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The Royal Debs (Detroit, Michigan)
Personnel :
Joan
Evelyn
Mamie
Lazette
Discography :
Singles :
1962 - Jerry / I Do (Tifco 826)
Unreleased :
1962 - Be My Lover (Tifco)
Biography :
The Royal Debs are actually from Detroit, Michigan, They recorded five songs for James Newton.
James Newton — a banker who also owned a small Tifton (GA) label, Tifco Records
MagicalMusicMemories
Songs :
Jerry I Do
…..
Dicky Doo & The Don'ts (Philadelphia)
(Update By Hans-Joachim)
Personnel :
Gerry Granaham "Dickey Doo" (Lead)
Harvey Davis (Bass)
Al Ways (Sax)
Ray Gangi (Guitar)
Dave Alldred (Drums)
Discography :
Singles :
Dickey Doo & The Don’ts
1957 - Click-Clack / Did You Cry (Swan 4001)
Dicky Doo & The Don’ts
1958 - Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu / Flip Top Box (Swan 4006)
1958 - Leave Me Alone (Let Me Cry) / Wild Party (Swan 4014)
1959 - Teardrops Will Fall / Come With Us (Swan 4025)
1959 - Ballad Of A Train / Dear Heart, Don't Cry (Swan 4033)
1960 - Wabash Cannonball / The Drums Of Richard A. Doo (Swan 4046)
1960 - Teen Scene / Pity, Pity (UA 238)
1961 - The Judge / A Little Dog Cried (UA 362)
1961 - The Judge / Doo Plus Two (Danna 1001)
1965 - Click Clack '65 / Don't Count Me Out (Ascot 2178)
Lps :
1960 - Madison And Other Dances (UAL-3094 / UAS-6094)
The Big M, Part I (Madison) / What In The World's Comes Over You / Cha Cha Rooney / Ballin' The Jack / Do The Slop / Mashed Potatoes / The Big M, Part II (Madison) / Rock And Roll Waltz / Charleston / The Big Hurt / The Stroll / The Bop
1960 - Teen Scene (UAL-3097 / UAS-6097)
Footsteps / I Love The Way You Love / He'll Have To Go / Lady Luck / Vive L'amour / Midnight Special / Teen Scene / Wake Up Little Susie / Mr. Blue / Pity, Pity / Pretty Blue Eyes /Wild One
1961 - Live at Eagle Rock Ski and Golf Club in Hazleton PA (Danna D1566)
Shake Rattle And Roll / Ain't That A Shame / Jenny Jenny / Kansa City / What I'd Say / Lucille / Allright OK You Win / Hully Gully / Saints Go Marching In / Nee Nee Na Na Nu Nu / Can't Sit Down
Biography :
Dickey Doo & the Dont's started out as a joke with a purpose. Gerry Granahan, a producer, songwriter, and performer needed an alias under which he could release his newest record without getting into legal trouble with another record label to which he was already under contract and the alias turned into a successful recording act.
Granahan, born in Pittston, PA, was a musician and singer who'd handled demos for Hill & Range aimed at Elvis Presley. Signed to Sunbeam Records in 1957, he had a hit in mid-1958 with "No Chemise Please," a novelty song that got to number 23 on the Billboard chart.
His next four singles stiffed, but then he found himself with a song that seemed like a certain hit, "Click Clack," and a label -- Swan Records of Philadelphia -- that wanted to release it; moreover, with Swan behind it, the label's silent partner, Dick Clark, would give it a boost on the local version of his daily music showcase, American Bandstand, thus ensuring it had every chance to become a hit.
Granahan's different contractual relationships, with Sunbeam and an earlier contract with Atlantic, however, made it risky for him to release anything with Swan, at least under his own name. Thus were born Dickey Doo & the Dont's, a mythical act whose name would be attached to the song "Click Clack." Swan partner Tony Mammarella suggested the name Dickey Doo & the Dont's as an "in" joke that obliquely referred to Clark's secret involvement with Swan.
