The Episodes (1) (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Irwin Schlass (Lead)

Tony Muriello (Second Tenor)

Jack Nahem (First Tenor)

Sal Bonagura (Bass)

Discography :

1962 - Where Is My Love / The Christmas Tree (Four Seasons 1014)

Biography :

Group from Brooklyn (New York)., the episodes consisted of Irwin Schlass (Lead), Tony Muriello (Second Tenor), Jack Nahem (First Tenor) and Sal Bonagura (Bass). They were all close friends and spent many hours harmonizing together. "The Christmas Tree"  was written on the spot at the end of a recording session where the Episodes were singing back up to a very young man. He had written a poem call The Christmas Tree.  Sal Bonagura who is singing bass came up with the riff. They did this in one take. Irwin sang baritone and Jack sang top tenor and Tony Muriello sang second tenor. In 1962, the Episodes have their only release for the Four Seasons label in New York with "Where Is My Love" and "The Christmas Tree." Steve Beckermen joined the group after Tony Muriello left for High school.

Songs :

   
The Christmas Tree                                Where Is My Love

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The Teen Tones (1) (Columbus, GA.)
aka The Meloaires


Personnel :

Gerald Powers (Lead)

Larry Kent (First Tenor)

Bob Burnett (Baritone)

Gordon Barksdale (Bass)

Discography :

The Teen Tones (1)
1958 - Faded Love / Gypsy Boogie (Nu-Clear 1/Wynne 107))

Bill Collins bb The Teen Tones (1)
1958 - Mercy / Turn To Your Bible (NBC-1 / NBC-2)

The Meloaires
Single:
1958 - Indebted To You / You Know Baby (Nasco 6019)
Unreleased :
1958 - I'm So Glad (Nasco/Excello)
1958 - Don't Ever Get Married (Nasco/Excello)


Biography :

Most teen-agers like rock ‘n’ roll, but four local high school boys have built musical careers on it. After a round of Columbus radio, TV and civic club appearances in June 1957, The quartet auditioned June 8 for Pops director Albert Coleman, and were notified that they were to appear on the July 28 program at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

The Original Teen Tones : Charles Brown, Larry Kent, Bob Burnett and Gerald Powers

The “Teen Tones,” all students at Baker High School, were organised six months ago by Gerald Powers, who sings the tenor lead.  The other “Teen Tones” are Larry Kent, first tenor, Robert Burnett, baritone and Gordon Barksdale, bass.Gordon, who at 15 boasts a deep bass voice, joined the quartet when the original bass,  Charles Brown, graduated and went on active duty with the Army Reserve..  The others are 16.

Gerald Powers, Gordon Barksdale, Larry Kent and Bob Burnett

The boys are all members of the Baker High Choral Club and the Concert Choir, and started singing as a quartet “just for kicks."’ Hugh Deen, Baker vocal director, has helped the Teen Tones with their selections, and accompanies them when necessary, although they usually sing without accompaniment. Gerald once studied piano, and Gordon was a member of the Baker High Band, but none of the Teen Tones read music.

  
In early 1958, The Teen Tones signing a recording contract with Sam Persons owner of Nu-Clear Records in Columbus. They cut "Faded Love" b/w "Gypsy Boogie". The Teen-Tones' record will be the first edited by the company in February 1958.  A few months later in the same year, they change their name to the Meloaires and recorded four songs for Ernie Young (founder of Nashboro, Nasco and Excello labels).

"Till The End Of The Dance" b/w "My Pretty Baby" appeared on Nashboro's, subsidiary label Nasco in September 1958. The Nasco label had success with the Crescendos in 1958 with a song called "Oh, Julie," which made the pop music Top 10. The company was a part of Excello rec Music who produced a great many doo wop groups of the 50's.

Songs :

The Teen Tones (1)

  
Faded Love                                     Gypsy Boogie


The Meloaires

  
Indebted To You                        You Know Baby

  
   I'm So Glad                                  Don't Ever Get Married 


...

