Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

Arthur & The Corvets (4) aka The Corvetts (2)

Posted on March 28 2021 by dion1

Arthur & The Corvets (4) aka The Corvetts (2)
Arthur Conley

Arthur & The Corvets (4) (Atlanta, Georgia)
aka The Corvetts (2)

Personnel :

Arthur Conley (lead)

Eddie Davis

Hubert Kimbrough

Mark Chapman

Discography :

Arthur & The Corvets (4)
1964 - Poor Girl / Darling I Love You (Na-R-Co 203)
1964 - I Believe / Miracles (NRC 2781-232)
1964 - Aritha / Flossie Mae (NRC 2871-34-1/2)

The Corvetts (2)
1965 - I'm Going To Cry / You're Blue (Moon 100)

Biography :

Born January 4, 1946, in McIntosh, GA, and raised in Atlanta, Conley was just 12 years old when he joined the Evening Smiles, a gospel group that appeared regularly on local radio station WAOK. Arthur joined a secular band named the Corvets and composed by Eddie Davis, Hubert Kimbrough & Mark Chapman. Arthur became their lead singer. Named Arthur & The Corvets, the group recorded "Poor Girl" and "Darling I Love You" both written by Arthur. The single was released by the Atlanta label National Recording Company in April 1964. The label will release a second single a few months later with "Miracles" b/w "I Believe". But, the NRC singles attracted little attention and Arthur left the group to mount a solo career. The group without its leader continues to record and the label released "Aritha" and "Flossie Mae" will be released shortly after retaining the name of "Arthur & The Corvets". Under the name of Corvetts a last single will be released in 1965 by Moon Records with "I'm Going To Cry" b/w "You're Blue".

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Arthur & The Corvets (4)


    Poor Girl                                     Darling I Love You


Miracles                                   I Believe

Aritha / Flossie Mae

The Corvetts (2)

I'm Going To Cry You're Blue

...

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The Six Teens

Posted on March 28 2021 by dion1

The Six Teens

The Six Teens (Los Angeles, California)
pictures update By Hans-Joachim

Personnel :

Kenneth Sinclair（Lead）

Trudy Williams（Lead）

Darrell Lewis

Bevery Pecot

Ed Wells

Loise Williams

Discography :

The Six Teens

1956 - A Casual Look / Teen Age Promise (Flip 315)
1956 - Send Me Flowers / Afar Into The Night (Flip 317)
1956 - Only Jim / My Special Guy (ATG) (Flip 320)
1957 - Arrow Of Love / Was It A Dream Of Mine (Flip 322)
1957 - My Surprise / Baby You're Dynamite (Flip 326)
1957 - Stop Playing Ping Pong (With My Heart) / My Secret (Flip 329)
1958 - Love's A-Funny That Way / Danny (Flip 333)
1958 - Baby-O / Oh, It's Crazy (Flip 338)
1959 - Heaven Knows I Love Him / Why Do I Go To School (Flip 346)
1960 - That Wonderful Secret Of Love / So Happy (Flip 350)
1960 - Suddenly In Love / Little Prayer (Flip 351)

Trudy & Louise

1963 - Teenage Promise* / My Special Guy** (Flip 362)
*faster version of Teen Age Promise (rec. 1956) ** same as on Flip 315

Biography :

The Six Teens' name derived from the average age of the six members divided by six; Ed Wells was the oldest at 17, and Trudy Williams the youngest at 12. Like most teenage groups of that era, they were inspired by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers.

Originally the Sweet Teens, they recorded one single under that name ("Don't Worry About a Thing" for Flip Records in 1956), with Wells singing lead on the first recording but Williams taking the helm for subsequent releases. The first Six Teens single, "A Casual Look," became their biggest hit. Flip's owner picked "Teenage Promise" but the disc jockeys flipped it, and it went to number 25 on the pop charts and number seven R&B.  The group began performing and spent much of the summer of 1957 performing in Hawaii. "Send Me Flowers," their second release, was number one there, but their third record, "Only Jim," did nothing to advance their career.

The fourth, "Arrow of Love," showed at number 80, and when Flip began marketing the Six Teens to teenyboppers, their songs and lyrics became unbelievably trite. Tunes like "Stop Playing Ping Pong With My Little Heart" had no chance for success, and a personnel shakeup did nothing to stabilize the group.  

In 1957, the Six Teens recorded "My Surprise," credited to the Six Teens featuring (14-year-old) Trudy Williams. Three final recordings failed to chart, but they continue performing with different members until the late '60s.

