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) 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 Beau-Jives 1961 - Brightest Star In The Sky / But I Love You (Lord Bingo 102) 1962 - Dip Dip / But I Love You (Lord Bingo 103) 1962 - I'll Never Be The Same / What Would You Do (Shepherd 2202) 1962 - Brightest Star In The Sky / Mr. Sandman (Lord Bingo 107) 1963 - Here We Go / Beau Jive Symphony (Lord Bingo 108) 1963 - Dip Dip / Now's The Time (Lord Bingo 109) 1963 - Dip Dip / Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket (Lord Bingo 111/Vision 111)
Joel Warren 1962 - Evil Boll Weevil / Let Her Go (Kapp 463)
Biography:
The Beau-jives had their genesis in the late ‘50s at Fairfax High School in L.A., where three Jewish guys named Phil Bell, Harvey Shapiro, and Joel Warren became deeply enamored with the Olympics and the Coasters–black music mixed with humor. They were originally a vocal trio who wrote songs and performed in the style of those groups they loved. The Beau-jives cut seven singles in three years, and some great doo wop like "I'll Never Be The Same", "What Would You Do" & "Dip Dip"
In summer of ‘63, Phil Bell dropped out to continue his education as the other guys picked up instruments and began gigging in earnest around L.A. At that time sax player Leon Owens (nee Clare Wright) joined the band and his manic style and showmanship fit right in with the outrageous live performances the group had perfected as a vocal trio.
A variety of drummers played with the band, among them Paul Lagos and Johnny Kelly, along with Harvey on bass and Joel on keyboards. The band appeared on the final episode of Danny Thomas "Make Room for Daddy" series in April, 1964, performing the show number known widely around L.A. where Leon is picked up by his feet while playing and swung in a circle by Joel.
1964 - The Danny Thomas Show - The Persistent Cop
When Beatlemania struck in 64, the band's style changed, although still heavily dependent on the black R&B sounds they so loved. When Joel went into the army in mid-64, the band hired guitarist Michael ("Big Mike Beef") Buckius and grew their hair. Joel returned in December 64, and the band expanded to five for the next several years.
Songs :
The Beau-Jives
What would you do I'll never be the same Dip Dip
Brightest Star In The Sky Mr. Sandman Here We Go
Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket Now's The Time
Singles : 1956 - Crazy Love / Never Let Me Go (Old Town 1018) 1956 - Latin Love / Hey Norman! (Old Town 1028)
Unreleased : 1956 - I Give You My Word (Old Town) 1956 - Hong Kong Jelly Wong (Old Town) 1956 - Do You Remember (Old Town) 1956 - A Castle In The Sky (Old Town)
Ruth McFadden & The Royaltones 1956 - Two In Love / You For Me (Ruth McFadden) (Old Town 1020)
Biography :
The Royaltones started singing as the Barons in 1953. After Performing at local parties and clubs during summer 1955,"Puddin" Carson joined as lead and changed their name to the Royaltones. They taped a few songs to take with them to Manhattan. Their first stop was the Old Town facility : they didn't have to look any further.
Ruth McFadden
In November 1955 they cut four sides for Old Town, including their first release, " Crazy Love." That same day, Ruth McFadden was recording 'Two in Love." The Royaltones backed McFadden on this tune. "Crazy Love" sold well in New York . Right away, they signed to do the Alan Freed show at the Brooklyn Paramount. The headliners were Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Platters, the Flamingos, the Solitaires, the Cleftones, the Willows, Fats Domino, the Valentines, Ruth McFadden, and many more.
Alan Freed
Several months later they went back to the studio to record again. Due to a dispute over royalties, the last four cuts recorded were never released. Following a year of inactivity, they broke up. They blame their failure on Old Town's Weiss brothers. http://www.uncamarvy.com/Royaltones/royaltones.html
Songs :
The Royaltones
Crazy Love Never Let Me Go Latin Love
Hey Norman! I Give You My Word Hong Kong Jelly Wong
Holiday Records, founded by Danny Robinson, the younger brother of Fire/Fury Records founder Bobby Robinson, existed for only two years, a period in which it cut music by such groups as the Bop Chords , Jimmy Jones and the Pretenders, the Ladders and plus lesser-known acts like the Harmonaires.The Harmonaires Were from the Bronx: Clint Holland, Albert George, Bob Trotman and Andre Lilly. It is also understood that several of the members attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. Bob Trotman & Andre Lilly went over to The Rob Roys and went on to sing all there great hits. Albert George became bass singer of the Bonnevilles.
