Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Teenos aka The Five Tinos aka The Esquires (3)

Posted on March 5 2009 by dion1

Melvin and Marvin Walker (3rd and 4th from left)

The Teenos (Memphis, Tenn.)
aka The Five Tinos aka The Esquires (3)

Personnel :

Luchrie Jordan

Haywood Hebron

Marvin Walker

Melvin Walker

Melvin Jones

Discography :

The Five Tinos
Single:
1955 - Don't Do That / Sitting By The Window (Sun 222)
Unreleased:
1955 - Gonna Have Let You Be
1955 - Mambo Baby
1955 - Memories
1955 - My Only Angel
1955 - Go Ahead
1955 - Rockin' Chair

The Teenos
1958 - Love Only One / Alrightee (Dub 2839)

The Esquires (3)
1956 - Only The Angels Know / One Word For This (Hi-Po 1003)

Biography :

A Memphis group, the Five Tinos comprised local college students. There were Luchrie Jordan, Haywood Hebron, Marvin Walker, Melvin Walker, and Melvin Jones. They probably went to Booker T. Washington High School in south Memphis. The Five Tinos have a session at Sun Studio 706 Union Ave Memphis Tennessee the May 26, 1955. The Tinos recorded a total of eight tracks . "Don't Do That" and "Sitting By My Window" which are coupled for release as Sun 222 released June 21. The two Walker brothers had a younger brother, William, who later joined another Memphis group, The Four kings aka the Four canes . Some reckon that they're the same group as The Teenos & The Esquires on Hi-Po. The composers credit on the Teenos single "Love Only One" is Tinos for like "Sitting By The Window" & "Don't Do That" of the Five Tinos. The Other song is credited to M.Walker (Melvin or Marvin Walker?)… Ok For the Teenos?

Songs :

The Five Tinos

Don't Do That / Sitting By The Window Gonna Have Let You Be

Mambo Baby

The Teenos

Love Only One Alrightee

The Esquires (3)

Only The Angels Know One Word For This

...

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The Sha-Weez

Posted on March 5 2009 by dion1

(Back L-R) A. Woodard, E.Warner, E. Myles, N. Blackwell, I. Bannister (Front) J. Crawford and W. Myles.

The Sha-Weez (New Orleans)  

 Personnel :  

James Sugar Boy Crawford (Piano & Vocals)  

Edgar Big Boy Myles (Trombone & Vocals)

  Irving Cat Bannister (Guitar & Vocals) 

Warren Jake Myles (Piano & Vocals)

Nolan Sha-Wee Blackwell (Alto Sax) 

Alfred Hot Lips Woodard (Trumpet) 

Eric Skee-za Warner (Drums) 

Alfred Bernard (Tenor Sax) 

David Lastie (Tenor Sax)  

Discography :

 Single : 
1952 - No One To Love Me / Early Sunday Morning (Aladdin 3170)

Unreleased:
1952 - You Made Me Love You (Aladdin)  
1952 - Feeling Sad (Aladdin)

Biography :

New Orleans R&B outfit the Sha-Weez formed on the campus of Booker T. Washington High School in 1950. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the September 1977 issue of Yesterday's Memories, the founding lineup featured Edgar "Big Boy" Myles, James "Sugarboy" Crawford , Irving "Cat" Bannister, Alfred "Hot Lips" Woodard , Eric "Skee-za" Warner, Nolan "Sha-Wee" Blackwell , Warren "Jake" Myles , and the nickname-free Alfred Bernard and David Lastie . The group's odd name derived from their theme song, Blackwell's instrumental "Cha-Paka-Sha-Wees," which roughly translates from the Creole "We are not raccoons." During an appearance on local radio, they were introduced as the "'Cha-Paka-Sha-Wees' musicians," and the moniker stuck.

Cosimo Matassa

Producer Dave Bartholomew signed the Sha-Weez to New Orleans imprint Aladdin Records in late 1952, helming their debut session at Cosimo Matassa's legendary J&M Studios. Crawford was slated to sing lead vocal, but a previous live performance left his voice so strained that "Big Boy" Myles stepped to the fore instead; "No One to Love Me" appeared at year's end, becoming a local hit and earning the group live appearances throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Still, Aladdin resisted releasing the remaining material from the Sha-Weez's J&M session, nor did the label book another studio date. The group nevertheless remained under contract to the label, but in late 1953 Crawford and Myles began recording for Chess, recruiting guitarist Billy Tate, bassist Frank Fields, tenor saxophonist Leroy "Batman" Rankins, and drummer Chester Jones to form Sugar Boy & His Cane Cutters.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Shaweez/shaweez.html

Songs :

No One To Love Me / Early Sunday Morning

You Made Me Love You Feeling Sad

...

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

Posted on March 3 2009 by dion1

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

...

