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The Dots (1)

Posted on by dion1

The Dots (1) The Dots (1956) : Mel Braxton, Pete Smith, Jeanette Baker , DJ Huggy Boy and Bill Gore

The Dots (1) (Los Angeles, CA)

 

Personnel :

Jeanette Baker (Lead)

Johnny Flamingo

Pete Smith

Ed

Ray Brewster

 

Discography :

Singles :
1956 - I Confess / I Wish  (I Could Meet Her) (Caddy 101)
1956 - I Lost You / Johnny (Caddy 107)
1956 - Heartsick And Lonely / Good Luck To You  (Best Wishes Too)  (Caddy 111)

EP:
1956 - I Confess (The Dots) / All Nite Long (Joe Houston) / So Long (Johnny Flamingo) / Eternally (The Twilighters)     (Caddy 115)
 

Biography :

Jeanette Baker  was born June 7th, 1938 in Denver, Colorado. After moving to Los Angeles on a permanent basis in 1956, she was forming a group called the Dots. One of the members was from husband-to-be Johnny Flamingo who passed the audition. Others chose from the pack were tenor Pete Smith plus a fellow named Ed. They came to 'Huggy Boy'(A Los Angeles DJ) with a tune called "I Confess," a romantic ballad lead with verve and gusto by Jeanette herself. Then Huggy Boy decided to start a record label, Caddy, and made their debut song, "I Confess" b/w "I Wish".

The Dots (1)    The Dots (1)
Jeanette Baker                                                                                                 
 
The chart chosen for the flip, "I wish" (I could meet her), was a rocking and stopin' jumper with unknown male lead Johnny Flamingo that tends the supporting ''Handsome Jim Balcom Band In full throttle, with shrieking sax and pounding piano "I confess'' made a little noise in the L.A. area but did not pick up too much notice until it was introduced by Ernie Freeman to the fourteen-year-old Paul Anka at Modern Records in September 1956.

The Dots (1)     The Dots (1)
Johnny Flamingo                                                         Jeanette Baker  

When Jeanette and Johnny met It was love at first sight but they had to wait a while to get married as Johnny was already hitched to his first wife. Ray Brewster joined the Dots in Johnny Flamingo's place In 1957 and the quartet enjoyed two releases. The first was the sweetly sung, mid tempo ballad "Johnny" backed by  "I lost you" (Caddy 107). "Johnny" made a fair bit of noise around Southern California but did not dent any charts. The Dots' third and final single release was "Good luck to you" coupled with "Heartsick & lonely" (Caddy 111). "Good luck to you" is yet another sulky, heartfelt ballad sung prettily to basic rhythm accompaniment. By now, the original Dots had gone their separate ways and had been replaced by singers with a good deal more professional experience.

 

Songs :

  
             I Confess                                I Wish  (I Could Meet Her)

  
                 Johnny / I Lost You         Good Luck To You... /Heartsick And Lonely



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Mac Boswell & The Outcasts (1)

Posted on by dion1

Mac Boswell & The Outcasts (1)

Mac Boswell & The Outcasts (1) (Lavonia, GA)

 

Personnel:

James Malcolm "Mac" Boswell (Lead)

John Clark

Fiske Minton

Harry Williams

Brown Ellis

 

Discography :

1959 - I Thought You Knew / Rang Dang Do Lally  (Wonder 117)

 

Biography :

Vocal and instrumental group from Nashville Tennessee, fronted by James Malcolm "Mac" Boswell and composed by John Clark, Fiske Minton, Harry Williams and Brown Ellis. At 19 Mac Boswell and the Outcasts have made several tours of the south  and the Southeast appearing with stars like Ferlin Husky and Jerry Lee Lewis. The group began in 1957 while the boys were attending West End High School at Nashville Tennessee. After working together for months, they entered several talent contests - Winning Many.

Mac Boswell & The Outcasts (1)
John Clark, Harry Williams, Fiske Minton, ???, Mac Boswell and Brown Ellis

This encouraged them on bigger things. Searching for new material they went to Jacksonville, Florida to see Mae Axton who co-authored "Heartbreak Hotel". Mae took a liking to the boys and worked with them improving their style. The boys really dug ib and worked hard for another ten months, playing as many tours and dates as they could. On May 20, 1959 Bill Lowery of National Recording Corporation i, Atlanta cut their first record which was released in July 1959.

