The Rhythm Heirs & Art Wheeler

The Rhythm Heirs (El Paso, Texas)
Featuring Evelyn & Virgie / Art Wheeler (Mello-Tones)





Personnel :

Eugene Anchondo (Guitarist)

Beto Velez (Tenor Sax)

Fernando "Ferny" Pena (Sax)

Adolfo H. Molinar, Sr (Drummer)





Discography :

1959 - Strange World / Cradle Rock (Yucca 105)





Biography :

By 1960 there was Little Joe and the Latinaires up north in Temple, Los Dinos in Corpus Christi, Junior & The Starlites in Waco, The Playboys in Seguin, Freddy Frender in San Benito, and the The Rhythmairs in El Paso. The Rhythmairs who along the way changed to the Rhythm Heirs. The band was started five years ago when a South El Paso boy suggested to the Rev. Harold J. Rahin that the Center director organize a group of musicians.

Virgie and Evelyn Galleges

The band consisted of two saxophones, two guitars, a trumpet, pianist and drums. The musicians doubled up for vocals and for a short while Virgie and Evelyn Galleges, two cute girls from El Paso High added a new dimension to the group with a flair for dress and good harmony. The Mello-tones, a quartet of the band led by Art Wheeler also participate in the show backed by the Band. Competition kept the band practicing to excel as the Blue Kings, Night Dreamers, Kingsmen and others .

After numerous concerts and performance and growing popularity, the Band signed a recording contract with Calvin Boles, owner of the label Yucca Records of Alamogordo (New Mexico). Virgie and Evelyn Galleges with The Rhythm Heirs sang "Cradle Rock", The other side of the record is "Strange-World", by Art Wheeler  and the Mello-Tones (uncredited) backing by the The Rhythm Heirs.

The Rhythm Heirs & The Mello-Tones

Ruben Molina places Evelyn and Virgie in El Paso in his book Chicano Soul, even referring to "Cradle Rock" as one of the very first doo wop-styled recordings to come out of the border town. And yet this February 1959 release sounds earlier.

The vocal group sound hit El Paso a bit late, but just as it was in cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio the Chicanos hung on to the 'oldies' sound loooooong after it had fallen out of favor on radio.  The most interesting thing about "Cradle Rock" is that it was remade by brothers Benny and Joe Rodriguez who, as members of L.A.'s Heartbreakers, re-recorded the song for Bob Keane's Donna Records in 1964.

http://lonestarstomp.blogspot.fr/2010/04/rock-bye-baby.html

Songs :

Art Wheeler (& The Mello-Tones)  bb The Rhythm Heirs


Strange World

 

Evelyn & Virgie bb The Rhythm Heirs


Cradle Rock





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