with CKLW disk Jockey Eddie Chase (L to R) Kris Dorjath. Jack Costello, Jim Beasley and Dick Allman.

The Classmates (4) (Detroit)


Personnel :

Kris Dorjath

Jack Costello

Jim Beasley

Dick Allman


Discography :

The Classmates (4)
1955 - Gotta Go And See My Baby / Washed My Heart Of Love (Silhouette 509/510)
1955 - Little Red Berries / One For The Money (Silhouette 511/512)
1955 - Break Down And Love Me / Two Straws In The Wind (Silhouette 513/514)
1956 - Whose Gonna Take You To The Prom / Return My Heart (Dot 15460)
1956 - Break Down And Love Me / Two Straws In The Wind (Dot 15464)
1956 - Friends / I Want My Love Close By (Dot 15504)
1957 - You Do Something To Me / You Aren't The Only One (Dot 15589)

Jim Beasly & The Charmers
1959 - Caught Roped And Tied / Sweetheart Of Alpha Phi Alpha (Silhouette 519/520)

Jack Costello
1959 - Gotta Go And See My Baby / For Sale One Broken Heart (Silhouette 525/526)
1959 - I'm A Maker Of Dreams / Time Tellin' Mosheen (Silhouette 527/528)



Biography :

The Classmates are Kris Dorjath. Jack Costello, Jim Beasley and Dick Allman. All except Kris were classmates at Bass Tech. Jim is a graduate and attends Wayne University. Kris goes to South Lake High School St. Clair Shores. All four of them sing in the Don Large "Make Way for Youth" Chorus. The Three Detroit boys started singing together privately... were very satisfied with the result... but thought a first tenor was just the note they needed. So Kris became a classmates by adoption.

In Mars 1955, The Classmates cut their first record, "Gotta Go And See My Baby" b/w "Washed My Heart Of Love" on the Silhouette label owned by Robert West. Detroit soul pioneer Robert West was born March 1, 1912, in Montgomery, AL, relocating to the Motor City in 1935. In 1955 he formed Silhouette Records, doubling as manager for the Falcons, a local doo wop group featuring future solo stars Eddie Floyd (West's nephew) and Mack Rice.

Their first record is doing some business in scattered places besides Detroit, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and a place in California. Two more singles will be released by Silhouette Records : "Little Red Berries" b/w "One For The Money" and "Whose Gonna Take You To The Prom" b/w "Return My Heart". In May 1956, with "Break Down And Love Me", The Classmates  are No. 7 in Houston on KXYZ, first released on Silhouette then picked up by Dot Record. Dot Records will sign the band and release three more singles. In 1959, Jack Costello and Jim Beasley return to silhouette records for a new attempt but without success
 

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Classmates (4)

  
Gotta Go And See My Baby             Washed My Heart Of Love

  
Break Down And Love Me          Whose Gonna Take You To The Prom

  
             Return My Heart           You Do Something To Me / You Aren't The Only One
 
  
 Friends / I Want My Love Close By           Two Straws In The Wind       


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