Mac Boswell & The Outcasts (1)    Mac Boswell & The Outcasts (1)
                                                                                                                                         Mac Boswell

Everywhere Mac and the boys have played, they have the audience in the palm of their hand and fan mail has been terrific. After playing three songs on a morning TV show, in one city, they received over 500 letters which is evidence of the tremendous acclamation they have enjoying.

 

Songs :


 I Thought You Knew


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The Quintones (1)

Posted on by dion1

The Quintones (1) 

The Quintones (1) (Chicago)

 

Personnel :

Donald Burrows (Lead)

Clifford Sutherland (First Tenor)

Freddie Williams (Second Tenor)

Ralph Fulham (Baritone)

Bill McDonald (Bass)

 

Discography :

1957 - South Sea Island / More Than A Notion (Park 57 111)

 

Biography :

The Quintones releasing one record "South Sea Island" backed with "More Than A Notion." The lead singer was Donald Burrows, and he was supported by first tenor Clifford Sutherland, second tenor Freddie Williams, baritone Ralph Fulham, and bass Bill McDonald. Another vocalist in the area, Willie Crowley, was often recalled as a as a member of the Quintones, but he wasn't on the record but occasionally sang with the group. The Quintones were featured in two big shows. One was the Herb Kent-promoted show in the Children's Building with Lee Andrews and the Hearts, the Pastels, and other Altgeld Gardens groups. The other show was out in Harvey, some school out there, Herb Kent promoted it. The Dells were on the show and the fellows who did 'Cherry Pie,' Marvin and Johnny. Those acts got top billing and everything. The Quintones were not together very long. They were still attending Carver High when they made the record, and six months after recording it they had disbanded.
(Doowop: The Chicago Scene)

 

Songs :

  
More Than A Notion                       South Sea Island

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The Cellos

Posted on by dion1

The Cellos  

The Cellos (Manhattan, New York)

 

Personnel :

Alton Campbell（Lead）

Billy Montgomery（Tenor）

Cliff Williams（Tenor）

Bobby Thomas（Baritone）

Alvin Williams（Bass）

 

Discography :

Singles :
1957 - Rang Tang Ding Dong / You Took My Love（Apollo 510）
1957 - Under Your Spell / The Juicy Crocodile（Apollo 515）
1957 - The Be Bop Mouse / Girlie That I Love（Apollo 516）
1958 - I Beg For Your Love / What's The Matter For You（Apollo 524）

Unreleased :
1958 - Doo Doo Wah （Apollo)
1958 - Buffalo Bill （Apollo)
1958 - Love That Girl Of Mine （Apollo)
1958 - Don't Wait (with Dolly Lyon) （Apollo)

 

 Biography :

The Cellos' singing was as smooth as the sound of their instrumental namesake. Formed at Charles Evans Hughes High School on West 18th Street in Manhattan, the Cellos were Alvin Williams , Billy Montgomery, Alton Campbell , Bobby Thomas, and Cliff Williams, their inspirations were the Heartbeats, the Cleftones, the Harptones, and the Coasters.Alvin Williams wrote their original material, including a number called "Rang Tang Ding Dong (I'm the Japanese Sandman)" that so impressed the engineer on their first demo session, Lewis Merenstein (who later produced Thelonious Monk, Art Farmer, and Van Morrison), that he brought it to Apollo Records, which was owned by his uncle. 

The group got a contract from that demo, and had their first session in January of 1957. "Rang Tang Ding Dong" b/w "You Took My Love" reached number 62 on the Billboard national chart during a ten-week run, a promising beginning; the song was covered by the likes of Chuck Miller ("House of Blue Lights") and Ray Stevens. This was a feat the group was never able to repeat. The Cellos were extremely versatile, capable of delivering soaring, dreamily ethereal harmony numbers ("You Took My Love") or scorching, funny novelty songs ("Juicy Crocodile") with equal aplomb.  