The song broke out gradually and rose to number 28 during a three-and-a-half-month run. With a hit behind him, Granahan now faced another problem: coming up with a group to appear as Dickey Doo & the Dont's. He recruited a quartet -- Harvey Davis (bass), Al Ways (sax), Ray Gangi (guitar), and Dave Alldred (drums) -- to back him as Dickey Doo & the Dont's; Granahan was referred to on their recordings as Richard A. Doo.
The quintet proved extremely popular in concert and charted more singles, including "Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu," "Leave Me Alone," and "Teardrops Will Fall," over the next year and a half. By the 1960s, the group had left Swan and moved to the United Artists label, where they cut two albums and remained under contract until 1965.
Granahan continued his extensive activities as a producer during this period, working with the music of the Angels and Patty Duke, among others.
http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/dickydoo_donts.htm
http://www.ripopmusic.org/musical-artists/musicians/gerry-granahan
http:// www.toddbaptista.com/gerry granahan.html
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerry-granahan-mn0000542386/biography
Songs :
Click-Clack Did You Cry Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu
Flip Top Box Leave Me Alone (Let Me Cry) Wild Party
Teardrops Will Fall Come With Us Wabash Cannonball / The Drums Of Richard A. Doo
Teen Scene The Judge / A Little Dog Cried Doo Plus Two
Don’t Count Me Out
Complete Album
Madison And Other Dances Teen Scene
….
Tippie & The Wisemen
Tippie & The Clovermen (Washington, D.C)
aka The Clovers (2) aka The Wisemen
Personnel :
Harold Lucas
Robert Russell
Roosevelt "Tippie" Hubbard
James "Toy" Walton
Discography :
Tippie & The Clovermen
1962 - Please Mr. Sun / Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (Stenton 7001)
Tippie & The Clovers (2)
1962 - Bossa Nova, Baby / The Bossa Nova (My Heart Said) (Tiger 201)
Tippie & The Wisemen
Unreleased :
1965 - Wait Till I Get There (Shrine)
1965 - Let Me Walk Away (Shrine)
1965 - I Wouldn't Mind Crying (Shrine)
1965 - Bye, Bye (Shrine)
Biography :
The Clovers, who hailed from the Washington area, had been recording since 1950; by 1961 the group had split and reformed as two separate Clovers, one led by Harold Lucas the other by John Bailey. The line-up of the Lucas group was Robert Russel, James “Toy” Walton and Eddie “Tippie” Hubbard. The Lucas group recorded and released records as "Tippie and the Clovermen" and "Tippie and the Clovers" for Tiger Records, a subsidiary of Rust Records.
Harold Lucas
In December 1962 "Bossa Nova Baby" (written by Leiber and Stoller) / "The Bossa Nova" was released, credited to Tippie and the Clovers. Also released in 1962 on Stenton Records was "Please Mr Sun" / "Gimme Gimme Gimme", credited to Tippie and the Clovermen. In 1965, Harold Lucas, Robert Russell, Tippie Hubbard and Toy Walton added a fifth member, Al Fox. The group recorded four tracks (all unreleased) as "Tippie and The Wisemen" for Shrine Records. That same year Tippie and The Wisemen changed their name to The Clovers.
Discography :
Tippie & The Clovermen
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Please Mr. Sun
Tippie & The Clovers (2)
Bossa Nova, Baby The Bossa Nova (My Heart Said)
Tippie & The Wisemen
I Wouldn't Mind Crying Wait Till I Get There
Let Me Walk Away
...
