The early group with Vinny Esposito

The Montereys (2)  (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Monorays

Personnel :

John Randazzo (Lead)

Tony Giordano (First tenor)

Billy Schalda (Second Tenor)

Rich Torelli (Baritone)

Discography :

Don Dell & The Montereys (2)
1963 - I want You, I Need You, I Love You / Make Believe Love (Roman 2963)

The Montereys (2)
1964 - Face In The Crowd / Step Right Up (Blast 219)

The Monorays
1966 - Face In The Crowd / Step Right Up  (Astra 1018)

Biography :

The group was originally formed in 1960 from the New Utrech High School with Vinny Esposito, John Randazzo, Tony Giordano & Rich Torelli . Vinny Esposito left the group way before they have chance to record.

The Group backed "Don Del Sini "Don Dell", a New York High School Teacher on "Make Believe Love" and  "I want You, I Need You, I Love You" on Roman records. Don Dell had previously recorded two singles with another local group, The Up Starts.

Don Del Sini                                                                The Montereys

In 1964, the Montereys (2) finally recorded their own single with "Face In The Crowd" b/w "Step Right Up" on Blast Records, a subsidiary of Sinclair Records owned by the late Don Ames. In 1966 Astra Records from Pittsburg released the same sides under the name of the Monorays. The group stayed together until 1968 when Billy Schalda, Rich Torelli and Tony Giordano formed another group called ‘Sy Rapp’.

Songs :

Don Dell & The Montereys (2)

  
          Make Believe Love                   I Want You,I Need You,I Love You


The Montereys (2)

  
Face In The Crowd                                Step Right Up

…

Tony Mastry & Albert Mastry

The Beverly Hills Painters (Los Angeles, Ca)
aka The Altones

Personnel :

Albert Mastry (Guitar / Vocals)

Tony Mastry  (Guitar /Bass / Harmonica / Vocals)

Ray Sharkey (Drums)

Jack Freeman (Keyboards)

Discography :

The Altones (1)
Singles :
1961 -  Love Me, Love Me / Cileen (inst. by The Craftsman) (Gardena 121)
1961 -  Love Me, Love Me / Summer Love (Archer 104)
Unreleased :
1961 - I Wonder Why / Little Girl

The Beverly Hills Painters
1961 - Model A Heap / Believe Me (Gateway 700)
1962 - Five Foot Three (Little Girl) / I Know Why (Gateway 701)

Biography :

They started as the Altones in about 1959, using the first part of their names AL and TONY-thus the Altones. Albert Mastry (1930-2002) played guitar and was heard on vocals. Tony Mastry (1920- 1997) was on guitar, bass, harmonica, and vocals. The rest of the group included Ray Sharkey on drums and Jack Freeman on keyboards.  The Altones released two records. They had a release on Archer and they split billing on a sole release on Gardena. Apparently, they didn't copyright their name, and it was then taken by a black vocal group.

Tony Mastry was a paint foreman at the Beverly Hills Hotel from 1956 to 1963, and followed the owner, Hernando Courtwright, when Mr. Courtwright bought the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and sold the other. Albert Mastry worked with Tony at the hotel, and moved on to the Beverly Hilton around 1963. Through their common work as painters, they changed their group name from the Altones to the Beverly Hills painters. Under that name, they released two records on the Los Angeles based Gateway records. They had a short run of popularity which included opening for a young but established Aretha Franklin in 1960, and were reigning champs on a short lived "Star Search" type program hosted by used car dealer Cal Worthington around 1960/61, which was pulled off the air after just a few short months. Besides singing, they were frequent writers and arrangers.
http://www.colorradio.com/altones_beverly_hills_painters.html


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Altones (1)

  
Love Me, Love Me                           Summer Love

The Beverly Hills Painters

  
Believe Me                            I Know Why

  
Five Foot Three (Little Girl)                       Model A Heap          

 ...

