The Cardigans (1) (Chattanooga, TN)
(Updated by Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Mike Alday  (Lead)

Jack Bookout

Ted Schreiner, Jr

Curtis Harmon

Discography :

1957 - Your Graduation Means Goodbye / Bo Weevil On The Mountain (Mercury 71251)
1958 - Wacky Wacky / It's Better That You Love (Mercury 71349)
1959 - Each Other / Poor Boy (Mercury 71367)
1959 - Make Up Your Mind / Half Breed (Spann 431)

Biography :

Dabbling in poetry writing his high school day, Young Joe Hopper wrote "Your Graduation" as a poem early fall 1957 while he was attending the University of Chattanooga. It Was set to music by Mike Alday, a member of a male quartet who called themselves "The Cardigans". The Cardigans were from City High School in Chattanooga, TN. Mike Alday was the lead singer along with Jack Bookout, Ted Shriner and Curtis Harmon. Curtis Harmon left the group in 1958 to return to college and was replaced with Bob Brandon.

Seated, Jay Michael (WCAE Deejay) with Curtis Harmon, Ted Schreiner, Mike Alday and Jack Bookout

The Group sang "Your Graduation Means Goodbye " at several campus functions where it always made such a hit that the boys decided to tape record it. They took the tape to the National Disc Jockeys Convention in Nashville, Teen; in November 1957 and contrived to play it for Al Talmadge, the vice president of Mercury Recording Co. He signed The Cardigans and "Your Graduation" on the spotted the song was put on Wax Dec. 17, 1957.

    

The Tuneful ballad with a gentle rocking beats doing very well in record shops and on the radios around the country. Billboard and Cashbox Magazines each have picked it to be spotlighted as hit of the week.  "Your Graduation Means Goodbye " received some airplay in several parts of the country around this time in 1958, but not enough to reach the top 100 nationally.  

Songs :

    
Your Graduation Means Goodbye          Bo Weevil On The Mountain 

  
         Wacky Wacky                            It's Better That You Love

  
   Poor Boy / Each Other                  Make Up Your Mind / Half Breed

  ....