Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Angels

Posted on October 31 2018 by dion1

The Angels
(L to R) Brian Shane, Walter Teskey, Werner Frank

The Angels (Winnipeg, Canada)

Personnel :

Walter Teskey (Lead)

Brian Shane (Baritone)

Werner Frank (Guitar & Tenor)

Discography :

?

Biography :

The three singers, known as The Angels, are Walter Teskey, Brian Shane and Werner Frank. Walter sings the lead, Brian sings the baritone backing and Werner plays the guitar and provides the tenor backing. They started for fun at Nancy's Inn, a restaurant in the north end of Winnipeg in 1957. The boys have worked with several big-name artists since 1958. They did shows with Billy O'Connor and Conway Twitty in Toronto and with Buddy Knox in Winnipeg. They appeared on television's Talent Caravan and have played many engagements in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg night-clubs. In 1960, the boys do their own arranging on the two songs on their first record, two songs written by Walter. The release of their first record was planned before Christmas 1960 on the Columbia label. Unfortunately it seems that the disc did not come out (No trace of The Angels on Columbia ?).

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The Laurels (3)

Posted on October 31 2018 by dion1

The Laurels (3)

The Laurels (3) (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Roy Robinson (Lead)

Melvin Schwartz (Falsetto/Soprano)

Melvin Maron (Bass)

Danny Schatman (Tenor)

Discography :

1958 - Baby Talk / You Left Me (Spring 1112)

Biography :

The song "Baby Talk" was written by Melvin Schwartz and was first released by The Laurels in 1958. The Laurels were out of Crown Heights in Brooklyn and Melvin Schwartz was an original member of the Laurels who sang sang falsetto soprano. Roy Robinson was the lead singer of the Laurels and Melvin Maron the Bass singer. Melvin Schwartz wrote both sides of their single "Baby Talk" and "You Hurt Me." The story begins in early 1958, when the group cut a demo and rode the elevators in the Brill Building looking for some one to sign them. Leo Rodgers & Lou Silvers had a hit record with the Royal Teens "Short Shorts" and decide to record the Laurels .

The Laurels (3)
"Jocko" and Lee Rogers

"Baby Talk" and "You Left Me" was cut at Bell Sound studio in NYC and released by Spring Records. Spring was a short-lived Brill Building label. Lead singer Roy Robinson was under age and signed the recording contract to cut six sides in the first year but her mother refused to sign as she demanded an attorney look at it first. Melvin Schwartz sold the group and Rodgers and Silvers gave their single to Herb Albert and Lou Adler who had their first hit with Jan and Dean. Melvin Schwartz also wrote "Submarine Race" for a three man group (The Visuals) that he saw singing in the neighborhood. He gave them to Melvin Maron, and then the now 4 man Visuals, out of Crown Heights . The Group had alocal area hit with "Submarine Race."

Songs :

Baby Talk You Left Me

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The Ray Dots

Posted on October 28 2018 by dion1

The Ray Dots
(L to R) : Delmar Goggins, Frank Hosendove, Tony Maples, Leroy Brown and Roosevelt McDuffie

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

Personnel :

Tony Maples

Frank Hosendove

Delmar “Kirby” Goggins

Leroy Brown

Roosevelt McDuffie

Discography :

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

Biography :

Born in Florida in 1934, Herbert “Tony” Maples moved with his family to Asbury Park around 1950. As a young man he enlisted in the Air Force and, while stationed at Charleston, South Carolina, he formed an R&B singing group called the “Five Hearts.” He later performed with a group that would become recording stars “The Del Vikings” while stationed in Pittsburgh. After he left the service, Maples returned to Asbury Park and started a new singing group he called the “Ray Dots.”

         Herbert “Tony” Maples

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,” and went on to record three records for Vibro, including the local hit, “Papa’s Yellow Tie.” When the V-Eights broke up in 1964, Maples went solo, and joined a group of artists being managed by Stormin’ Norman Seldin. He was often backed by the Soul Set and recorded “Pretty Girls Everywhere” for Seldin’s Selsom record label in 1965.

Songs :


I Need Someone                                  Lu La

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The Parliaments (2)

Posted on October 28 2018 by dion1

The Parliaments (2) (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Personnel :

Arnold Bennett (Lead)

Milton Harling (First Tenor)

James Frazier (Second Tenor)

John Gore (Baritone)

Bobby Taylor (Bass).

Discography :

The Parliaments (2)
1958 - Don't Need You Anymore / Honey Take Me Home With You (Len 101)

Joe VanLoan bb The Parliaments (2)
1959 - Give Me Your Heart / Forever (V-Tone 200)

Biography :

The Parliaments were first called the Imperials, but Little Anthony came along and they were forced to choose another name. They spied a discarded parliament cigarette pack in the gutter of a street in their North Philly neighbourhood around 27th and York, and they were henceforth known as The Parliaments, Arnold Bennett, Milton Harling, James Frazier, John Gore and Bobby Taylor.

