Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Melodeers (2)

Posted on July 9 2010 by dion1

(L to R) Bobby Rodgers, Joe Toscano and Pat Seminara

 The Melodeers (2) (Brooklyn, New York)   

Personnel :

Bobby Rodgers

Joe Toscano

Pat Seminara

 Discography : 

1960 - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer / Wishing Is For Fools (Studio 9908)
1961 - Happy Teenage Times / Goo Goo (Sounds) (Studio 9909)
1961 - The Letter / Nairna Nairna (Shelley 127)
1962 - Born To Be Mine / Three Deuces And Twin Pipes (Shelley 161)

 Biography : 

The Melodeers were three guys who grew up in Brooklyn NY and consisted of Robert N. Rogers, Phil Seminara and Joe R. Toscano. They were lucky enough to land a contract with 20th Century Fox. In the studios of 20th Century Fox they also had the chance to cross Vince Catalano. Vince Catalano was an arranger in the early 60s, who worked with such groups as the Excellents (“Coney Island Baby”) and Donnie & The Dreamers (“Count Every Star”).

Vince did some work for 20th Fox Records and arranged "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" for the Melodeers released on the subsidiary label, Studio. He also wrote and arranged the flipside, “Wishing Is For Fools”. Their version of Rudolph peaked at # 71 on the Billboard 100 chart. For their next single, Vince Catalano wrote and arranged "Happy Teenage Times" released by Studio again backed with "Goo Goo".

The group then signs with Shelley Records, a Sub-label of Golden Crest Records headed by Cold Spring Harbor resident Clark Galehouse at manufacturing premises in Huntington Station. Shelley released “The Letter“ b/w “Nairna Nairna“. For their second single, Ray Artis & Micky Carr compose the nice "Born To Be Mine" backed with "Three Deuces And Twin Pipes". A 1962 Cash Box story linked at a Ray Artis 45 on Bundy said that the Melodders was signed to Bundy, but it seems that Mickey Carr never released a Bundy 45 by them.

Songs :

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Wishing Is For Fools  

Happy Teenage Times                         Goo Goo (Sounds)


The Letter                                   Nairna Nairna  

Born To Be Mine Three Deuces And Twin Pipes

…

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The Cobras (2) aka The Cherokees (1)

Posted on July 9 2010 by dion1

The Cherokees (1) (Philadelphia)
aka The Cobras (2)

Personnel:

Russel Carter (Lead)

Melvin Story

Karl English (First tenor)

George Pounds (Bass)

Discography :

The Cherokees (1)
1954 - Rainbow Of Love / I Had A Thrill (Grand 106/Lost nite 321)
1954 - Please Tell Me So / Remenber When? (Grand 109/Lost nite 325)
1963 - Brenda / By The Candlelight (Lost nite 379/Grand 111)

The Cobras (2)
1964 - La La (hey baby) / Goodbye Molly (Casino 1309/Swan 4176)
1964 - Thumpin' / Don't Ever Know Your Name (Monogram 519)

Biography :

The Cherokees got together in 1949-1950. They were trained vocalists who were also able to dance, read music,and perform comedy. They did not do the corner singing that most other groups did — their parents would not permit it.They made several chaperoned appearances at local Philadelphia nightspots in 1949 through 1952.In 1954 they won a Philadelphia talent contest over every other amateur group in town. They won with what is now known as "Please Tell Her So." The prize was a recording contract with Grand Records. And record they did! Tenor Thomas Lee joined the Cherokees on Grand 109.

Billy Taylor

Following Story's draft notification and their second release on Grand, the remaining four Cherokees enlisted in the army in 1954. In 1964 Billy Taylor (The Castelles) was recording for Swan Records in Philadelphia. Needing a backup group, he found English, Story, Thomas Lee, and Pete Kevin, a bass. They recorded "La La" for Swan as the Cobras.
Mitch Rosalsky (Enyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop vocal Groups)

Songs :

The Cherokees (1)

Rainbow Of Love                              Please Tell Me So


Remenber When?                                   Brenda


I Had A Thrill                                          By The Candlelight

The Cobras (2)

La La (hey baby)

...

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Rick & The Randells aka Rick & The Rockers (3)

Posted on July 7 2010 by dion1

Rick & The Randells aka Rick & The Rockers (3)
Rick & The Randells (L to R) Matty Ferrara, Pete Shultz, Bobby Brown and Rick Randell.

