• The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1) aka The Senors  

    Billy Tircuit




    The Senors  (New Orleans, LA)
    aka The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1)

     

     

    Personnel :

    Milton Smith (Lead Tenor)

    Vontell Lane (Tenor)

    Adolph Smith (Tenor)

    Clarence Phoenix (Contralto)

    Billy Tircuit (Bass / Baritone)





    Discography :

    The Mellow Drops
    Singles :
    1954 - The Crazy Song / When I Grow Too Old To Dream (Imperial 5324)
    Unreleased :
    1954 - I Want Your Love (Imperial)
    1954 - Mother Will Stand Up For You (Imperial)


    The Monitors (1)
    Singles :
    1956 - Candy Coated Kisses / Tonight's The Night (Aladdin 3309)
    1956 - A Little Word / That's What I'll Do (Aladdin 3313)
    1957 - Our School Days / I've Got A Dream (Speciality 595)
    1957 - Closer To Heaven / Rock 'N' Roll Fever (Speciality 622)
    1958 - Mama Linda / Hop Scotch (Speciality 636)
    Unreleased :
    1956 - Guiding Light (Aladdin)
    1956 - O, O, Daddy, O (Aladdin)
    1957/58 - Crazy Green Lizard
    1957/58 - Groovy Ruby
    1957/58 - If I Could See You Again
    1957/58 - My Baby's Rockin'
    1957/58 - My Greatest Mistake
    1957/58 - Red Sails In The Sunset
    1957/58 - Too Young
    1957/58 - Wobble When She Walks

    The Senors
    1962 - May I Have This Dance / Searching For Olive Oil (Sue 756)




    Biography :

    This New Orleans vocal group First got together in New Orleans in 1952, They were friends in their early twenties and calling themselves the Mellow-Drops, playing bars and clubs in the New Orleans vicinity. Finally they were discovered by Imperial's Dave Bartholomew. Bartholomew got them a session on November 15, 1954.  "The Crazy Song" and "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" by the Mellow Drops later that year.  For some forgotten reason, the group decided to change their name to the Monitors. They met and backed up Shirley and Lee one day. The producer that day was Eddie Mesner of Aladdin Records. That session eventually led to a session for the Monitors with Aladdin. Kidd was the usual lead, but he was unable to make the Monitors session with Aladdin and Vontell Lane filled in. Four tunes were recorded at the one session they had with Aladdin — only two were used.

     

    The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1) aka The Senors     The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1) aka The Senors

    Eddie Mesner                                                                                            

    The Aladdin disc did well locally but received little support from the label, and they next called on Specialty Records in 1956. While this group had been the Mellow Drops on Imperial and was renamed the Monitors and the Senors,  it's curious that despite their Louisiana origin, they recorded for the Sue label in New York and for California's Imperial, Aladdin, and Speciality labels. The Monitors' first session for Specialty was held in December 1956 and their first release on that label occurred in January 1957. It did well locally in New Orleans, but Speciality’s Art Rupe failed to support it. Similarly, their two other Specialty releases had good local support but no push. Differences between group members began to surface and they split up in 1958. Later that year,Vontell Lane and Billy Tircuit got together with Johnny Meyers, Simon Washington, and Elaine Edwards to form the Moonbeems .

    The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1) aka The Senors     The Mellow Drops aka The Monitors (1) aka The Senors
                                                                                                         Art Rupe

    In 1961, many of the Monitors original members got together and renamed themselves again to the Senors. The group members were Billy Tircuit, Adolph Smith, Vontell Lane, and Clarence Phoenix. Their new lead singer was Adolph's brother, Milton Smith. They recorded a couple of sides at Cosimo's: "May I Have This Dance" and "Searching For Olive Oil". By 1964, the Monitors / Señors had disbanded for good.

    http://www.uncamarvy.com/Monitors/monitors.html




    Songs :

    The Mellow Drops

      
    The Crazy Song                      I Want Your Love


    The Monitors (1)

      
    Candy Coated Kisses / Tonight's The Night      Our School Days / I’ve Got A Dream

      
    Closer To Heaven / Rock 'N' Roll Fever              Mama Linda / Hop Scotch 


    The Senors

      
    May I Have This Dance                Searching For Olive Oil





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