Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

Debbie & The Darnels (2) aka The Teen Dreams

Posted on February 25 2018 by dion1

The Teen Dreams aka Debbie & the Darnels (2)
Joan Yutenkas, Dorothy Yutenkas and Marie Brancotti

Debbie & The Darnels (2) (New Haven, CT)
aka The Teen Dreams

Personnel:

Joan Yutenkas

Dorothy Yutenkas

Marie Brancotti 

Discography :

Debbie & The Teen Dreams
1962 - The Time / Santa, Teach Me To Dance (Vernon 101)

The Teen Dreams
1962 - The Time / Why, Why? (Vernon 101)

Debbie & the Darnels (2)
1962 - The Time / Why Why (Vernon 101) 
1962 - The Time / Teach Me To Dance (Vernon 101)
1962 - Daddy / Mr Johnny Jones (Columbia 42530)

Biography :

Debbie and the Darnels hailed from New Haven, Connecticut. Dorothy Yutenkas, her sister Joan and a friend, Maria Brancati, made up the singing trio. In 1962, the group was known as the Teen Dreams. Later that year, the trio's name was changed to Debbie and the Darnels. Their upbeat tune “Mr. Johnny Jones” was a Top 40 hit on local Connecticut radio stations.

The trio's Christmastime offering was a lively and catchy tune called “Santa Teach Me to Dance.” Dorothy was the lead singer and wrote the group's first recording: “Why Why.” The trio was discovered by New Haven's Jerry Greenberg, who also wrote “The Time” for the group. Backing up the trio was Greenberg's instrumental band the Passengers. The group was managed by Sam Goldman (manager of the Five Satins). Debbie and the Darnels toured up and down the East Coast and were a very popular girl group in the early '60s. In Connecticut, Debbie and the Darnels shared the stage with other well-known state artists.

The Teen Dreams aka Debbie & the Darnels (2)

For example, Debbie and the Darnels performed on the same bill as the Connecticut groups the Five Satins and the Passengers at Seymour's Actors Colony as part of a TwistA-Rama show. The trio was also on the same bill as New Haven's Ginny Arnell.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Mr Johnny Jones                           Why, Why?


Santa, Teach Me To Dance                           The Time

Daddy Mr. Johnny Jones

...

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The Tri-Tones (1)

Posted on February 24 2018 by dion1

The Tri-Tones (1)
(L to R) : Dick Burlingame, Ernie Bruno & Richie Brill

The Tri-Tones (1) (New York)

Personnel :

Ernie Bruno (Lead Vocal & Accordion))

Richie Brill (Vocal Trumpet)

Dick Burlingame (Vocal & bass)

Bob Alderman (Guitarist)

Philip A. Paclo (Drummer)

Bud Brusgul (Guitarist)

Discography :

1957 - Chicken In The Basket / You (Ranger 9650/9651)
1958 - Shumwaa / Flipped (Raycraft 27582)

Biography :

In 1956, at Poughkeepsie High School, Dick Burlingame had the idea of starting a singing group, a Rock and Roll group. With Ernie Bruno and Richie Brill, they start as a Rhythm’ blues group to sing in three part harmony with no accompaniment. The trio first sang in the 1956 Thanksgiving show of the Town of Poughkeepsie Patrolmen’s Benevolent association. Their four numbers were so well received that The youths appeared In several other area shows and dances In the next few weeks. They sang at the Beacon High school prom, at a Roosevelt High school dance for the cerebral palsy fund, at a New Year s eve party at St Mary's school In Fishkill, at a firemen's show in Beacon and in a show at the Rehabilitation center in Haverstraw.

The Tri-Tones (1)
(L to R) : Bob Alderman, Philip A. Paclo & Bud Brusgul

At rehearsals they met another school-boy group, a three piece orchestra which also was preparing to appear in the flremen show. The three instrumentalists were Phil (Philip A. Paclo) the drummer, Bud (Edmund) Brusgul and Bob (Robert) Alderman. Both Bud and Bob are electric guitarists. Drums and two guitars make a wonderful background for singers, so the two groups got together and formed the Tri-Tones. In November they played for a dance at Marlboro High schooL and cut their record. "Chicken in The Basket" is on one side, "You" on the other. Ernie wrote both. With this single, the boys occur everywhere in the region and accumulate commitments.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Chicken In The Basket You

…

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The Winstons

Posted on February 17 2018 by dion1

The Winstons

The Winstons (Toledo, Ohio)

Personnel :

Edwin Korn

Bob Bartel

Discography :

1958 - School Girl / To The Aisle (Cinemasound 92057)

Biography :

Vocal & instrumental group from Toledo. In 1958 The Winstons recorded in a garage studio on Oswald Street two songs : "School Girl" and "To The Aisle". The single was released by Cinemasound Records in Toledo.

