Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Charmers (1)

Posted on September 30 2012 by dion1

George "Danny" Daniels,Alfred Toddman, Lucille "Vicky" Burgess , James Cooke, Eugene "Sonny" Cooke,

The Charmers (1) (New York)
ref The Chorals

Personnel :

Lucille "Vicky" Burgess (Lead/Tenor)

Eugene "Sonny" Cooke (Lead/Baritone)

Alfred Toddman (First Tenor)

James Cooke (Second Tenor)

George "Danny" Daniels (Bass)

Discography :

1954 - The Beating Of My Heart / Why Does It Have To Be Me? (Central 1002)
1954 - Tony, My Darling / In The Rain" (Central 1006)
1954 - I was Wrong / The Mambo (Timely 1009)
1954 - The Church on the Hill / Battle Axe (Timely 1011)

Biography :

The vocal group The Charmers was formed in late 1953 and its members were Vikki Burgess, George Daniels, Alfred Toddman, and James and Sonny Cooke. They set up a recording date with Central Records run by Lee Magid and Larry Newton (who was also head of Derby Records).

Alfred Toddman, Eugene "Sonny" Cooke, George "Danny" Daniels

The second side released by Central in mid December of 1953 by The Charmers on the songs "The Beating Of My Heart" and "Why Does It Have To Be Me?" on #1002. The record was a steady if unspectacular seller for the first few months of the year, with heaviest action in the Northeast corridor of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and D.C. In late April of the year The Charmers have their second record for Central.

Lucille "Vicky" Burgess

This second effort does not do as well as their previous release. In October of the year Hy Seigel of Timely Records announces the signing of The Charmers to his label. Soon they cut two singles on the Label. Vikki Burgess joins with Myrna Hamilton and Renee Stewart and form a group called The Solirettes and are signed to top New York independent label Old Town Records. All of the efforts by the group remain unreleased and The Solirettes become a dim memory of the time. Burgess now forms another group with Margaret Moore and Estelle Harper and call themselves The Joytones. In 1956, Alfred Toddman, Eugene "Sonny" Cooke and George "Danny" Daniels sang with the Chorals on Decca.
http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/vburgess.html

Songs :


The Beating Of My Heart    Why Does It Have To Be Me?        Tony, My Darling


In The Rain                         I Was Wrong                         The Mambo

The Church on the Hill / Battle Axe

...

See comments

The Corals (1)

Posted on September 28 2012 by dion1

The Corals circa 1960 (left to right): Dino Amaral, Tommy Ciccone, Richard Mancini, Louie Camp & Joe Mancini

The Corals (1) (Rhode Island)

Personnel :

Richard Mancini (Lead)

Joe Mancini (Baritone)

Louie Camp (Bass)

Dino Amaral (First tenor)

Tommy Ciccone (Second tenor)

Discography :

1957 - The Girl I Left Behind / Why Oh Why (Ace) (Unreleased)
1960 - Foolish Pride/ I’ll Always Love You (Stereo) (Unreleased)

Biography :

Their first lineup was called The Idols and they made quick headway on the local scene. The group expanded and evolved over the next couple of years and was re-christened The Corals. They often worked in tandem with The Videls and other local doo-wop groups. In 1957, The Corals recorded their first efforts at Ace Recording Studios in Boston . The two sides which were pressed into an acetate, but there was not enough interest to follow through with a pressing. By 1960, The Videls had parlayed the New England success of their first record, “Place In My Heart”, into a major label record deal and hit it big with “Mister Lonely”.

The Idols circa 1956 (left to right): Eddie Palmisciano, Richard Mancini & Joe Mancini

They encouraged The Corals to come to New York City to try their hand at a major studio and provided the songs and production at Stereo Studios in The Brill Building. Again, the sides were made into an acetate, but there were no takers at the labels. They continued performing in New England with The Videls on weekends, but soon the demands of their “day jobs” prohibited them from commuting on a regular basis. It so happened that The Corals were in transition at that time as well –

The Videls "road" group: Norman Marzano, Bobby Calitri & Joe Mancini (left to right), Richard Mancini (seated)

Dino and Tommy had left the business and Louie had decided that his future was as a saxophonist, not as a singer, and had formed his own group, The Savoys. Literally putting two and two together, the remaining Videls, Norman Marzano and Bobby Calitri, joined forces with Joe and Richard to become the “new” Videls allowing Peter and Vini to remain at work in New York.
http://www.ripopmusic.org/musical-artists/composers/the-mancini-brothersthe-corals/

Songs :

Why Oh Why

...

See comments

The Four Winds

Posted on September 27 2012 by dion1

The Four Winds (Chicago)

...