The Keynotes (1) (Harlem, New York)
Personnel :
Floyd Adams (Lead)
Howard Anderson (First Tenor)
Roger Lee (Second Tenor)
Larry "Spanky" Carter (Baritone)
Tucker Class (Bass)
Discography :
Singles :
1955 - Suddenly / Zenda (Apollo 478)

1955 - I Don't Know / A Star (Apollo 484)

1956 - Really Wish You Were Here / Bye Bye Baby (Apollo 493)
1956 - Now I Know / Zup Zup (Apollo 498)
1956 - In The Evening / O Yeah Hm-m-m (Apollo 503)
1957 - One Little Kiss / Now I Know (Apollo 513)
Unreleased:
N/A - Early one morning (Relic LP 5080)

N/A - Chapel bells are ringing (Relic LP 5080)

N/A - Tell me you love me (Relic LP 5080)

N/A - Surely (Apollo LP 1000/Relic LP 5072)

N/A - Zoop zoop (darling i love you) (Apollo LP 1000/Relic LP 5072)

N/A - Girl in the chapel (Apollo LP 1000/Relic LP 5072)
Biography :
The Keynotes, emerged from ll5th Street in l954. Although it is rumored that they were singing the street song "Lily Maebelle", their first record for Apollo was "Zenda"/ "Suddenly". Later in 1955, they had a local New York rocker, "I Don't Know," that hit on the R&B stations. It featured Sam "The Man" Taylor on tenor horn and Mickey "Guitar" Baker.
The first two records were led by Floyd Adams, who was rumored to be the lead of another Apollo group, The Inspirations ("Raindrops"/ "Maggie"). Adams stayed on to do two more groovie rockers, "Bye Bye Baby" and "Really Wish You Were " until he was replaced by the more dynamic tenor, Sam Kearney, who led "In The Evening" and two different versions of the calypso-blues-rock "Now I Know".
Floyd Adams (Lead): (l-r) :Howard Anderson, Roger Lee , Larry "Spanky" Carter, Tucker Class
The Keynotes were the prototype New York Street group. They may have had as many as ten members who recorded for the fun of it, singing well but never making it big. They were subjected to the same tragic results, limited success and nonrecognition, as their uptown brothers, The Vocaltones.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/4ROWNEW/IDontKnow.htm
Movies :
I Don't Know
Songs :
(Update By Hans-Joachim)
Bye Bye Baby One Little Kiss Surely
Really Wish You Were Here A Star I Don't Know
Zenda Now I Know Zup Zup
In The Evening Oh, Yeah! Hm-M-M Zoop Zoop (Darling I Love You)
A star (acapella) Early One Morning (acapella) Chapel Bells Are Ringing (acapella)
Tell Me You Love Me (acapella) Girl In The Chapel (acapella) I Don't Know (acapella)
I Don't Know Why (unrel. alt.vers.)
...
Lenny Davis & The Megatones (Dayton, OH)
Personnel :
Lenny Davis (Lead Vocal)
Hank Garland (Guitar)
Grady Martin (Guitar)
Pete Drake (Guitar)
Hargus "Pig" Robbins (Piano)
Mary (Vocal)
Discography:
Lenny Davis & The Megatones
1962 - The Beginning And Not The End / My Only Girl (One Night) (Prism 1003/4)
Lenny Davis
1961 - Satan's Got You (By The Hand) / Sing, Little Bluebird (Do-Ra-Me 1413)
Biography :
Singer, Lenny Davis Cut one single with two nice doo wop in 1962 for Prism Records. The single was recorded in Nashville at the Murry Nash Studio with Nashville studio musicians who performed with Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison and many others..
Some of the musicians on the two sessions were Hank Garland, Grady Martin, Pete Drake , Hargus "Pig" Robbins on piano and a blind vocalist named Mary.
Songs :
Lenny Davis & The Megatones
My Only Girl The Beginning And Not The End
Lenny Davis
Satan's Got You (By The Hand)
...
The Monotones (1) (Newark, New Jersey)
Personnel :
Charles Patrick (Lead)
Warren Davis (First Tenor)
George Malone (Second Tenor)
Warren Ryanes (Baritone)
Frank Smith (Bass)
John Ryanes (Second Bass)
Discography :
Singles :
1957 - Book Of Love / You Never Loved Me (Mascot 124/Argo 5290)
1958 - Tom Foolery / Zombi (Argo 5301)
1958 - The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow / Soft Shadows (Argo 5321)
1959 - Tell It To The Judge / Fools Will Be Fools (Argo 5339)
1960 - Reading The Book Of Love / Dream (Hull 735)
1961 - Daddy's home, But Momma's Gone / Tattle Tale (Hull 743)
Unreleased :
1959 - What Would You Do If There Wasn't Any Roc'N' Roll? (Argo)
1960 - Forever Yours (Hull)
Lps :
1962 - Your Favorite Singing Groups (Hull Lp 1002)
Book Of Dance / Toast To Lovers
Biography :
Formed in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey, USA, the Monotones recorded one of the most memorable doo-wop novelty songs of the 50s, ‘Book Of Love’. The sextet had sung in the same church choir as Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston before forming their own group. In 1956, they appeared on the Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour television programme, singing the Cadillacs’ ‘Zoom’.
