Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Watusi Warriors aka The Five Delights aka The Mood Makers

Posted on March 16 2011 by dion1

The Five Delights aka The Mood Makers aka The Watusi Warriors 1959 (l-r) Danny Levy, Eddie Stokes, Ray Figueroa, Waldo Champen and Sonny Jordan

The Five Delights (New York)
aka The Mood Makers
aka The Watusi Warriors 

Personnel :

Ed "Sonny" Jordan (First Tenor)

Waldo Champen (First Tenor)

Douglas Ferrer (Second Tenor)

Georges Rosa (Baritone)

Daniel Levy (Bass)

Discography :

The Five Delights
Singles:
1958 - There'll Be No Goodbye / Okey Dokey Mama (Newport 7002/Unart 2003)
1959 - The Thought Of Losing You / That Love Affair (Abel 228)
Unreleased :
1959 - Sweet Little Girl (Abel)

The Mood Makers
Single:
1961 - Dolores / Dream a Dream (Bambi 80)
Unreleased :
1961 - Sweet Little Girl (Bambi)

The Watusi Warriors
1959 - Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba / Kalahari (Prince 1206)

Biography :

In 1958, Waldo Champen and Ed Jordan reunited in the 5 Delights, with Douglas Ferrer (second tenor), George Rosa (baritone) and Daniel Levy (bass). This mixed group (George was Spanish and Daniel was white) was already in existence; when they brought in Ed (an old friend), he, in turn, brought in Champ. They recorded a single record which was released on another of Jerry Winston's labels in June (Newport this time; it was distributed by George Goldner's Gone label).

The Five Delights aka The Mood Makers aka The Watusi Warriors
(l-r) Danny Levy, Eddie Stokes, Ray Figueroa, Waldo Champen and Sonny Jordan

Ed led "There'll Be No Goodbye," while Douglas fronted "Okey Dokey Mama." When it started making a little noise, the masters were sold to United Artists, which re-released it on Unart in September. However, a little noise was all it made, and George and Douglas left. Two new members were found in Raymond Figuroa (a Spanish second tenor) and Ed Stokes (a white baritone). They had a release, in March 1959, on the Prince label (under the embarrassing name of the Watusi Warriors): "Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba," backed with "Kalahari.

Then, a new label (Alan Abel's Abel Records) and a couple of new tunes: "The Thought Of Losing You" with Ed and "That Love Affair" with Champ. Once again there was no action, but this time they hung in there. In 1961 they changed the group's name to the Mood Makers and had a single release on the Bambi label in May. "Dolores" (the Bachelors' tune) is led by Ed Jordan and "Dream A Dream" is a duet between Ed and Champ.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/WaldoChampen/waldochampen.html

Songs :

The Five Delights

There'll Be No Goodbye        The Thought Of Losing You


That Love Affair                        Okey Dokey Mama

The Mood Makers

Dolores Dream A Dream

The Watusi Warriors

Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba Kalahari

...

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The Impalas (1)

Posted on March 15 2011 by dion1

The Impalas (1) (New-York)

Personnel :

Joe Frazier（Lead）

Tony Carlucci（First Tenor）

Lenny Randa（Second Tenor）

Richard Wagner（Baritone）

Discography :

Singles :

The Impalas (1) 
1958 - First date / I was a Fool（Hamilton 50026) 
1958 - Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home / Fool, Fool, Fool（Cub 9022)
1959 - Oh what a Fool / Sandy went away（Cub 9033） 
1959 - Peggy darling / Bye everybody（Cub 9053）
1966 - I cam't see me without you / When you dance（Red Boy-113）
1982 - My Hero / There ain't nothing like a Dame (UGHA 17)

Speedo & The Impalas (1)
1960 - All alone / When my heart does all the talking（Cub-9066）

Eps :

1959 - Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home / Fool, Fool, Fool / Chum / All But The Memory Of You (Cub CX5000)

1959 - Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home / Fool, Fool, Fool / Sandy went away / Oh, what a fool (MGM -EP-696)   LPs :

Lps :

