The Wonders (8) (Los Angeles, Ca)
aka The Splendors (3) aka The Symbols (4)

Personnel :

James Williams

Donnell Thomas

Charles Morrison

Richard Byrd

Leonard Green

Discography :

The Wonders (8)
1962 - Please Don't Cry / With These Hands (Bamboo 523)

The Splendors (3)
1962 - Island Called Romance / Puddin'Tain (Jano 004)

The Symbols (4)
1963 - Last Year About This Time / Better Get Your Own One Buddy (Doré 666)

Biography :

The Wonders "Please Don't Cry", released in September 1962, was written by Don Thomas (real name Donnell Thomas) but misprinted as Dan Thomas on the label. The song was published by Aee-Cee-Mmm Music and the record was produced by ACM Productions, both of which were Ed Cobb and Lincoln Mayorga's companies. Don Thomas sang with the Splendors, who recorded an also-ran version of "Puddin'Tain", released on Jano concurrently with the Alley Cats' hit version on Philles in December 1962. There was a name switch to the Symbols for "Last Year About This Time" on Dore, released in March 1963, on which Thomas took the lead for his own composition. The Splendors/Symbols were James Williams, Donnell Thomas, Charles Morrison (later of the Larks), Richard Byrd and Leonard Green, and were likely also the Wonders - a group name not to be confused with Tony Allen's Wonders/Wanderers, Don Thomas also composed the Blisters' 1963 vocal group 45 "Shortnin. Bread" / "Cookie Rockin' In Her Stockings" on Liberty. That was another Cobb-Mayorga production; the groups could well be related.

Songs :

The Wonders (8)

  
Please Don't Cry                           With These Hands

The Splendors (3)

  
Island Called Romance                         Puddin'Tain           


The Symbols (4)

  
Last Year About This Time          Better Get Your Own One Buddy


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