Connie Francis & The Jaybirds 1956 - My First Real Love / Believe In Me (MGM 902)
Bobby Darin & The Jaybirds 1956 - Rock Island Line / Timber (Decca 29883) 1956 - Blue Eyed Mermaid / Silly Willie (Decca 29922)
Biography :
In January 1956, Don Krischner and Bobby Darin approached George Sheck, Connie Francis' then Manager, with a song for the young singer.
Bobby Darin & Connie Francis
Bobby Darin wrote "My First Real Love", which led to their first encounter. Darin was "The Jaybirds", who were credited as background vocals. The choir effect was reached by Darin recording his part several times in different keys. However, the single failed to chart.
The Same Week Bobby had signed with Decca Records who thought he had real star potential. Again, on his first singles, Bobby sang all the Vocals as the Jaybirds.
Songs :
Connie Francis & The Jaybirds
My First Real Love Believe In Me
Bobby Darin & The Jaybirds
Rock Island Line / Timber Silly Willie Blue Eyed Mermaid
Arthur & The Corvets (4) (Atlanta, Georgia) aka The Corvetts (2)
Personnel :
Arthur Conley (lead)
Eddie Davis
Hubert Kimbrough
Mark Chapman
Discography :
Arthur & The Corvets (4) 1964 - Poor Girl / Darling I Love You (Na-R-Co 203) 1964 - Miracles / I Believe (Na-R-Co 232 / NRC 2781) 1964 - Aritha / Flossie Mae (Na-R-Co 2871)
The Corvetts (2) 1965 - I'm Going To Cry / You're Blue (Moon 100)
Biography :
Born January 4, 1946, in McIntosh, GA, and raised in Atlanta, Conley was just 12 years old when he joined the Evening Smiles, a gospel group that appeared regularly on local radio station WAOK. Arthur joined a secular band named the Corvets and composed by Eddie Davis, Hubert Kimbrough & Mark Chapman. Arthur became their lead singer. Named Arthur & The Corvets, the group recorded "Poor Girl" and "Darling I Love You" both written by Arthur. The single was released by the Atlanta label National Recording Company in April 1964. The label will release a second single a few months later with "Miracles" b/w "I Believe". But, the NRC singles attracted little attention and Arthur left the group to mount a solo career. The group without its leader continues to record and the label released "Aritha" and "Flossie Mae" will be released shortly after retaining the name of "Arthur & The Corvets". Under the name of Corvetts a last single will be released in 1965 by Moon Records with "I'm Going To Cry" b/w "You're Blue".
The Avons (3) Singles: 1963 - Push A Little Harder / Oh, Gee Baby (Groove 58-022) 1963 - Rolling Stone / Words Written On Water (Groove 58-033) 1964 - Whatever Happened To Our Love / Tonight Kiss Your Baby Goodbye (Groove 58-0039) 1966 - Be Good To Your Baby / Just As Long As I Live (Sound Stage 7 2561) 1967 - Talk To Me / Got To Get Used To You (A-Bet 9419) 1968 - Since I Met You Baby / He's My Hero (Excello 2296) 1968 - Tell Me Baby (Who Would I Be) / A Sample Of My Love (Ref-O-Ree 700)
Unreleased: 1963 - A Fool / I’ve Got More Love / The Pig (Groove) 1964 - How Many Tears Til Tomorrow / Don’t Stop / Come Out Dancin’ / Every Little Beat (Groove) 1968 - I Would If I Could (Excello) 1968 - Tell Me Baby (Who Would I Be) (Alternate Take) (Ref-O-Ree)
Jenny & The Jewels (6)(rumoured to be The Avons) 1964 - Baby Love / Baby Don't You Do It (Leroy Jones) (Hit 153) 1966 - Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart / It's A Man's, Man's World (Leroy Jones) (Hit 257) 1967 - In And Out Of Love / Everlasting Love (Steve Miller) (Hit 313 )
Biography:
The Avons were formed by Paula Hester, Beverly Bard and her sister Fran Bard while at Pearl High School, Nashville. They started out on RCA's Groove label in 1963, moved to Sound Stage 7 in 1966, then to Excello in 1967 releasing their last single on Ref-O-Ree. The first single released in 1963 was "Push A Little Harder". Single number two "Rolling Stone" was published in 1964 by Excellorec, the publishing arm of Nashville's Excello label. The group were dropped by RCA apparently because their 2nd and third singles were not as successful as their 1st.
