The Rovers (Sacramento, Calif.)
aka The Five Rovers

Personnel :

Oliver "Sunny" Stevenson (Lead)

Jay Payton (Tenor)

Hank Swarn (Baritone)

Billy Ray Williams (Bass)

Ralph Helms (High Tenor)

Discography :

The Rovers
1954 - Ichi-Bon Tami Dachi / Why-Ohh (Music City 750/Capitol 3078) 

1955 - Salute To Johnny Ace /Jadda (Music City All Stars) (Music City 780) 

1955 - Whole Lot Of Love / Tell Me Darling (The Gaylarks) (Music City 792)

The Five Rovers
1956 - Down To The Sea / Change Your Mind  (Music City 798)

Biography :

The Rovers formed in 1954, and They recorded for Music City as both the rovers and The Five Rovers. Payton was about ten years older than the others.

By the middle of 1954, they'd added high tenor Ralph Helms to the group. Another student at Grant Union, he was one of those guys who just hung around until one day you noticed he was part of the group. Most of the songs that the Rovers practiced were either by the Clovers or tunes that they'd written themselves. All the tunes that they ended up recording were original songs.

"Ichi-Bon Tami Dachi" means number one girlfriends. Payton wrote the song based on his time in the service in Japan. Just after recording their one disc as the Rovers for Music city, it was leased out to Capitol records for greater distribution as sales began to increase.

When their last disc for Music city was released, they were on their way to Breaking up.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Rovers/rovers.html

Songs :

The  Rovers

   
Ichi-Bon Tami Dachi                          Salute To Johnny Ace

    
Whole Lot Of Love                            Why-Ohh

The Five Rovers  

   
Change Your Mind                                Down To The Sea

...

The Blue Notes (2)  (Asheboro in North Carolina )
 aka The Bluenotes (4) aka  The Epidemics  

Personnel :

Joe Tanner (gtr)

Pat Patterson

Tom Underwood

Ralph Harrington


 

Discography :

The Blue Notes (2)
1955 - Christmas Chimes / There'll Always Be a Christmas (Colonial 408)
1956 - On A Sleepy Sunday Afternoon / Who's Gonna Sing Your Love Songs  (Colonial 409)

The Bluenotes (4)
1958 - You're A Tiger / Let Her Know  (Colonial 7779)
1958 - I Waited   / Never Never Land  (Colonial 9999)
1959 - I Don't Know What It Is / Summer Love (Brooke 111)
1959 - You Can't Get Away From Love / I Don't Know What It Is (Brooke 111)
1960 - I'm Gonna Find Out / Forever On My Mind  (Brooke 116)

The Bluenotes (4) (Featuring Doug Franklin)
1957 - Page One / Mighty Low (Colonial 434)

The Bluenotes (4) (Featuring Ralph Harington)
1960 - Summer Love / It Had To Be You (Brooke 119)

Doug Franklin & The Bluenotes (4)
1958 - My Lucky Love / Drizzlin' Rain  (Colonial 7777)
1958 - I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now / I Used To Wonder (Colonial 8888)

Johnny Dee & Bluenotes (4)
1957 - Teenage Queen / It's Gotta Be You (Colonial 433)
1957 - 1000 Concrete Blocks / In My Simple Way (Colonial 435)

Ebe Sneezer (Johnny Dee)  & The Epidemics
1957 - Asiatic Flu / That's All I've Got (Colonial 436)

Biography :

The Bluenotes were a vocal group featuring Tom Underwood, Joe Tanner, Pat Patterson, and Ralph Harrington.  They recorded at Colonial and Brooke Records, two labels of North Carolina. Their first single, Page One/Mighty Low, was released in 1957 on the Colonial label and the last single, It Had To Be You/Summer Love, was released in 1960 on the Brooke label.

  
With Ebe Sneezer (Johnny Dee ) &  Cecelia Batten                                                                         

They also sang on several other records on Colonial with other artists. They had a pop singles chart entry in 1959 with "I Don't Know What It Is."  So, masquerading as Ebe Sneezer with the Epidemics, Johnny Dee recorded the "Asiatic Flu" and "That's All I've Got" with the Bluenotes.
Joe Tanner had success after the breakup of The Bluenote.

