Top : O.Drummond, B.Davis, M.Robinson & R. Grant - 

Bottom : R.Foreman, A.Turner & L. Thomas

 The Modern Ink Spots (Philadelphia, PA)
aka The Cardinals (4) aka The Equadors

Personnel :

Al Turner (Lead)

Oscar Drummond (First Tenor)

Rilly Foreman (Second Tenor)

Lynn Thomas (Baritone)

Reginald Grant (Bass)

Mitchell Robinson (Guitar)

Billy Davis (Drums)

Discography :

The Equadors

Single:
1958 - Sputnik Dance / A Vision (RCA EPA 4286)
Ep :
1958 - Sputnik Dance / I'll Be The One / A Vision / Stay A Little Longer (RCA EPA 4286)

The Modern Ink Spots
1962 - Spotlight Dance / Together (In Your Arms) (Rust 5052)

The Cardinals (4)
1963 - Why Don't You Write Me / Sh-Boom (Rose 835)

Biography :

Philadelphia R&B group the Equadors formed in 1955. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the February 1999 issue of Discoveries, lead Al Turner, first tenor Oscar Drummond, second tenor Rilly Foreman, baritone Lynn Thomas, and bass Reginald Grant were all high-school friends born and raised in the same North Philly neighborhood. Originally dubbed the Chants, the quartet typically performed alongside accompanists Mitchell Robinson on guitar and Billy Davis on drums, eventually making them full-time members of the roster. Local real estate salesman Larry Kerrin soon agreed to manage the Chants, landing them a plum gig in New Jersey opening for Ray Charles and Pigmeat Markham. The exposure nevertheless failed to launch the group to the next level, and in mid-1956 they began appearing as the Equadors, replacing Kerrin with WHAT DJ Lloyd "Fatman" Smith. Upon signing with the Jolly Joyce Booking Agency, the group landed a record deal with RCA Victor, and in early 1958 traveled to New York City to record a four-song session issued in full a month later.

   
                                                                                              King Curtis

The EP format actually hampered the Equadors' chances at radio, where the conventional single reigned supreme, and although the lead track, "Sputnik Dance" (featuring the great King Curtis on saxophone), was subsequently reissued with flip side "A Vision," the damage was done. The Equadors nevertheless performed the single on American Bandstand, and toured the East Coast on a bill with Frankie Lymon and Paul Anka. In early 1960 Jolly Joyce execs rechristened the Equadors the Modern Ink Spots in a scheme to position the group for the supper-club circuit. The ploy was a success, with gigs at upper-crust nightspots like the famed Peppermint Lounge soon to follow. Although their repertoire now consisted of the usual ballads and standards, the Modern Ink Spots gradually worked some of their old R&B material back into their sets.

Baritone/tenor Gary Evans joined the lineup in 1962, around the same time drummer Davis left the group. His replacement, Claude Higgs, signed on in time to cut the lone Modern Ink Spots single, the Rust release "Spotlight Dance." Prior to a 1963 booking in Quebec, the Modern Ink Spots learned of a rival group with the same name already touring Canada -- after another quick change, they traveled north as the Cardinals, and under that moniker recorded "Why Don't You Write Me" for the Rose imprint. In the final months of their career they again performed as the Modern Ink Spots, but split in 1965 when Turner signed on with the Philadelphia Police Department.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Equadors/equadors.html

Songs :

The Equadors

  
Sputnik Dance                           I'll Be The One

  
        A Vision                                   Stay A Little Longer



The Modern Ink Spots


  
Spotlight Dance                      Together (In Your Arms)



The Cardinals (4)


  
Why Don't You Write Me                                Sh-Boom
          








….

The Dapps (Detroit)
aka The Five Dapps

Personnel :

Johnnie Mae Matthews (Lead)

James Bennett (Lead)

George Wooden

Emry Franklin (Guitarist)

Albert Williams


Discography :

The Five Dapps
1958 - You're So Unfaithful / Do Wop A Do (Brax 208)

Johnnie Mae Matthews & The Dapps
1959 - Dreamer / Indian Joe (Northern 3727 )
1959 - Mr Fine / Some Day (Chet Oliver)  (Northern 3729)

Biography :

Celebrated as the "Godmother of Detroit Soul," Johnnie Mae Matthews was born December 31, 1922, in Bessemer, AL.  When she was 12 the family relocated to New Jersey, and in 1947 Matthews alone moved to Detroit, where she married and raised a family, largely limiting her musical aspirations to singing and playing piano at home. In 1957 she joined a local quintet called the Five Dapps  and eventually recorded her first 45 in 1958. It was released on the Brax label, a short lived enterprise funded by local realtor George Braxton.

Songwriter James Bennett sang lead on Do Wop A Do - a Chuck Berry styled Rock n' Roll number complete with guitar breaks. Johnnie Mae took over on the slower flip side, a jazzy-blues song titled You're So Unfaithful. The other three Dapps were  George Wooden, guitarist Emry Franklin and Albert Williams, who had the soubriquet, "Fruit". Later in 1958, Matthews formed her own record label, dubbed the Northern Recording Company, so named in honor of the popular brand of toilet tissue. Headquartered in an office at 2608 Blaine, just a few blocks from her home, she launched the imprint on just $85 borrowed from her husband's paycheck from the Ford Motor Company, in the process becoming one of the very first African-American women to own and operate her own label.