Songs :

The Six Teens


A Casual Look                    Teen Age Promise                  Send Me Flowers


Afar Into The Night              Only Jim                                My Special Guy


Arrow Of Love             Was It A Dream Of Mine                       My Surprise


Baby You're Dynamite               Stop Playing Ping Pong              My Secret


Love's A-Funny That Way                  Danny                               Baby-O


Oh, It's Crazy             Heaven Knows I Love Him          Why Do I Go To School

That Wonderful Secret Of Love So Happy Suddenly In Love

Little Prayer

Trudy & Louise

Teen Age Promise

...

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The Lateers

Posted on March 25 2021 by dion1

The Lateers

The Lateers (Pittsburgh)

Personnel :

Gary "Gus" Collins

Dennis Fitzgerald

Sammy Beckham

Rodney Allen

Discography :

1963 - The Smock / Dance Party (World Artists 1006)
1963 - Kickin Kangaroo / Sweet Cadillac (World Artists 1009)

Discography :

Everybody was singing on street corners of Pittsburgh's North Side during the 1950s, including Gus Collins. But he was a bit more advanced than his 'hood harmonizers; by the age of eleven, he was singing second tenor with his first group, Sammy and the Belltones. By the time 1960 rolled around, Gus was singing lead vocal for a local group called the Lateers with Dennis Fitzgerald, Sammy Beckham and Rodney Allen. Signed to Lenny Martin's World Artist label, the Lateers had two singles that landed on the national R&B charts in 1962 and 1963, “Dance Party” and “Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac” featuring Collins on the lead. After a couple of years of national tours and one-night stands, the Lateers called it quits in 1965.
http://oldmonmusic.blogspot.com/2010/07/

Songs :

The Smock Dance Party

Sweet Cadillac

...

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Butchy Saunders & The Elchords

Posted on March 22 2021 by dion1

Little "Butchie" Saunders & His Buddies (4)
1956 - Sammy Davis Jr., Little "Butchie" Saunders (9 year-old) and Elroy Peace.

Butchy Saunders & The Elchords (Manhattan, New York)

Ref : Little Butchie & The Vells (1)
Ref : Little "Butchie" Saunders & His Buddies (4)

Personnel :

John L. Brown aka Butchy Saunders (Lead)

Ronald Talbert (First Tenor)

Elliot Johnson (Second Tenor)

Raphael... (Baritone)

David Ballott (Bass)

Discography :

Butchy Saunders & The Elchords
1958 - Gee I'm In Love / Peppermint Stick (Good 544/5)

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

Ref :

Little "Butchie" Saunders & His Buddies (4)
Singles:
1956 - Lindy Lou / Rock 'n Roll Indian Dance (Herald 485)
1956 - Great Big Heart / I Wanna Holler (Herald 481)
Unreleased :
1956 - Don't Do Me Wrong (Gee)

Little Butchie & The Vells (1)
Single :
1959 - Over The Rainbow / Sometimes Little Girl (Angle Tone 535)
Unreleased :
1959 - Please Tell The Angels (Angle Tone)

Biography :

Beginning in 1956, every young singing prodigy in urban areas in the Northeast was following the lead position set by Frankie Lymon and his vocal group called The Teenagers. Because of the great success of the Lymon group, every independent record label was looking for their own "Frankie Lymon". One of the many hopefuls back in 1956 was nine year old John Brown in the city of Newark, New Jersey. When Brown felt that he was ready for professional direction and a shot at a record session, he went out and looked for contacts in the busy record industry in New York. He began using a stage name and he was known as Butchie Saunders. He eventually found his way to Herald Records in New York and soon had a vocal group surrounding him called The Buddies. He was being managed by Elroy Peace, a long time song and dance performer.

Little "Butchie" Saunders & His Buddies (4)

In August a jump tune called "Lindy Lou" was picked for the group and the flip side was "Rock & Roll Indian Dance" on Herald # 485. The record got good airplay and sales in the New York and Philadelphia areas. The record starts to sell in Chicago thanks to The Great Montague that city's top radio personality. In late August, Butchie and The Buddies appeared at the Apollo Theater with Doctor Jive (Tommy Smalls). In November of 1956, now billed as Little Butchie Saunders, Herald releases "Great Big Heart" and "I Wanna Holler" on # 491. This time there was no magic for Butchie, and the record did not sell much despite a concentrated effort in Washington D.C. and the Virginia Tidewater area of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Herald Records had second thoughts on continuing with the group. The label felt that the onslaught of Lymon sound-alikes was a glut on the scene. Subsequently Herald Records dropped the group from their recording roster and Butchie was out on his own again.