See comments

The Five Campbells

Posted on September 26 2012 by dion1

The Five Campbells (West Oakland, CampBell Village, Ca.)

Personnel :

Robert Woods (Baritone/Guitar)

Al "Adolph" Jacobs (Guitar)

Donald Alexanders (Tenor)

George Ashford (First & Second Lead)

Marvin "Toots" Hawkins (High Tenor)

Discography :

1956 - Morrine / Hey Baby (Music City 794)

Biography :

All the members hailed from West Oakland's CampBell Village neighborhood. Due to the group's short lifespan, they cut only one record for Ray Dobard (Music City's owner). Down in CampBell Village, there was a beautiful girl called Morrine. Everyone was in love with her. Then the group wrote the song "Morrine"and dedicated it to her.

Woods, Alexanders, Ashford, Hawkins, Jacobs

"Morrine" garnered a lot of play in the Bay Area. As all members of the Five Campbells were under the age of eighteen, their performance exposure was limited to dance hall, parties and school gymnasiums. Dobard paid them nothing except the car fares to local talent shows he had part-sponsored.

Al Jacobs with the Medallions Al Jacobs with the Coasters

Al Jacobs quit soon after the record came out and went with the Robert Ward Band. He later moved on to Jimmy Green's Medallions and the Coasters...

Songs :

Morrine Hey baby

...

See comments

Linda & The Del Rios (5)

Posted on September 24 2012 by dion1

Linda & The Del Rios (5) (New Bedford, Ma.)

Personnel :

Linda Steele (Lead)

Antone Tavares (Tenor)

Arthur Tavares

Ralph Tavares (Second Tenor)

John Tavares

Peter Boo

Discography :

1962 - I Don't Want To Be Loved / Come On, Let Me Try (Crackerjack 4005)

Biography :

The father of Arthur "Pooch", Antone "Chubby", Feliciano "Butch" and Perry Lee "Tiny" Tavares, was a multi-talented musician with a passion for Wes Montgomery and Jimmy McGriff, who played guitar and sang in small clubs in the Tavares hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Their oldest brother John, kindled his siblings interest in the tight, fluid singing of R&B harmony groups. Formed in 1959 by John Tavares. They were signed at Crackerjack Records by Sue Records Inc.'s owner Juggy Murray Jones.

Linda & The Del Rios (5)

The Del Rios were actually a male doo-wop group, Linda Steele (from Providence RI.) was added just for this tune, written by Bob Yorey. Linda got pregnant just after their record was released and Juggy Murray ( Producer) dropped them. Originally released on Crackerjack 4005, b/w "I Don't Want To Be Loved". Crackerjack was a subsidiary label of Sue .

Linda & The Del Rios (5)

It had been John's idea to form a group (originally called The Del Rios) . When John dropped out, Butch joined and when Pooch had a minor operation, Tiny replaced him. After Pooch returned to the group, the brothers couldn't tell Tiny to leave, so they turned their quartet into a quintet, changed their name to Chubby & the Realities, Chubby & the Turnpikes and soon to just The Turnpikes Then the group became Tavares!.

Songs :

Come On, Let Me Try

...

See comments

The Solotones aka The Marigolds

Posted on September 23 2012 by dion1

The Marigolds aka The Solotones

The Marigolds (Nashville, Tennessee)
aka The Solotones
(By Hans-Joachim)

Personnel:

Johnny Bragg (Lead Tenor)

Edward Lee Thurmon (Tenor)

William Stewart (Baritone)

John Edward Drue (Tenor)

Harold Hebb (Tenor)

Willie Wilson (Bass)

Discography

The Marigolds
Singles :
1955 - Rollin' Stone / Why Don't You (Excello 2057)
1955 - Two Strangers/ Love You - Love You - Love You (Excello 2061)
Unreleased :
1955 - Don't Say Tomorrow (Excello)
1955 - Rollin’ Stone (alt. take) (Excello)

Johnny Bragg & The Marigolds
1956 - It's You Darling, It's You / Juke Box Rock And Roll (Excello 2091)

The Solotones
1955 - Pork And Beans / Front Page Blues (Excello 2060)

Johnny Bragg (solo)
1956 - Foolish Me! / Beyond The Clouds (Excello 2078)

Biography:

The Prisonaires, as the name suggests, were a group of inmates led by Johnny Bragg, at the State Penitentiary in Tennessee who were in for a variety of reasons but, through their singing, were touted as evidence of the prison’s successful rehab program. Sam Phillips took notice and brought the group to record at Sun where the group cut “Walking In The Rain” written by member Robert Riley and Johnny Bragg, which was a sizable hit even being covered by Johnny Ray.