The group were still working with John "Bucky" Wilkin, leader of Ronny and the Daytonas. His co-writer Bobby Russell (also of the Daytonas) had contacts with Monument Records and got them a deal with their subsidiary Sound Stage 7......resulting with the single "Be Good To Your Baby" in 1966. The Sound Stage 7 single didn't work as well as expected so Bob Holmes got the group a contract with Excello Records where he worked as a staff producer. Excello put the group on their subsidiary A-Bet and produced the single "Talk To Me" in 1967. For the next single the group was promoted to the main Excello Label and had their next single issued in 1968. "He's My Hero" was co-written by Bob Holmes and former Ikette Joshie Armstead. This was the last work they did with Excello.
"Night Train To Nashville"
In 1968 The Avons and veteran producer Ted Jarrett were picked to launch the newly formed Ref-O-Ree label. "Tell Me Baby (Who Would I Be) their 1st and last single with the label and was the group's last known work. In the UK, the single was released as by The Novas, so as not to confuse with the British group. The Avons each recorded for the Ref-O-Ree label of Nashville. Both acts also recorded cover versions of charted records for the local budget Hit label. Rumored The Avons used the monicker Jenny & The Jewels...
Singles : 1959 - Delores / Chop Chop In The Wall (Everest 19316)
Unreleased: 1959 - A Place In Your Heart 1959 - Angel 1959 - Don't Cry 1959 - You Better Admit It 1959 - Jezebel 1959 - Heavenly Father 1959 - Glory Of Love
Biography :
The Boulevards were produced by Bayside, Queens, New York record entrepreneur Jerry Love. Jerry owned a record store in Bayside, and produced/managed a number of vocal groups. The Boulevards, were local boys, Frankie Zazzo, Lou Adessa, Jim Alessandria, Bobby Thomas and Ralph Lasher.
Jerry Love placed their only released effort with the Everest label in 1958. The Fascinations, from Akron, Ohio, came to Jerry Love in 1960 with their tape of Midnight and Doom Bada Doom, which Jerry "polished" with some strings and gave to Eddie Rasbaum for release on his Sure label.
Top: James Williams ,James Bailey; Bottom: Donald Coles, James Zeke Brown, Paul Morgan.
The Calvaes (Chicago)
Personnel :
James "Zeke" Brown (Lead)
James Bailey
Paul Morgan
Donald "Duck" Coles
Donald Handley
Discography :
The Calvaes 1956- Fine Girl / Mambo Fiesta (Cobra 5003) 1957 - Born With Rhythm / Lonely, Lonely Village (Cobra 5014)
Oscar Boyd & The Calvaes 1959 - Anna Macora / So bad (Checker 928)
Biography :
The Calvaes was a little young group out of the Dearborn Homes, on the Twenty-ninth and thirtieth blocks of state street. They came under the management of Ted Daniels, one of the top guys then working with groups. Cobra Records was started on Chicago's West Side in 1956 by Eli Toscano . Toscano chose to release four sides on the group. The first pairing was two jumps, "Fine Girl" and "Mambo Fiesta," in which the group sing well on routine material.
The Calvaes played the Jim Lounsbury Memorial Auditorium show in September 1956 and the Fitzhugh Thanksgiving show at the Trianon that year, sharing the stage with the other Cobra acts. They were able to play at two Sam Evans promotions: in September 1956, at a prestigious show at the Trianon, where they were on the bill with Ray Charles, Chuck Willis, J. B. Lenore, and Nate Nelson , and in February 1957, at a midnight show at the Central Park Theater, sharing the bill with Andre Williams, Jimmy Rogers, John Lee Hooker, Kool Gents, and Otis Rush .
In July, Cobra released a second pairing, again two jumps, "Born with Rhythm" and "Lonely Lonely Village," both sides written by Daniels. The Calvaes were able to linger for a couple more years, and they got a record out on Chess in 1958, "Anna Macora" backed by "So Bad." "Anna Macora" made the Cobra sides sound like masterpieces, and "So Bad," in which the artists were billed as "Oscar Boyd and the Calvaes" . Robert Pruter (Doo wop, The Chicago scene)
Songs :
The Calvaes
Born With Rhythm / Lonely, Lonely Village Fine Girl / Mambo Fiesta
Discography : Singles : 1959 - Scheming / Tafu (Bristol 1916) 1959 - It Doesn't Matter / Julie (Abner 1031) Unreleased : 1959 - Till Forever More (Vee Jay)
Biography :
Delroy Bridgeman first started singing in elementary school in the mid-50s, inspired by the earlier East Chicago group the Dream Kings, the Gary group the Spaniels, and the Harvey group the Dells. In high school in the late 50s, in the tenor section of the choral club, Delroy formed the Senators.