Little "Butchie" Saunders & His Buddies (4) Little Butchie & The Vells (1) Little Butchie & The Vells

Butchie went back to making the rounds of the smaller New York independents looking for a break. He was eventually led to a man named Al Tate who had begun a new recording enterprise called Good Records. A vocal quartet was quickly thrown together including Ronald Talbert, David Ballot Elliot Johnson and Raphael ? (some source gives other names). They were called The Elchords and worked on two songs that were prepared for the group. The tunes were "Peppermint Stick" and "Gee I'm In Love" and were soon released on Good # 544. The record picked up radio airplay almost immediately, and was a good sized hit in the urban Northeast during the spring of 1958. Unfortunately for the group, some internal dissension coupled with problems with the record label ended the career of The Elchords after one record. Both sides were reissued a year later on the MusicTone label (# 1107). But that was not the end of the line for Butchie Saunders. After a try to hook up with George Goldner (who had Frankie Lymon and his group) came to nothing, Saunders did make a connection with AngleTone Records most known for a number of hits by The Fi-Tones. The label had a group called The Vels, and they had the idea to front the group with Butchie as the lead singer. The combined group had one release for the label "Sometimes Little Girl" and "Over The Rainbow" on AngleTone # 535 in 1959. It was not a successful record for the group and soon Butchie Saunders faded with the oncoming nineteen sixties.
https://dmpsync.com/artists/3992

Songs :

Butchy Saunders & The Elchords

Gee I'm In Love Peppermint Stick

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

Little "Butchie" Saunders & His Buddies (4)


           Lindy Lou                            Rock 'n Roll Indian Dance


Great Big Heart                              I Wanna Holler

Don't Do Me Wrong

Little Butchie & The Vells (1)

Over The Rainbow Sometimes Little Girl

Please Tell The Angels

...

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The Satintones

Posted on March 22 2021 by dion1

The Satintones (L to R) Vernon Williams, Sonny Sanders, Jim Ellis, Sammy Mack & Robert Bateman

The Satintones (Detroit, Michigan)

Personnel :

James Ellis (Lead)

Sonny Sanders (First Tenor)

Sammy Mack

Robert Bateman (Bass)

Vernon Williams

Discography :

Singles :
1960 - I'll Never Love Again / Solid Sender (Tamla 54024)
1960 - Motor City / Going To The Hop (Tamla 54026)
1960 - My Beloved / Sugar Daddy (Motown 1000) (No Strings)
1960 - My Beloved / Sugar Daddy (Motown 1000) (With Strings)
1961 - Tomorrow And Always / A Love That Can Never Be (Motown 1006) (Male Lead)
1961 - Tomorrow And Always / A Love That Can Never Be (Motown 1006) (Duet Lead)
1961 - Angel / A Love That Can Never Be (Motown 1006)
1961 - I Know How It Feels / My Kind Of love (Motown 1010)
1961 - Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart / Fadder Letter (Motown 1020)

Unreleased :
N/A - Hungry Henry
N/A - You'd Make a Fine Son-in-law
N/A - Foot Stomping Time
N/A - You Cast A Spell on Me
N/A - Your Sweet Love
N/A - Boogie Woogie Heart
N/A - Because I Love You
N/A - The Feeling is So Fine
N/A - You Can't Beat My Lovin'

Biography :

The Satintones were Motown's first group, recording for the company from 1960 through 1961 and releasing six singles. This was during Motown's blues and mundane R&B era, and before the arrival of the jazz-based rhythmic backing of the Funk Brothers; a time when Ivy Joe Hunter led the session musicians, not Earl Van Dyke; a period when Motown released nine bad records for every good one; and a time when disc jockeys cringed at 45s sporting the Tamla or Motown logo. The original group was a quartet consisting of Charles "Chico" Leverett, Sonny Sanders, James Ellis, and Robert Bateman. Chico sang with the Spinners for a minute, and recorded "Solid Sender" on Tamla Records.

The Satintones in 1961. Sonny Sanders (on the car), Vernon Williams, James Ellis, Sammy Mack and Robert Bateman.