Roger Craton (Lee Rogers)

The Barons (4) ) (Detroit)
aka The Peppermints (1)


Personnel :

Roger Craton (Lee Rogers) (Lead)

Jessie Greer

Barney (Duke) Browner


Discography :

Katie Blue (Watkins) & The Peppermints (1)
1959 – Doing All Right / Don’t Take, Give (Hob 114)

The Peppermints (1)
Single :
1959 – Teenage Idol / Believe Me (Hob 1/2)
Unreleased :
1959 – Willow Weep For Me (Hob)
1959 – I've Been Hurt (Hob)

Jack Sucrell & The Contours (1) bb The Peppermints (1)
1959 - I’m So Glad / Yours Is My Heart Alone (Hob 116)

The Barons (4)
1959 - I've Been Hurt / Willow Weep For Me (Spartan 400)
1961 - Money Don't Grow On Trees / I Miss You So (Spartan 402)
1961 - Dog Eat Dog / Money Don't Grow On Trees (Soul 837)
1961 - Who's In The Shack / While The Cats Away (Soul 838)

Biography :

The Barons were an early-'60s Detroit group more famous for its members -- Roger Craton aka Lee Rogers, Tyrone Douglas, and Jesse Greer -- than any accomplishment on their own whose records, due to limited pressings, are rare. As the Peppermints, they cut three for Carla Murphy's H.O.B. Records (House of Beauty Records). The House of Beauty, a hair boutique/candy shop, was a female hangout frequented by Raynoma Liles-Gordy (Berry Gordy's second wife).  H.O.B. issued "Doing All Right" with the flip "Don't Take, Give" credited to Katie Blue & the Peppermints.  A second offering "I'm So Glad" b/w "Yours Is My Heart Alone" (1959) was issued as Jack Sucrell & the Contours (not the Motown group); a final single in 1960 featured two sides credited as the Peppermints: "Teenage Idol" b/w "Believe Me." The flashy, well respected group was going nowhere with H.O.B. so they signed with Soul Records (not the Motown label) for two more stiffs credited this time to the Barons: "Money Don't Grow on Trees" b/w "Dog Eat Dog" and "While the Cats Away" b/w "Who's in the Shack," both in 1961.

   
                                                                                           Roger Craton (Lee Rogers)    

Not wasting a moment they cut two final releases in 1961 on Spartan Records: "I've Been Hurt" b/w "Willow Weep for Me" and "I Miss You So" b/w "Money Don't Grow on Trees." Nothing sold and Craton became Lee Rogers on Mike Hanks' labels but only could muster small hits like "Sad Affair" and "I Want You to Have Everything." Jesse Greer delved into songwriting for Correctone Records and other entities with little success. Tyrone Douglas' career was the busiest and most fruitful, but nobody knows him cause he sang with groups who members weren't well known. Douglas sang with the Magictones then Eight Day on Holland, Dozier & Holland's Invictus label; he joined the Undisputed Truth in 1973 and recorded with them on Motown and Whitfield Records reuniting with Magictones' Tyrone Berkeley, Virginia McDonald, and Calvin Stevens; McDonald also sang with Douglas in Eight Day.


Songs :

The Peppermints (1)

  
Teenage Idol                                 Believe Me


The Barons (4)

     
Willow Weep For Me           Who's In The Shack                While The Cats Away

  
       I Miss You So              Money Don't Grow On Trees

...

The Teen-Clefs (Bronx, New York)
ref : The Avalons (3), The Clickettes (2) & Shirley & Willie

Personnel :

Shirley Bryant-Ford

Tracey Brost

Mickey

Loretta

Jamie

Discography :

The Teen-Clefs
1958 - Hiding My Tears / There Goes Sputnik (Dice 98 / 99)

The Avalons (3)
1958 - Louella / You Broke Our Hearts (Dice 90 / 91)

Shirley & Willie
1958 - Calling You (Dice)

The Clickettes (2) (The Teen-Clefs)
1960 - Tonight And Forever (Unreleased)

Biography :

The Teen-Clefs met around 1957, Tracey Brost, Mickey, Loretta, Janie and Shirley Bryant-Ford all attended the same Burger Jr. High School (PS 139 ) in the Bronx, New York.  They were discovered and originally managed by Morris Bailey (former postal worker and actor), he lived in the Bronx and also managed the Fascinations. Bailey than put The Teen-Clefs in touch with Zell Sanders (J&S records) and she later took over group from Mr. Bailey.