The Marigolds aka The Solotones

The group was allowed day passes to tour, even becoming a favorite of the Governor while continuing to record during their imprisonment. After the third single, several members of the group were paroled, so Bragg formed a new Prisonaires renamed the Sunbeams that included Harold Hebb (brother of Bobby Hebb, "Sunny," #2 Pop, #3 R&B, 1966), William Stewart, Willy Wilson, and Henry "Dishrag" Jones .

Henry Dishrag Jones (piano) Harold Hebb, Johnny Bragg, John Drue, L.B. McCollough(guitar), Alfred Brooks, Willy Wilson

Meanwhile, in July 1954, Sun issued the last Prisonaires single "There Is Love In You," which Billboard described as a "pretty ballad sung skillfully, sparked by a baritone lead. This is one of the group's best to date." Al Brooks joined the group later, replacing William Stewart. In 1955 the Sunbeams became the Marigolds and recorded in Nashville for Excello Records.

The Marigolds aka The Solotones

The Excello-released "Rollin' Stone" became a number eight R&B hit while the group was still based in the Tennessee penitentiary. After the Marigolds Bragg changed names again recording the Solotones and then under his own name before spending some additional time in prison for parole violations eventually hanging up his recording career though he continued to sing, as do many, in church.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/ROWNEW/RollinSt.htm

Songs :

The Marigolds

Rollin’ Stone                   Rollin’ Stone (alt. take)                    Why Don’t You


Two Strangers        Love You - Love You - Love You        It's You Darling, It's You


Juke Box Rock And Roll           Don’t Say Tomorrow

The Solotones

Pork And Beans Front Page Blues

Johnny Bragg (solo)

Foolish Me! Beyond The Clouds

...

See comments

The Loungers aka The Secrets (1) aka The Five Secrets

Posted on September 21 2012 by dion1

The Five Secrets (Staten Island, New-York)
aka The Secrets (1) aka The Loungers - ref :The Uniques (6)

Personnel :

Dave Concepcion (Lead)

Pat Russo (First Tenor)

Vinnie Santorelli (Second tenor)

Steve Murphy (Baritone)

Franck Del Cavo (Bass)

Discography :

The Five Secrets
1957 - Queen Bee / See You Next Year (Decca 30350)

The Secrets (1)
1957 - Queen Bee / See You Next Year (Decca 30350)

The Loungers
1958 - Remenber The Night / / Dizzy Spell (Herald 534)
1991 - Wedding Bells / Teenage Bells (Park Ave.5)

The Uniques (6)
1962 - Do You Remember / Come Marry Me (Flippin 202)

Biography :

The group formed on Staten Island in 1955, initially singing for fun. In 1956 they decided to get serious about their talent. They soon got themselves a manager and shortly thereafter signed with Decca. Their first release with Decca came in 1957. The recording received little promotion, but it nevertheless afforded them many appearances. Early copies show "Secrets" on the label. Several weeks following the release of this first disc, the Five Secrets signed with Herald.

As a legal precaution, they changed their name to the Loungers. Because of Herald/Ember's preoccupation with the Mellokings and The Five Satins, the Loungers received little or no attention.At Herald the material was written by the group, whereas at Decca Management gave them the material to record. This is most probably why they sounded so different on the two labels. Additionally, Decca had told the group that they wanted to sound pop. Shortly before the group broke up, Murphy Left and was replaced by Pat Russo's brother, Bernie. The group broke up at the end of 1958, and it was three years later that Vinnie Santorelli and Bernie Russo decided to form a new group "the Uniques". In 1962, the Uniques recorded "Do You Remember" b / w "Come Marry Me" released by Flippin Records.
Encyclopedia of Rhythm and Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups by Mitch Rosalsky

Songs :

The Five Secrets

See You Next Year Queen Bee

The Loungers

Teenage Bells Remenber The Night Dizzy Spell

Wedding Bells

The Uniques (6)

Do You Remember Come Marry Me

...

See comments

The Accents (2)

Posted on September 18 2012 by dion1

The Accents (2) (Hollywood, Calif.)

Personnel :

Robert Armstrong (Lead)

Israel Goudreau Jr.(Tenor)

Robert Draper Jr. (Tenor)

Jimmy Jackson (Baritone)

Billy Hood (Bass)

Arvid Windell Garrett

Discography :

1958 - Wiggle Wiggle / Dreamin' And Schemin'(Brunswick 55100)
1959 - I Give My Heart To You / Ching A Long (Brunswick 55123)
1959 - Anything You Want Me To Be / Autumn Leaves (Coral 62151)

Biography :

"Little Bitty Pretty One" was the obvious inspiration for the Accents' sole hit "Wiggle Wiggle" and though the similarities were evidently not sufficient to warrant a lawsuit, Aladdin took the expedient step of covering the song with a group called the Chestnuts.

