The Temptations with Efrain Rivera on lead in 1955

The Temptations (1)  (Brooklyn, New York)
ref: The Van Dykes (2)
ref : The Charmers (5)

Personnel :

Efrain Rivera (Lead)

Mike Cruz (First Tenor)

Tony Rivera (Second Tenor)

Ray Pena (Baritone)

John Cales (Bass)

Discography :

The Temptations (1)
1958 - Standing Alone / Roach's Rock (King 5118)

The Van Dykes (2)
1958 - The Bells Are Ringing / Meaning Of Love (King 5158/DeLuxe 6193)
1959 - Once Upon A Dream / Dame Tu Corazon (Felsted 8565)
1960 - Gift Of Love / Guardian Angel (Spring 1113/Donna 1333)
 

Biography :

The Temptations were a Hispanic group from South Brooklyn who had one release on King in 1958.  Both sides of their rare single,"Roach's Rock"/ "Standing Alone" (King 5118) were recorded in a New York City studio on two separate days in February 1958. The group members were Efrain Rivera (lead), Mike Cruz (first tenor), Tony Rivera (second tenor), Ray Pena (baritone) and John Cales (bass). They were not related to the Temptations on Goldisc or Savoy and could never have foreseen the worldwide fame of their Motown namesake on Gordy.Another group as the Temptations who recorded for Savoy, staked a prior claim to the name obliging the King Group to change its name to the Van Dykes in time for their next release.

The Van Dykes with Mike Cruz on lead 

The group changed personnel (with Mike Cruz and Tony Rivera remaining, they added Benny Ortiz, Junior Garcia and Ray Martinez) and recorded "The Bells Are Ringing" b/w "Meaning Of Love" (King 5158) in October 1958 as The Van Dykes.  "The Bells Are Ringing", an exquisite record that surprisingly failed to elicit the response it merited. Three Years later, demand for the record at New York's Time Square record shop, a legendary haven for collectors, created a resurgence of interest in "The Bells Are Ringing" which had a long since become unavailable.

A young King employee named Seymour Steinbeigle who had been given the task of overseeing King's back catalogue, re-issued "The Bells Are ringing" on King's Deluxe subsidiary to meet a demand on the East Coast where sales, helped by a little airplay pushed it to #99 on the hot 100 - a poor showing for a record of such undoubted quality. Seymour Stein later founded Sire Records. During the revival year of 1961. Due to the renewed interest in the single, Mike Cruz, Tony Rivera and Benny Ortiz reformed the group, they added Cesar and Julio . Along the way, a new name change occurred and a new member, Inez Williams, was brought in to sing lead. They were called The Charmers.



Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Temptations (1)


  
Standing Alone                               Roach's Rock

The Van Dykes (2)

  
The Bells Are Ringing                      Meaning Of Love

  

Once Upon A Dream
                              Gift Of Love      

  
  Guardian Angel                               Dame Tu Corazon
...