Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Rivals (4)

Posted on February 8 2020 by dion1

The Rivals (4) (Detroit)

Personnel :

Gerald Green (Lead)

James Green (First Tenor)

Herman Green (Second tenor)

Robert Metcalf (Baritone)

Tolbert Dorr (Bass)

Discography :

Letha Jones & The Rivals (4)
1960 - I Need You / I Got That Feeling (Anna 1113)
1960 - I Need You / Black Clouds (Anna 1113)

The Rivals (4)
1963 - It's Gonna Work Out / Love Me (Puff 1001/Lupine 118)
1964 - Make Your Mind Up / She's Mine (Puff 3912)

Biography :

The Rivals first appeared on Anna Records backing Letha Jones. Anna issued two singles in 1960 credited to Letha Jones & the Rivals, "I Got That Feeling" b/w "I Need You" and "Black Cloud" with the same B-side as the first single. Neither did anything and the Rivals wouldn't appear on record again until 1963 when they waxed "It's Gonna Work Out" b/w "Love Me" on T. J. Fowler's Puff label. The session musicians included Fowler (keyboards), Uriel Jones (drums), Walter Cox (sax), and Dezi McCullers (horns) a.k.a. the T. J. Fowler Combo. It did well locally so Fowler sold the master to Bob West's Lupine Records, distributed by Atlantic Records, to give it a better shot.

The Rivals (4)
Letha Jones

But despite immense potential, the record never did much outside Detroit. Because of its popularity in the Motor City, the Rivals did commercials for Goebel Beer and Wrigley Gum, appeared on the Robin Seymour Show, and played local venues such as the 20 Grand and the Graystone Ballroom. A second Puff single came out in 1964, but "She's Mine" b/w "Make Your Mind Up," failed to achieve even local success, and the Rivals broke up. Their old session drummer, Uriel Jones, went to work for Motown, as did Gerald Green, who joined the Contours.
Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

Songs :

The Rivals (4)

It's Gonna Work Out                Love Me


She's Mine                                Make Your Mind Up

Letha Jones & The Rivals (4)

I Need You I Got That Feeling

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The Zebulons

Posted on February 8 2020 by dion1

The Zebulons

The Zebulons (Brooklyn, New York)

Personnel :

Shawn Syville

Billy Hamilton

Leroy Harper

Clarence Ellis

Troy Mangum

Discography :

1960 - Falling Water / Wo-Ho-La-Tee-Da (Cub 9069)

Biography :

Billy Hamilton and Leroy Harper began to sing together in their spare time in the Navy, and when they returned to their hometown of Brooklyn (New York) they decided to form a Doo wop group, along with another guy they had met in the Marine, Clarence Ellis, and a neighbour, Troy Mangum. After some trials the success of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers was overwhelming, so they rushed to sign a singer with the voice of a child like that of Lymon, Harper's cousin, Shawn Syville, who although he was 19 years old was able to sing with falsetto tone.They called themselves the "Zebulons. The Zebulons only did a couple of shows, both at schools, appearing with the Crests and the Passions. Gribble got the guys a six-month with the record division of M-G-M., From where they sent them to their cheap subsidiary, Cub records.There they published the single "Falling water" (1960), Barely a month after the album was released and when it started to start, Harper and Syville went to a party where Sherman Williams was, a boy who wanted to join the Zebulons but was rejected because I did not know how to sing. This one, still hurt, told Syville that at least he danced better than he and the thing was more, when Syville, a drunken Harper and two other friends assaulted with punches, kicks, stabs, bottles, even with an antenna, to Williams until it killed him and left him almost unrecognizable. The four found their bones in jail and spent six and a half years behind bars, despite constant appeals to their innocence. The other Zebulons had tried to maintain the group, but the voice of Syville was irreplaceable and in addition Gribble died of a heart attack in 1962, reason why the group decided to separate.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Zebulons/zebulons.html

Songs :

Falling Water Wo-Ho-La-Tee-Da

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The Squires (5)

Posted on February 7 2020 by dion1

The Squires (5)

The Squires (5) (New York)

Personnel :

Peter Baralt (Lead / First Tenor)

Garry Bonner (Lead / Second Tenor)

Bob Friedman (Bass / Baritone)

Arnie Magraner (Baritone)

Discography :

1962 - So Many Tears Ago / Don't Accuse Me (Not Them) (Gee 1082)

Biography :

The last record on Gee (1082) was "So Many Tears Ago" by the Squires. The group consisted of Peter Baralt, Arnie Magraner, Gary Bonner and Bob Friedman. Arnie Magraner sang in 1958 with the Crystal Chords who recorded "Be Mine Again" b/w "When In The World". The Squires were discovered at the "Cafe Wha?" Greenwich Village in Manhattan and signed a contract the following day and recorded the next day. Richards Barrett was at the session, organizing the effort and playing maracas. Arlene Smith was there also. The flip of Gee 1082, "Don't Accuse Me" was not put on the record when it was recorded. In other words, that's not the Squires. They thinks that the group that is on the 45 doing "Don't Accuse Me", contains some of the Students (I'm So Young).

The Squires (5)
Richards Barrett "Don't Accuse Me" by the Students?