Joe VanLoan

In 1958, they cut "Don't Need You Anymore" and "Honey Take Me Home With You" released on the short lived Len records (1958-1960) subsidiary of V-tone label where the group backed Joe VanLoan in 1959 on "Give Me Your Heart" and "Forever".

Songs :

The Parliaments (2)

Don't Need You Anymore Honey Take Me Home With You

Joe VanLoan bb The Parliaments (2)

Give Me Your Heart Forever

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The I.V. Leaguers

Posted on October 27 2018 by dion1

The I.V. Leaguers

The I.V. Leaguers (Portsmouth, Ohio)

Personnel :

Bud Stockman (Lead)

Mike Cranston

Tom Phillips

Don Stamper

Jim Middlecamp

Bob Destocki

Charles Bartlett

Discography :

1957 - The Story / Ring Chimes (Porter 1003/1004 / Dot 15677)
1959 - Told By The Stars / Jim Jam (Inst.) (Nau-Voo 803)

Biography :

The I V Leaguers were the founding rock-n-roll band from Portsmouth, consisting of students (and graduates) from Portsmouth High School. They were a self contained band that had the band lineup with the ability to sing group harmony vocals.

The I.V. Leaguers

The I V Leaguers were Tom "Flip" Phillips on drums (class of 1956), Charles "Chub" Bartlett and Bob Destocki on vocals (class of 1957), Harry "Mike" Cranston on bass guitar, Don "Dumbo" Stamper on vocals, and Jim "Monk" Middlecamp on lead guitar (Class of 1958), and lead singer Howard "Bud" Stockham on lead vocals. The group played every possible venue and show in the area during their time together, and are still well remembered in the area.

The I.V. Leaguers

The group recorded two 45s, one for the local Nau-Voo label and one for Porter (rereleased on Dot) records. The Porter/Dot 45 features two doowop songs with Bud Stockham on lead. The uptempo "Ring Chimes" was the A side and got some airplay and sales. The Nau-Voo 45 has the doowop ballad "Told By The Stars" and the guitar instrumental "Jim-Jamin'" which from the title was a feature number for Jim Middlecamp. The Nau-Voo 45 has two pressings, the first one having the title as "Jim-Jam" and the writer credit mispelled as "Mim" for Jim.

Songs :

The Story Told By The Stars Ring Chimes

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The Orients aka The Gents (5)

Posted on October 27 2018 by dion1

The Orients aka The Gents (5)

The Orients (Queens, NY.)
aka The Gents (5)

Personnel :

Al Mickens (Tenor)

James Davis (Tenor)

Alfred Seaman (Tenor)

Ernest Seaman (Baritone)

Clayton William (Bass)

Discography :

The Orients
1964 - Shouldn't I / Queen Of The Angels (Laurie 3232)

The Gents (5)
1964 - Island of Love / Till The End Of Time (The Teen 5) (Time Square 98)
1964 - I'll Never Let You Go / Darling I Love You (The Teen 5) (Time Square 99)

Biography :

Vocal group from Queens, NY. The Orients consisted of Al Mickens (Tenor), James Davis (Tenor), Alfred Seaman (Tenor), Ernest Seaman (Baritone) and Clayton William (Bass). They recorded two songs "Shouldn't I" and "Queen Of The Angels" released by Laurie Records in 1964. The Orients are credited with writing “Shouldn't I.” The same years the group also recorded two songs acappella as The Gents for Times Square Records.

Songs :

The Orients

Shouldn't I Queen Of The Angels

The Gents (5)

I'll Never Let You Go

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The Rondells

Posted on October 26 2018 by dion1

1958, The Rondells at the Apollo Theater

The Rondells (Bronx, New York)

Personnel :

Chuck Negron (Lead)

Phil Namanworth (Second Tenor)

Songs :

The Rondells
1958 - Bells Of My Heart (Unreleased)

Chuck Rondell & The Sorensen Brothers
1962 - I Dream Of An Angel / Sharon Lee (Hart-Van 122/3)

Chuck Rondell
1964 - Speak For Yourself / All's Fair In Love And War (Columbia 43187)

Biography :

At age 16, Chuck Negron sang lead in a vocal group The Rondells and they performed at the world famous Apollo Theater because their managers were black. A stone cold dead silence ensued as the curtain rose on The Rondells. They were not just the only white group on the bill, they were the only white people in the building. But by their second verse something magical happened. Soon after his Apollo triumph the teenage Chuck Negron and the Rondells began haunting Manhattan's famous Brill Building. The same names came up over and over again. Leiber and Stoller, Goffan and King, Mann and Weil, Bacharach and David among others.

The Rondells
Chuck "Negron" Rondell

They would go from office to office in hopes of meeting some of these great writers to sing for them. They performed 10 to 20 times a day for publishers as well as record companies. So they ended up recorded some songs. unfortunately they will never be released. After playing basketball for Santa Maria, CA's Hancock College and California State University in Los Angeles, Negron was ready to pursue his musical career. After two singles as Chuck Rondell, he remained in Los Angeles, eventually connecting with fellow singers Cory Wells and Danny Hutton and forming Three Dog Night in 1968.

