Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

 The Tunes (4)

Posted on May 4 2019 by dion1

 The Tunes (4)

 The Tunes (4) (Minden, louisiana)   

Personnel : 

Jerry Frasier (Lead) 

Don Holt (Lead)

Bobby Morehead 

Jeralyn Shipp 

Travis Towns 

Discography :

1959 - My Heart / Close The Door (Swade 102)
1959 - The Lie / Only Time Will Tell (Pel 101/345)

Biography :

Vocal and instrumental group from Minden, louisiana, The Tunes cut two singles. The band formed of Bobby Moorehead (gtr), Jeralyn Shipp (pno), Jerry Frasier (vcl), Don Holt (vcl, gtr, bass) and Travis Towns (dms). Don Holt had at first a solo release on Buddy 102, a record label out of Marshall, Texas,around 1956. He's backed by The Ranch Boys on " My Baby Still Loves Me" and "Let Me Love You", two song he wrote. Don Holt was also member of The Tunes, a musical combo that started at Minden High School and continued at Northwest Louisiana Tech College.

 The Tunes (4)
Jerry Frasier Don Holt

They played local events, dances, Telethon but also opened for "Shake, Rattle and Rock" movie when screened at the Louisiana Tech Theatre. The Tunes played ArkLaTex area as well as Mississippi; In May 17, 1958, they played the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport sharing the stage with Johnny Horton and Fred Carter. Later that year they were featured on a big rock and roll show set by WNOE-TV in New-Orleans sharing the stage with Jack Scott, Huelyn Duvall and Dale Hawkins just to name a few.

 The Tunes (4)

The Tunes recorded in January 1959 at Cosimo Matassa studio in New-Orleans two songs that were issued in September 1959 on Swade 102. "My Heart" was sung by Don Holt and "Close The Door" by Jerry Frasier that was also a fullback from Louisiana Tech. Their first single has no vocal accompaniment. Their second single is more in the vocal style of doo wop group of the time.

 The Tunes (4)

They recorded "Only Time Will Tell" (Don Holt) and "The Lie" (Jerry Frasier) issued around June 1959 on Pel 101. None of these records get more action than regionaly. Making it in the music business took lots of talent, the right contacts, and lots of luck. All these guys who stayed local glories belong to the Louisiana musical history and deserve to be remembered.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Lie / Only Time Will Tell Close The Door

My Heart

...

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The Continders aka The Fabulous Six

Posted on May 3 2019 by dion1

Clifford Curry

The Continders (Knoxville, TN.)
aka The Fabulous Six

Personnel :

Clifford Curry

Lewey Guy

Dewey Guy

Bob Adams

Jerry Johnson

Wayne Cronan

Discography :

The Continders
1959 - Mr. Dee Jay / Yes I Do (Blue Sky 105)

Dewey Guy & The Fabulous Six
1959 - Rock A While / Can't Stand To Be Alone (Ridgecrest 1201)

Biography :

While The Five Pennies toured during high school, Clifford Curry & four other friends formed a group called The Bingos. That group included, Willie Earl Drummond, Veste Huddleston, Clayton Whittington and Leon “Mickey” Prater. Curry wrote his own songs and sang into his small reel-to-reel tape recorder until the group saved enough money to drive to Nashville to record one 45 on Nashboro Records.

Clifford Curry

Curry was the lead singer on both; “Don’t Say Tomorrow” and “You For Me” the later, a song Curry co-wrote with Mickey Prater. Then the owner of Nashboro Records, Ernie Young, changed their name to The Hollyhocks. The man loved flowers. The following year, he joined a band called the Contenders (Dewey Guy, his twin brother, Lewey Guy, Jerry Johnson, Wayne Cronan, and Bob Adams).

The Continders aka The Fabulous Six
Dewey Guy & the Fabulous Six

In late 1958, they recorded "Mr. Dee Jay"/"Yes I Do" for Earl Dorrance's Blue Sky Records (although the label called them the "Continders"). Then, as "Dewey Guy and the Fabulous Six," they had "Rock A While"/"Can't Stand To Be Alone" on Ralph Stevens' Ridgecrest Records in early 1959.