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The Tornados (1)

Posted on March 3 2009 by dion1

William Weatherspoon, Ben Knight , Stanley Mitchell & Charles Sutton

The Tornados (1) (Detroit)

Personnel :

Stanley Mitchell (Lead)

William Weatherspoon (Tenor)

Charles Sutton (Baritone)

Ben Knight (Bass)

Discography :

Stanley Mitchell & The Tornados (1)
Single:
1956 - Four O'Clock In The Morning / Would You,Could You (Chess 1649)
Unreleased :
1956 - Don't You Know (Chess)
1956 - River (Chess)
1956 - Papers (Chess)
1956 - Please, Mr. Mailman (Chess)
1956 - Back To School (Chess)
1956 - Your Touch (Chess)

The Tornados (1)
1959 - Love In Your Life / Geni In The Jug (Bumble Bee 503)

Stan Mitchell
1961 - Devil In Disguise / Lovin' Man (Gone 5106)

Biography :

Charles Sutton, a founding member of the Royals -- who changed to the Midnighters to avoid confusion with the Five Royales -- formed the Tornados when the Midnighters barred his re-entry in the group after a lengthy illness. Attempting to create a lineup as potent as the Midnighters, Sutton recruited Stanley Mitchell (tenor), William Weatherspoon (tenor), and Ben Knight (bass). A session for Chess Records produced five sides of which Chess issued one single "Four O' Clock in the Morning" b/w "Would You, Could You," aka "Hey You," (both sides written by their manager Alonzo Tucker) in 1956. The label credit read Stanley Mitchell & the Tornados and it got home state play (Michigan) but little anywhere else; the three other sides were never released, nor was anything cut at a 1957 or a 1958 session after they fired Tucker. 1956 wasn't all bad for Sutton, he co-wrote the Moonglows' hit "See Saw" with Roquel "Billy" Davis and Harry Pratt.

The Tornados (1)

A hitch with Bob West in 1959 resulted in "Love in Your Life," written by Sutton and sometimes-Tornado Robert Spencer, and "Geni [sic] in a Jug," written by Sutton and Weatherspoon. West had a family of labels that included Lupine, Flick, Kudo, Contour, and Bumblebee; the Tornados' single came out on the latter. It seemed a natural move as West's A&R Director was ex-Royal/Midnighter Sonny Woods, Sutton's old road dog. But the Bumblebee deal only lasted one record. They next recorded some sides for Winley Records, notably "Clap Your Hand and Skate," written by Dave Clowney, bka Dave "Baby" Cortez, and Paul Winley, but neither it, nor the other sides ever saw the light of day and the Tornados disbanded. Sutton attempted an unsuccessful songwriting career with Correct Tone Records. Weatherspoon made a splash with Motown in the '60s as a songwriter/producer, scoring mightily with Jimmy Ruffin via "What's Become of the Brokenhearted," co-written with James Dean and arranger Paul Riser. He also contributed to Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax labels in the '70s. Mitchell and Knight blended into the nine to five world and were never heard from again.

Songs :

Stanley Mitchell & The Tornados (1)

Four O'Clock In The Morning Would You,Could You

The Tornados (1)

Love In Your Life                               Geni In The Jug

Stan Mitchell


Devil In Disguise Lovin' Man

...

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The Sweethearts (2) aka The Darlings (2) aka......

Posted on March 1 2009 by dion1

The Sweethearts (2) aka The Darlings (2) aka......
Oma Heard

The Darlings (2) (Los Angeles, CA)
aka The Sweethearts (2)
aka The Sa-Shays
aka The Utmosts
aka The Dynels
aka The Postalettes
aka The Delicates (2)

Personnel :

Oma Heard (Lead)

Carlotta "Cookie" Robertson (Lead)

Maxine Waters

Julia Waters

Discography :

The Sweethearts (2)
1961 - They Talk Too Much / Puppy Love (Hi-III 116)
1961 - Summer Days / What Is Love (Hi-III 117)

The Sa-Shays
1961 - You Got Love / Boo Hoo Hoo (Zen 101 / Alfi 1)
1963 - Here Comes The Love / I’ll Make You Love Me (Zen 109)

The Utmosts
1962 - I Need You / Big Man (Pan Or 1123)

The Dynels
1962 - Boy Friend / Let's Do It Again (Dot 16382)
1964 - Just A Face In The Crowd / C'mon Little Darlin’ (Natural 7001)

The Postalettes
1963 - He Played One, Two, Three, Four / Like Chalypso (Instrumental) (Dore 662)

The Darlings (2)
1963 - To Know Him Is To Love Him / Train Out Of Memphis (Instrumental) (Dore 663)
1963 - He Played One, Two, Three, Four / My Pillow (Dore 677)
1966 - The Horn Goes Beep Beep Beep / Floatin' On Cotton Candy (Instrumental) (Dore 775)