Songs :

Chuck Rondell & The Sorensen Brothers

I Dream Of An Angel

Chuck Rondell

All's Fair In Love And War Speak For Yourself

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The Citations

Posted on October 22 2018 by dion1

The Citations
(L to R) Antonio Rosas, Adrian Del Valle, Valentine Del Valle, Arthur Cintron and Michael Cintron

The Citations (Brooklyn, NY)

Personnel :

Antonio Rosas

Adrian Del Valle

Valentine Del Valle

Arthur Cintron

Michael Cintron

Discography :

?

Biography :

In 1959, a group of 15 and 16 year olds who grew up in the Boerum Hill area of Brooklyn, NY who loved to harmonize and sing doo-wop songs. After a couple of years practicing vocals in subway stations and street corners, a member of the nationally known group The Mystics heard the group singing in the lobby of an apartment building and liked their vocals.

The Citations
(L to R) Adrian Del Valle, Valentine Del Valle, Arthur Cintron, Michael Cintron and Antonio Rosas (seated)

He arranged a meeting and audition with the music and talent agent Jim Gribble who managed The Mystics and The Passions. For a short while, they were under contract with Jim Gribble. Although they never rose to fame the group disbanded in 1962.

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The High Seas

Posted on October 20 2018 by dion1

The High Seas (Denver,Colorado)

Personnel :

Chuck Price (Lead)

Jerome Drewett (Tenor/Falsetto)

Henry Gallego (Baritone/Tenor)

Adrian Torres (Bass)

Jack Davis (Piano)

Discography :

The High Seas
1960 - We Go Together / Sunday Kind Of Love (DMG 4000)

The Satellites feat. Sam Severin bb The High Seas
1960 - Each Night / Dark Town Strutter's Ball (Not them) (DMG 4001)

Biography :

The High Seas were an interracial vocal group formed as Little Al and the Uniques in Denver, Colorado with Jerome Drewett, Al Perkins, Anthony Lopez, Adrian Torres and Billy Torres (2 blacks and 3 Hispanics). Finally after multiple changes and a new name, the were the High Seas with Chuck Price (Lead), Jerome Drewett (Tenor/Falsetto), Henry Gallego (Baritone/Tenor), Adrian Torres (Bass) and Jack Davis (Piano), (3 blacks and 2 Hispanics; Chuck, Jerome and Jack were black, and Adrian and Henry were Hispanic))

The High Seas
Al & The Uniques

They moved to Hollywood, California and in April 1960 at Radio Recorders on Santa Monica recorded 4 songs : We Go Together (a cover of the Moonglows tune), Sunday Kind of Love (cover of the Harptones), The Angels Sang (an old “popish sounding” song), and an acetate of another song. They recorded with Sam Severin and the Satellites, a rockabilly group as instrumental band. and Jimmy Bowen (a big name in music at the time) was the A&R man for the whole session.

The High Seas

Al & The Uniques : Jerome Drewett, Anthony Lopez, Adrian Torres, Billy Torres and bottom Al Perkins

They also backed up Sam Severin & The Satellites, on their song Each Night. for D-M-G Records in 1960. The High Seas recording have a locally big acceptacion and play in the radio circuit, the group singing in El Monte Legion Stadium and They did perform on TV, Dance Party and opened for Jan and Dean. When the record dead they back to Denver and soon disbanded.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The High Seas

We Go Together Sunday Kind Of Love

The Satellites feat Sam Severin

Each Night

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The Apollo Brothers

Posted on October 20 2018 by dion1

Ruben Guevara

The Apollo Brothers (Hollywood, CA.)

Personnel :

Ruben Guevara

Paul Amarillas

Discography :

1960 - My Beloved One / Riot (Cleveland 108)

Biography :

Ruben Guevara reached his teens just as rock & roll and R&B were sweeping the nation, and in high school he began singing R&B harmony vocal ( music, in the mold of the Penguins, the Flamingos, et al. With two friends including Pablo Amarillas, they began as a three-vocal group called the Vanteens but soon became a duo. Ruben & Paul formed the Apollo Brothers (named after their car club, The Apollos). His early influences included Don & Dewey, the Carlos Brothers, and, a little later, Ritchie Valens. The Apollo Brothers recorded My Beloved One/Riot for Cleveland Records in 1961 and performed at various local venues: The El Monte American Legion Stadium (Richard Berry, The Olympics), The Long Beach Municipal Auditorium (Paul Anka), Pandora’s Box (The O’Jays, Dobie Gray), and were good enough to make it onto local television (Wink Martindale Live at POP w/ Don & Juan). In the 70’s Guevara singing as Lead on the Zappa’s group, Ruben & the Jets.

Songs :

My Beloved One Riot

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