1957 - Goose Bump / Booblee Ah Bah Doo Baa (Cosmic 702) 1958 - (Make With) The Shake / 45 R.P.M. (Cosmic 704) 1959 - I Got A Wife / Ah-OO-Ga (Mercury 71403) 1959 - Move Over Rover / Dante's Inferno (Mercury 71445) 1959 - Mairzy Doats / Ring Ring Ring Those Bells (Mercury 71481)
Biography :
The Mark IV were an American musical ensemble, based in Chicago, consisting of Bob Peterson, Leon McGeary, Williams Thomas, and Michael McCarthy. They were originally named The Rhythm Makers. They later changed their name to Mark V, and then - as members left - to The Mark IV, and eventually ending in the 1980s as The Mark IV Trio.
The band appears to have recorded only as The Mark IV, however, and they had their biggest hit in 1959 with the novelty song, "I Got A Wife" (Mercury 71403). "I Got A Wife" was set to a lively polka beat, and reached No. 24 in U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 14 on Canadian radio station CHUM's "Chum Chart".
Prior to "I Got a Wife," the group released at least two singles on Cosmic Records. One of these was "Goose Bumps" b/w "Booblee Ah Bah Doo Baa" (Cosmic 702; 1957), recorded along with the Dick Marx Orchestra. Though both songs on this record fit the category of doo-wop, the nonsense title of the B-side suggests the "novelty" direction the group would later take. The other known Cosmic release was "(Make With) The Shake" b/w "45 R.P.M." (Cosmic 704; 1958). The group performed "(Make With) The Shake" on American Bandstand, and Dick Clark currently owns the rights to the song.
Both songs were also released in Canada on the REO label (REO 8217). "(Make With) The Shake" was in a vein rather similar to Danny and the Juniors' "At The Hop", and it charted No. 22 on the Canadian "Chum Chart". After the success of "I Got A Wife," Mercury quickly followed up with several more Mark IV novelty singles. One of these was "Move Over Rover" b/w "Dante's Inferno" (Mercury 71445; 1959). Another was "Mairzy Doats" b/w "Ring Ring Ring Those Bells" (Mercury 71481; 1959). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mark_IV
Songs :
I Got A Wife Ah-OO-Ga Move Over Rover
Dante's Inferno (Make With) The Shake 45 R.P.M.
Ring Ring Ring Those Bells Mairzy Doats Goose Bump
1964 - Over The Rainbow / Fool Number (Selsom 104)
Biography :
The roots of the Uniques go back to a group started in Neptune High School by Ron Coleman in 1956. Ron assembled his first vocal quartet in school, consisting of himself, Raymond Nolan, Michael Carnegie and Alan Thompson. After high school, the group was joined by Leon Trent, a lead singer from Asbury Park. The group called themselves the Trennels and from there they became the Zircons . The Zircons sound changed for the better with the addition of Billy Brown. At that point, the group became the Uniques. By 1964, Norman Seldin owner of Delsom Records, had taken an interest in the Uniques.
Sam Siciliano Nicky Addeo
Billy Brown was temporarily away from the group and the Uniques got Nicky Addeo to fill in as lead. Other members of the Uniques at the time were Ron Coleman, Leon Trent and Ray Morris. To make the Uniques’ sound fuller on record, Norman Seldin suggested they add a bass singer. Nicky Addeo suggested they add Sam Siciliano from the Darchaes, which they did. In a single day-long recording session at Broadways Studios in NYC, Norman Seldin decided to record all four of his acts. The Uniques recorded “Fool Number Two” backed with “Over The Rainbow”. http://www.classicurbanharmony.net/
Singles: 1960 - Love Me (The Way That I LoveYou) / Truly (Tore 1008) 1961 - Laughing / I'm No Run Around (Swan 409)
Unreleased : 1960 - Thank Heaven for Little Boys (Tore)
Biography :
Ginger and the Snaps was formed in 1959 with Ginger Davis, Frank Zarzecki, Bill Johnson and Louis springer. Truly was written by Frank Zarzecki one of the members of the Snaps. written and produced in Camden N.J. at the Baker sound studios. Norman Baker was the producer on the Tore' Label.