Rick & The Randells (Newark, NJ)
aka Rick & The Rockers (3)

Personnel :

Rocco Gaeta "Rick Randell" (Lead)

Pete Shultz

Bobby Brown

Matty Ferrara

Discography :

Rick & The Rockers (3)
1959 - That Day / I'm Hurt (Arc 4445)

Rick Randle & The Rockers (3)
1959 - That Day / I'm Hurt (Arc 4445)

Rick & The Randells
1960 - Let It Be You / Honey Doll (ABC 10055)

Biography :

Rick Randell's real name is Rocco Gaeta and he was born and raised in Newark, NJ, in the Ironbound neighborhood. Still a thriving, vibrant area of Newark. The radio in their home was always on. His mother loved Country/Western music. He loved the sound of the steel guitars. His parents bought him a guitar when he was 9 years old. In the 8th grade his family moved to the suburb of Bloomfield, NJ where he attended Jr. High and High School.

Rick & The Randells aka Rick & The Rockers (3)
Rick & The Rockers (3) (L to R) Bobby Brown, Pete Shultz and Rick Randell.

In Jr. High He started a band called “The Rockers”. This group lasted into High School where they would play for the HS dances. They also did Rock n Roll Sock Hops at Daley’s Meadowbrook, Cedar Grove, NJ every Saturday for 2000 attending teens. The owners of ARC Records (Ed Danback/Joe DiMaggio) heard ,liked and signed The Group. They recorded “That Day” b/w “I’m Hurt” in 1959. They managed to be on the “Alan Freed” radio show, THE Rock n Roll number one show at that time. This is when “The Rockers’ became known as “Rick and the Rockers”.

Rick & The Randells aka Rick & The Rockers (3)
Rick Randell

People from ABC Paramount were interested from this first recording with ARC. So ARC let them out of the contract and wished them well as they signed with ABC Paramount. They recorded “Honey Doll” in 1959. That same year They recorded “Let It Be You” for ABC. Since they were still in HS, permission from Parents and school district had to be obtained for Rick and the Rockers to go on a 2 month leave in order to tour the US and Canada.

Rick & The Randells aka Rick & The Rockers (3)

At this time they did an appearance on Dennis James’ Cerebral Palsy Telethon in NYC with such headliners as Connie Francis, Dwayne Eddie, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell etc… they were supposed to do 1-2 songs but the phones began to ring off the hook. They were the only performers to stay on live TV and continue playing for 45 minutes! The Rockers were Pete Schultz and Bobby Brown. They added Matty Ferrara and the four became “Rick and the Randells”. In 1960, ABC Paramount dropped the group, kept Rick Randell (Rocco Gaeta was too ethnic a name for the times) where He recorded for APT Records, a subsidiary of ABC Paramount. Rick Randell recorded for several other major labels: Decca, United Artists, Reprise.

Songs :

Rick & The Rockers (3)


That Day                             I'm Hurt

Rick & The Randells


Let It Be You                         Honey Doll

Rick Randell


Dining And Dancing               More Of The Same

...

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The Graduates (2)

Posted on July 1 2010 by dion1

The Graduates (2) (Sydney, Australia)

Personnel :

Nancy Eichhorn

Pat McCluskey

Peter Paige

Bill Venables 

Discography :

Singles :

1958 - Summertime / Sweet Chile (Pacific 127)
1959 - Little Donkey / What Is Christmas To A Boy (Toppers) (Festival 3117)
1960 - The Mocking Bird / The Glory Of Love (Rex 003)

Eps :

1960 - Campfire Sing-a-long (EP HOLB)
Home on the Range

Lps :

1960 - The Graduates (Rex RA2003)
The glory of love / Young in years / Love is just around the corner / Tenderly / Somebody loves me / All the things you are / See you in September / The breeze and I / The things we did last summer / Softly, as in a morning sunrise / Beyond the sea / Where or when

1960 - Campfire Sing-a-long (Rex RA2005) 
Home on the Range / Sweet Genevieve

Biography :

The Graduates were an Australian vocal group based in Sydney. Members included Nancy Eichhorn, Pat McCluskey, Peter Paige and Bill Venables. Vocal group (variously a quartet or trio) active 1959-60.

Peter Paige, Nancy Eichhorn & Pat McCluskey

Used as a backing group on recordings by many other groups during this period, as well as recording under their own name. The Graduates had a little hit with "Sweet Chile/Summertime" on Pacific Records before finding plenty of work on television.

The Graduates backed artists who recorded for EMI, Festival and Leedon labels (Roy Melton, Candy Williams, Col Joye, Rhett Walker, Roberta Shore, Noeline Batley, Kerry Bryant, John Laws, Bix Bryant, Dig Richards )

Movies :

The Everglades

Sweet Chile

Songs :

Sweet Chile Little Donkey

........

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