They became a quintet in 1961, the new lineup consisting of James Ellis, Sonny Sanders, Vernon Williams, Sammy Mack, and Robert Bateman. Depending on who you talk to, Freddie Gorman (Originals) and Brian Holland (hall-of-fame songwriter) sang and recorded with them, but it's unclear if any sides they appeared on were released. You won't find any of their single releases -- "My Beloved," "Motor City," "Tomorrow and Always," "Angel," "I Know How It Feels," and "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" -- on any Motown compilation album. "Tomorrow and Always" created some controversy, and a lawsuit (which Motown lost); the answer song not only answered the Shirelles' hit, it ripped "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" off note for note.

The Satintones

(L to R) Jim Ellis, Sonny Sanders, Chico Leverett and Robert Bateman

All the members enjoyed musical careers before and after the Satintones with the most distinguishing belonging to Sonny Sanders, who went on to become an arranger and songwriter at Ric Tic/Golden World Records then moved to Chicago, becoming a top arranger and co-writing "Love Makes a Woman" for Barbara Acklin. Bateman produced and wrote Wilson Pickett's early solo sides "It's Too Late" and "If You Need Me," jump-started the Marvelettes' career with "Please Mr. Postman" and "Playboy," and co-wrote Eddie Holland's "Jamie." (The Marvelettes' first album, Please Mr. Postman, featured two Satintones remakes, "Angel" and "I Know How It Feels," and one track, "The Feeling Is So Fine," became an obscure single for the Miracles.) Motown did schedule an album release (The Satintones Sing MT-602) in 1961, but it remains unissued; the label does have more than 20 unreleased Satintones tracks in the can, not counting the 12 issued on 45s. Around 1990, the Satintones recorded tracks produced by Ian Levine; surprisingly, Levine's productions of the Satintones are more pleasing than the originals.
Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

http://www.harmonytrain.com/Artists/Satintones.htm

Songs :

I'll Never Love Again                  Solid Sender                            Motor City


Going To The Hop             My Beloved                           Sugar Daddy


Tomorrow And Always       A Love That Can Never Be                       Angel


          I Know How It Feels                 My Kind Of love        Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart


                  Fadder Letter                 Hungry Henry              You'd Make a Fine Son-in-law


Foot Stomping Time         You Cast A Spell on Me               Your Sweet Love


Boogie Woogie Heart      Because I Love You              The Feeling is So Fine

You Can't Beat My Lovin'

...

...

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The Gingersnaps (1)

Posted on March 19 2021 by dion1

The Gingersnaps (1)

The Gingersnaps (1) (Sheboygan, WI)

Personnel :

Maryann Wimmer (Lead)

Judith Meyer (Baritone)

Jeanne Oehler (Bass)

Mary Gottsacer (Tenor)

Discography :

1958 - Bald Headed Papa / There Is A Little Rock And Roll In Everyones Soul (Window 1115)
1960 - Rememb'ring / A Hundred And Fifty Guys (Jupiter 305)
1960 - Be Still My Heart / If The Shoe Fits Put It On (Jupiter 306)

Biography :

The Gingersnaps. This singing group of four teenage girls was organized in 1956 when they were freshmen at North. High School in Sheboygan. The girls are Maryann Wimmer, lead: Mary Gottsacker, tenor; Jeanne Oehler, bass, and Judy Meyer, baritone. During the first year they were organized they placed first in a state talent contest. The group has made numerous appearances in and out Babcock ' Mother!.

The Gingersnaps (1)

The group were coached by Judith's father, John Meyer. John Meyer had helped form the Chordettes so the Gingersnaps, which included his daughter, Judith, were a similar project. Backing band, the Glaciers, included guitarist Brian Kumbalek, later known as blues artist Brian Lee.

Songs :

Bald Headed Papa If The Shoe Fits Put It On

There Is A Little Rock And Roll In Everyones Soul

...

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The Masterettes aka The Exciters

Posted on March 16 2021 by dion1

The Masterettes aka The Exciters

The Masterettes (Queens, New York)
aka The Exciters

Personnel :

Brenda Reid

Sylvia Wilbur

Carol Johnson

Lillian Walker 

Discography :

 1961 - Follow The Leader / Never, Ever (Lesage 715/716) 

Biography :

Brenda Reid, Carolyn (Carol) Johnson, Lillian Walker, and Sylvia Wilbur formed the group while at high school together in Queens, New York City, in 1961 when they were all 17 years old. They were called the Masterettes, as a sister group to another group called the Masters, and released their first recording, "Follow the Leader", in early 1962. Wilbur then left the group to be replaced by Penny Carter, and they auditioned for Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, winning a recording contract.