On their second release, they recorded in 1961 "I'm No Run Around" an answer to "Runaround Sue" by Dion. It was released as a single by Swan Records but didn't chart on the Hot 100. The group stopped recording in 1961 after I'm No Run Around.
Myrna Gerrard (replaced by Dolores “LaLa” Brooks in the middle of 1962)
Discography:
Singles: 1961 - There's No Other (Like My Baby) / Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby (Philles 100) 1962 - Uptown / What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen (Philles 102) 1962 - He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss) / No One Ever Tells You (Philles 105) 1962 - He's A Rebel* / I Love You Eddie (Philles 106) 1962 - He's Sure The Boy I Love* / Walkin' Along (La-La-La) (Philles 109) 1963 - (Let's Dance) The Screw - Part I / " " Part II (Philles 111) 1963 - Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) / Git It (inst.) (Philles 112) 1963 - Then He Kissed Me / Brother Julius (instrumental) (Philles 115) 1963 - I Wonder** / Nothing** (Philles 117) (Unreleased) 1964 - Little Boy / Harry (From West Virginia) And Milt (instrumental) (Philles 119) 1964 - All Grown Up / Irving (Jaggered Sixteenths) (instrumental) (Philles 122) 1965 - You Can't Tie A Good Girl Down / My Place (United Artists 927) 1966 - I Got A Man / Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me, Baby? (United Artists 994) 1967 - Ring-A-Ting-A-Ling / Should I Keep On Waiting (Michelle 4113) 1979 - Da Doo Ron Ron / Then He Kissed Me (Gusto 2090) 1982 - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer / I Saw Mommy..(Ronettes) (Pavillion 03333)
*Credited to The Crystals, but actually by The Blossoms with Darlene Love on lead! **Unreleased test pressing - I Wonder / Nothing. (Initially assigned catalogue number 117 but then replaced. The group name and song title are hand written on the test pressing. The B side is actually labelled “Nothing” but is a duplication of the A side). “I Wonder” was released in Great Britain on London HLU 9852 in 1964.
Unreleased: 1965 - In The Morning (United Artists) 1965 - When The Right Boy Comes Along (United Artists)
Albums: 1962 - Twist Uptown (Philles LP 4000) Uptown / Another Country - Another World / Frankenstein Twist / Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby / Please Hurt Me / There's No Other (Like My Baby) / On Broadway / What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen / No One Ever Tells You / Gee Whiz Look At His Eyes (Twist) / I Love You Eddie
1963 - He's A Rebel (Philles LP 4001) He's A Rebel / Uptown / Another Country - Another Town / Frankenstein Twist / Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby / He's Sure The Boy I Love / /There's No Other (Like My Baby) / On Broadway / What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen / No One Ever Tells You / He Hit Me / I Love You Eddie
1963 - Sing The Greatest Hits (Philles LP 4003) Da Doo Ron Ron / On Broadway / He's A Rebel / Hot Pastrami* / There's No Other / The Wah Watusi* / Mashed Potato Time* / He's Sure The Boy I Love / Uptown / The Twist* / Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) / Look In My Eyes *Credited to The Crystals, but actually by The Ronettes!
1963 - A Christmas Gift For You (Philles LP 4005) Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town / Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer / Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
Biography:
The group was originally a quintet consisting of Barbara Alston (born 1945), Dee Dee Kennibrew (born 1945), Mary Thomas (born 1946), Patricia Wright, and Myrna Gerrard, organized by Benny Wells while they were still in high school. All of whom had started out singing in churches; Barbara Alston was Wells’ niece, and although she later became known as their lead singer on many of their records, Alston was actually recruited as a backup singer by her uncle.