The Cellos    The Cellos

Few groups had their range, and even fewer an in-house songwriter of Williams' caliber; between them, they made some gorgeous and memorably funny doo wop and R&B records. But they never managed to connect nationally, despite their receiving the blessing of tastemaker Alan Freed and a featured spot at one of his Brooklyn Paramount shows.

The Cellos   The Cellos

    Undaunted, their management got them booked onto national tours, and some of their records got decent airplay. The sales didn't follow suit, however, and by the end of 1958 the group had called it quits, although Alvin Williams remained in the business for a few more years.

 

Songs :

     
Rang Tang Ding Dong             You Took My Love                   Under Your Spell
 
     
The Juicy Crocodile         The Be Bop Mouse               Girlie That I Love

     
I Beg For Your Love         What's The Matter For You         Love That Girl Of Mine


Doo Doo Wah (Unreleased)
Don't Wait (with Dolly Lyon)
Buffalo Bill (Unreleased)
What's The Matter For You (Outtake)

 

 

 

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Shari Drake & The Vernonaires

Posted on by dion1


Shari Drake

Shari Drake & The Vernonaires (Zanesville, Ohio)

 

Personnel :

Shari Drake (Lead)

Benny Cinquina

Tommy Schofield

Glen Home

 

Discography :

1962 - Why Did You Do This / Please Be Mine (Hilltop 1877)

 

Biography :

The Vernonaires were a group from Mount Vernon, They started as a three member vocal group composed by Benny Cinquina (lead), Tommy Schofield and Glen Home. The group performs locally and regularly appears at Vernon Manor's "400" in Cincinnati. In February 1962 the group recorded their first 45 as a backing group for Shari Drake.  Shari Drake of Howard, singing commercially for about four months, take singing lessons in school and also play the piano. Shari wrote the two songs "Why Did You Do This" and "Please Be Mine" released by Hilltop. Hilltop Records were owned by Quentin 'Reed' Weltywho produced a lot of material from many artists between 1958 and 1962 for different labels including his own which were 'Hilltop Records', 'Z Records', 'Prism Records' and 'B-W Records'.


Songs :

  
 Why Did You Do This                            Please Be Mine      

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The Fayatons

Posted on by dion1

The Fayatons1962 - (L to R ): I.V. Simpson , Walter Garrett, Sonny Holley J.r &  Melvin Blackmore

 The Fayatons (Battle Creek, Michigan)


Personnel :

I.V. Simpson (First Tenor)

Walter Garrett (Second Tenor)

Melvin Blackmore (Baritone)

Sonny Holley J.r. (High Tenor)

 

Discography :

Unreleased:
1962 - Let This Girl / Quiet (Tri-Phi)

 

Biography :

The Fayatons were a four piece  vocal group from Battle Creek in 1962. They comprised - I.V. Simpson (First Tenor), Walter Garrett (Second Tenor), Melvin Blackmore (Baritone) & Sonny Holley J.r. (High Tenor) (Sonny played in Jr Walker's All Stars at one time). They went to Tri-Phi Records in 1962 and recorded "Let This Girl" b/w "Quiet".  Unfortunately the disc was never released.

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The Satellites (5)

Posted on by dion1

The Satellites (5) The Satellites (5)  (Pease AFB, NH)

 

Personnel :

Tommy Childers

Nick Brazell

Sandy McPherson

Albert "Duff" Duffy

 

Discography :

The Satellites (5)
1959 - Linda Jean / Rockateen (Cupid 5004 / ABC 10038)

Nick Brazell & The Satellites (5)  / Sandy McPherson & The Satellites (5)
1960 -  Betty Joe / Blue Denim Angel (Sparr 328)

 

Biography :

Vocal Group oriented Rock and Roll, the Satellites were Nick Brazell aged 16, Sandy McPherson aged 17 and Albert "Duff" Duffy aged 18. Brazell (Born in California, but raised in Texas and Oklahoma and McPherson (Who'd moved from California to New Mexico to New Hampshire) were Air Force brats whose fathers were stationed at Pease AFB in New Hampshire. Nick Brazell,  Sandy McPherson and a guy named Rick Arnold went to the General and asked if they could have a building to start a teen club. He said Yes, and they hired a local dee-jay, Art Wood for the opening sock hop. Art was going to the restroom and heard the three boys singing along with a record. He said, 'Have you guys ever thought of singing professionally?'