The Winstons

Two Pretty good renditions of these songs that were previously done by Fats Domino (School Girl) and The Five Satins (To The Aisle)

Songs :

School Girl / To The Aisle

…

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The Majestics (2) aka The Majestic’s

Posted on February 17 2018 by dion1

The Majestics (2) aka The Majestic’s

The Majestics (2) (Detroit)
aka The Majestic’s

Personnel :

First Group

Johnny Mitchell (Lead)

C. Autry "Breeze" Hatcher (First Tenor)

Alvin English

Cyril Clark (Bass)

Second Group

Thomas Mealy (Lead and Tenor)

Maurice Fagin (Lead)

Johnny Mitchell (Tenor)

Pedro Mancha (Baritone)

Warren Harris (Bass)

Discography :

First Group
The Majestics (2)
1960 - Hard Times / Teenage Gossip (Contour 501)

Second Group
Johnny Mitchell & The Majestic’s
1961 - Shoppin' And Hoppin’/ So I Can Forget (Chex 1000)
1961 - Give Me A Cigarette / Shoppin' And Hoppin' (Chex 1000)
1962 - Give Me A Cigarette / So I Can Forget (Chex 1004)

The Majestics (2)
1962 - Unhappy And Blue / Treat Me Like You Want To Be Treated (Chex 1004)
1962 - Lonely Heart / Gwendolyn (Chex 1006)
1963 - Baby / Teach Me How To Limbo (Chex 1009)
1964 - Hello Love / The Further You Look, The Less You See (V.I.P 25010)

Biography :

The Majestics, like many groups of the era have a complicated history. The late Johnny Mitchell was the lead singer on their "Shoppin' And Hoppin’" and "So I Can Forget" released in 1961 as Chex 1000. There are two pressings available on this ballad: according to producer and singer Tony Ewing, the first was called "So I Can Forget" and the title was changed to "Give Me A Cigarette" for some forgotten reason. "So I Can Forget" generated enough local response to encourage Ewing to develop his tiny new record company. According to former Contour Cyril Clarke, who sang with the Majestics on their first record, "Hard Times" / "Teenage Gossip" in 1960 for Robert West’s Contour label, the original Majestics consisted of Johnny Mitchell, C. Autry "Breeze" Hatcher, Alvin English and Cyril Clarke.

The Majestics (2) aka The Majestic’s

Yet by the time the Majestics recorded for Chex about a year and a half later, only Johnny Mitchell remained. The rest of the group consisted of Thomas Mealy (Lead and Tenor), Maurice Fagin (Lead), Pedro Mancha (Baritone) and Warren Harris (Bass). The Majestics’ second Chex 45 was "Unhappy And Blue" with Maurice Fagin on lead backed with "Treat Me Like You Want To Be Treated." Locally distributed in the spring of 1962 as Chex 1004, it failed to make much noise for the young group. They did much better with "Lonely Heart" / "Gwendolyn" also released in 1962 as Chex 1006. Thomas Mealy sang the lead on most of the Majestic releases for Chex, and "Lonely Heart" was distributed national at that time by Jerry Blaine’s Cosnat-Jubilee operation.

The Majestics (2) aka The Majestic’s
Tony Ewing

The Majestics last record for Chex was "Baby" / "Teach Me How To Limbo" wich came out in early 1963 as Chex 1009 . "Baby" was the final wax by the Majestics for Chex. In 1964 The Majestics Warren Harris & Maurice Fagin came to Motown and with Richard Street and Saundra Fagin signed to the V.I.P label Their first single was to be "Hello Love" but the single was canned and Motown discovered there was a group based out of East LA called The Majestics, so Motown's Majestics became The Monitors and "Say You" was their first single in 1965.
http://doowopheaven.blogspot.fr/2015/07/the-monitors-3.html

Songs :

The Majestics (2)


Hard Times                                  Teenage Gossip

Johnny Mitchell & The Majestic’s


        Shoppin' And Hoppin’            So I Can Forget (Give Me A Cigarette)

The Majestics (2)


       Unhappy And Blue                Treat Me Like You Want To Be Treated


Lonely Heart                                  Gwendolyn


            Baby                                 Teach Me How To Limbo


                  Hello Love                 The Further You Look, The Less You See

…

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The Premeers

Posted on February 14 2018 by dion1

The Premeers (New York)

Personnel :

?