The Five Diamonds (Wilmington, Delaware)

Personnel :

William Loper (Lead)

Leonard Griffin (1st tenor)

Coleman Griffin (2nd tenor)

Jimmy Smith (Baritone)

Chick Lloyd (Bass) 

Discography :

Single :
1955 - Ten Commandments Of Love / I Cried And Cried (Treat 501)

Unreleased :
1955 - The Night (Treat)
1955 - My Love (Treat)

Biography :

The Original group consisted of: Leonard Griffin, Jimmy Smith, William Loper, Coleman Griffin, and Chick Lloyd. They would see each other around Wilmington and quickly discovered they all shared a love for vocal group harmony. They listened to songs of other artists and would practice with the songs of The Harptones, Medallions, and  The Spaniels. They would practice in the bathroom at Howard High, where they all attended, because the ceramics and porcelain walls provided an echo chamber effect. Managed by Mitch Thomas, the Five Diamonds recorded four sides on the Treat label from New York. only “The Ten Commandment of Love,”and  “I Cried and Cried,” were released in 1955. The other two tunes, “The Night” b/w “My Love,” were not release on a Treat Records 45rpm until 1973. "Ten Commandments of Love” became an instant hit on the Treat Label out of New York City. They opened for Dee Clark, Lloyd Price, Jackie Wilson and Muddy Waters and performed at many venues. The group once performed at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City. The group broke up when some members entered the Military. In 1958 The group reformed with a few new members and became “The Five Gents”. They continued to perform at many different venues and were singing R & B classics from the 50s and 60.

Songs :

  
Ten Commandments Of Love                   I Cried And Cried          

  
The Night                                    My Love

...

The Veltones (2) (Ossining, New York)
aka The Vel-Tones (3)

Personnel :

Joyce Edmundson

Kathy Miller

Martha Smith

Melvin Smith

Florence Artis

Jimmy Paesin

Discography :

The Veltones (2)
1961 - Now / I Need You So  (Lost Nite 103)

The Vel-Tones (3)
1961 - Now / I Need You So  (Zara 901)

Biography :

This Veltones have no connection to other Veltones group. This is a mixed male/female group of young kids, from Ossining,  New York.  The sextet include Joyce Edmundson, Kathy Miller, Martha Smith, Melvin Smith, Florence Artis and Jimmy Paesin. 

There is very little information about the band except their names and where they are from. But one source claims that this is the band that recorded "Now" and "I Need You So" composed by Al Brown and accompanied by Al Brown And His Band. The record was released by Lost Nite Records in 1961 and by Zara Records some time later.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

  
         Now                                            I Need You So

I Need You So (unrel. alt. take)
...

1957 (Left to right) Norman Dunlap, Joseph Denton, Victor Smith, Jimmie Byrd and James Pace

The Jo-Ettes (Kinross Air Force. Base, Michigan)

Personnel :

Norman Dunlap (Lead)

Joseph Denton

Victor Smith

Jimmie Byrd

James Pace

Discography :

???

Biography :

The Jo-Ettes were orignally organized in August of 1955 at Kinross Air Force Base by T-Sgt. Denton of the Communications section at Kinross AFB. The Jo-Ettes entered "Tops in Blue", which is an annual Force talent contest, and placed second. They have appeared on numerous radio and TV shows both in Michigan and Canada and have performed for many benefit shows such as the March of Dimes, Rotary Club and so on. In 1957, The Jo-Ettes have contract with the Aladdin Company of Hollywood, But it seems they never recorded. The quintet consists of T-Sgt. Joseph Denton, A-1C Victor Smith, A-2C James Pace, A-2C Jimmie Byrd and A13C Norman Dunlap. Dunlap, who happens to be the soloist is known for his recordings and has appeared in many night spots  in and around Hollywood, Chicago, Boston and numerous other places. This is probably the same guy who recorded for Aladdin in 1953 with the Melodettes "It's Easy To Remember" and "Dream And A Prayer".

Norman Dunlap & The Melodettes
1953 - It's Easy To Remember / Dream And A Prayer (Aladdin 3213)

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