1959 - The Impalas (Sorry I Ran All The Way Home) (Cub 8003)
Sorry I Ran All The Way Home / Sandy Went Away / Woodchuck Song / Fool Fool Fool / She Belongs To Me / Cupid / Oh What A Fool / The Loves We Share / Chum / All But The Memory Of You / Mommy-O / You Want Too Much Too Soon

Biography :

The Impalas were a Brooklyn vocal group with the distinction of being one of the few white groups with a black lead singer. The distinction was blurred by the fact that Joe "Speedo" Frazier sounded as white as the rest of the group. Lenny Renda (second tenor), Richard Wagner (baritone), and Tony Carlucci (first tenor) began practicing in the back room of a Canarsie candy store and on local street corners in the late 1950s; they were often heard by teenager Speedo.

His offer to help their harmonies turned into a full-fledged front- running spot with the group. Their name idea was inspired by one of the teens dad's new car, a Chevy Impala. They issued a song called "First Date" on the small Hamilton label; it went unnoticed and they were back in the candy store in a flash. One evening their street-corner singing attracted the attention of Artie Zwirn and Aristedes Giosasi (Gino of the act Gino and Gina, "Pretty Baby," #20, Mercury, 1958) who liked their sound and also had an original song titled "Sorry, I Ran All the Way Home."

In early 1959 an introduction to Alan Freed led to an MGM audition and a record deal with their Cub subsidiary. "Sorry" became their first hit single, charting at number two Pop. (Only Dave "Baby" Cortez's "Happy Organ" was in front of the up-tempo tunes.) It managed to make it to England at number 28 by the summer. In less than two months the Impalas had gone from Canarsie corners to big-time touring with THE SKYLINERS, Chuck Berry, and Frankie Avalon, playing Alan Freed concerts, the Brooklyn Fox, and the Ed Sullivan and Dick Clark TV shows.

With a million-seller under their belts the group issued "Oh What a Fool," another teen Top 40 pleaser penned by Zwirn and Giosasi. It started out swimmingly, but the record died at number 86 during the summer of 1959 )it possibly did too well on its own at first, prompting Cub to stop promoting). Their last Cub single, "All Alone" (which was the first single to read Speedo and the Impalas), never had a chance although Billboard's March 28, 1960, review called it "a tender ballad, with chick chorus lending a good touch to the arrangement," and gave it four stars.

In 1966 the group did a fine MAGNIFICENT MEN- styled recording for Dave Rick on Red Boy titled "I Can't See Me Without You." By the '80s the membership included Speedo, Randy Silverman of VITO AND THE SALUTATIONS, Ricky Shaw, and John Monforte.

Of the originals, Richard Wagner became a phone company lineman in New Mexico, Lenny Renda became a New York City cop, and Tony Carlucci dropped out of sight, but the Impalas can be heard almost any time you turn on oldies radio in America; "Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home" is a rock and roll standard.
Jay Warner "American singing groups: a history from 1940s to today"

http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/impalas.html
http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/joe_frazier.htm

Videos :

Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)

Songs :


Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home           Oh What A Fool


Bye Everybody                             Peggy darling


Sandy went away                    All alone

...

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The Three G's aka Dickie & The Gee's aka The Toppers (6)

Posted on March 13 2011 by dion1

The Three G's (East Canton, Ohio)
aka Dickie & The Gee's aka The Toppers (6)
(Update By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel :

Ted Glasser

Jerry Glasser

Bob Glasser

Discography :

Dickie & The Gee's
1958 - Baby Bye Bye / Foolish Tears (Argo 5288)

The Three G's
1958 - Let's Go Steady For The Summer / Wild Man (Columbia 41175)
1958 - I'll Wait Forever / Sweet Thing (Columbia 41256)
1958 - These Are The Little Things / Wonder (Columbia 41292)
1959 - When It's Summer Again / Oh, Suzett (Columbia 41383)
1959 - Barbara / Don't Cry Kathy (Columbia 41513)
1960 - Take That Step / Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Moe (Columbia 41584)
1960 - Let's Go Steady For The Summer / Love Call (Columbia 41678)
1960 - She's Mine / Take My Love (Columbia 41868)
1960 - Foolish Tears / Blueberry Hill (Columbia 41955)

The Toppers (6)
1962 - Tell Me Why / All Around (Stacy 927)

Biography :

The Glasser Family of East Canton, Ohio is probably one of the Largest (5 boys and 6 girls) and most musical in the Midwest. One of the Five Sons, Pat, sings under the name of Pat Shannon, and has come into prominence recording for Decca Records. Another son, Dick Glasser "Dick Lory" sang with his brothers in the group - The Glasser Brothers - before they split up to go their separate ways as solo artists, except for three of the brothers, the three youngest sons, Jerry (16), Ted (19) and Bob (21) decided to form a singing trio,.

