Clay Hammond

The Three Friends (2) (Compton, California)
aka The Hammond Brothers

Personnel :

Clay Hammond (Lead)

Walter Hammond (Baritone)

Julius Brown (Tenor)

Discography :

The Three Friends (2)
1961 - Walkin' Shoes / Blue Ribbon Baby (Cal-Gold 169)
1961 - Dedicated (To The Songs I Love) / Happy As A Man Can Be (Imperial 5763)
1961 - Go On To School / You're A Square (Imperial 5773)

The Hammond Brothers
1962 - Thirty Miles Of Railroad Track / I Told You (Abner 7005)

Biography :

Black doowop trio from Compton, California. Comprised of Julius Brown and brothers Clay and Walter Hammond.  Clayton Hammond Jr. was born in Groesbeck, Texas. He was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter and in 1956 he became a founding member of the gospel group The Mighty Clouds of Joy in Los Angeles, with Little Johnny Taylor and others. His younger brother, Walter Hammond, became a member of vocal group The Olympics.

 
                                                                                        Clay Hammond

Clay Hammond made his first recording in 1959 for the Tag label, and then formed a trio, The Three Friends with Walter Hammond and friend Julius Brown. They recorded for the Cal-Gold and Imperial labels in 1961, with little success. Their only charted single was "Dedicated (To The Songs I Love)", which peaked at #89 in July of 1961. The Next year, he also recorded with his brother Walter as the Hammond Brothers. In 1963, his song "Part Time Love", recorded by Little Johnny Taylor, reached the top of the Billboard R&B chart and no.19 on the pop chart. He continued to write songs, but with much less success, as well as recording singles for a variety of small labels.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Three Friends (2)

     
        Blue Ribbon Baby                     Walkin' Shoes         Dedicated (To The Songs I Love)

  
Happy As A Man Can Be              Go On To School / You're A Square
 

The Hammond Brothers

  
Thirty Miles Of Railroad Track                        I Told You                   

...