Discography :

1963 - Diary Of Our Love / Gee Oh Gee (Herald 577)

Biography :

The Premeers
No information on this excellent group.
If you have contact me : jcpiazza26@gmail.com

Songs :

Gee Oh Gee Diary Of Our Love

…

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The Four Deuces (1)

Posted on February 5 2018 by dion1

1956 - Walter Simpson, Luther McDaniels, Orvis Lee Teamer and Henry Shufford

The Four Deuces (1) (Salinas, California)

Personnel :

Luther "Lord Luther" McDaniels (Lead)

Jim Dunbar (First Tenor)

Orvis Lee Teamer (Baritone)

Henry Shufford (Bass)

Discography :

Singles:
1955 - W-P-L-J / Here Lies My Love - Mr. Undertaker (Roy Hawkins) (Music City 790)
1956 - Down It Went / The Goose Is Gone (Music City 796)

Unreleased:
1955 - What'cha Gonna Do? (Music City)

Biography :

The vocal group known as The Four Deuces was formed in the town of Salinas, California in the mid fifties. The lead singer named Luther McDaniels got together with a group of army buddies from Fort Ord composed by James Dunbar (first tenor), Orvis Lee Teamer (baritone) and Henry Shufford (bass) . After concentrating on some gospel songs, the group decided to turn to straight rhythm & blues. McDaniel had been working on a tune called "WPLJ" which was about a favorite beverage of some of the guys. The concoction of White Port and Lemon Juice was popular with the guys and was a personal favorite in the area. By now the quartet was looking for a possible record deal and they were told to try the Berkely-San Francisco area. They came in contact with Ray Dobard who operated Music City Records. They soon got into the recording studio with the Johnny Hartman combo and after many takes, a good version of McDaniel's tune "W-P-L-J" was cut along with a strange flip side called "Here Lies My Love" by Roy Hawkins on Music City # 790. The record soon blasted out of West in February of 1956 and got big play on radio stations across the country.

The Four Deuces (1)
Lord Luther

Besides the home territory of San Francisco Bay area, the record was especially strong in Philadelphia. The group began to make appearances on the West Coast and had planned a trip East but that was soon put on hold. The Four Deuces capitalizing on their success recorded a commercial for Italian Swiss Colony, a famous wine producer using the white port of the tune to sell that company's product. The song was everywhere on radio from the original record to the radio commercials touting the wine. later in the year the Four Deuces were back in the Music City recording studio and in late August Music City released "Down It Went" and "The Goose Is Gone" on # 796. Tenor James Dunbar was replaced with Walter Simpson and bass Henry Shufford was replaced by Buel Moore. This time the like positioned "Down It Went" did not become a big success. The Four Deuces soon broke up as the army buddies went their seperate ways and followed their own personal dreams.

The Four Deuces (1)

Luther McDaniel continued to record into the nineteen sixties for independent labels in California and later on for Imperial Records and his own label called Lusan. None of the recordings had much success and McDaniel left the music business and in later years reportedly owned his own night spot in Salinas. He and his group may have been a one hit wonder, but that one hit was a memorable one complete with a top rock radio station in New York changing its call letters to WPLJ. And of course there was always that classic cover version by Frank Zappa. "W-P-L-J" is one of the signature tunes of that bygone era in the nineteen fifties when the R & B vocal group was the voice of a generation.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/4Deuces/4deuces.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/deuces.html

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

W-P-L-J                                             Down It Went


The Goose Is Gone                             What'che Gonna Do?

Down It Went (alt. takes)

..

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The Dreamtones (1) aka The Centuries (2) ref The Mint Juleps

Posted on February 3 2018 by dion1

The Dreamtones (1) aka The Centuries (2) ref The Mint Juleps
(L to R) Clarence Thomas, Drew "Skippy" Thompson, Shelton Laster, George Val Poitier and Major Branch

The Dreamtones (1) (Springfield, Massachusetts)
aka The Centuries (2)
ref The Mint Juleps

Personnel :

Major Branch (Lead)

George Val Poitier (Bass)

Shelton Laster (Baritone)

Clarence Thomas (Second Tenor)

Drew "Skippy" Thompson (First Tenor)

Milton White (Piano)

Discography :

The Dreamtones (1)
1958 - Stand Behind Me / Love In The Afternoon (Klik 8505)
1959 - Praying For A Miracle / Jelly Bean (Express 501)
1959 - A Lover's Answer / Mean Man (Astra 551)

The Mitlo Sisters bb The Dreamtones (1)
1958 - Lonely Sea / Let Me Tell You (Klik 8405)

The Centuries (2)
1963 - Crying For You / Oh Darling (The Jaytones) (Times Square 5)
1963 - Betty / Ride Away (The Revlons) (Times Square 15)

