• The Boptones

    Written by dion1 in *BOPTONES on 6 March 2015 à 15:08

     

    The Boptones (Brooklyn, New York)


    Personnel :

    Nick Lampirello (Lead)

    John Ench (Second Tenor)

    David Antebi (Bass)

    Kenny Pollack (First Tenor)


    Discography :

    Singles :
    1958 - I Had A Love / (Be My) Pussy Cat  (Ember 1043)

    Unreleased :
    1958- Running After You (Ember)
    1958- Betty Jean (Ember)


    Biography :

    The Boptones were a group from Brooklyn, they were from Bensonhurst Brooklyn around the 75th street 19th ave area and they all went to Lafayette High School. The Group was known as Nicky-Bop and the Boptones early on. They auditioned for Ted Mack's Amateur Hour in 1958.


    The Boptones in the wings

    During the audition they asked the group what we wanted most.  David Antebi said « to sing with Alan Freeds rock and roll show at the Brooklyn Paramount theatre ». Unbeknownst to The Boptones, the show arranged for Freed to take the group on tour with his show. They were on the same bill with Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Danny and the Juniors, Buddy Holly, and many others.

       

    The original members of the Boptones were John Ench (Second Tenor), who sang the lead on At the Hop, Nick Lampirello (Lead), who sang the lead on At My Front Door,  Kenny Pollack (First Tenor) and David Antebi (Bass),  the kid with the glasses. They were introduced to Ember through Alan Freed.


    Dave Antebi with Chuck Berry in the wings

    On their recordings,  Bob Kutner, replaced Kenny Pollack. They Recorded four songs for Herald Ember records, and came their unique single : « I Had A Love » (an original by the four group members) with the B-side « (Be My) Pussy Cat ». Nick Continued his musical career, recording as Nick Lampe for Atlantic in the sixties, while Bob Kutner joined the Vocal-Airs who did « Dance, Dance » For Herald in 1962.
    Thanks to David Antebi





    Videos :



    At The Hop (On Amateur Hour March 8, 1958)


    At My Front Door (On The Amateur Hour March 15, 1958)

     

    Songs :

         
    I Had A Love                    (Be My) Pussy Cat                       Betty Jean


    Running After You




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  • Comments

    1
    Bobby Diskin
    Monday 23rd November 2020 at 02:42

    Bobby Kutner joined the Boptones for their second Amateur Hour appearance (the picture, at the top of this page, is from the 2nd Amateur Hour Show with Kutner in it 2nd from left),  He was in the Boptones on the four recorded sides and on the Alan Freed Brooklyn Paramount Show too.  Bobby also had pictures of him playing cards with Mr. Berry.  He showed me a picture of the Brooklyn Paramount Marquee with Boptones on it.  Bobby Kutner became a member of the Quotations and sang with them, when the group got back together in the late1980s until the late 1990s.  In the early 1990s, Bobby Kutner sang with his old group the Vocal Airs, who became the Blue Sonnets, again as all four original reunited for a few appearances.  Bobby Kutner passed on about 10 years back.  He was a good friend.

    Bobby Diskin - Brooklyn, NY.

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    2
    Bobby Diskin
    Friday 18th December 2020 at 02:16

    Bobby Kutner also sang with the Accents of "Rags To Riches" fame on "Zing" which I released on my "They Sang In Brooklyn" album back in the late 1980s.  He also sang in 'The Four Of Them" consisting of Mike Lasman (Mike/Utopians, Dreamers, Accents, Concords), Larry Kassman (Quotations), Shelly Weiss (Shell Tones, Bobby Roy/ Chord A Roys, Accents).  I have some nice pictures, of the Four Of Them, from 1963 - but I don't think I have any recordings.

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