He worked with Roy Orbison. He also arranged and produced many songs, including In Dreams (Roy Orbison), A Rose and a Baby Ruth (George Hamilton IV), and Sittin' In the Balcony (John D. Loudermilk. He also played guitar on Orbison's hit, Oh, Pretty Woman.

With Ebe Sneezer (Johnny Dee )
http://www.rocky-52.net/chanteursb/bluenotes.htm
http://www.ihesm.com/Loudermilk1.html

Songs :

   
I Don't Know What It Is                                   Mighty Low         

   
Summer Love                                       You're A Tiger

...

The Tri-Lites (Sacramento, CA)
aka The West Winds
Richard (Doowoper51) 

Personnel :

Mona Donato

Bonnie Donato

Ron Andre

Discography :

The Tri-Lites
1964 - Will Tomorrow Be Just Another Day / Hot Dog, Here He Comes  (Enith 721)
1964 - Your Lookin' at My Guy / Owee Owee (Enith 1266)

The West Winds
1964 - You Know I'll Miss You / What A Kiss That Was (Enith 1269)
1964 - Your Lookin' at My Guy / Owee Owee (Kapp 588)

The Looking Glass
1966 - Silver And Sunshine / If I Never Love Again (Valiant 750)
1967 - Lonely Stranger / Love Is Not Everything (WB 7050)

Biography :

They're sisters Mona and Bonnie Donato, and Ron Andre, from Sacramento (Ron and Bonnie were married in 1969 and are now married 41 years!). Nancy (daughter of Ron & Bonnie) other aunt, Linda Donato, later replaced Mona when Mona started her own family.

Initially the Tri- Lites with Enith International ("Tomorrow" & "Hot Dog, Here He Comes" & "Your Lookin' at My Guy" & "Owee Owee.") Later sold to KAPP and they changed our name to The West Winds.
and again released "Your Lookin' at My Guy" & "Owee Owee."
Signed with Valiant Records produced by Barry Devorzon released "Silver & Sunshine" (written by the Adrissi Brothers who also wrote classic Never My Love) and "Love is not Everything."

Valiant sold out to Warner Brothers and they kept The Association and The Looking Glass (not Brandy Looking Glass) released "Lonely Stranger" & "If I never Love Again." [I think it's Linda Donato now on harmonies for these tracks]
Performed with Sonny & Cher, Kinks, Jackie Wilson, Brenda Lee, The Browns, Ray Peterson, and Barbara McNair, among others.
Richard (Doowoper51) 

Songs :

   
Will Tomorrow Be Just Another Day      Your Lookin' at My Guy

   
Hot Dog, Here He Comes         You Know I'll Miss You (The West Winds)

   
What A Kiss That Was (The West Winds)    Love Is Not Everything (The Looking Glass)

 ...

The Preludes Five (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Preludes (4)
aka The Chessman
aka The Chessmen (1)

Personnel :

Floyd Lark (lead)

Discography :

The Chessman (ft Bobby)
1958 – The Keeper Of My Love / Why (Safari 1011)

The Chessmen (1)
1958 - Du-Whop / I Live For You (MiraSonic 1002 & MiraSonic 1868)

The Preludes (4)
1961 - Don’t You Know Love / Starlight (Pik 230/231)

The Preludes Five
1961 - Don’t You Know Love / Starlight (Pik 230/231)

Biography :

Whoever Leroy R. Bates was he was on a roll in 1961, for not only was he writer of the Preludes Five's hit "Starlight", he was also the writer of the Crystals "There's No Other (like My Baby)" with hit the charts soon after. In those days the only people making money were the writers and publishers : those who 'merely' recorded their work rarely, if ever, saw anything from a record's sale.The Preludes Fives, if they were still together, would ge nothing which is probably what they got in 1961. Surprisingly for a hit record, both the group and their record label are clouded in obscurity.

