Eugene Williams

The Strollers (4) (Philadelphia, PA)
Ref : The Cruisers (3)

Personnel :

Eugene Williams (Lead)

Discography :

1961 - Come on Over / There's No One But You (Carlton 546)

Biography :

Eugene Williams, lead vocalist with the Cruisers, a Philadelphia group who scored a minor hit with "If I Knew" on The V-Tone la bel in 1960, broke away to form the Strollers with new personnel in 1961.

Their sole Carlton release, "Come on Over" , made a fleeting appearance on the hot 100 that April but Carlton did not issue a follow-up and the new group soon floundered . In the Mid-1960s, a chastened Williams reformed the Cruisers and recorde soul for Kenny Gamble’s Gamble label in Philadelphia.

Songs :

  
There's No One But You                             Come on Over        

…

The El Sierros (Manhattan, New York)
aka The Palisades (5)

Personnel :

Barry Edelman (Lead)

Casper Sierra

Joe Philips

Phil Rudnicki

Chuck Aaronson

Discography :

The Palisades (5)
1962 - This Is The Nite / Relic Rock (Inst.) (Mediaval 205)

The El Sierros

Singles :
1963 - Daddy's Coming Home / Sunday Kind of Love (Yussels 7702)
1964 - Life Is But A Dream  / Pretty Little Girl (Times Sq 101)
1964 - Picture Of Love /  Sweeter Than (The Young Ones) (Times Sq 36 / Relic 527))
1965 - Valarie / Love You So (Relic 534)

LP :
1964 -  The Sound Of The City Acappella (Times SQ 201)
Sometimes I Wonder / Our Love Is A Vow / Glory of Love / This Is the Nite / Over The Rainbow / Walking Along

Unreleased:
1964 - Seven Little Stars
1964 - Those Oldies That I Cry For
1964 - When I Fall In Love
1964 - Pennies from Heaven

Biography :

From the lower east side of Manhattan emerged a group called the Sierras's. They took their name from one of their members Casper Sierra. The other members were Barry Edelman (Lead), Joe Philips, Phil Rudnicki and Chuck Aaronson. They started to record for Slim's Time square label but had to change their name due to fact another Sierras group was already out there. So was born The El Sierros and the Myth the group was  of Puerto Rican descent.

   
Phil Rudnicki                                                                                                                          

The El Sierros would be managed by Pete Shekeryk who would take them to Joe Schulman's Yussels record label out of Newark, N.J. The label didn't las long and eventually The El Sierros were approached by someone from WNJR radio to do a remake of "This is The Nite" with was released under the name The Palisades.

Songs:

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The El Sierros

  
Daddy's Coming Home                      Sunday Kind of Love

     
Pretty Little Girl                     Picture Of Love                              Valarie

    
Love You So                    Sometimes I Wonder                  Glory of Love

     
   This Is the Nite                    Walking Along                        When I Fall In Love

     
Life Is But A Dream              Seven Little Stars                Our Love Is A Vow

  
Over The Rainbow               Pennies From Heaven
 

The Palisades (5)


This Is The Nite

...

The Savoys (4) (San Jose, CA)
aka The Savoys's aka Cindy Adams & The Kingsmen (3)

Personnel :

Albert Richie (lead Vocals, Piano)

Beverly Soares (Vocals, Percussion)

Chris Ray (Lead Guitar, Vocals)

Bruce Hird (Rhythm Guitar, Vocals)

Discography :

The Savoys (4)
1959 - The Mortal Monster Man / Watching The Sea ‎(Bella    2212/13-58)
1960 - You're The Beating Of My Heart / You Heartless One (Christy 130)

The Savoy's
1959 - I Love My Baby / You And I (Bella 18)

Marguerite Trina & The Savoys (4)
1959 - The Rocking Tree / The Brat (Bella 19)    

Cindy Adams & The Kingsmen (3)
1960 - You And I / Baby Pie (Shelby 1)

Pat La Rocca & The Savoys (4)
1959 - Rowena / Don't Do Me Wrong (Bella 15)    

Biography :