Barbara, Mary, Pat, Dee Dee, LaLa
Under Wells’ guidance, they began performing in more of a pop vein, and one of the gigs that they got was cutting demos for the publisher Hill & Range, which brought them to the Brill Building in midtown Manhattan. It was there, while they were rehearsing, that they chanced to be heard by Phil Spector, who at that time was just starting up his own label, Philles Records.
He was in the market for new talent and the Crystals - who, by that time, had lost Gerrard and added La La Brooks to their lineup as lead singer - were just what he was looking for, sort of. He liked their sound and their range, but he didn't initially like Brooks’ voice and insisted on Alston taking the lead, somewhat reluctantly on her part.
Pat, LaLa, Barbara & Dee Dee
In September of 1961, the slightly reconfigured group cut their first hit, “There's No Other Like My Baby,” which rose to number 20 nationally. It was a promising beginning, putting the group, Spector, and his new label on the map; although another song cut at about the same time, “Oh, Yeah, Maybe, Baby” (which featured Patricia Wright on lead), pointed the way to the group's future, with its understated yet boldly played string accompaniment.
In early 1962, the Crystals recorded a Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil song called “Uptown,” using an arrangement that was a tiny bit lighter on the percussion (except for castanets, of which it had many) but pushed the guitar and the strings out in front more than “Oh Yeah, Maybe, Baby” had. Barbara Alston's strong-yet-sensuous vocals enunciated lyrics that were as steeped in topical subject matter, especially about the frustrations of life in the ghetto, as they were in romance.
This gave “Uptown” a subtly two-pronged appeal; it was a gorgeous pop record, but also a new kind of pop record, eminently listenable yet serious in its subtext. No, it wasn't “Blowin' in the Wind,” but it seemed to evoke a social realism that heretofore eluded the pop charts. “Uptown” reached number 13 nationally. Its production marked a major step forward in the making of rock & roll singles in its production, and heralded a newer, bolder era in pop music and R&B, very much of a piece with such hits as the Drifters’ “Up On the Roof,” but with an undercurrent of frustration that the latter song lacked; it all pointed the way toward the more sophisticated and socially conscious kind of songs that Sam Cooke would soon be generating.
It was at this point, in the wake of “Uptown,” that the history of the Crystals gets a little more complicated. It wasn't until June of 1962 that they had another single ready to go, and it engendered all kinds of problems that “Uptown” had avoided. If that song had gotten a serious lyric across with an elegant and quietly passionate setting, “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” (co-authored by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, no less) was the reverse, presenting a disturbing lyric about infidelity and the physical abuse of a woman by a man, in a dark, ominous manner.
Lala Brooks with Phil Spector
Barbara Alston and company gave it everything they had, and Spector came up with a surprisingly subtle, bolero-like arrangement, but it was a lost cause. Radio stations simply wouldn’t play it, and the public didn’t like the song, period; according to Barbara Alston, the group didn’t like it either, and to this day nobody understands exactly what was in Spector’s mind when he cajoled them into cutting it.
1964 - Barbara Alston, Dee Dee Kenniebrew, Frances Collins and La La Brooks
The following month, Spector was back in the studio running another Crystals session, except that this time it wasn’t really the Crystals that he was recording, but Darlene Love. As the owner of the Crystals’ name and, as their producer, possessing the right to record anyone he wanted (or anything he wanted) and label it as being from “the Crystals,” he decided to forego any further battles over who should sing lead, and forego using the group entirely for “He's a Rebel.”
A celebration of street-level machismo like no other, it was an upbeat number with gorgeous hooks and, with none of the baggage of its failed predecessor, became a number one hit, as well as engraining itself in pop culture history as a quintessential girl group classic. Darlene Love was the lead singer on the next hit by “the Crystals,” “He's Sure the Boy I Love,” as well.