The Accents (2)

Comprising Robert Armstrong, (Born in California in 1936), Billy Hood, (Texas 1932), Jimmy Jackson (Ohio, 1930), Arvid Windell Garrett (Illinois, 1936), Israel Goudreau Jr. (Texas, 1938) and Robert Draper Jr. (Alabama, 1934), It's likely that the Accents came together in the Service.

The Accents (2)

The group cut two more unsuccessful follow-ups before disbanding in 1960.

Songs :


I Give My Heart To You                      Wiggle Wiggle


Dreamin' And Schemin                          Ching A Long

Anything You Want Me To Be Autumn Leaves

...

See comments

The V-Eights

Posted on September 17 2012 by dion1

Top: Tony Maples; Middle Row: Bobby Thomas, Roosevelt McDuffie, Frank Hosendove; Bottom: Bobby Young

The V-Eights (Asbury Park, New Jersey)
aka The Ray Dots

Personnel :

Roosevelt McDuffie (First Tenor)

Leroy Brown (Second Tenor)

Tony Maples (Tenor)

Delmar "“Kirby”" Goggins (Tenor)

Frank Hosendove (Bass)

Discography :

The Ray Dots
1959 - I Need Someone / Lu La (Vibro 1651)

The V-Eights
1960 - My Heart / Papa's Yellow Tie (Vibro 4005/ABC 10201)
1961 - Everything That You Said / Guess What (Vibro 4006)

Stoney Jackson & The V-Eights
1961 - Let's Take A Chance / Hot Water (Vibro 4007)

Biography :

The Ray Dots became the first group to record for Gervis Tillman’s Vibro label. Their recording of “I Need Someone” was the first R&B record ever made for an Asbury Park record label. The group eventually evolved into the “V-Eights. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the September 1975 issue of Yesterday's Memories, first tenor Roosevelt McDuffie previously recorded with the Vibranaires (aka the Vibes), who scored a major regional hit with 1954's "Doll Face" before military duties forced them to part ways.

Frank Hosendove, Bobby Young, Tony Maples, Bobby Thomas, Roosevelt McDuffie

Tenors Leroy Brown, Tony Maples, and Delmar "Kirby" Goggins along with bass Frank Hosendove completed the original V-Eights lineup. When Brown dropped out of sight in 1960, McDuffie enlisted Vibranaires founder Bobby Thomas as his replacement, and at year's end the V-Eights resurfaced on manager Gervais Tilman's Vibro label with "My Heart" -- Goggins was the next to go, with tenor Henry "Stoney" Jackson, who had been with Paul Himmelstein's Heartbreakers , taking his place for 1961's "Everything You Said."

Henry "Stoney" Jackson

After the follow-up, "Let's Take a Chance," Jackson too exited, and despite adding tenor Bobby Young, the V-Eights split in 1962. McDuffie, Thomas, and Young later reunited in a reconstituted Vibranaires, and in 1966 the trio joined Sonny Til in his immortal doo wop ensemble the Orioles.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Vibranaires/vibranaires.html
http://www.classicurbanharmony.net

Songs :
The V-Eights


My Heart                                   Papa's Yellow Tie


Everything That You Said                      Guess What

Stoney Jackson & The V-Eights


Let's Take A Chance                          Hot Water

...

See comments

The Two Chaps

Posted on September 16 2012 by dion1

The Two Chaps (New York)
Ref : The Empires (4)

Personnel :

David Blatt "Jay Black"

Marty "Sanders" Kupersmith

Discography :

1958 - No More / Forgive me (Atlantic 1195)

Biography :

David (Jay) Black and Marty Sanders were next door neighbors who started to sing together in High School. A friend of theirs took them to Nat Garrick who decided to manage them and took them to Ivy Records as The Two Chaps. Atlantic Records heard the master of "Forgive Me" on Ivy and purchased it. The record didn't do much and that was the brief career of The Two Chaps.

The Two Chaps
The Empires

Subsequently, Marty formed another group called The Interludes who later changed their name to The Empires when they started recording for Epic. The group consisted of Marty, Eddie Robbins, Leo Rose (lead) , Phil Horowitz and Gary Kessler. .Right after their demo session, Leo dropped out of the group and Marty called in Jay Black. The Empires cut one record entitled "Time And A Place" b/w "Punch Your Nose".

Songs :

No More Forgive me

....

See comments