten has been part of many Los Angeles groups like The Chimes, The Shields (The Touring Group), The Lions, The Wonders, The Wanderers and probably others. With Horace Wooten on lead, they recorded "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Never Leave Again".

   
Horace "Pookie" Wooten                                                                  Ron Holden                     

With almost the same team, but under a new name, The Twilighters, they recorded the fantastic doo wop "Nothin’" and "Do You Believe". The disc will be released by Eldo record founded by Johnny Otis. After the success of 'Love You So" Ron Holden, moved to Los Angeles and met the Group when he recorded "I'll Be Happy" and "I'll Always Have You" at Eldo Records. For their last single The group backed Ron Holden as the Twiliters on "Things Don't Happen That Way" and "You Got That Lovin' Touch" Released on Baronet..

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Tangents

  
Send Me Something                              I Can't Live Alone   

Never Leave Again

Horace Wooten & The Tangents

That Lucky Old Sun

The Twilighters (4)

  
Nothin'                                         Do You Believe

Ron Holden & The Twiliters (3)

  
Things Don't Happen That Way           Ya Got That Lovin' Touch      

...

 The Marigolds  (Nashville, Tennessee)
 aka The Solotones  
(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel:

Johnny Bragg (Lead Tenor)

Edward Lee Thurmon (Tenor)

William Stewart (Baritone)

John Edward Drue (Tenor)

Harold Hebb (Tenor)

Willie Wilson (Bass)

Discography

The Marigolds
Singles :
1955 - Rollin' Stone / Why Don't You (Excello 2057)
1955 - Two Strangers/ Love You - Love You - Love You (Excello 2061)
Unreleased :
1955 - Don't Say Tomorrow  (Excello)
1955 - Rollin’ Stone (alt. take)  (Excello)

Johnny Bragg & The Marigolds
1956 - It's You Darling, It's You / Juke Box Rock And Roll (Excello 2091)

The Solotones
1955 - Pork And Beans / Front Page Blues (Excello 2060)

Johnny Bragg (solo)
1956 - Foolish Me! / Beyond The Clouds (Excello 2078)

Biography:

The Prisonaires, as the name suggests, were a group of inmates led by Johnny Bragg, at the State Penitentiary in Tennessee who were in for a variety of reasons but, through their singing, were touted as evidence of the prison’s successful rehab program.  Sam Phillips took notice and brought the group to record at Sun where the group cut “Walking In The Rain” written by member Robert Riley and Johnny Bragg, which was a sizable hit even being covered by Johnny Ray. 

The group was allowed day passes to tour, even becoming a favorite of the Governor while continuing to record during their imprisonment.  After the third single, several members of the group were paroled, so Bragg formed a new Prisonaires renamed the Sunbeams that included Harold Hebb  (brother of Bobby Hebb, "Sunny," #2 Pop, #3 R&B, 1966), William Stewart, Willy Wilson, and Henry "Dishrag" Jones .

Henry Dishrag Jones (piano) Harold Hebb, Johnny Bragg, John Drue, L.B. McCollough(guitar), Alfred Brooks, Willy Wilson

 Meanwhile, in July 1954, Sun issued the last Prisonaires single "There Is Love In You," which Billboard described as a "pretty ballad sung skillfully, sparked by a baritone lead. This is one of the group's best to date."  Al Brooks joined the group later, replacing William Stewart. In 1955 the Sunbeams became the Marigolds and recorded in Nashville for Excello Records.

The Excello-released "Rollin' Stone" became a number eight R&B hit while the group was still based in the Tennessee penitentiary.   After the Marigolds Bragg changed names again recording the Solotones and then under his own name before spending some additional time in prison for parole violations eventually hanging up his recording career though he continued to sing, as do many, in church.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/ROWNEW/RollinSt.htm

Songs :

The Marigolds

     
Rollin’ Stone                   Rollin’ Stone (alt. take)                    Why Don’t You

     
Two Strangers        Love You - Love You - Love You        It's You Darling, It's You

  
Juke Box Rock And Roll           Don’t Say Tomorrow

The Solotones

  
Pork And Beans                    Front Page Blues

Johnny Bragg (solo)

  
Foolish Me!                   Beyond The Clouds

...