The Debonairs (1) (Long Beach, CA)
aka The Debonaires (2) aka The Jades (4)

Personnel :

Arthur Holly (Lead)

David Kelly

Joe Sprewell (Tenor , Piano)

Willie "Hootie" Melvin

Bobby Miles (Bass)

Discography :

The Debonairs (1)
Singles :
1957 - Why Can't We Be As Other Lovers Are / The Bill Collector (Combo 129)
1957 - Cause Of A Bad Romance / For The Woman I Love (Combo 149)
Unreleased :
1957 - In My Memories (Combo)
1957 - Christmas Time (Combo)
1957 - Crazy Santa Claus (Combo)
1957 - Nita (Combo)

The Debonaires (2)
Singles :
1959 - Every Once In A While / Mama Don't Care (Dore 526)
1961 - Every Once In A While / Gert's Skirt (Dore 592/702/795)
1962 - Hold Back The Dawn / Mama Don't Care (Dore 654)
1964 - Everybody's Movin' / Mama Don't Care (Dore 712)
Unreleased :
1959 - Dorothy (Dowley)
1959 - Laura (Dowley)
1959 - Fare Thee Well (Dowley)

The Jades (4)
1963 - Hold Back The Dawn / Mama Don't Care (Dore 687)

Biography :

The Debonairs from Long Beach, California, evolved through numerous line-up changes into an accomplished amateur vocal group in the early 50s. They recorded some material for Johnny Otis' Dig label in 1956 and for Dootsie Williams in 1957 but this was shelved.

Jake Porter                                                                                                         

Jake Porter was one of the select group of independent record company owners who gave us the best of West Coast R&B and doo-wop music. Starting in the early 50s and persevering until the early 70s, Jake recorded numerous groups, duos and R&B outfits for his Los Angeles-based Combo label. Jake Porter recorded the Debonairs and released "Why Can't We Be As Other Lovers Are" b/w "The Bill Collector" and "Cause Of A Bad Romance" b/w "For The Woman I Love". When these failed to sell, they split up.

Reforming in 1959 with different personnel, the Debonaires laid down some tunes for the Downey label, run from a record store in the LA suburb of that name but, yet none of this was issued. Their next stop, a session for Dore on 17 June 1959, 'Every In A While', an outstanding ballad featuring Joe Sprewell on lead. It became such a favourite of Bedell's that he issued it four times between 1959 and 1967. In an attempt to update the arrangement, some extraneous overdubs including strings were added to the 1967 pressing .

Songs : 

The Debonairs (1)

  
Cause Of A Bad Romance                   The Bill Collector       

  
Why Can't We Be As Other Lovers Are          For The Woman I Love         

  
Crazy Santa Claus                              Christmas Time     

  
    Nita                                             In My Memories

The Debonaires (2)

  
              Doroyhy                         Every Once In A While / Gert's Skirt

  
 Hold Back The Dawn                            Mama Don't Care        


Everybody's Movin'

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