They won first prize and began to think more seriously about a career in music. Inspired by a television commercial for toothpaste (‘You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent’), Patrick, Malone and Davis wrote ‘Book Of Love’ to a similar melody.
They recorded it at Bell Studio in New York and it was released on the small Mascot label, a subsidiary of Hull Records. It was then picked up by Argo Records for national distribution and ultimately reached number 5 in the USA. The group was touring when their record entered the charts, and months passed before they had a chance to record a follow-up.
A single called ‘Tom Foolery’ was released but failed to chart. The third, ‘The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow’, was a fine record and is still played on doo-wop radio programmes today, but it also failed to chart in its own time.After a few more singles, the Monotones gave up, although some of the original members performed under that name in the 90s.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Monotones/monotones.html
Movies :
Book Of Love
Songs :
Book Of Love You Never Loved Me Tom Foolery
Zombi The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Soft Shadows
Tell It To The Judge Fools Will Be Fools Reading The Book Of Love
Dream Daddy's home, But Momma's Gone What Would You Do...
Forever Yours Toast To Lovers Book Of Dance
…..
The Prophets (1) (Harrisburg, Ill.)
Personnel :
?
Discography :
1955 - Come Back, Baby Come Back / Sugar Lump (Go-Lish 101)
1956 - Baby Come Back / Stormy (Atco 6078)
Biography :
Vocal quartet who first recorded for Harrisburg' Go-Lish label the songs "Come Back, Baby Come Back" "Sugar Lump "in 1955.
The Next year "Baby Come Back" with "Stormy" on the B side are released on the Atlantic/Atco label.
Songs :
Baby Come Back Sugar Lump Stormy
…..
The Three Friends (1) (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Heartbeats (1)
(By Hans-Joachim)
Personnel :
Joe Villa (Lead)
Frank V. Stropoli (Tenor)
Tony Grochowski (SecondTenor)
Discography
The Heartbeats (1)
1955 - Finally / Boil and Bubble (Jubilee 5202)
The Three Friends (1)
1956 - Blanche / Baby I'll Cry (Lido 500/ Relic 1021)
1956 - I'm Only A Boy (To her) / Jinx (Lido 502)
1957 - Chinese Tea Room / Jinx (Brunswick 55032)
1957 - Now That You'Re Gone / Chinese Tea Room (Lido 504)
Joey of The Original Three Friends (1)
1962 - Blanche / The Oriental (Chevron 500)
Joey Villa
1962 - Blanche / Mona Lisa (MF 101)
Eddie Robbins bb The Three Friends (1)
1957 - Dear Parents / A Girl Like You (Power 214/Dot 15702/Tip Top 214)
Biography:
The Heartbeats were formed in 1954 at a time when Rock N Roll was in its infancy. The group came together while all four members were attending New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, NY. The Heartbeats were comprised of Frank V. Stropoli (Lead), Al Rosenberg (First Tenor), Tony Grochowski (Second Tenor) and Joe Sucamele (Bass) . The Group cut one single for for Jubilee in 1955.
The Three Friends
After the records release, the Heartbeats went through some personnel changes and Joe Villa was recruited in to their ranks. Before the end of 1955 a record called "Crazy For You" was getting a lot of New York City action thanks to deejay Alan Freed. Well this record was also by another Heartbeats group, the one that is familiar to most doo-wop lovers.
The Other Heartbeats "Crazy For You"
To avoid confusion, our guys decided that they needed a new name for their group. About this time, they had begun to collaborate with Teddy Randazzo of the Three Chuckles. Joe Villa credits Randazzo as the one who suggested the group's new name, the Three Friends.