The Masterettes aka The Exciters
The Exciters : Lillian Walker, Herb Rooney, Brenda Reid & Carol Johnson

Penny Carter then left, and was replaced by Herb Rooney, a member of the Masters; Reid and Rooney later married. The group's name was changed to the Exciters, and their first hit record, arranged by George "Teacho" Wiltshire and produced by Leiber and Stoller for United Artists Records, was "Tell Him", which reached no. 4 on the U.S. pop chart in early 1963.

Songs :

Never, Ever Follow The Leader

...

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The Centurys

Posted on March 13 2021 by dion1

The Centurys
Bernie Dupree

The Centurys (Pittsburgh, PA)

Personnel :

Bernie Dupree "Cletus Marland" (Lead)

John Stevenson (Bass)

James Jefferson (First Tenor)

Stanley Reed (Second Tenor)

Melvin Cornelious (Baritone)

Discography :

The Centurys
1959 - Take My Hand / Oh Joe, Joe (Fortune 533)

Cletus Marland
1961 - Be My Love (Call My Own) / Cupid Arrow (Wink 102/Bevmar 961)
1961 - Like I Never Felt Before Bernie Dupree / I'll Take Care Of You (Roulette 4388)
1963 - Keep On A Loving / Every Now And Then (Terry 109/Geneva 109)
1965 - You're Gonna Miss Me / Yesterday (Terry 110)

Bernard DuPree
1965 - Yesterday Today And Forever / You Are Going To Miss Me (Granger 1000)

Biography :

The Centurys were from the Glen Hazel, Glenwwod, Hazel Wood and Hill District neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. In 1951 Bernie Dupree and Melvin Cornelious was part of a singing group called the Originals with Donal Moss, Woodrow Covington and Brooks... Although their performances were initially confined to "house parties", school dances and social gatherings, they somehow drew the attention of WCAE (Pittsburgh, Pa) disk jockey Jay Michel. He sent the Originals to New York for an audition that will not follow. By 1954, The Originals regrouped as a quartet calling themselves the Wonders with Donal Moss, Bernie Dupree, Melvin Cornelious and Marvin Brown. They singing at small clubs and at the end of 1955, the group had become semi inactive. Marvin Brown left to join the Mellows who change their name to the Four Dots and cut two records for Bullseye label in 1956.

The Centurys

In 1956, Odell Bailey heard some youthful vocalist purveying close knit cappella rhythms in his Beltzhoover neighbourhood and offered to manage the harmonizers, now know as the Dreamtones. The quintet was fronted by Bernie Dupree with James Jefferson, Sammy Daniels, Billy Cyrus and John Stevenson. Bailey proceeded to rename the group The Centurys. Shortly thereafter, Cyrus and Daniels leave, replaced by Melvin Cornelious and Stanley Reed. From 1957 into 1959, The Centurys were one of the busiest non-recording groups working not only the Pittsburgh vicinity but also out-of-state. The Century walked away as a winner of an audition for the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scoot Show. October 1959, Bailey secured a contract for the Centurys with Detroit Based Fortune Records operated by Jack & Deborah Brown. They recorded "Take My Hand" and "Oh Joe, Joe" released as Fortune 533 the week of November 2, 1959. The group continued to perform until 1961 before breaking up. In 1960/61, Bernie Dupree changed his name to Cletus Marland and had a few of solo releases with some nice Doo wop.

Songs :

The Centurys

Take My Hand Oh Joe, Joe

Cletus Marland


Like I Never Felt Before          I'll Take Care Of You                Keep On A Loving


   Every Now And Then            You're Gonna Miss Me                       Yesterday

...

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The Four Counts (3)

Posted on March 11 2021 by dion1

The Four Counts (3)

The Four Counts (3) (Hanover, Pa.)

Personnel :

Alan Palmer

Charles Borchers

Glenn Bell

George Bartol

Discography :

1960 - Young Hearts / I'm Gonna Love You (Dart 1014)

Biography :

The Four Counts were all 1959 Westminster High School graduates when they have recorded their record under Dart label owned by Roger Sherman. “Young Heart” and “ I’m Gonna Love Ya". “Young Heart" was written by a member of the group. Alan Palmer. The flip side was written bv another members , Charles Borchers. Other members of the singing group are Glenn Bell and George Bartol. The record was released in early March 1960.

Songs :

Young Hearts I'm Gonna Love You

...

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The Four Latins

Posted on March 11 2021 by dion1

The Four Latins (Glendale, CA.)

Have they recorded? If anyone know this group .... jcpiazza26@gmail.com

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