The Sultans (1) aka The Admirals

The Sultans (1)  (Omaha, Neb.)
aka The Admirals
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Willie Barnes (Lead)

Wesley Devereaux (First Tenor)

Gene Mc Daniels (Second Tenor)

James Farmer (Baritone)

Richerd Beasley (Bass)

Discography :

The Sultans (1)
1954 - Good Thing Baby / How Deep Is The Ocean (Duke 125)
1954 - I Cried My Heart Out / Baby Don't Put Me Down (Duke 133)
1954 - Boppin' With The Mambo / What Makes Me Feel This Way (Duke 135)
1957 - If I Could Tell / My Love Is So High (Duke 178)

The Admirals
1955 - Oh Yes / Left With A Broken Heart (King 4772)
1955 - Close Your Eyes / Give Me Your Love (King 4782)

Cathy Ryan & The Admirals
1955 - It's A Sad, Sad Feeling / [Lucky Millinder - Ow!] (King 4792)

Bubber Johnson (BB The Admirals)
1955 - Ding Dang Doo / Drop Me A Line (King 4793)
1957 - A Crazy Afternoon / [So Much Tonight (Bubber Johnson solo)] (King 5068)

Biography :

Gene McDaniels was born in Kansas City, Kansas, in February of 1935. He was interested in music from an early age then living in Omaha, Nebraska, where he studied music at the Omaha Conservatory. During the post war forties he was part of a gospel music quartet called The Heavenly Wanderers and later The Echoes Of Joy. As a teenager he formed a vocal group called The Echoes along with lead singer Will Barnes, James Farmer, Jimmy Mimms, and Richard Beasley.

This group never did record, but two years later the same personnel with the exception of Mimms (who was replaced by Wesley Devreaux ) now known as The Sultans, secured a recording contract with Duke Records which had recently relocated to Houston, Texas, from Memphis. The Sultans first recorded effort for Duke Records was the pop music standard "How Deep Is The Ocean" and "Good Thing Baby" on #125 in April of 1954.

The group was backed up on the record by the Johnny Otis orchestra. The Sultans perform at a number of venues in the Midwest including the statewide meeting of the Music Guild of Nebraska in June. In October The Sultans have their second record out for the Duke label. It is comprised of the tunes "I Cried My Heart Out" and "Baby Don't Put Me Down" on #133. At the very end of the year The Sultans give it one more chance with Duke and record the songs "Boppin With The Mambo" and "What Makes Me Feel This Way" on Duke #135. As with the previous two releases for Duke, this one does not sell or gain airplay for the group.

The Sultans in early 1955 decide on a change of name for the group. With the same personnel they are now known as The Admirals. By the end of January they have set up a recording date for one of the giant R & B independents, King Records of Cincinnati, Ohio. late in February King #4772 is released. It features The Admirals on the songs "Oh Yes" and "Left With A Broken Heart". One month later the group has a second recording for King - "Close Your Eyes" and "Give Me Your Love" on #4782. Neither record does anything on the selling front or on airplay for the group. In April the group appears on a record by Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra. The vocal is by Cathy Ryan and The Admirals do the backing vocals on one side of the record - "It's A Sad Sad Feeling".

The flip side is an instrumental called "Ow" released on King #4792.  That same month the group also does backing vocals behind singer Bubber Johnson on the songs "Ding Dang Doo" and "Drop Me A Line" on #4793. By the end of 1955 The Admirals are no more and Gene McDaniels decides to try and make it as a solo act. However in July of 1957 another Bubber Johnson vocal with backing by The Admirals is released by King on #5068. The session was actually recorded in 1955 with the tunes "A Crazy Afternoon" and "So Much Tonight". That same year an old recording by The Sultans is released on the Duke label of the songs "My Love Is So High" and "If I Could Tell" on #178.

Gene McDaniels

Gene McDaniels after the breakup of The Admirals, worked on his songwriting skills, and soon landed a recording contract with Liberty Records. Starting with "In Times Like These" and "Once Before" on #55231 recorded late in 1959 which was not a success, he worked hard to make it as a single. Finally in April of 1961, a tune called "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" on Liberty #55308 broke out as a national hit. Gene McDaniels has become a well rounded musician in all phases of the art form, and it all started those many years ago as part of a blend of voices lifted in song as part of a R & B vocal group.

http://www.doowopy.de/index.php?id=177&L=2
http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/bbarnes.htm
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/WhatMake.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/genemac.html



Songs :

The Sultans (1) 

   
Cried My Heart Out                      Baby Don't Put Me Down

   
Boppin' With The Mambo              What Makes Me Feel This Way

   
If I Could Tell                                     My Love Is So High



The Admirals

   
Oh Yes                                Left With A Broken Heart

    
Close Your Eyes                             Give Me Your Love

Cathy Ryan & The Admirals


It's A Sad, Sad Feeling


Bubber Johnson (bb The Admirals)

    
A Crazy Afternoon                            Drop Me A Line

Ding Dang Doo

...