1965 - Dee Kenniebrew, Frances Collins and LaLa Brooks with unknown guitar player
It wasn't until early 1963 that the group again sang on one of their own records, “Da Doo Ron Ron,” and by that time, Spector had accepted La La Brooks in lieu of Alston as lead singer. That record rose to number three in America and became their second biggest British hit, reaching the number five spot in the U.K. That placement, along with the U.K. number two position for “Then He Kissed Me” (which also got to number six in America), was very important, because at the time a lot of major British bands were about to break onto the charts at home, before coming to dominate American music a year later.
“Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me” became among the most popular American rock & roll songs of the period in England, covered by all manner of acts on-stage and on-record. The Crystals were in a seemingly enviable position, except for the fact that they and Spector were increasingly at odds over what he was doing with them. They’d been unhappy from the time when Spector began using their name on behalf of records made by Darlene Love, and every time they were obliged to perform those songs on-stage it grated against them, and in 1963 they were almost constantly touring and performing.
By 1964, they also perceived Spector’s growing inattention; he had lately discovered a girl trio called the Ronettes on whose music and lead singer, Veronica Bennett, he was lavishing ever more of his time and energy. Meanwhile, the Crystals were making good and interesting songs, such as the beautiful “Another Country, Another World,” “Please Hurt Me,” and “Look in My Eyes,” the latter a bluesy ballad that showed a side of their sound that Spector seldom tried to explore.
The group had released two LPs hooked around their major hits, Twist Uptown and He's a Rebel, in 1962 and 1963, respectively, that had some good songs on them, but Spector's attention and enthusiasm was increasingly directed elsewhere. Spector’s seeming dismissive attitude toward the group may have been best illustrated by the most bizarre record with which he, the group, his label, or almost anyone else in the music business had ever been associated: “(Let's Dance) The Screw.”
Spector had never been one to keep business partners very long - in that regard, he was a lot like the movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn - and in 1964, he'd settled a lawsuit against Lester Sill, the man with whom he’d started the Philles label. As a parting shot at Sill - and, it is rumored, to fulfill the terms of a settlement that required him to pay a share of the proceeds from the next Crystals single - he devised an otherwise un-releasable single that Philles pressed, called “(Let's Dance) The Screw.” On it, Spector talked the lyrics while the Crystals sang backup, in a five-minute musical joke that is also one of the rarest records of the 1960s (supposedly only a handful were ever produced, one of which was sent to Sill).
Personal jokes by their producer were all well and good, but by 1964, following the failure of two consecutive genuine Crystals singles, the group - with Frances Collins replacing Patricia Wright - was no longer interested in working with Spector. The following year they bought out their contract and headed to the seemingly greener pastures of the Imperial label, where they found no success; by that time, the only girl groups that were still competitive in the music marketplace were associated with Motown. By 1966, the Crystals had disbanded, and for five years no one heard anything about the group except in airplay on oldies stations. Spector had even closed down Philles Records, and the resulting unavailability of their records except on the radio only raised the value of the old copies that were out there, and made his periodic reissues of the group’s work that much more prized by fans. Then, in 1971, with the rock & roll revival in full swing, the group members reunited and spent a few years delighting audiences on the oldies circuit. Various incarnations of the group resurfaced every so often in the late ‘70s and 1980s, but at the dawn of the 21st century, Dee Dee Kennibrew was still leading a version of the group and had even managed to get them recorded. Bruce Eder, All Music Guide http://www.history-of-rock.com/crystals.htm http://www.tsimon.com/crystals.htm http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/crystals.htm http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/crystals.htm http://oldies.about.com/od/girlgroups/p/crystals.htm http://www.rocky-52.net/chanteursc/crystals.htm
Movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF7V2dSvxpo He’s A Rebel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqgtsai2aKY Da Doo Ron Ron
Songs:
There’s No Other (Like My Baby) There’s No Other (Like My Baby) (stereo) Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby
Uptown What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)
No One Ever Tells You He’s A Rebel I Love You Eddie
He's Sure The Boy I Love Walkin’ Along (Let's Dance) The Screw - Part I
(Let's Dance) The Screw - Part II Da Doo Ron Ron The He Kissed Me
I Wonder Little Boy Harry (From West Virginia) And Milt
All Grown Up You Can't Tie A Good Girl Down My Place
I Got A Man Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me, Baby? Ring-A-Ting-A-Ling
Should I Keep On Waiting In The Morning When The Right Boy Comes Along
Another Country - Another World Frankenstein Twist Please Hurt Me
On Broadway Gee Whiz Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
The Chanters (1) (Santa Monica, CA) ref Gene & Billy aka The Cats
Personnel :
Ethel Brown
Gene Ford
Billy Boyd
Alan Boyd
Discography :
The Chanters (1) Singles : 1954 - She Wants To Mambo / Tell Me, Thrill Me (RPM 415) 1955 - Watts / Why (Combo 78) 1955 - I love You / Hot Mama (Combo 92) Unreleased : 1955 - Do you Remember (Combo)
The Cats 1955 - Get Gone / You're So Nice (Federal 12238) 1955 - I Don't Care No More / After I Gave You My Heart (Federal 12438)
Gene & Billy 1955 - Zerlene / It's Hot / (Spark 120) 1955 - Zerlene / The Whip (Billy & Billygoats) (Loma 702)
Biography :
The Chanters were a Santa Monica vocal group and not to be confused with the Queens, NY group. This group consisted of Ethel Brown from the squires (on Combo) Gene Ford, Alan Boyd, and Billy Boyd. On RPM, they had just this one record. They also had two releases on Combo Records in 1955. Gene Ford had sung with Jim Forrest & The Four Feathers.
When the group broke up, Gene & Billy cut "Zerlene " "It's Hot" in 1955 on the short lived Spark label. Spark Records was the brainchild of the clever Jerry Leiber and the gutsy Mike Stoller. The Same year, Gene & Billy cut two Singles for Federal, King Record's subsidiary, under the name of the Cats.
Singles : 1962 - A Million And One Dreams / Satisfied (Ransom 5001) 1963 - Get Married In June / A Million And One Dreams (Hammer 6313)
Unreleased : 1962 - You're Mine 1962 - I Believe 1962 - It Hurt To Be In Love 1962 - Unchain My Heart (Allen & Kemp)
Biography :
This Group formed in 1958 and consisted of Robert Reese (Lead/First Tenor), Eric Simmons Jr. (Lead/First & Second Tenor), Frederick Simmons (Baritone) and Robbert Baggett (Lead/Bass). They decided to call themselves the "Bell Larks" (later shortened to "Bel-Larks"), imagining ringing chimes and singing birds. The Bel Larks practiced in the basements of the Simmons' Home singing such as "Only you", "Book Of Love" and "Come Go With Me" . They Also sang few original tunes, including "Bobby" and "Dinner at Baggett's".
E.Simmons, R. Baggett, R.Reese & F. Simmons
As the group became more polished, they started performing at local high school dances, parties and neighborhood nursing homes. In the summer of 1959, they asked Roselind Allen to join the group as the Second Lead and Soprano. Roselind had been singing since the age of four or five and at thirteen she formed a group (the Blendtones) with fellow Madison junior high classmates Marie Smith and Geruleve Outley. The gores sang an original song written by Roselind Allen and Marie Smith, entitled "A Million And One Dreams". In August 1960 Robert Reese joined the Navy.
In 1962, The Bel-Larks hooked up with David Ransom, and he became their Manager. Ransom introduced the group to independent record producer Scott Hilton and Together they booked a recording session for the Bel-Larks at Riposo studios on Warren street in Syracuse. they recorded "A Million And One Dreams" and "You're Mine". A second recording session was set up at Riposo Studios and the Bel-Larks recorded "Satisfied" along with their original Tune "Get Married In June", "I Believe" and "It Hurt To Be In Love".
R. Baggett, F.Simmons,R. Allen, R.Reese & E. Simmons
"A Million And One Dreams" b/w "Satisfied" was released on Ransom Records towards the latter part of 1962 and received airplay on local radio station WNDR. Unfortunately, nothing much happened after the release, But the Bel-Larks continue to perform in the Syracuse Aera….Tragically, on July 29, 1963, 21-year-old David Ransom was in a car accident that led to his death on August 7th. Shortly After Ransom's passing, The Bel-Larks Called to Quit..
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