"Blanche" was an original song penned by the group, and inspired by a young lady who had attended their High School. The group came to the attention of Leo Rogers, who had them record the tune on his newly formed Lido label. The dreamy teen ballad was released in September of 1956.
The Three Friends
The record was reviewed in Billboard the week of October 27 and received a three stars or "very good" rating. Alan Freed liked the record, which meant it got excellent exposure on his New York City radio show, and almost immediately put the Three Friends on the map. Riding high on the success of "Blanche" the Three Friends took almost a year to release some follow up discs. Although the group were fine singers, they could not recapture their initial success with "Blanche".
Eddie Robbins
The Three Friends also used their polished harmonies to back up other artists. They can be heard (although un-credited) behind Eddie Robbins on his 1958 Power release of "Dear Parents" backed with "A Girl Like You". They also provided back-up vocals to Eddie Reardon on his 1958 Brunswick recording of "Who Is Eddie" and "Just Trying".
Following his tenure with the Three Friends, Joe Villa would go on to front a combo called the Royal Teens, who had a big success in 1958 with the novelty rocker "Short Shorts" originally released on Power and later picked up by ABC Paramount. And on some of the Royal Teens later recordings such as "Believe Me", it's none other than the Three Friends providing the vocal harmonies.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/three-friends-mn0000587487/biography
Songs :
The Heartbeats (1)
Boil and Bubble / Finally
The Three Friends (1)
Blanche / Baby I'll Cry I'm Only A Boy (To her)
Now That You'Re Gone / Chinese Tea Room Jinx
Joey Villa of The Original Three Friends (1)
The Oriental
Joey Villa
Blanche / Mona Lisa
Eddie Robbins bb The Three Friends (1)
Dear Parents A Girl Like You
...
The Four Vanns (Brooklyn, New York)
Personnel :
Teddy Vann (All voices)
Discography :
1956 - So Young And So Pretty / Sha-Bee-Dah-Ah-Ding-Dong (Vik 0246)
Biography :
Native of Bensonhurst (section of Brooklyn, NY) songwriter/producer Teddy Vann ventured into music during his teen years after he left high school early. Teddy also tried his hand at singing.
His first single is Credited to the Four Vanns. "So Young And So Pretty" and "Sha-Bee-Dah-Ah-Ding-Dong" is the only voice work of Teddy Vann on a multiple-recording session. He had a minor hit in the summer of 1961, a ballad called, 'The Lonely Crowd' on Columbia Records. Teddy Vann wrote the Johnny Thunder monster hit "Loop De Loop". In 1960 he wrote & recorded the great instrumental hit "Teenage Hayride" as Tender Slim.
Songs :
So Young And So Pretty Sha-Bee-Dah-Ah-Ding-Dong
.....
The Runaways (3) (New York)
Personnel :
Bill Reichert (Lead)
Joey Gioia
Tony Petrocelli
Sam Wood
Discography :
Single :
1963 - Kangaroo Hop / Teenage Style (Teensound 1924)
Unreleased :
1963 - Laughing (With Tears in My Heart) (Teensound)
1963 - Shake (Teensound)
Biography :
Group led by Bill Reichert (later with the Long Island Group The Dedications and Pittsburgh group The Holidays) In picture above, original members L to R - Bill Reichert, Joey Gioia, Tony Petrocelli (Florence Zagari's son), and Sam Wood who was later with the Sparrows Quartet. There was a 2nd unreleased record from this session - "Laughing with Tears in my Heart" and "Shake" which were later released on Ed Engel's label, Crystal Ball Records. Additional credit should also go to Rocco Zagari, Florence's husband who backed his wife's endeavors and loved the music. The group was originally called The Runarounds and toured as such for over a year performing throughout the tri-state area. The week before Kangaroo Hop was going to press and production, The Regents of Barbara Ann fame, changed their name to the Runarounds and released their record titled Runaround...thus the name change to The Runaways.
http://www.45cat.com/record/ts1924
Songs :
Laughing With Tears In My Heart / Shake
Teenage Style Kangaroo Hop
...
