The Hi-Liters

The Hi-Liters (2) (Portland, OR)
aka The Hamiltones  aka  The Stereos (4) 


Personnel :

George Vereen (First Tenor)

Wiseman Moon (First Tenor)

Calvin Williams (Baritone)

Furman Haynes (Second Tenor)

Claude Chandler (Bass)



Discography :

The Hi-Liters (2)
Singles :
1956 - Ain't Givin' Up Nothing / Undecided Now (Celeste 3005)
1956 - Hello Dear / Bobby Sox Baby (Vee Jay 184)
1958 - Let Me Be True To You / In The Night (Hico 2432)
1958 - Over The Rainbow / Baby Please Be True (Hico 2433)
Unreleased :
1956 - Feeling Alright (Vee jay)
1956 - Duncan's Box  (Vee jay)

Johnny Hamilton / Al Hickey   & The Hi-Liters (2)
1958 - Sabada / Later Baby (Hico 2434)

George Vereen / Wiseman Moon & The Hamiltones (Hi-Liters)
1958 - You Are My Lovely One / Rock A Billy Hop (Hico 2435)

The Stereos (4)
Singles :
1962 - You Left Me Forsaken /  My Heart (Robin Nest 101)
1962 - Don't Cry Darling / Run Sinner Run (Robin Nest 1588)

Lps :
1962 - The Stereos - Our Most Requested Songs (Robin Nest 2013)
Across The Alley From The Alamo / My Shy Violet / Cab Driver / San Antonio Rose / We Three / Dry Bones / SnapYour Fingers/  Green Green Grass Of Home / Swing Down Swing Chariot / Oh Lonesome Me / My Night To Howl / Always

 

Biography :

In 1948, Furman Haynes formed the Deep Tones, with George Vereen, Calvin Williams, Carroll Dean  and Ivy Floyd. They sang spirituals and then added  secular songs, such as Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Castle Rock, and The Night You Said Goodbye. Decca signed The Deep Tones to its Coral label, calling them The Four Deep Tones, even though there were five. 

Deep Tones (Top row- LtoR): Calvin Williams, Carroll Dean, Furman Haynes (Bottom row- LtoR) George Vereen, Ivy Floyd

They cut four songs for Coral, and although they never had the kind of hit that would catapult them to stardom, they all built solid careers in music. In the early 1950s Haynes met Katie Williams, and when the pair married they moved to the West Coast and settled in Portland, Ore.

The Hi-Liters

The Deep Tones had changed their name to the Hi-Liters when they recorded for the Celeste label in 1956 the sides "Ain't Giving Up Nothing" / "Undecided Now". Celeste was one of the many short-lived (A little more than one year in duration) record label which specialized in R&b and headquartered in New York City during  the middle fifties heyday of Rock'n Roll.

The Hi-Liters

The Hi-Liters recorded in New York City in Beltone Studios, on November 10, 1955 for Vee-Jay four sides : "Hello Dear", "Bobby Sox Baby", "Feeling Alright" and "Duncan's Box" At this time, The Hi-Liters consisted of George W. Vereen (first tenor), Wiseman Moon (first tenor), Furman Hayes (second tenor), Ivey E. Floyd (baritone), and Calvin Williams (baritone). Vereen had previously sung with the Four Knights, Moon had led the Victorians , Haynes had been with Brook Benton in the Sandmen.

The Hi-Liters

The Hi-Liters started their own record label HICO (Hi-Liters Company = HiCo) and their group now consisted of George Vereen, Wiseman Moon, Calvin Williams, Furman Haynes and Claude Chandler.  Claude Chandler had been with the Cabineers. In 1958 the Hi-Liters recorded and released four singles for their HiCo label . Each side of Hico #2435 lists a Hi-Liters member and the Hamiltones.  Calvin Williams confirms that the group on both sides is the Hi-Liters and not the Hamiltones. The Hamiltones must be the band.

The Stereos (L to R) : C. Williams, E. Williams, Harry Kenney, Wisemen Moon and George Vereen

In the 1960's the Hi-Liters would evolve into the Stereos (Robin Nest label) and cut two singles and one Lp : "Our Most Requested Songs" . The Stereos consisted of Hi-Liters' George W. Vereen (first tenor), Wiseman Moon (first tenor),  Calvin Williams (baritone) with nem member's Eddie Williams and his big bass violin and Harry Kenney on Piano.  Calvin Williams would also spend 14 years in Europe singing with the Golden Gate Quartet.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/ROWNEW/CastleRk.htm
http://www.classicurbanharmony.net/hico_label.htm


Songs :

The Hi-Liters (2)

     
Undecided                               Hello Dear                  Bobby Sox Baby

     
 Let Me Be True To You           In The Night                      Over The Rainbow

      
Baby Please Be True                   Feeling Alright                Ain't Givin' Up Nothing



George Vereen  & The Hamiltones      Wiseman Moon & The Hamiltones

  
You Are My Lovely One                        Rock A Billy Hop



The Stereos (4)

     
My Heart                           Don't Cry Darling               You Left Me Forsaken


Run Sinner Run

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