The Velvedeers (New York)

Personnel:

?

The Trains  (Long Island, NY)

Personnel:

Bobby Bloom (Lead)

John Governale (Tenor)

Bob Kneiper (Baritone)

Discography :

1964 - The Plan (I Love You So) / We Two (Swan 4196)
1965 - Fourteen Getting Older / The Beware Song (Swan 4203)


Biography :

When they Expressions broke up, Bobby Bloom & John Governale joined by Bob Kneiper formed a new group, the Trains. The young and ambitious producers Pete Antell and John Linde (The Chants) Penned "The Plan (I Love You So)" b/w "We Two" for the group in 1964.

  
John Linde and Pete Antell                                                                     

A Four Seasons sound-alike group The Trains didn’t make it out of the station with "The Plan". The Next years, Linde and Antell penned a second single for the Trains "Fourteen Getting Older" b/w "The Beware Song".


Songs :


Fourteen Getting Older


...

The Four Naturals  (Philadelphia)

aka  The Naturals (5)
ref : The Fabulous Four (1) aka The Four J's (1)

Personnel :

Joseph "Junior" Pirollo (Lead)

Bob Finizio (Second Tenor)

Raymond Finizio

Mike Travaglia

Discography :

The Naturals (5)
1959 - Blue Moon / How Strange (Red Top 113/Hunt 325)

The Four Naturals
1960 - When I'm In Your Arms  /  I Hear A Rhapsody  (Red Top 119)
1960 - The Thought Of You Darling / Long Long Ago (Red Top 125)

Biography :

In 1957, four fellows from the South Philadelphia area formed a singing group they named the four J's. they took their name based on the fact that each member's first name began with the letter J. they were Jr. Pirollo, Jimmy Testa, Joe"Judge"Milaro and Joe Paparella . Joe Paprella being replaced by Jr.'s Brother in law Bob Finzio.  After winning a local contest they were approached by Buddy Greco who became their manager and got the group their first recording contract in 1958 with UA records. After several releases, Jr. and Bob became part of the Four Naturals.

The group was a studio group and after recording "How Strange", under the name of the Naturals, they didn't want to tour or perform live. Jr. and Bob replaced the two members who were unhappy and were on all the following releases including their hit "The Thought Of You Darling."

The Fabulous Four (1)

In 1960 Bob Marcucci of Chancellor Records approached Jr and asked if his group would be willing to vocally back up Fabian on both recordings and Tours. a recording contract as back up group for Fabian. Bob Marcucci came up with the group's new name "The Fabulous Four".

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Four Naturals

    
I Thought Of You Darling                     Long Long Ago

I Hear A Rhapsody / When I'm In Your Arms

The Naturals (5)


Blue Moon / How Strange

 ...

The Invictors (2) (Atlanta, GA)

Personnel :

Levi (Tony) Moon (Lead)

Chat

Tommy

Bill

Eddie

Discography :

The Invictors (2)
1962 - This Thing Called Love / The Wiggle (TPE 8217)
1962 – Don’t Take My Love / Babalonian (TPE 8219)
1963 - Where All Lovers Meet / That's All Right (TPE 8221)
1963 - I Took A Chance/ Put Her Down (TPE 8223)

The New Invictors
1963 - Deeply In Love With You / She Wouldn't Quit It (Hale 500)

Biography :

Little information to date on this excellent group. Vocal group from Atlanta composed by lead singer Levi (Tony) Moon, Tommy, Chat, Bill & Eddie. Between 1962 and 1963 TPE records based in Atlanta released four singles by the Invictors.

In 1963 Hale records, also based in Atlanta released another single from the group as The New Invictors. All the songs of the five singles were composed by Levi (Tony) Moon

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Invictors (2)

  
This Thing Called Love                              The Wiggle         

  
              Don’t Take My Love           Where All Lovers Meet / That's All Right

  
 I Took A Chance/ Put Her Down                          Babalonian                 

 

The New Invictors

  
Deeply In Love With You                       She Wouldn't Quit It  

...

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

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          


...