• The Daps

    The Daps (Kalamazoo, MI)
    Thanks to  Liam

     

    Personnel :

    Charles Clark

    Jim Pierson

    Earl Jones

    Willie Walker

    Floyd Smith

    Henry Dungey

     

    Discography :

    The Daps
    Single :
    1956 - When You're Alone / Down and Out (Marterry 5249)   
    Unreleased :
    1956 - Love Your Lovin' Ways (Chess)

    Charles Clark
    1958 - Row Your Boat / Hidden Charms (Artistic 1500)
    1959 - Another Chance / Hope For A Miracle (Argo 5332)

     

    Biography :

    The Marterry label will be Chess & Checker pop subsidiary to cover their R&B hits. The plan was to name the new brand after Leonard Chess's son Marshall and Phil's son Terry. So after just two Marterry singles from the original batch, the name was changed to Argo. The first release on Marterry was by a doo-wop group called The Daps. The Daps were formed at Kalamazoo Central High School and consisting of Charles Clark, Jim Pierson, Earl Jones, Willie Walker, Floyd Smith and Henry Dungey, signed with Chicago's Chess Records

    The Daps     The Daps

    In December 1955, The Daps recorded  "When You're Alone", "Down and Out" released in January 1956. Marterry 5249 was released in February 1956. Leonard Chess was talking it up in Cash Box for February 26 and taking out a full-page ad for it in the same issue. Another ad ran on March 3. On March 17, Cash Box noted  that the Daps had appeared on Howard Miller's TV show. In April 1956 the Daps appeared in a package show at the Madison Rink (2560 West Madison) put on by DJ Sam Evans; Ray Charles and the Diablos were the headliners.

    The Daps    The Daps
                                   Charles Clark                                                                                                                                                  

    The group did not record again. A third track from the same session  "Love Your Lovin' Ways," surfaced in 1994 on the Chess Rhythm & Roll box set. in 1958, Charles Clark made a single for Artistic Records with "Row Your Boat" and "Hidden Charms " and another single in 1959 with "Another Chance" and "Hope For A Miracle" For Argo.

     

    Songs :

    The Daps

      
     Down and Out                                 When You're Alone


    Love Your Lovin' Ways

    Charles Clark

      
    Row Your Boat                                 Hidden Charms

      
    Another Chance                               Hope For A Miracle

    ...


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  • The Incredible Upsetters
    The Incredible Upsetters (Sandusky, Ohio)

     

    Personnel :

    John Lawrence Dickerson

    (Brother) Dickerson

    Gene T. Armstrong

    Waudell Hinton

    Rex Robertson

     

    Disography :

    1960 - Only A Dream / Baby I'm Your Man / Oo-Wah-Cha-Wah / My Life, My Loved One (Audio Lab 2)

     

    Biography :

    John Dickerson, a graduate of the 1948 class of Sandusky High School, formed the Incredible Upsetters with his brother and a few high school friends, Gene Armstrong, Waudell Hinton and  Rex Robertson.  The Incredible Upsetters were soon performing all over Ohio with Dickerson as the front man. The Incredible Upsetters hired a drummer who could also assist with vocals, a musician just starting out by the name of Marvin Gaye.  In 1959, The Incredible Upsetters Recorded four excellent songs (Released in 1960) for Audio Lab. Audio Lab was formed as a budget label subsidiary to Cincinnati, Ohio based King Records. Dickerson's father acted as manager, chauffeur and took the group to Detroit to meet Barry Gordy with Motown Records. At Hitsville, U.S.A., John met the 'Motown Family' including The Temptations, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and the Vanguards to name a few. Dickerson  later sang bass at live shows for The Temptations, The Del Vikings, The Clovers and The Coasters. Later, he played and sang with jazz greats Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Wes Montgomery and Stanley Turrentine. From 1968 through 1970 he toured with R&B singers Jerry Butler and Bettye Swann

     

    Songs :

      
    Only A Dream                                 Oo-Wah-Cha-Wah

      
    My Life, My Loved One                           Baby I'm Your Man


    ...


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  •  

    Horace Little (bb The Five Satins)  (New haven, CT.)
    Aka Ben Higgins

     

    Personnel :

    Horace Little (Ben Higgins) (Lead)

    The Five Satins

    Fred Parris (Lead)

    Wes Forbes (Tenor!