  
Zell Sanders                                                               The Clickettes with Shirley Bryant-Ford

The Teen-Clefs performed at dances in Harlem, they made the song Sputnik during that time. The group wrote most of their songs. ZelL Sanders managed The Clickettes from Harlem & Shirley Bryant-Ford was an alternate for the group when an original member was not available to perform. Shirley had to fill in for the Clickettes when they performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

  
The Teen-Clefs (L to R) Loretta, Janie, Mickey, Shirley Ford and Tracey Brost                                                                                                 

The Clickettes left the Dice label in 1960 but the record company continued to release singles by the Clickettes even when they were sang by other groups. ‘Tonight And Forever’ was credited to the Clickettes but it was likely sung by the Teen Clefs. The The Teen-Clefs broke up around 1960.  Shirley Bryant-Ford with sisters Willie Bryant and another girl cut one single as the Avalons. The Two sisters cut another single as Shirley & Willie.
Thanks to Jennifer Noble & Shirley Ford.

Songs :

The Teen-Clefs

  
Hiding My Tears                           There Goes Sputnik

The Avalons (3)

  
Louella                                    You Broke Our Hearts

Shirley & Willie

Calling You

The Clickettes (2) (The Teen-Clefs)

Tonight And Forever

….

(Beltones/Symbols) B. Brown, R. Brown, B.Cottman, A.Pope, C.Williams

The Symbols (2)  (Jamaica, Queens, New York)
aka The Beltones (1) aka The Masters (4)

 

Personnel :

Andrew Pope (Lead)

Clayton "Dickie" Williams（First Tenor）

Buster Cottman （Baritone）

Robert Brown（Bass）

Wilbur "Buzzy" Brown (Second Tenor)

Discography :

The Beltones (1)
1957 - I Talk To My Echo / Oof Goof (Hull 721)

The Symbols (2)
Unreleased:
1958 - Crying My Heart Out  (Old Town)
1958 - Lover, Lover, Lover  (Old Town)
1958 - Last Rose Of Summer  (Old Town)
1958 - Country Boy  (Old Town)

The Masters (4)
1961 - A Man Is Not Supposed To Cry / Look Out (End 1100)
1962 - Crying My Heart Out / I'm Searching（Le Sage 713/714)

Discography :

The Beltones were a product of the thriving Jamaica, Queens, doo wop community that also launched the Rivileers, the Deltairs, and the Five Sharps. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the December 2000 issue of Discoveries, the quartet was founded in 1954 by lead Andrew Pope, first tenor Clayton "Dickie" Williams, baritone Herb Rooney, and bass Robert Brown -- the latter also moonlighted in rival vocal group the Love Larks, and when their career began taking off, Brown exited to join their ranks full-time.

The Love Larks

With new bass Alva Martin, the Beltones eventually signed to Hull Records, recording their debut single, "I Talk to My Echo," in the summer of 1956. For reasons unknown Hull did not issue the disc until the following spring, and when it predictably failed to generate much excitement, the label parted ways with the group. By that time, the Love Larks were no more, so Brown returned to the Beltones, prompting Martin's exit. Brown brought with him fellow Love Larks alum/second tenor Wilbur "Buzzy" Brown (no relation). Soon after, Rooney resigned, and with new baritone George "Buster" Cottman, the Beltones signed to the legendary Old Town label to cut a four-song session in the spring of 1958.

   
The Masters (4)  :B.Cotteman, H.Rooney, C.Williams, D.Banks, F.Turner)  

While the group mulled a name change to the Symbols, Hull got wind of the session and threatened a breach of contract suit, effectively rendering any moves moot. Old Town shelved the tapes, and although the Beltones continued touring the Queens live circuit for more than a year, in 1960 Pope was called to military duty, and "Buzzy" Brown quit soon after. The remaining trio convinced Rooney to return, adding lead David Banks and changing their name to the Masters. This lineup recorded the 1961 End Records effort "A Man Is Not Supposed to Cry," followed a year later by "Crying My Heart Out," originally written by Pope for the Old Town session. In 1962 the Masters dissolved and Rooney joined their sister group, the Masterettes, which as the Exciters later recorded the classic smash "Tell Him."
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Beltones/beltones.html

Songs :

The Masters (4)

  
A Man Is Not Supposed To Cry                 Look Out

  
Crying My Heart Out                         I'm Searching


The Beltones (1)

  
I Talk To My Echo                                 Oof Goof

The Symbols (2)

  
Crying My Heart Out                   Lover, Lover, Lover

  
Last Rose Of Summer                         Country Boy

.....