-----------------------------

The Mint Juleps
Singles :
1956 - Bells Of Love / Vip-A-Dip (Herald 481)
Unreleased :
1956 - Ginny Doll
1959 - Queen Of Love

Biography :

The Dreamtones Hailed from Springfield, Massachusetts culling members from the Mint Juleps as well as several Gospel Groups . They Featured the Lead of Major Branch with George Val Poitier (Actor Sidney's cousin), Shelton Laster, Clarence Thomas, Skippy Thompson and Milton White on Piano. Before joining the Dreamtones, George Val Poitier & Clarence Thomas had been with The Mint Juleps on Herald. The other members were Alvin Clark on lead, William Terrell and Emra Clemmons . The mint Juleps recorded "Bells Of Love" and "Vip-A-Dip" released on Herald 481 and did two unreleased songs "Ginny Doll" and "Queen Of Love". There were so many different groups vying for airplay in 1956, and if your first single didn’t sell, your other tunes may well be scrapped.

The Dreamtones (1) aka The Centuries (2) ref The Mint Juleps
The individual members of the Dreamtones met at a local club and began to harmonize. Milton's mother had a rooming house where many of the touring R&B groups of the day would stay while passing through Springfield. In 1957, the group went to New Haven and signed and recorded with Marty Kugell's Klik label. The Dreamtones backed up the Mitlo Sisters on their Klik recording of "Oh Lonely Sea" before Klik released their first single with "Stand Behind Me" and "Love In The Afternoon".

The Dreamtones (1) aka The Centuries (2) ref The Mint Juleps

The group also had releases on Express in 1959: "Praying For A Miracle" b/w "Jelly Bean". NY's Express label, which was a sister label of Fargo Records. The Final Dreamtones release was "A Lover's Answer" b/w "Mean Man" for Astra in 1959 though they can also be heard providing jungle hoots behind Joe Therrien on his very rare Sentinel release, "Siam". In the early 1960s, previously unreleased Klik master were sold to Slim Rose; Slim released them on his Times Square label and renamed the group the Centuries.

Songs

The Dreamtones (1)


Stand Behind Me                Love In The Afternoon             Praying For A Miracle


Jelly Bean                            A Lover's Answer                 Mean Man

The Mitlo Sisters bb The Dreamtones (1)

Let Me Tell You / Lonely Sea

The Centuries (2)


Crying For You                                               Betty

The Mint Juleps


Bells Of Love                                           Vip-A-Dip

...

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The Four Townsmen

Posted on February 2 2018 by dion1

The Four Townsmen (Canonsburg, PA)

Personnel :

Chuck Marshall (Lead)

Lou Gadani (Bass)

Pete Kouklakis (Tenor)

Bob Kraushaar (Baritone)

Discography :

1960 - It Wasn't So Long Before (Graduation is Here) / Sometimes (Artflow 145)

Biography:

The Four Townsmen, a four-part harmony, doo-wop quartet from Canonsburg (home of Perry Como, Bobby Vinton, and the Four Coins), formed in 1959. The charter members were Chuck Marshall (lead), Pete Kouklakis (tenor), Bob Kraushaar (baritone), and Lou Gadani (bass). The Canon-McMillan High guys began like all the other hometown bands, performing locally for the talent shows, school dances and record hops. They finally felt that they had enough material (albeit mainly covers) to expand their dates, and impressed Terry Lee enough (he was spinning at Canonsburg's WARO then) to land a date on his show. TFT eventually ran across Odell Bailey, a local bird dog with a pretty good track record, and handed him a demo tape.

The Four Townsmen

Bailey liked what he heard, and arranged for The Four Townsmen to record their first original song "It Wasn't So Long Before (Graduation is Here)" co-written by Marshall and friend Alan Mark, b/w "Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)." They released the 45 in 1960, on the Artflow label, #145. And hey, both tunes got some radio love. They were spun fairly heavily on KDKA, and the group grew a regional fan base. "Graduation" was even reissued in 1963, and got play in some out-of-town markets. A career, even if at first blush short-lived, had begun. They opened for other smooth acts like Bobby Vee at the South Park Fairgrounds, Paul Anka, The Lettermen, and Brian Hyland. They got a week of two-show performances daily at Atlantic City's Steel Pier.

Though their live performances kept them in demand, there were to be no more recordings. In 1963, the times conspired to pull the curtain down on Act One of The Four Townsmen. Gadani went off to college, and then joined the Peace Corps. Kouklakis enrolled at trade school and Kraushaar joined the Army. So the group called it quits (not that there was much of it left, unless Marshall decided to gig as The Townsman).
http://oldmonmusic.blogspot.fr/2009/05/four-townsmen.html

Songs :


It Wasn't So Long Before                          Sometimes

…

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