The Valentinos (1) aka The Radiants (4) aka .......

Gil Valentin

The Valentinos (1) (Bronx, New York)

aka The Radiants (4)
aka The Originals (4)
aka The Casanovas (2)
aka The Gleams (3)
aka The Four Gleams
aka Silky And The Shantungs

Personnel :

Gil Valentin (Second Tenor / Lead)

Sonia Rivera (Tenor / Lead)

Elliot Rivera

Discography :

The Radiants (4)
1958 - Ra Cha Cha / I´ll Never Be Mean (Wizz 713)

The Casanovas (2)
1959 - In My Land Of Dreams / Deep In The Heart Of The Jungle (Planet 1027)

The Originals (4)
1960 - A Kiss From Your Lips / Let Me Be Your Girl (Brunswick 55171)

The Valentinos (1)
1960 - A Kiss From Your Lips / Let Me Be Your Girl (Brunswick 55171)

The Gleams (3)
1961 - Bad Boy / Give Me A Chance (J-V 101)
1963 - Mr. Magic Moon / Pile Driver (Kapp 565)

The Four Gleams
1963 - Mr. Magic Moon / Pile Driver (Kapp 565)

Silky & The Shantungs
1963 - He's A Fink / Bazooki (Inst.) (Musicor 1035)

Biography :

The Casanovas, Gleams /Four Gleams, Originals, Valentinos, Silky & The Shantungs and also The Radiants were basically the same people with few changes. In 1956, Bronx native Gil Valentin formed a group he called The Radiants and recorded "Ra Cha Cha" b/w "I´ll Never Be Mean" released by Wizz Record in 1958. The next year, under the name The Casanovas, they recorded the sides "In My Land Of Dreams" b/w "Deep In The Heart Of The Jungle" released by Planet Records in 1961.  So as not to be confused with The Casanovas from North Carolina (recordings on Apollo 1954-57), The group had a record in 1959 called " A Kiss From Your Lips" (a Flamingos remake) on Brunswick records under the name The Originals, then re-released in 1960 under the name The Valentinos.

   
The Radiants (4)                                                 The Originals (4)                                         The Valentinos (1)

Beginning as an all-male quintet as The Casanovas, they went to 3 men and one woman as the Valentinos.In 1960 they signed with J-V Records and change again their name for The Gleams. The Gleams recorded "Bad Boy" and  "Give Me A Chance". In 1963, Gil Valentin and Sonia Riviera with a girl group recorded as The Gleams (and The Four Gleams) for Kapp Records "Mr. Magic Moon" b/w "Pile Driver".  The story ends when Valentin and Sonia Riviera  recorded under the name Silky & The Shantungs called "He's A Fink" on Musicor (written by Radcliffe/Stern) which is another Spector type record. ...



Songs :

The Radiants (4)

  
Ra Cha Cha                                I´ll Never Be Mean

The Casanovas (2)


In My Land Of Dreams / Deep In The Heart Of The Jungle

The Originals (4) / The Valentinos

  
A Kiss From Your Lips                             Let Me Be Your Girl


The Gleams (3)

  
Bad Boy                                 Give Me A Chance


The Gleams (3)/ The Four Gleams

  
Mr. Magic Moon                                   Pile Driver    


Silky And The Shantungs

  
He's A Fink                                         Bazooki (Inst.)

...