Pat Glasser "Pat Shannon" Dick Glasser "Dick Lory"

In 1957-8 Dick Glasser had a couple of releases on Argo as well as a third one as Dickie & The Gee's (Argo 5288). "The Gee's" in fact were his brothers Ted, Jerry and Bob . The Gee's next went to Colombia Records to record just like "The Three G´s" . They cut nine singles. "Let’s Go Steady For The Summer" was their only charted song, making it to #55 with a 3 week stay on the Hot 100 in August of ’58.

In 1962 the Toppers with Dick Glasser again recorded "Tell Me Why" b/w "All Around" on Stacy Record, a Small independent Cleveland, Ohio label. Both songs are written by Dick Glasser. It is likely that the Toppers are The Three G's.

Songs :

Dickie & The Gee's

Baby Bye Bye / Foolish Tears

The Three G's

Wonder                                 Barbara                             She's Mine


Let's Go Steady For The Summer     When It's Summer Again    Take That Step


Don't Cry Kathy                 I'll Wait Forever                   Wild Man

The Toppers (6)

Tell Me Why All Around

...

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Little Pete & The Youngsters (4)

Posted on March 12 2011 by dion1

Little Pete & The Youngsters (4) (Louisville, Ky)

Personnel:

Robert W. Downs Jr "Little Pete" (Lead)

Willard Marsh

Wallace Sanders

Charlie T. Wells

Thomas Wiggins

Discography :

1962 - You Told Another Lie / I'll Never leave You Again (Lesley 1925 / Candlelite 428)

Biography :

The group hailed from Louisville, Kentucky. Group members were Robert W. Downs Jr. “Little Pete” lead, Willard Marsh, Wallace Sanders, Charlie T. Wells and Thomas Wiggins. All five members are credited for writing “You Told Another Lie.

Songs :

You Told Another Lie I'll Never leave You Again

..

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Pete & Vinnie

Posted on March 11 2011 by dion1

Pete & Vinnie (The Videls) (Providence, Rhode Island)

Personnel :

Peter Andreoli (Anders)

Vincent Poncia Jr.

Discography :

1963 - Hand Clappin' Time - Part 1 / Part 2 (Big top 3155)
1963 - Why Can`t We Try It Again (Unreleased)
1963 - Laughing Fool (Unreleased)
1963 - Remember Me (Unreleased)
1963 - Why Does the Dance Have to End? (Unreleased)
1963 - Laughs Laughs (Unreleased)
1963 - Ballad of the Willow Tree (Unreleased)
1963 - After the Party`s Over (Unreleased)
1963 - What`ll Do With the Pieces (Unreleased)
1963 - She`s the Girl Who Stole My Baby (Unreleased)
1963 - Understand Me (Unreleased)
1963 - Take It On The Chin (Unreleased)

Biography :

Peter Andreoli (Anders) and Vincent Poncia Jr. can be found on so many records, they're almost Zelig-like figures in the annals of music history. They wrote hundreds of songs for the likes of Cher and The Ronettes. They founded a record label (MAP City Records).

And within the space of a few short years, after The Videls and before The Trade Winds, the duo would make records as Pete & Vinnie.

Songs :


After the Party`s Over           Take It On The Chin


Hand Clappin' Time               What'll Do With The Pieces

CDs :

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The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

Posted on March 10 2011 by dion1

The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

The Souvenirs (2) (San Bernardino, CA.)
aka The Mementos

Personnel :

Rosetta Lawrence

Alvin Williams

Norm Williams

Joseph ...

