The Mark IV (Chicago)


Personnel :

Bob Peterson

Leon McGeary

Williams Thomas

Michael McCarthy


Discography :

1957 - Goose Bump / Booblee Ah Bah Doo Baa (Cosmic 702)
1958 - (Make With) The Shake / 45 R.P.M. (Cosmic 704)
1959 - I Got A Wife / Ah-OO-Ga (Mercury 71403)
1959 - Move Over Rover / Dante's Inferno (Mercury 71445)
1959 - Mairzy Doats / Ring Ring Ring Those Bells  (Mercury 71481)



Biography :

The Mark IV were an American musical ensemble, based in Chicago, consisting of Bob Peterson, Leon McGeary, Williams Thomas, and Michael McCarthy. They were originally named The Rhythm Makers. They later changed their name to Mark V, and then - as members left - to The Mark IV, and eventually ending in the 1980s as The Mark IV Trio.

The band appears to have recorded only as The Mark IV, however, and they had their biggest hit in 1959 with the novelty song, "I Got A Wife" (Mercury 71403). "I Got A Wife" was set to a lively polka beat, and reached No. 24 in U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 14 on Canadian radio station CHUM's "Chum Chart".

Prior to "I Got a Wife," the group released at least two singles on Cosmic Records. One of these was "Goose Bumps" b/w "Booblee Ah Bah Doo Baa" (Cosmic 702; 1957), recorded along with the Dick Marx Orchestra. Though both songs on this record fit the category of doo-wop, the nonsense title of the B-side suggests the "novelty" direction the group would later take.  The other known Cosmic release was "(Make With) The Shake" b/w "45 R.P.M." (Cosmic 704; 1958). The group performed "(Make With) The Shake" on American Bandstand, and Dick Clark currently owns the rights to the song.

Both songs were also released in Canada on the REO label (REO 8217). "(Make With) The Shake" was in a vein rather similar to Danny and the Juniors' "At The Hop", and it charted No. 22 on the Canadian "Chum Chart". After the success of "I Got A Wife," Mercury quickly followed up with several more Mark IV novelty singles. One of these was "Move Over Rover" b/w "Dante's Inferno" (Mercury 71445; 1959). Another was "Mairzy Doats" b/w "Ring Ring Ring Those Bells" (Mercury 71481; 1959).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mark_IV

Songs :

      
I Got A Wife                         Ah-OO-Ga                         Move Over Rover

      
Dante's Inferno                 (Make With) The Shake                 45 R.P.M.

       
Ring Ring Ring Those Bells               Mairzy Doats                Goose Bump

....