The Distants

With sessions typically recorded at either nearby Special Studio or radio station WCHB, Northern launched largely as a vehicle for Matthews' own performing career. Its premiere release, 1959's "Dreamer," was credited to Johnnie Mae Matthews & the Dapps, while the follow-up, "Mr. Fine," featured as its flip side "Someday," a solo turn by local singer Chet Oliver. She went on to manage the "The Distants" who were later renamed "The Temptations", Northern Recording Company later issued their debut single "Come On".

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Five Dapps

   
You're So Unfaithful                         Do Wop A Do

 Johnnie Mae Matthews & The Dapps

 
Mr. Fine / Some Day

...

The Rip-Chords (1) (Chicago, IL)

 Personnel :

Leon Arnold (Lead / First Tenor)

John Gillespie (Alto)

George Vinyard (First Tenor)

David Hargrove (Second Tenor)

Lester Martin (Bass)



Discography :

The Knights Of Rhythm
Unreleased
1955 - Forever Loving You (Vee-Jay)
1955 - Lorrie (Vee-Jay)

The Rip-Chords (1)
1956 - I Love You The Most /  Let's Do The Razzle Dazzle  (Abco 105)

Leon Arnold
1961 - But, Goodbye / Here's To The Girl (Wes 7751)

Biography :

Chicago doo wop quintet the Rip-Chords formed in 1954 -- according to Marv Goldberg's profile in the April 1979 issue of Goldmine -- lead tenor/songwriter Leon Arnold, first tenor George Vinyard, second tenor David Hargrove, alto John Gillespie, and bass Lester Martin first performed as the Five Knights of Rhythm. Upon signing with Ted Daniels, a local impresario who also guided the careers of the Calvaes and the Five Thrills, the Five Knights of Rhythm cut a record deal with the Vee-Jay label, in the summer of 1955 cutting a split session with the El Dorados; in truth, however, Vee-Jay was most interested in Arnold's compositional prowess, and while the label never released the group's session, it later issued as an El Dorados cover of Arnold's "Forever Loving You." (His "Lights Are Low" subsequently appeared on another El Dorados disc as well.)

The experience upset the Knights so much that they rechristened themselves the Rip-Chords before signing to the local independent label Abco to issue their official debut single "Let's Do the Razzle Dazzle" in 1956 -- when the record barely registered on Chicago radio, the group dissolved. Arnold resurfaced in 1961 with a solo single on the tiny Wes label before quitting the music business for good.

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Ripchords/ripchords.html

Songs :

The Rip-Chords (1)


I Love You The Most /  Let's Do The Razzle Dazzle


...

The Pelicans (1)  (New Orleans)
aka The Kidds (1)

Personnel :

Walter Lewis

Willie Hannah

Carl Ledbetter

Wardell Brown

Discography :

The Pelicans (1)
Single :
1954 - Chimes / Ain't Gonna Do It (Imperial 5307)
Unreleased :
1954 - Miss Lucy (Imperial)
1954 - Down In Mexico ((Imperial)

The Kidds (1)
1955 - I Won't Be Back / You Broke My Heart (Post 2003)
1955 - Drunk, Drunk, Drunk / Are You Forgetting Me (Imperial 5335)

Wee Willie Wayne bb The Kidds (1) (Uncredited)
1955 - I Remember / Travelin' Mood (Solo) (Imperial 5355)

Biography :

Vocal group from New Orleans, The Group consisted of Walter Lewis, Willie Hannah, Carl Ledbetter and Wardell Brown. Their tracks were from a session of eight songs (IM-755 to IM-762) recorded by The Pelicans in Los Angeles on August 20 1954 . Tracks were released variously as by the Pelicans or as by The Kidds but they were the same group.

Songs :

The Kidds (1)

  
 You Broke My Heart / I Won't Be Back            Drunk, Drunk, Drunk / Are You Forgetting Me

The Pelicans (1)

  
Chimes / Ain't Gonna Do It                          Miss Lucy           


Down In Mexico

Wee Willie Wayne bb The Kidds (1) (Uncredited)


I Remember / Travelin' Mood (Solo)
…

 The Larktones (Queens, NY)

Personnel :

Leroy Parrish (Lead)

Jimmy Tyler

Lou Courtney

Chambers

Discography :

1958 - Nosy Neighbors / Why Are You Tearing Us Apart (Riki 140)
1958 - The Letter / Rockin' Swingin' Man (ABC 9909)

Biography :

The Larktones' complete ouput were two singles in 1958: the first on Rik and the second, 'The Letter'/'Rockin', Swingin' Man', surprisingly on ABC-Paramount (9909). Leroy Parrish sang Lead with the Larktones originated out of projects of Rockaway Queens NY. The main group from Rockaways was Leroy Parrish, Lou Courtney, Jimmy Tyler and Chambers.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

   
The Letter                       Why Are You Tearing Us Apart

    
Nosy Neighbors                              Rockin' Swingin' Man


...