When they dug up the Gee masters for a box set, they came up with the Squires’ version and put it on the CD set. In 1964, The Squires won Amateur Night at the Apollo with their rendition of the Dominoes' "Stardust." The Squires were together from 1962-65 during which time they cut many cover records of the Beatles, the Four Seasons and the Tams for the Twin Hits label. Each of them was paid $5 per record and the lead got $10. Gary Bonner went on to write "Happy Together" for the Turtles and some other sides. Bob Friedman went on to sing with the Sparrows Quartet out of NYC for a decade and then moved to Chicago and sang with Yesterdays Rhythm.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Squires (5)

So Many Tears Ago Don't Accuse Me (unrel. diff. vers.)

Unknown group (the Students?)

Don't Accuse Me

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The Sports

Posted on February 5 2020 by dion1

Bobby Collins, Robert Whitehead (Rear), Lloyd Jones (Front) and Will T. Vance

The Sports (Nashville, TN.)

Personnel :

Lloyd Jones (Lead)

Will T. Vance (Tenor)

Robert Whitehead (Baritone)

Bobby Collins (Bass)

Discography :

Nick Dean & The Sports
1956 - High School Baby / When You Lose Your True Love (Deb 1001)

The Sports Featuring Lloyd Jones
1956 - True Love Come Back To Me / Hot Lips And Pretty Brown Hair (Deb 1002)

Biography :

The Sports were a group of young high school and College lads composed by Bobby Collins, Robert Whitehead, Lloyd Jones and Will T. Vance . The Sports have garnered a reputation for harmony in local and middle Tennessee bookings. They also have furnished the background vocalising for records, especially two sides cut by Nick Dean for the Deb Label. Nick Dean (Nee Nicholas "Nick" Boone) Younger brother of Pat Boone was born 1 June 1935, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Todd's brief career from 1957-60 was built during the era when record companies were flooding the market with teen idol types who could sing a poppish unthreatening style of rock 'n' roll. As the younger brother of the king of poppish rock 'n' roll, Pat Boone, Todd was quickly snapped up.

The Sports
Nick Boone (Nick Dean)

After his first release on Deb, Nick Boone was signed to Dot Records (which gave the singer his name by reversing the company's name). Todd's "Plaything", which entered the US Top 50 in 1957, brought the singer to the public's attention, and, that same year, a cover of Danny And The Juniors' "At The Hop" (number 21) cemented a relationship with his teenage fans. There then followed a spate of television appearances and fan magazine profiles, but it did not last and Todd left the music business to pursue a career in social work. The Sports recorded a second single for Deb records with "True Love Come Back To Me" and "Hot Lips And Pretty Brown Hair."

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Nick Dean & The Sports

High School Baby / When You Lose Your True Love

…

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The Neons (2)

Posted on February 1 2020 by dion1

Ricardo Rasheem King

The Neons (2) (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Ricardo King (Lead)

Craig Simmons (Tenor)

Robert Gordon (Bass)

Demelvin Woodfox (Baritone)

Discography :

The Neons (2)
1961 - Tuscon / My Lover (Waldon 1001)
1962 - Magic Moment / Fat Girls (Challenge 9147)

Ricardo King
1964 - At The Harlem Center / This Is The Moment (Joker 711)
1965 - Won't You Come On Home / On A Hot Summer Day In The Big City (Joker 712)

Biography :

Ricardo Rasheem King based in Santa Monica, singer, songwriter, performer and actor under the name of Ricardo J. King. Ricardo King began in music industry the early 1960 with the Neons (Los Angeles) group on Waldon et Challenge Records. In 1961, a group of four black guys from Los Angeles were signed on Waldon Records and they recorded “Tucson” and “My Lover” with Ricardo King as lead singer. The other members of the group was Craig Simmons (Tenor),Robert Gordon (Bass) & Demelvin Woodfox (Baritone). Both songs were written by Demelvin Woodfox and Ricardo King. In 1962, the Neons signed for Challenge Records. Dave Burgess wrote "Fat Girls" for the Neons and was the Executive Producer for the Group. Studio producer World Famous Glen Campbell and on Guitar Backup group The Champs.

The Neons (2)
Glen Campbell

The songs were recorded in Hollywood at Sunset Highland at Challenge Studios on by Gene Autry the movie star and Singing cowboy. Manager and mentor fir Ricardo King was Johnny Woodson at great man and later was a music teacher at Carver Jr. High in Los Angeles California. he also taught Ricardo how to read music and took him to BMI in Beverly Hills and got him signed as a Song Writer for Ricardo's first solo writing if Ricardo's first song "Magic Moment" which was Recorded by The group.Ricardo Rasheem King later began a solo career for Joker Records produced by Hal Davis of Motown Records. When Motown moved to Hollywood, Ricardo recorded "At Harlem Center" b/w "This Is The Moment" and "Won't You Come On Home" b/w "On A Hot Summer Day In The Big City" on Joker Records/Jobete Publishing and Jancris/Vault. Ricardo Rasheem King also sings for the public in the streets of Santa Monica.

Songs :

The Neons (2)


Tuscon                                             My Lover


Magic Moment                                       Fat Girls

Ricardo King

At The Harlem Center                       This Is The Moment


       Won't You Come On Home      On A Hot Summer Day In The Big City

...

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