(L to R) Wes Spraggins, Sam Stewart, Reggie Jackson, Robert Tharp and Leonard Mitchell
 

The Ideals (3) (Chicago)


Personnel:

Reggie Jackson

Leonard Mitchell

Wes Spraggins

Robert Tharp

Sam Stewart (Bass)


Discography :

1961 - Together / What's The Matter With You Sam (Paso 6401)
1961 - Magic / Teens (Paso 6402)
1963 - LA. / [Jack Harris & The Arabians - Dog Wild] (Cortland 105)
1963 - Gorilla / Don Juan (Cortland 110)
1964 - Mo Joe Hanna / Simple Simon (Cortland 113)
1964 - Feeling Of A Kiss / Mo Gorilla (Cortland 115)
1964 - Local Boy / L.A. (Cortland 117)
1965 - Cathy's Clown / Go Get A Wig (St. Lawrence 1001)
1965 - You Lost And I Won / You Hurt Me (Satellite 2007)
1966 - Kissing / I Had A Dream (Satellite 2009)
1966 - Go Go Gorilla / Kissing Won't Go Out Of Style (Satellite 2011)
1966 - I Got Lucky (When I Found You) / Tell Her I Apologize (St. Lawrence 1020)
1969 - The Mighty Lover / Dancing In U S A. (Boo-Ga-Loo 108)


Biography :

Formed in 1952 by students from Crane High School, the group included Reggie Jackson, Leonard Mitchell, Sam Stewart, and Robert Tharp. In 1955, Wes Spraggins join the group . The group's first single was issued by the local Paso label in 1961. For their two first singles on Paso the group included Major Lance ("Monkey Time," "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um," "Hey Little Girl »).

                        The Ideals (Cortland Records)                                                                      MajjorLance                                    

Over the ensuing years the groups line up chopped and changed leaving only two of the original members, Leonard Mitchell and Robert Tharp.  After releasing several records with limited success, The Ideals joined up with Eddie Williams and former Five Chances member Howard Pitman, who not only owned Concord Records, but also wrote ‘The Gorilla’ for The Ideals. By the time the group had got round to recording ‘The Gorilla’ in 1963 Reggie Jackson, Sam Steward and Eddie Williams had all joined the ranks. Eddie Willams sang lead on "Gorilla," (as well as receiving a co-writing credit), that capitalized on apparently near the end of the monkey dance craze.

The groups local hit out grew Concord Records and Howard Pitman eventually sold on the rights and The Ideals contract to Cortland Records, who pushed "The Gorilla" to a national platform. The record imediately took off and sold nearly 90,000 copies! It is cited this may have been due to The Ideals mini tour of all the local Chicago schools, complete with a guy dressed in a gorilla outfit in tow!!

(L to R)  Sam Stewart, Reggie Jackson and Leonard Mitchell

By 1965, the Ideals consisted of the trio of Jackson, Mitchell, and Stewart and scored their only charting single, "Kissing," released by the Satellite Recording Company. Another single, "You Lost and I Won," a doo-wopish ballad, was issued. Soon after, the group broke up. Tharp assumed the name Tommy Dark and joined with fellow Chicagoan Jerry Murray to form Tom and Jerrio. The duo had a 1965 Top 20 R&B hit with "Boo-Ga-Loo" on ABC-Paramount. Leonard Mitchell continued to record by joining with Jerome Johnson and Robert Thomas to form the Channel 3, who released one single, to no great acclaim.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

     
Together                           Magic                                  Teens

     
Gorilla                                Don Juan                              Clown

     
Go Get A Wig                You Lost And I Won                     You Hurt Me

     
Kissing Won't Go Out Of Style            Go Go Gorilla      I Got Lucky (When I Found You)

     
Tell Her I Apologize               Knee Socks / Mary's Lamb               Mojo Hanna

     
What's The Matter With You Sam       Simple Simon            Feeling Of A Kiss

     
Mo Gorilla                          LA. aka L.A.                    I Had A Dream






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