Songs :

The Continders

Mr. Dee Jay Yes I Do

Dewey Guy & The Fabulous Six

Rock A While Can't Stand To Be Alone

...

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The Vestelles

Posted on May 1 2019 by dion1

The Vestelles

The Vestelles (New York)

Personnel :

Darnell Jessamay (Lead)

Bunny Brown

Barbara Cochran

Barbara Fork

Gloria Jackson

Discography :

1958 - Come Home / Ditta Wa Do (Decca 30733)

Biography :

Girls vocal group from New York consisted of Darnell Jessamay (Lead), Bunny Brown, Barbara Cochran, Barbra Fork and Gloria Jackson. In 1958, The girls recorded for Decca Records "Come Home"and "Ditta Wa Do" both written by John Bowden. John Bowden was a gospel record producer, A&R and promotion man, who was very active in the 1960s and 70’s and most famously associated with HOB and Ark, two gospel labels affiliated with Scepter Records, New York. Darnell Jessamay. would later join as lead singer a group known as "Darnell & The Dreams" and record "The Day Before Yesterday" b/w ""I Had A Love" (West Side #1020) .

Songs :

Come Home Ditta Wa Do

...

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The Five Wings (1) aka The Checkers (2)

Posted on May 1 2019 by dion1

The Five Wings (1) aka The Checkers (2)
Three of the Five Wings (L to R) Billy Carlisle, Richard Blandon & Tomy Gratte

The Five Wings (1) (Harlem, New York)
aka The Checkers (2)

ref The Dubs
ref The Scale-Tones
ref The Marvels (1)

Personnel : 

Jackie Rue (Lead)

Billy Carlisle (Second Tenor)

Frank Edwards (Tenor)

Melvin Flood (Baritone)

Tommy Grate (Bass)

Discography :

The Five Wings (1)
Singles :
1955 - Johnny Has Gone / Johnny's Still Singing (King 4778)
1955 - Rock-A-Locka / Teardrops Are Falling (King 4781)
Unreleased :
1955 - Middle Of The Night (King)

Billy Nelson bb the Five Wings
Singles :
1955 - Walk Along / Pack-Shack And Stack Your Blues Away (Savoy 1183)
Unreleased :
1955 - Angel Time (Savoy)
1955 - Hurry Up Honey (Savoy)
1955 - My Gal (Savoy)

The Checkers (2)
1959 - Rock-A-Locka / Teardrops Are Falling (King 5199)

Biography :

Second tenor Billy Carlisle and bass singer Tommy Grate (brother of Dovers' lead Miriam Grate) were members of a local vocal group from Harlem called the Five Wings. Along with lead singer Jackie Rue (later of Jackie and the Starlites) tenor Frank Edwards (who replaced Bobby Johnson in the Dovers in 1959), and baritone Melvin Flood, the quintet had recorded two songs on the King Records label on February 2nd 1955; "Johnny Has Gone" and "Johnny's Still Singing", both tributes to the recently deceased recording artist Johnny Ace. On the 18th, they had their second King session, at which they recorded "Teardrops Are Falling" and "Rock-A-Locka." These were released in March. The Same sides were re-released in 1959 as by the "Checkers," on King 5199.

The Five Wings (1) aka The Checkers (2)
Frank Edwards Frank Edwards with The Dovers

But when those sides, as well as the two first failed to attract attention, Rue, Edwards, and Flood quit the outfit and Kenny "Butch" Hamilton was recruited to replace Edwards. Richard Blandon, a cousin of Carlisle and a lead singer who had just been discharged from the U.S. Air Force, came to visit with Carlisle and ended up fronting the Five Wings. In November 1955, Hiram Johnson got the Wings one last session, backing up blues singer Billy Nelson. Although the label credits the 5 Wings, the only voices backing up Nelson were Carlisle, Grate, and Hamilton. Billy Carlisle, Tommy Grate and Richard Blandon joined the Dubs in 1957.

Songs :

The Five Wings (1)


       Johnny Has Gone / Johnny's Still Singing          Rock-A-Locka

Teardrops Are Falling

Billy Nelson bb the Five Wings


Walk Along / Pack-Shack And Stack Your Blues Away       Hurry Up Honey / My Gal

...

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