The Shells (1) (Brooklyn, New-York )

Personnel :

Nathaniel "Little Nate" Bouknight (Lead)

Bobby Nurse (First Tenor)

Randy Shade Alston (Second Tenor)

Gus Geter (baritone)

Danny Small (Bass)


Discography :

Singles :
The Shells (1)
1957 - Baby oh Baby / Angel Eyes ((Johnson 104)
1958 - Slippin Soda / Pretty Little girl (End 1022/Gone 5103)
1958 - Pleading No More / Don't Say Goodbye (Johnson 106)
1959 - Whispering Wings / Shooma Dom Dom (End 1050)
1959 - The Thief / She Wasn't Meant For Me (Roulette 4156)
1960 - Baby Oh Baby / What's In An Angel's Eyes (Johnson 104)
1961 - Explain It To Me / An Island Unknown (Johnson 107/332)
1961 - Better Forget Him / Can't Take It (Johnson 109)
1961 - O-Mi Yum-Mi Yum-Mi / In The Dim Light Of The Dark (Johnson 110)
1961 - Baby Walk On In / Sweetest One (Johnson 112)
1962 - Deep In My Heart / (It's A) Happy Holiday (Johnson 119)
1962 - A Toast To Your Birthday / The Drive (Johnson 120)
1963 - On My Honor / My Royal Love (Johnson 127)
1963 - Our wedding day / Deep in my heart (Josie 912)
1970 - Oh What a night / Where or when (Boardwalk 17)
1975 - Will you miss me / I'm in the doghouse (Monogram 108)
1976 - If you were gone for me / Misty (Clifton 00)
1977 - On my honor / In the light of the dark (Clifton 22)

The Shells (1) (With Gene Holiday)
1963 - My heart runneth over / Scratch my name off the mail box (Johnson 125)

Little Nate & The Shells (1)
1977- Someone up there / Will you miss me(the Shells) (Clifton 21)

Roy jones & the Shells (1)
1960 - Satisfied / made for lovers (Swirl 101)

Unreleased :
N/A - My Cherie / Explain to me (Johnson 099)
N/A - When i'm blue / Whiplash (Conlo 879)

Lps :
1963 - The Dubs meet The Shells (Josie LP 4001)
Baby oh baby / Our wedding day /  What's In An Angel's Eyes /  Baby Walk On In / Sweetest One / Deep In My Heart

1966 -  Acappela Session with the Shells (Candlelite LP 1000)
Baby oh baby / Baby walk on in / Happy holiday / The way you do the things you do / The closer you are / Bad girl / I'm a happy man / Be sure my love / So fine / Outside looking in / Dream / If you were gone from me / Oh what a dream / Fine little girl / Life is but a dream / Oooo baby baby

Biography :

This US, Brooklyn-based R&B vocal group was formed in 1957. The Shells were noted for their typical New York doo-wop stylings, in which the use of a prominent bass, piercing falsetto, and strong vocal riffing in support of a romantic lead, made for one of the great folk acts of the 50s. The group cut their first record, "Baby Oh Baby", in 1957, which did little upon its release on the local Johnson label.

The Shells broke up, but the following year, lead Nathaniel "Little Nate" Bouknight formed a new ensemble, bringing in Bobby Nurse (first tenor), Shade Randy Alston (second tenor), Gus Geter (baritone), and Danny Small (bass). Subsequent records did nothing, but as a result of the resurgence of doo-wop on the charts in the early 60s owing to the promotion efforts of record collectors Wayne Stierle and Donn Fileti, the career of the Shells was far from dead.

Stierle and Fileti began promoting "Baby Oh Baby' in 1960 and were able to make it a Top 20 hit on the national pop charts (it went to number 11 on Cash Box"s R&B chart). The group re-formed and Stierle started acting as producer, coming out with some great sides, notably two excellent ones with new lead Ray Jones, "Happy Holiday" (1962) and "Deep In My Heart" (1962).

 In 1963, the Josie label paired the group together with the Dubs for half an LP, The Dubs Meet the Shells, a battle of the bands album in the tradition of The Paragons Meet the Jesters).However, the Shells failed to reach the charts and broke up. In 1966, Stierle reassembled the group for one last a cappella session using the four remaining members, without a lead.

Songs :

      
Baby Oh Baby                          Slippin Soda                   A Toast To Your Birthday

     
Angel Eyes                              Deep in my heart                       My Royal Love

     
(It's A) Happy Holiday      What's In An Angels Eyes        Our Wedding Day

     
Explain It To Me                     My Cherie                     Don't say Goodbye

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