The Fascinators (1) (Detroit)

Thanks to Liam

Personnel :

Clarence Smith (Lead / First Tenor)

Earl Richardson (Baritone / Tenor)

Jerry Potter (Second Tenor / Lead)

Donald Blackshear  (Lead Baritone)

Bob Rivers (Bass)

Discography :

Singles:
1954 - Sweet Baby / The Bells Of My Heart (Your Copy 1135)
1954 - My Beauty, My Own / Don't Give It Away  (Your Copy 1136)
1955 - Don't Give My Love Away / Can't Stop (Blue Lake 112)

Unreleased:
1955 - But I'll Remember (Blue Lake)
1956 - Aurelia (Roadhouse LP 5001)

Biography :

The Fascinators were one of those myriad vocal groups of the early 1950s who made a few recordings and then dropped out of sight.  The Fascinators began in Detroit sometime around 1949 or 1950. The original group was Jerry Potter , second tenor and lead; Donald Blackshear, lead baritone; Bob Rivers, bass; Clarence Smith, first tenor and main lead; Earl Richardson, lead baritone/tenor.  The group started  in high school.  The group first recorded on the Your Copy label, which was owned by Monroe Horn, the proprietor of Horn’s Record Shop at 1135 Westminster Avenue in Detroit.

(L tot R) Bob Rivers, Jerry Potter, Earl Richardson, Clarence Smith and Donald Blackshear                                 DJ Al Benson        

Horn put out two records on the Fascinators—‘“‘Sweet Baby” backed with “The Bells of My Heart,” and “My Beauty, My Own” paired with “Don’t Give It Away.”  The four sides were recorded in the rear of a record shop, Joe’s Records, on Hastings Avenue. The next (and last) label the Fascinators found themselves on was Al Benson’s Blue Lake. Benson released one record on the group and it was the result of one wild weekend in Chicago in 1955. The Fascinators’ session  Recording resulted in four sides, but the only two that have surfaced are two jumps, “Can’t Stop” and “Don’t Give My Love Away.”

Doowop: The Chicago Scene (Robert Pruter)

Songs :


  
     Sweet Baby                              The Bells Of My Heart

  
Don't Give It Away                          My Beauty, My Own

  
Don't Give My Love Away                      Can't Stop                


Aurelia

 
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