The Satellites (5)

Wood put them with a local singer, Tommy Childers, whom he later canned. They recorded Rockateen at a local studio, and it first appeared on Sam Lembo's Cupid Records in Marblehead, Massachusetts. ABC Records Acquired The Satellites' Cupid Masters and send the guys on the road with a group called the Launchers. "Linda Jean" was a song Nick Brazzel had written about his girlfriend at the time, Linde Lou Winberly. It was originally titled Linda Lou, but Ray Sharpe's "Linda Lu" began showing up, So Brazell changed the title (renaming the song after both his girlfriend and her mother). They played sock hops, television. Deejay Art Wood was their manager. First, he canned Rick Arnold, replacing him with a local boy, Tommy Childers, and then he canned Childers , replacing him with another local boy, Albert "Duff" Duffy.

The Satellites (5)    The Satellites (5)
Tommy Childers                                                                                                                  

The Satellites had a brief lifespan: basically, the summer of 1959. Brazell's Father was moved to Saudi Arabia, and Nick's mother took him back to Texas. Art Wood brought him up to Boston for some shows during the summer, but there was another argument and Brazell left. The others stayed together another year or so. Wood had a comanager who owned a clothing store, so the group was usually promoting their's comanager's clothes and their own records. At the end of 1959 the guys recorded another single with a very nice Doo Wop "Blue Denim Angel".

 

Songs :

The Satellites (5)

  
Rockateen                                          Linda Jean

Sandy McPherson & The Satellites (5)


Blue Denim Angel

Nick Brazell  & The Satellites (5)


Betty Joe


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The Four Ekkos

Posted on by dion1

The Four Ekkos
The Four Ekkos in Honolulu, Cassotta, Grock, Scarlata & Mazzeo

The Four Ekkos (Rochester, NY)

 

Personnel :

Carl Scarlata

Pat Cassotta

Leo Grock

Joe Mazzeo

 

Discography :

Jerry Engler & The Four Ekkos
1957 - Sputnik (Satellite Girl) / Unfaithful One (Brunswick 55037)

Bernie Campbell & The Four Ekkos
1957 - Baby, You Belong To Me / Will I Ever Find My Baby? (Fine 26571-2)

The Four Ekkos
1958 - Toodaloo Kangaroo / My Love I Give (RIP 12558)
1959 - Hand In Hand / Think Twice (Label 2022)

 

Biography :

Vocal group from Rochester, composed by Carl Scarlata, Pat Cassotta, Leo Grock and Joe Mazzeo. The Four Ekkos first hit a recording studio when they backed Rochester Rockabilly vocalist Jerry Engler on his 1957 Space Age-themed “Sputnik (Satellite Girl)”, receiving a label credit along the way – ‘Jerry Engler & The Four Ekkos’.

The Four Ekkos    The Four Ekkos  
Jerry Engler                                                                         

This was cut at Rochester’s Fine Recordings and picked up and issued by Brunswick Records. On the same label (Fine) one month later, the group backed young Bernie Campbell (age 14) on  "Baby, You Belong To Me" b/w "Will I Ever Find My Baby?".

The Four Ekkos    The Four Ekkos

In 1958 , the group were under contract with Rip records arrived in Hollywood for a month’s stay. The group under the personal management of Dick Pucio, 23 year old head of Rip, will make several appearances plugging it’s recording of ”Toodaloo Kangaroo”. In 1959 the Four Ekkos cut "Hand in Hand" b/w "Think Twice" released on Buffalo’s Label Records.


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)   

Jerry Engler & The Four Ekkos

  
Sputnik (Satellite Girl)                       Unfaithful One
 

Bernie Campbell & The Four Ekkos

  
Baby, You Belong To Me                       Will I Ever Find My Baby? 

 

The Four Ekkos

  
Toodaloo Kangaroo                                 My Love I Give     

  
Hand In Hand                                          Think Twice   


…

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The Hit-Makers

Posted on by dion1

The Hit-Makers
Thanks to Marv Goldberg

The Hit-Makers (Harlem, New York)

 

Personnel :

?

