The Souvenirs (1) (Los Angeles)

 
Personnel :

Otis Rabun (First Tenor)

Alvin Johnson (Second Tenor)

Abe Watkins (Second Tenor)

Edwin Johnson (Baritone)

Arthur Rabun (Bass)

Discography :

Singles:
1957 - So Long Daddy / Alene, Sweet Little Texas Queen (Dooto 412)


Unreleased :
1957 - Look At A Fool (Dooto)
1957 - Voodoo Love (Ebb)
1957 - Bump De Bump (Ebb)

Lp :
1957 - Double Dealing Baby (Dooto LP 224

Biography :

In 1954, when Alvin Johnson got out of the service, he found that the Rabun brothers, Otis and Arthur, had moved next door. As they all wanted to be entertainers they started singing together. Alvin's brother, Edwin, was recruited too, as well as another friend, Abraham Watkins. They met Alex Alexander, a former gospel singer, who managed them and taught them to sing harmony.  They practiced R&B hits of the day and even had a group harmony version of Hound Dog, but Alvin secretly yearned to be a pop singer. The others wanted to be stars so badly, however, that Alvin kept his dreams to himself.

When they felt they were ready, they began to make the rounds of record companies: Epic, Capitol, Checker, and King. Epic wanted them to do old standards (such as the Platters would do in the future), but the rest of the group (being younger than Alvin) wanted nothing but the now sound. Finally Alex Alexander took them to Dootsie Williams' Dooto Records and their recording career began (and just about ended). Their signing was announced in January 1957 and it looks like they had only a single four-song session, probably the same month. The tunes recorded were: So Long, Daddy, Alene, Sweet Little Texas Queen , Double Dealing Baby , and Look At A Fool .
Marv Goldberg.
 

Songs :

 
So Long Daddy

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