Discography :

The Souvenirs (2)

Singles :
1962 - The Bump / The Worm (Reprise 20065)
1962 - The Real McCoy / The Watusi (Reprise 20066)

Lp :
1962 - Everybody's Doin' It with The Souvenirs (R/R9 6027)
Slow Twistin' / Mashed Potatoes / Popeye / Hully Gully / New Continental / Watusi / Bump / Real McCoy / Rocheroo / Mop / Mash / Worm

The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

The Mementos
1962 - Do The Mashed Potatoes / The Watusi (Strip) (Reprise 20091)

Discography :

Reprise Records was started by Frank Sinatra in 1960 as a vehicle for his own recordings, and the recordings of his Las Vegas pals, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1961, Arranger, songwriter, and musician Steve Venet under the pseudonym of Steven Venetoulis (He also used sometimes Kathie Venetoulis) produced and arranged an Album for the Souvenirs.

The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

This Vocal group from San Bernardino, CA. comprised Rosetta Lawrence, Brothers Alvin & Norm Williams (who wrote "The Real McCoy") as well as a fourth member named Joseph. "Everybody's Doin' It with The Souvenirs" is a mix of instrumental as well as vocal tracks of which three singles will be extracted almost at the same time: two under their name and the third under the name of "The Mementos": probably not to have too many single from the same group at the same time.

Songs :

*** The Bump ****

...

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Chang Lee & The Zani-Acts ref The Du Barrys

Posted on March 7 2011 by dion1

Chang Lee & The Du Barrys ref The Zani-Acts

Chang Lee & The Zani-Acts (Newark, New Jersey)
ref The Du Barrys

Personnel :

Domenick Roberto (Chang Lee)

Joseph Donnamaria (First Tenor)

Hank Majewski (Bass)

Joe Pesci (First Tenor)

Tony Napolitano (Drums)

Discography :

Chang Lee & The Du Barrys
1959 - I Must've Been Crazy / Tell Me (Jamison 864)

The Du Barrys
1959 - (Let's Exchange) Graduation Rings / Movin' Around (Topic 9120)

Biography :

Domenick "Chang Lee" Roberto had been an entertainer since the 1940s, working non-stop in night clubs and banquet halls. He served in the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War, attaining the rank of corporal. During his military service, he entertained many of his fellow servicemen.

After the war, he returned home and created Chang Lee's and the Zani-Acts featuring the Yum-Yum Girls. In 1959 Hank Majewski, one of the original 'Four Lovers" (Four Seasons) left the group to became one of the group with first tenor actor/comedian Joe Pesci, Joseph Donnamaria & Tony Napolitano. The group will be many different staff over the years. In the same period, Chang Lee recorded two rare records with the Du Barrys who are probably the same singers than the Zani-Acts.

Chang Lee packed many venues, including The Savoy Plaza, The Rustic Cabin, Don's 21, The Flamingo, The Meadowbrook, The Cottage Inn, and The Silhouette, all in the greater Newark area, with Joe Pesce, Frankie Valli, Jerry Vale, Louis Prima, Lou Monte, Jimmy Roselli, Georgia Gibbs, Joey Dee, Tommy DeVito, Phil Brito, and many, many more. A talented songwriter, he recorded with Georgia Gibbs, Perry Como and Jerry Vale.

Songs :

The Du Barrys

(Let's Exchange) Graduation Ring Movin' Around

Chang Lee & The Du Barrys

I Must've Been Crazy Tell Me

...

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The Two-Tones

Posted on March 6 2011 by dion1

Frank Amodeo & Byron Taylor

The Two-Tones (Higland Park, Detroit)

Personnel :

Frank Amodeo

Byron Taylor

Discography :

N/A - Lonesome / My Broken Heart's Broken Again (Unreleased)

Biography

After the Four Imperials broke up, Frank Amodeo joined up with Byron Taylor and recorded as The Two-Tones.

Songs :

My Broken Heart's Broken Again Lonesome

...