The Senators were a mixed-race group that recorded "Scheming" / "Tafu" (along with two unreleased tracks) for the Bristol record label out of Hammond, IN. The record got some local play in Chicago and the group even appeared on the Jim Lounsbury dance show. Although they were not supposed to be performing R&B material in the choral club, their choral club director Mr. Croxton became the group's manager and encouraged the group to enter a talent show in Gary, IN, competing for a recording contract for Vee Jay records.
The Senators won the talent show and ended up releasing a record "It doesn't matter" / "Julie" on Vee Jay's Abner subsidiary (they also recorded two more unreleased tracks for Vee Jay). The record received some local play and the group continued to do local shows. The group soon disbanded after the members graduated and entered college.
Singles : 1962 - You Belong To Me / Such A Good Night For Dreaming (Columbia 42303/Jason Scott 4) 1963 - It's Love / Lover, Come Back To Me (Smash 1853) 1964 - Please Be Mine / If I Were A Magician (Smash 1887) 1964 - Be My Girl / If I Were A Magician (Smash 1887) 1964 - Doo Bee Dum, (Say I Love You) / Everlasting (Smash 1921) 1965 - Out Of The Crowd / Stormy (Constellation 151) 1966 - You Never Had It So Good / What A Scene (Red Bird 10078) 1966 - The Girl I Want To Bring Home / A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Columbia 43886) 1978 - Dreamland / I'm Gonna Tell Your Mother (Crystall Ball 121)
Unreleased : N/A - You're so fine (Crystall Ball) N/A - Lover N/A - White Christmas N/A - Dancing on the Celling N/A - Let It Be
Biography :
Early in 1957 three junior high school students from Brooklyn - Marty Jolton, John Cipriani and Steve Tudanger - formed Marty & the Joltineers. Soon they met Larry and Sal Ruggiero, and the Corsairs were founded.
Marty & the Joltineers
When Larry dropped out, the group changed its name to The Vocal Lords and recorded "At Seventeen", released first on the tiny Abel logo, and then on Taurus. The disc earned the group some local fame and a spot on Clay Cole's TV show. While at Taurus, they also did back-ups on releases by Donnie & the Delchords and the Fireflies, whose song "Good Friends" Steve also wrote. Meanwhile, in another neighbourhood, Joe DiBenedetto, Jimmy Gallagher, Tommy Saltzo and Nick Zagami formed the Paladians.
The Vocal Lords
After releasing "I'd Climb The Highest Mountain" the outfit disbanded, with Jimmy joining the Passions, while Nick and Joe teamed up with John and Steve of the Vocal Lords. This new quartet renamed themselves the Four-Evers.
They landed a recording contract at Columbia Records in 1961 and a management deal with Al Kasha, who produced their single, "You Belong To Me". While at Columbia the Four-Evers also sang background on 45s by Bob Halley, Gene Montgomery and Billy Casher, alias Al Kasha himself.
In 1963 Kasha introduced the group to Bob Crewe, who took the guys under his wing and secured them a new deal with Smash Records. Crewe linked the group with songwriter Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons, who produced their Smash debut, "Lover Come Back To Me".
With Dj Hal jackson
1964 proved to be the Four-Evers' year, with "Be My Girl" and "(Say I Love You) Doo Bee Dum" both reaching the national charts. Meanwhile the group continued working as studio singers, backing up Tracey Dey ("Teenage Cleopatra"), Bob's brother Tom Crewe ("Mighty Fine Girl"), Vinnie Monte ("Hey, Look At The Winter Snow"), Cathy Carroll ("I Don't Want To Give You Up"), Eddie Rambeau ("Concrete And Clay") and many others. Steve also had compositions recorded by the Dynamics and the Candy Girls, a group he managed. After further singles on Constellation, Red Bird and Columbia, the Four-Evers disbanded. http://www.spectropop.com/remembers/SteveTudanger.htm
Songs :
Stormy The Girl I Wanna Bring Home Dreamland
Lover, Come Back To Me You Belong To Me Such A Good Night For Dreaming
It's love Be My Girl (Please, Be Mine) If I Were A Magician
The Arnells 1963 - Heart Repair Shop / Take A Look (Roulette 4519)
The Teenettes (3) 1963 - Let Me Be The One / Bye Bye Baby (Sandy 250)
Biography :
The girls were all from Elizabeth high school (NJ.) and The lead singer was Judy Roberts . They recorded two singles under two different names, The Arnells on Roulette and The Teenettes on the litlle label Sandy.