Pik Records may have been based on the east coast, an assumption based on the record (Pik 230 "Don’t You Know Love" was the flip) breaking out in New York area June 1961. August 20 it had entered the Billboard hot 100 at 96, subsequently rising to 89 and 86. September 10th and 17th it was No80 and then it disappeared. The first pressing of the record was billed as by the Preludes, subsequent pressings adding the Five, presumably out of the group's concern that at least one other group with the same name could steal their bookings.Remarkably there was no follow-up and it seems the group immediatly disbanded. The quintet were lead by Floyd Lark and were the same group as the Chessman who recorded for Safari in 1958 and the Chessmen on Mirasonic the same year.

Songs :

The Chessman

  
          Why                                    The Keeper Of My Love

The Chessmen (1)

  
Du-Whop                                     I Live For You

The Preludes (4) / The Preludes Five

  
Don’t You Know Love                               Starlight          


...

(L to R) Clarence Thomas, Drew "Skippy" Thompson, Shelton Laster, George Val Poitier and Major Branch

The Dreamtones (1) (Springfield, Massachusetts)
aka The Centuries (2)
ref The Mint Juleps

Personnel :

Major Branch (Lead)

George Val Poitier (Bass)

Shelton Laster (Baritone)

Clarence Thomas (Second Tenor)

Drew "Skippy" Thompson (First Tenor)

Milton White (Piano)

Discography :

The Dreamtones (1)
1958 - Stand Behind Me / Love In The Afternoon (Klik 8505)
1959 - Praying For A Miracle / Jelly Bean (Express 501)
1959 - A Lover's Answer / Mean Man (Astra 551)

The Mitlo Sisters bb The Dreamtones (1)
1958 - Lonely Sea / Let Me Tell You (Klik 8405)

The Centuries (2)
1963 - Crying For You / Oh Darling (The Jaytones) (Times Square 5)
1963 - Betty / Ride Away (The Revlons) (Times Square 15)

-----------------------------

The Mint Juleps
Singles :
1956 - Bells Of Love / Vip-A-Dip (Herald 481)
Unreleased :
1956 - Ginny Doll
1959 - Queen Of Love


Biography :

The Dreamtones Hailed from Springfield, Massachusetts culling members from the Mint Juleps as well as several Gospel Groups . They Featured the Lead of Major Branch with George Val Poitier (Actor Sidney's cousin), Shelton Laster, Clarence Thomas, Skippy Thompson and Milton White on Piano. Before joining the Dreamtones, George Val Poitier & Clarence Thomas had been with The Mint Juleps on Herald. The other members were Alvin Clark on lead, William Terrell and Emra Clemmons . The mint Juleps recorded "Bells Of Love" and "Vip-A-Dip" released on Herald 481 and did two unreleased songs "Ginny Doll" and "Queen Of Love". There were so many different groups vying for airplay in 1956, and if your first single didn’t sell, your other tunes may well be scrapped.

The individual members of the Dreamtones met at a local club and began to harmonize. Milton's mother had a rooming house where many of the touring R&B groups of the day would stay while passing through Springfield. In 1957, the group went to New Haven and signed and recorded with Marty Kugell's Klik label. The Dreamtones backed up the Mitlo Sisters on their Klik recording of "Oh Lonely Sea" before Klik released their first single with "Stand Behind Me" and "Love In The Afternoon".

The group also had releases on Express in 1959: "Praying For A Miracle" b/w "Jelly Bean". NY's Express label, which was a sister label of Fargo Records. The Final Dreamtones release was "A Lover's Answer" b/w  "Mean Man" for Astra in 1959 though they can also be heard providing jungle hoots behind Joe Therrien on his very rare Sentinel release, "Siam". In the early 1960s, previously unreleased Klik master were sold to Slim Rose; Slim released them on his Times Square label and renamed the group the Centuries.


Songs

The Dreamtones (1)

     
Stand Behind Me                Love In The Afternoon             Praying For A Miracle

      
Jelly Bean                            A Lover's Answer                 Mean Man

The Mitlo Sisters bb The Dreamtones (1)


Let Me Tell You / Lonely Sea

The Centuries (2)

  
Crying For You                                               Betty     

The Mint Juleps

  
Bells Of Love                                           Vip-A-Dip

 ..