    Richie Freeman (Second Tenor)

    Lou Peebles (Baritone)

    Sylvester Hopkins (Bass)

     

    Discography :

    Horace Little (bb The Five Satins)
    1962 -  500 Years / Texas Stomp (Ascot 2102)

    Ben Higgins (bb The Five Satins)
    1962 - A Whole Lot O'Lovin' / Really Paradise (Jamie 1217)

     

    Biography :

    In 1960, after three years with Ember Record, The Five Satins were signed by Cub, a pop subsidiary of the mighty M-G-M label which was enjoying a hot spell on the charts. Though expectations were high, M-G-M were unable to break the Group, and when the Five Satins heard they were to be dropped by the label. It was at this moment that Fred Parris teamed up with Sam Goldman. they wrote songs for the group released as The New Yorkers on Wall records and the Wildwoods on Caprice Records before reverting to their original name on some later records.

      
    The Five Satins       

    In 1962, Fred Parris and Sam Goldman wrote four (Excellent) songs for Horace Little, a young man from New Haven, Connecticut. The first two "500 Years" and "Texas Stomp" backed by The Five Satins will be released in March 1962 on Ascot, a United Artists subsidiary as Horace Little. Shortly afterward he also made the two other sides "A Whole Lot O'Lovin'" and "Really Paradise" for Jamie Records. He couldn’t record for two companies under the same name, So, Ben Higgins was picked for the second company.

     

    Songs :

    (updated by Hans-Joachim) 

    Horace Little (bb The Five Satins)

      
     500 Years                                        Texas Stomp

    Ben Higgins (bb The Five Satins)

      
    A Whole Lot O'Lovin'                                Really Paradise   

    ....


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  • Mike Barnett & The Coquettes (3) 

    Mike Barnett & The Coquettes (3) (Hollywood, CA.)

     

    Personnel :

    Mike Barnett

     

    Discography :

    1959 - Ricky / Parkin' Meter (Imperial 5610)

     

    Biography :

    Mike Barnett began singing and dancing in Las Vegas shortly after World War II. He was cast in the chorus as well as specialty spots in many shows in hotel casinos. His wife Elaine came up with the name The Lettermen for a vocal trio in 1957; the group worked for 13 weeks in comedy writer Sid Kuller’s Jewish spoof of the Broadway smash hit “My Fair Lady” and called it “My Fairfax Lady” at Billy Gray’s Bandbox. By August of 1957, after the last revue closed, Barnett set out to re-establish his group so he called upon two solo singers in Hollywood: an Oakland High School friend Dick Stewart and Tony Butala. The Lettermen opened in 1958 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. A few months later, Barnett left the group and in 1959, with two girls named the Coquettes he recorded "Ricky" b/w "Parkin' Meter" released by Imperiel. Mike Barnett become a lighting director for movies and television, earning an Emmy award for best lighting in 1979, for a TV production of Kaufman & Hart’s “You Can’t Take it With You,” starring Art Carney and Jean Stapleton.

     

    Songs :
    (updated by Hans-Joachim) 



    Ricky / Parkin' Meter
    ...


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  • The Impressions (3)
    Twins Vic (Left) and Val Crowston stand behind Rick Turnley

    The Impressions (3) (Federal Way, Washington)

     

    Personnel :

    Val Crowston

    Vic Crowston

    Rick Turnley

     

    Discography :

    1959 - Meanwhile, Back In My Heart / All Through The Night (20th Fox 45-172)

     

    Biography :

    In 1960, Three young men of Federal Way who are known in the entertainment field as The Impressions have recorded for 20th Fox. The group were composed by twins Vic, Val Crowston and Rick Turnley. The Impressions covers both sides of the disc with two songs by Art and Toni Mineo, Tacoma musicians and composers. The titles are “All Through the Night” and “Meanwhile, Back in My Heart." All three of the vocalists, 21 year old, were graduated from Federal Way High School .Following their graduation from High School in 1956 the twins joined by Rick Turnley formed the Impressions. From 1957, they  have played the “amateur circuit” - Lodges, Clus, Benefits, Hospitals, Talent shows .

     

    Songs ;
    (updated by Hans-Joachim) 

      
    Meanwhile, Back In My Heart                All Through The Night        


    ...


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