The Impressions circa 1958 (top) J. Butler, S. Gooden, A. Brooks (bottom) R. Brooks, C. Mayfield
The Impressions (1) (Chicago) (Part 1 : Early Years With Jerry Butler)
Personnel :
Jerry Butler (Lead/baritone)
Curtis Mayfield (Tenor)
Arthur Brooks (Tenor)
Richard Brooks (Tenor)
Sam Gooden (Baritone)

Discography :
Jerry Butler & The Impressions (1) 1958 - For Your Precious Love / Sweet Was The Wine (Vee-Jay 280/Falcon 1013/Abner 1013)
The Impressions (1) featuring Jerry Butler 1958 - Come Back My Love / Love Me (Abner 1017)
The Impressions (1) 1958 - The Gift Of Love / At The County Fair (Abner 1023)
Biography :
The Impressions were actually made up of members of two groups: Arthur and Richard Brooks (tenors) and Sam Gooden (baritone) of the Roosters, and Jerry Butler (baritone) and Curtis Mayfield (tenor) of the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers. The three Roosters splintered from their original quintet when they moved to Chicago from Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1957.
Clockwise from L - C.Mayfield, Vivian Carter (Vee Jay),S.Gooden, A. Brooks, R. Brooks, J.Butler
The Jubilees' Jerry and Curtis were Chicago residents who were traveling the gospel circuit and performing in the Traveling Souls Spiritualist Church, of which Mayfield's grandmother was a pastor. To help out with the family finances, both boys sang with secular groups on the side, Jerry with the Quails and Curtis as part of the Alphatones.
When the Roosters came on the scene, Jerry convinced Curtis to join, and soon they had both a sound and a manager named Eddie Thomas. During 1957 Thomas came up with an unusual gig for the teenagers: a downtown fashion show. Performing their usual set of rhythm and blues doo wop songs, the group also did an original with music by the Brooks brothers and lyrics by Butler titled "For Your Precious Love."
The Impressions (top) A. Brooks, S. Gooden and Fred Cash, (bottom) C. Mayfield and R. Brooks
It caught the attention of one Mrs. Vi Muzinski, who arranged an audition with Calvin Carter of Vee-Jay Records. They auditioned with "For Your Precious Love" right in the hallway and wound up recording for the label a few days later. (they changed the name of the Roosters to the Impressions. )
The single was released on Vee-Jay in May 1958. By July 28th "For Your Precious Love" was at number 11 Pop and number three R&B. Its flip side, the more traditional doo wop rocker "Sweet Was the Wine," became a street-corner vocal group favorite over the years. In September, their second single, "Come Back My Love," with a similarity to " Precious Love," came out and went to #28 R&B but never crossed into Pop. By the fall of 1958, Jerry Butler decided to go solo.
Three remaining Ewart Abner singles under the name the Impressions went nowhere, including "At the County Fair," the first recording with a Curtis Mayfield lead. Meanwhile, Fred Cash of Chattanooga, a Rooster before that group moved north, took Jerry's place in the Impressions. American Singing Groups: From 1940 to Today by Jay Warner
Songs :
For Your Precious Love Sweet Was The Wine Come Back My Love
Ray Denney, 

Dave Booker, 

Frank Conner, 

Gene Bunton
The Statics (2) (Brewer & Bangor, Maine)
Personnel :
Ray Denney
Dave Booker
Frank Conner
Gene Bunton
Discography :
Singles : 1958 - Girl In My Dreams / The Day You Left Me (Event 4279)
Unreleased : 1958 - White Cliffs Of Dover (Event) 1958 - Tell Me That You Love Me (Event)
Biography
The Statics Came From Bangor, Maine. The statics rolled, performing at schools, grange halls, etc. across Maine. In early 1958 They Recorded Their Only Single "Girl In My Dreams" / "The Day You Left Me" For The Event Label. During The Same Time The Guys Recorded some Demo Cuts Which Stayed Unreleased. In 1958, "Girl In My Dreams" did climb into the top ten in the Bangor/Brewer Aera… Another Record Deal With The Paris Label In 1959 Failed. Eventually they split up.
Statics opening the show and dance at Bangor's city hall auditorium March 1956
As with most groups/bands, the Statics had quite a few personnel changes. Others who sang with the group along the way include Jake Lawrence, Dave Morrison, Donny Prunty, Dick Wyman and Jim Richardson. (When Rock'n Roll Rocked Maine by Will Anderson)
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