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The Chanters (2) aka Bud Johnson & The Voices Five

Posted on March 5 2011 by dion1

The Chanters (2) (Queens, New Kork)
aka Bud Johnson & The Voices Five

Personnel :

Larry Pendergrass (Lead)

Fred Paige (First & Second Tenor)

Bud Johnson, Jr. (Second & First Tenor)

Elliot Green (Baritone)

Bobby Thompson (Bass)

Discography :

The Chanters (2)
1958 - My My Darling / I Need Your Tenderness (Deluxe 6162)
1958 - Row Your Boat / Stars In The Skies (Deluxe 6166)
1958 - Five Little Kisses / Angel Darling (Deluxe 6172)
1961 - I Make This Pledge / No, No, No (Deluxe 6191)
1961 - At My Door / My My Darling (Deluxe 6194)
1963 - Over The Rainbow / No, No, No (Deluxe 6199)
1963 - Row Your Boat / No, No, No (Deluxe 6200)

Bud Johnson & The Chanters (2)
1958 - No, No, No / Over The Rainbow (Deluxe 6177)

Bud Johnson & The Voices Five
Singles :
1959 - For Sentimental reasons / All alone (Inst.)(Craft 116 )
1959 - You're driving me crazy / On the Alamo (Stereo craft 111 A)
Lps:
1959 - Big Beat Dance Party (Lp RCS-509 )
Lover Come Back To Me / For Sentimental Reasons / You're Driving Me Crazy / On The Alamo

Biography :

Bud (sometimes spelled as Budd) Johnson was a jazz and R & B tenor sax player who did a lot of session work in New York throughout the forties and fifties. His son Bud Jr. along with a few of his neighborhood friends soon began singing notes and trading riffs which the father thought might show some promise. So Bud Johnson along with Bob Thompson, Fred Page, Elliot Green, and lead singer Larry Pendergrass soon solidified the group. Their influence was the top sound of the day - the young high tenor lead made famous by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers. Bud and his group who were managed by his mother soon were put in contact with one of the leading independent record companies of the day, the King-Federal-DeLuxe combine located in Cincinnati, Ohio and headed by Syd Nathan. Nathan who was looking for just that kind of sound in a vocal group, quickly signed them to his DeLuxe label and set up their initial recording session. The first release for the group was "My My Darling" and "I Need Your Tenderness" on # 6162 in April of 1958.

The record did not do much in sales or airplay and the group was soon ready for another try. In June "Row Your Boat" and "Stars In The Skies" was released on DeLuxe #6166. This time the results were a bit better for the group but still certainly not a big national, or even a regional hit. "Row" was an up tempo tune very much in the mold of the Lymon brothers groups. September saw the third DeLuxe release on the tunes "Angel Darling" and "Five Little Kisses" on # 6172. Once again the group just did not seem to capture an audience for their music. The Chanters had one last effort in the year. The songs were the pop standard "Over The Rainbow" and "No No No" and this time Bud's father gave the session his experience in arranging and orchestrating the takes.

Probably because of this the group was identified on the label as "Bud Johnson & The Chanters" leaving many listeners to assume that Johnson was the lead singer rather than Pendergrass. In 1959 Page left to military service and his place was taken by Fred Johnson another member of the Johnson family - this time a cousin. That year the group moved to the Craft label and recorded "All Alone" and "For Sentimental Reasons" and released on # 116. This time the lead singer was Fred Johnson and the group had changed their name to The Voices Five. A bit of confusion came about as the label released a side as by the Budd Johnson Orchestra (Bud Jr.'s father) on # 113. Unfortunately for the group now The Voices Five, the end result remained the same.

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ev1tiger/chanters.html
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Chanters/chanters.html

Songs :

The Chanters (2)


No No No                              Five Little Kisses                  Row Your Boat


I Need Your Tenderness           My My Darling                     Angel Darling


Stars In The Skies                  Over The Rainbow         I Make This Pledge (To You)


At My Door

Bud Johnson & The Voices Five

You're Driving Me Crazy Lover Come Back To Me For Sentimental Reasons

On The Alamo

...

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Tony Morra & The Do-Wel's

Posted on March 4 2011 by dion1

Tony Morra & The Do-Wel's (Pittsburgh)

Personnel :

Tony Morra (Lead)

Discography :

1960 - Looking For My Baby / I Can't Believe (Du-Well 1005)

Tony Morra & The Do-Wel's

Songs :

Looking For My Baby I Can't Believe

...

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