This group hailed from San Jose, CA and played throughout the bay area during the late 50s and early 60s.. The Savoys were composed by Albert Richie (lead Vocals, Piano), Beverly Soares (Vocals, Percussion), Chris Ray (Lead Guitar, Vocals) and Bruce Hird (Rhythm Guitar, Vocals). In 1959 The Savoys signed a recording contract with Bella Records.  The Bella label was created by John Pusateri out of San Jose, California.  John, a native of Franklin, Louisiana, had moved to San Jose in the 1920s but kept close contact with musicians in south Louisiana.  He produced and created a wealth of great music, mostly doo-wop in the 1950s. He was also a prolific writer and composer for other labels as well.

            John Pusateri                                                                              Pat La Rocca             

The Savoys cut two singles for Bella , "The Mortal Monster Man" b/w "Watching The Sea" and "I Love My Baby" b/w "You And I" and backed Pat La Rocca and Marguerite Trina.  In early 1960, They recorded "You're The Beating Of My Heart" b/w "You Heartless One" at Christy Records of Los Gatos (California). "I Love My Baby" and  "You And I" on Bella Records by The Savoys were released under Cindy Adams (Beverly  Soares) & The Kingsmen on Shelby Records. The Doo Wop intro to "You And I" was removed from this release and "I Love My Baby" was renamed "Baby Pie". Albert Richie married Beverly and formed a new group in the late sixties called Beverly Rich & The Poor Boys with a different lineup.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Savoys (4) / The Savoy's

  
You're The Beating Of My Heart                         You And I                  

  
The Mortal Monster Man                Watching The Sea


Pat La Rocca & The Savoys (4)

  
Rowena                                        Don't Do Me Wrong
 

Marguerite Trina & The Savoys (4)


The Rocking Tree / The Brat (Bella 19)    




...

The Astors aka The Chips (3) (Menphis, Tenessee)



Personnel :

Curtis Johnson

Elihue Stanback

Sam "Byrnes" Jones

Richard Harris



Discography :


The Chips (3)
1961 - You Make Me Feel So Good / As You Can See (Satellite 105)

The Astors
1963 - What can it be / Just enough to hurt me (Stax 139)
1965 - I found out / Candy (Stax 170)
1965 - In The Twilight Zone / Mystery Woman (Stax 179)
1967 - Daddy Didn't Tell Me / More Power To You (Stax 232)
N/A - Candy (Live) (Stax) (Unreleased)
N/A - Come Out Tonight (Stax) (Unreleased)
N/A - A Woman Who Needs The Love of A Man (Stax) (Unreleased)
N/A - Strut Miss Sally (Stax) (Unreleased)
N/A - Uncle Willie Good Time  (Stax) (Unreleased)



Biography :

The Astors, Curtis Johnson, Eliehue Stanback, Sam (Byrnes) Jones, Richard Harris, grew up in The Orange Mound community in Memphis, Tennessee, while attending Melrose High School, along with Richard Griffin, a member of the original group called The Duntinos, and Harold Johnsn, Curtis' brother who joined the group when Richard Harris left the group for a while in 1967. The group was organized in 1958 by a neighborhood pianist, Herman "Red" Arnett who held auditions for a singing group at his home in the "Mound".

"Red" brought Curtis, Eliehue, Richard, Sam, and Richard Griffin, together for months of work before calling them a "group". The group, The Duntinos, quickly made a name for themselves performing regularly at local Beale Street and area venues. "Red" taught the guys to perform, and they learned to entertain under the tutelage of Rufus "Walking The Dog" Thomas, while working the "Chittlin Circuit" with him and his band, The Bearcats.

The Chips (3)

After Curtis and Eliehue graduated, the Duntinos moved to Buffalo, New York with Curtis' ralatives, looking, for the "Bright Lights" of New York, but found that Buffalo was very cold, and a long way from "The Big Apple". After working a few jobs in Buffalo, the group return to Memphis to do some backup vocals for Carla and Rufus Thomas and other artist recording at a new studio, then called Satellite Records. In 1961 the group recorded their first release "You Make Me Feel So Good"(Curtis -lead), a song that Curtis wrote b/w  "As You Can See"(Eliehue-lead), written by Eliehue Stanback.