The Delicates (2)
1963 - My Pillow / He Played One, Two, Three, Four (Dee Dee 677 / Celeste 676)

Biography :

The Darlings, a female quartet comprising Oma Heard, Carlotta "Cookie" Robertson (Gaynell Hodge’s niece who In 1960 with Joyce Chapel & Marie Love recorded as The Chiffons and The Unforgettables) and the sisters Maxine and Julia Waters, were managed and produced by a former artist named Bobby Sanders - real name: Jerome Lenoir. In 1963, Dore issued two consecutive singles by the group under different names, the first as the Postalettes singing 'He Played 1, 2, 3, 4' (a variation of 'The Paddiwack Song'), the second as the Darlings with their punchy revival of 'To Know Him Is To Love Him', heard here. Sanders produced all four at the same (with Grayson arranging) and assigned the masters over Dore on 23 January 1963.

The Sweethearts (2) aka The Darlings (2) aka......

Three of the four girls had previously sung in a Fremont High School group named the Sweethearts, who recorded for producer H.B. Barnum in 1961 and moonlighted on obscure one-off 45s as the Utmosts and the Sa-Shays. Although amateur, they were already establishing career paths as versatile session vocalists and barely knew their identity from one release to the next - immediately prior to signing for Dore, they had recorded a one-off 45 for producer Steve Venet (himself a former Dore artist) as the Dynels on Dot.

The Sweethearts (2) aka The Darlings (2) aka......

Oma Heard

Something about 'He Played 1, 2, 3, 4' piqued Lew Bedell interest because a few months later, he re-issued it with a new B-side ('My Pillow') on Dore 677 crediting the Darlings. Then again, in October 1963 on Dee Dee 677 as by the Delicates!. And he wasn't finished yet. Possibly frustrated by his inability to break the record, Bedell sold the master to a couple who ran a tiny R&B label, Celeste, out of their LA home, prompting a further re-issue with the revised title 'This Old Man' on Celeste 676. Oma Heard later sang with Ike Turner's Ikettes, did session work and recorded under her own name for Motown in the late 1960s, while the Water sisters worked as background singers on countless sessions by such diverse artists as Paul Simon, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Paul and Rod Stewart.

Songs :

The Sweethearts (2)


   They Talk Too Much                          Puppy Love


Summer Days                                  What Is Love

The Sa-Shays


You Got Love                          Boo Hoo Hoo


Here Comes The Love                I’ll Make You Love Me

The Utmosts

I Need You Big Man

The Dynels


     Boy Friend                               Let's Do It Again


Just A Face In The Crowd                   C'mon Little Darlin’

The Darlings (2)

To Know Him Is To Love Him My Pillow

The Delicates (2)

My Pillow

...

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The Earls (1) aka The Five Thrills (1)

Posted on March 1 2009 by dion1

The Five Thrills (1) aka the Earls (1) The Five Thrills (1) (Chicago)
aka the Earls (1)

Personnel :

Gilbert Warren (Lead Tenor)

Oscar Robinson (Baritone)

Fred Washington (Baritone)

Obie Washington (Second Tenor)

Levi Jenkins (Bass / Piano)

Discography :

The Five Thrills (1)
Singles :
1953 - My Baby's Gone / Feel So Good (Parrot 796)
1954 - Wee Wee Baby / Gloria (Parrot 800)
Unreleased :
1953 - My Saddest Hour
1953 - All I Want
1953 - Ride Jimmy Ride
1953 - Rockin' at Midnight
1953 - So Long Young Girl

The Earls (1)
1954 - Laverne / Darlene (Girl of My Dreams) (Parrot 803 )

Biography :

Parrot Records was a Chicago-based label founded in 1952 by disc jockey Al Benson. It specialized in blues, jazz, doo-wop, and gospel. The Five Thrills were basically an aggregation of young men who lived Thirty-first Street and began singing together in 1950, while they were still students at Douglas Elementary School at Thirty-second and Calumet.

The Five Thrills (1) aka the Earls (1)
Al Benson

The Five Thrills flashed onto the R&B scene in Chicago for a year during 1953-54 and then disappeared forever. During that year, they were the most frequently recorded group on Parrot. By early 1954, Robinson had left the group and was replaced with Leon Pace . Two sides from their last session (Parrot 800) were released under a new name : "The Earls".
Robert Pruter "Doowop: the Chicago scene"
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/parrot.html

Songs :

The Five Thrills (1)


My Baby's Gone                      Feel So Good                  Ride Jimmy Ride


Gloria / Wee Wee Baby           So Long Young Girl                       Gloria


Wee Wee Baby                     All I Want                      Rockin' At Midnight

The Earls (1)

Laverne Darlene (Girl Of My Dreams)

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