 

Discography :

1959 - I Can't Take It Anymore / Too Cool (Angle Tone 1104)

 

Biography :

Unfortunately, no information on this group from Harlem, New York, except that they had a very good single record on Angletone (1104) : "Too Cool" b/w "I Can't Take It Anymore" in 1959. Tommy Robinson's Atlas Records, originally based on 125th St. in New York's Harlem, was one of the first culturally significant record labels founded and operated by a Black owner. From 1951 until the early 1970s, the company specialized in R&B, evolving from urban blues and jazz in the beginning to doo wop music in the late 1950s -- their first release in December of 1951 was "Rock H-Bomb Rock" by H-Bomb Ferguson.

The Hit-Makers  The Hit-Makers

In 1953, he started recording vocal groups, which heralded his entry into the doo wop field with the Caverliers Quartet. Other harmony groups and a cappella outfits that came aboard included the Revels, the Travelers, the Fi-Tones (the reorganized Caverliers), the Parakeets, the Gypsies (who had more of a jump sound), the Five Dukes, and the Lincolns.   None of Atlas's releases ever charted nationally -- the company was essentially a one-man operation, and lacked the promotional clout and money to push songs that high nationwide -- but their artists were fixtures on local and regional charts. As for the diversity of material here, it runs the gamut from raunchy, heavily R&B-flavored numbers like the Caverliers' "Dynaflow" (a great unheralded car song with a real cool sax solo) and the Gypsies' jumping "Young Girl to Calypso," to smooth near-pop like "Lenora" by the Travelers. This collection also includes a pair of unreleased numbers by the Travelers and the Fi-Tones.

 

Songs :


I Can't Take It Anymore / Too Cool
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

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Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3) aka The Jesters (2)

Posted on by dion1

Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3) aka The Jesters (2) Themes Pappas (Manager) & Buddy Gibson with the Vanguards behind.

Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3) (Ventura, Ca.)
aka The Jesters (2)

 

Personnel :

Leroy (Buddy) Gibson (Lead Singer & Pianist)

Don Johnson (Vocal)

Dave Johnson (Guitar & Vocal)

Ron  Perry (Pianist & vo­cal)

Corky Wilke (Sax­ophone & vo­cal)

Yvonne Gallegos (Vocal)

Joyce Gallegos (Vocal)

 

Discography :

Buddy Gibson & The Jesters (2)
1958 - To Be Or Not To Be / Meet The Beat (inst) (Spry 118)

Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3)
1959 - Just A Game / The Session (Swingin’615)

 

Biography :

Vocal group from Ventura, California, The Jesters aka The Vanguards were composed by Buddy Gibson, singer and Piano player and a group of young people from Ventura Colllege, Oxnard High School, Ven­tura High School and Oxnard Air Force Base. They were Ron Perry : Pianist and vo­calist. In the Air Force. He is 19 and come from Washington.D.C., Don Johnson, Vocalist, The oldest member of the group at 22. Also in the Air Force, from Columbus., Dave Johnson, Plays the elec­tric guitar and sings. He is a 17 year old senior at Ventura High, Corky Wilke, 16, Plays sax­ophone and sings. He is a Junior at Ventura High, Drummer Mike Flaherty, a former VC student,  a psy­chiatric technician trainee at Camarillo State Hospital.

Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3) aka The Jesters (2)    Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3) aka The Jesters (2)
When he was five Buddy made appearances with his sister Betty as a dancing team before numerous lodges and service clubs.

Two Oxnard girls, Yvonne, 19, and Joyce, 17, Gallegos joined the band on their second single as a vocal duet. Yvonne attends VC. Joyce is a senior at Oxnard High. In 1959, Buddy with the Vanguards (aka the Jesters) made two records (Four songs) records of tunes written by Gibson, One "To Be Or Not To Be" made the Top 20. His other recording songs are "Just A Game", "The Session" and "Meet The Beat" an instrumental with the band in which Buddy plays the piano.

 

Songs :

Buddy Gibson & The Jesters (2)


To Be Or Not To Be

Buddy Gibson & The Vanguards (3)


Just A Game


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