The group's name was changed to The Chips for this release, named after producer, Chips Moman.  In 1961, Curtis joined the Air Force, but continued to record when on leave from the Military.  In 1963 the group's name was changed again to The Astors for the next release, written by guitarist, Larry Lee who played with Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock and later played with Al Green for years. That record was " What Can It Be" b/w "Just Enough To Hurt Me"(Curtis-lead).
In 1965, Stax Records, formerly Satellite, released a song  on the group "Candy" that was recorded while Curtis was on leave.

"Candy"(Curtis-lead), written by Booker T & MG's guitarist Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes, was their biggest record.  The song b/w "I Found Out" , written by Eliehue, climbed to #12 on the Billboard Top 100 R&B charts, and #63 on the Top 100 Pop charts. As "Candy" moved up the charts, The Astors performed on shows at the Uptown Theater in Philly, the Howard Theater in D.C., The Regal Theater in Chicago, and The Apollo Theater in New York.  The other performers on these shows included The O'Jays, The Coasters, Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, and Redd Foxx to name a few.  The Astors also spent 2 1/2 months performing on tour with The James Brown Review.

http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/astors.htm
http://www.curtisj.com/Astors.htm




Songs :

   
What can it be                       Just enough to hurt me
 

Bobby Sanders

The Cheerios (1) (Los Angeles)
aka  The Chandeliers (2)
aka Linda Carr & The Impossibles (2)

Personnel :

Bobby Sanders (Lead)

Ralph Chestnut (Bass)

Clotelle King

Andrew Bayone (Cheerios & Chandeliers)

Joe Lawson (Cheerios & Chandeliers)

Discography :

Linda Carr & The Impossibles (2)
1961 - I'll Never Get Married / Happy Teenager (Skyla 1111)
1961 - (I'm In Love With) The Garbage Man / Shy One (Ray Star 779)

The Cheerios (1)
1961 - Ding Dong Honeymoon /  Where Are You Tonight (Infinity 11)

The Chandeliers (2)
1962 - Give Me Your Love / She's A Heartbreaker (Sue 761)

Biography :

Linda Carr was just 14 years of age at the time of this, her debut recording. Her powerful voice belied her tender years. In '61, talent scount, recording artists producer and writer, Bobby Sanders (real name: Jerome Lenoir) brought gifted singer, Linda Carr to producer Steve Venet. Happy Teenager happily launched her long and remarkable international singing career as one of the queens of the Northern Soul musical genre. The writer, Richard George, had written many songs while at UCLA and later while working in the Hollywood film industry.

He wrote Happy Teenager as an answer song to Dion's Lonely Teenager. Steve Venet  arranged to record her with Bobby Sanders, Ralph Chestnut and Clotelle King billed as the Impossibles. Steven Venet  next recorded Linda's follow-up release, I'm in Love With the Garbage Man, a clever and fun record. In '64, Linda signed with Sam Cooke's Sar label with Steve Venet producing the release with Sanders and Cooke doing the backup work.  Next she signed with Don Costa's DCP label and in '65 had a release that got some action. In '66, she had several releases on the Bell label and later with the Ranwood label. She had the talent but never had the song or promotion to make it big.

   

After their singles with Linda, the Impossibles,  Bobby Sanders, Ralph Chestnut and Clotelle King recruited Andrew Bayone & Joe Lawson. The Quintet with Bobby Sanders on Lead had a release on Infinity in September 1961 billed as The Cheerios. They also recorded for Sue Record as The Chandeliers.  During this period, Bobby Sanders also recorded as a single artist and with Dorsey High School friends as the Extremes.

Songs :

Linda Carr & The Impossibles (2)

  
I'll Never Get Married                             Happy Teenager     

  
(I'm In Love With) The Garbage Man                       Shy One                     



The Cheerios (1)

  
Ding Dong Honeymoon                    Where Are You Tonight   


The Chandeliers (2)

  
Give Me Your Love                         She's A Heartbreaker

...