1959 - Oom Baby? / My Baby Ain't Nothing But Bad (Checker 932)
Biography :
Both Rose Marie, 17, and Georgia, 15, were honour students at Norton High School Ohio. Both play in the high school band - Rose Marie play the clarinet and Georgia the flute. The Talented Gross girls also vrite the words and music for songs and then record their own composition. In February 1959, they signed a contract with Checker records to write and record eight of their own tunes each year. Rose Marie and Georgia penned some songs in 1958 : "All Our Life Long", "Dear Santy", "Hey, Fat Boy", "I Really Love You", "A teenage Boy". The first two Gross Sisters will be released by Checker early in March 1959 with "Oom Baby?" b/w "My Baby Ain't Nothing But Bad". Unfortunately, surely the little promotion and the little success have put a stop to the careers of the two sisters. Checker will no longer be releasing a Gross Sisters single.
1958 - School Letter / Johnny Johnny (Federal 12345)
Biography :
These Charmettes who recorded for Federal Records have no connection with the other groups of the same name, "School Letter" and "Johnny Johnny" were recorded in Chicago but the members of this quintet are unknowns . It was obviously arranged and possibly produced by Sonny Thompson whose Big Star Pub. Co. (BMI) gets part-publishing credit along with Syd Nathan and Ralph Bass's Armo imprint, so Ralph Bass was at least nominally the producer, but it obviously pre-dates Nathan & Thompson's formal partnership through Son-Lo Music Pub. Co. (BMI) which was to make Thompson a formally anointed producer at King/Federal and a prolific producer in Chicago and Cincinnati. The other interesting thing about this one is the involvement of professional Chicago songwriter and group coach Bernice Williams, later to be involved with the Dukays and the Starlets and to have her big moment with "Duke Of Earl."
The Rayber Voices - L to R: Robert Bateman, Gwen Murray, Brian Holland. Front: Raynoma Gordy
The Rayber Voices (Detroit, Michigan)
Personnel :
Ranoma Liles Gordy
Robert Bateman (Bass)
Sonny Sanders (First Tenor)
Brian Holland
Discography :
Herman Griffin & The Rayber Voices 1958 - I'm So Glad I Learned To Do The Cha-Cha / I Need You (Hob 112)
Marv Johnson & The Rayber Voices 1959 - Come To Me / Whisper (Tamla 101) 1959 - I'm Coming Home / River Of Tears (UA 175) 1959 - Don't Leave Me / You Got What It Takes (UA 185) 1960 - I Love The Way You Love / Let Me Love You (UA 208) 1960 - Ain't Gonna Be That Wa / All The Love I've Got (UA 208)
Chico Leverett & The Rayber Voices 1959 - Solid Sender / I'll Never Love Again (Tamla 54024)
Tom Clay & The Rayber Voices 1959 - Never before / Marry me (Chant 103)
Mike Power & The Rayber Voices 1959 - I Left My Love In Paris / Teenage Sweetheart (Zelman 5301)
Biography :
This early Motown backing vocal group came from Detroit, Michigan, USA. The ensemble was established in 1958 and directed by Berry Gordy's second wife, Raynoma Gordy. The Rayber Voices were the original background singers on Gordy's early recordings.
Marv Johnson
This is the original line-up: Raynoma Gordy (Berry Gordy's ex-wife), Brian Holland, Sonny Sanders (Satintones Tenor) and Robert Bateman (Satintones bass), later Gwen Murray was in the group as well. The group was on recordings from mid-1958 to about the end of 1959.
Barrett Strong
The Rayber Voices made their debut on Herman Griffin's I Need You (1958), and toured with Marv Johnson the following year after his Come To Me achieved a modicum of success. Joining the voices at this time was Gwendolyn Murray.
Paste up picture : Bateman, Gordy ,Sanders & Holland
As Gordy's Motown empire grew the Rayber Voices would eventually include members of the Temptations, Martha And The Vandellas, and the Miracles. But the days of using ad hoc ensembles soon ended and by the early '60s the Rayber Voices was replaced by a full-time back-up group, the Andantes.
Songs :
Herman Griffin & The Rayber Voices
I'm So Glad I Learned To Do The Cha-Cha I Need You
Marv Johnson & The Rayber Voices
Whisper Come To Me You Got What It Takes
I'm Coming Home Let Me Love You River Of Tears
I Love The Way You Love Don't Leave Me All The Love I've Got
Clockwise from left : Tonny Giannatasio, Victor Eusepi, Sal DiTroia, George Morton and Marty Monaco
The Markeys (1) (Long Island, New York) aka The Lonely Ones (1)
Personnel :
George "Shadow" Morton (Lead)
Tonny Giannatasio
Victor Eusepi
Marty Monaco
Sal DiTroia
Discography :
The Markeys (1) Featuring Georgie Morton 1958 - Hot Rod / Yakkaty Yak (RCA 47-7256)
The Markeys (1) Featuring George Morton 1958 - A Time To Love / Make a Record, Man (RCA 47-7412)
The Lonely Ones (1) 1959 - I Want My Girl / My Wish (Sir 270 / Baton 270)
Biography :
George Francis Morton was born in Richmond, Virginia on 3 September 1941 and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, where he attended St Thomas Aquinas School. As George entered his teens, where he seemed he was getting in too deep with the Bed-Stuy neighbourhood's notorious street gangs, his parents moved the family out to Long Island- a safer environment, or so they thought. In 1957 George formed a vocal group, The Markeys, with friends Marty Monaco, Tonny Giannatasio, Victor Eusepi and Sal DiTroia. Marty Monaco's mother had a basic recording studio in her basement in nearby Levittown, where the guys wrote, rehearsed and taped demos of their songs. The owner of a local record store took a liking to the young quintet and helped arrange for them to audition for RCA.
George "Shadow" Morton
Billed as The Markeys featurin Georgie Morton, the group made their recording debut with "Hot Rod", released on RCA in the Summer of 1958 when George was 16. Long Island teenager Ellie Greenwich, behind whom the guys harmonised at a few of local high school hop, issued her first single around the same time, also on RCA. Before the year was over, RCA had released the Markeys' second single, "A Time To Love" and two more of George's songs had been recorded by Sal Mure for United Artists. For the next Record - "I Want My Girl ", for The Sir Label in 1959, again with George on lead vocals - he and his pals changed their name to the Lonely Ones. After graduating from Bethpage High School in 1959, George drifted aimlessly through a succession of short-lived jobs- bouncer, ice cream seller, hairdresser, golf caddie.... George Francis "Shadow" Morton will become an record producer and songwriter best known for his influential work in the 1960s. In particular, he was noted for writing and producing "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", "Leader of the Pack", and other hits for girl group The Shangri-Las. From "The Shadow Morton Story"
Single : 1956 - Lil Tipa-Tina / Lil Girl Of My Dreams (Music City 795)
Unreleased: 1956 - A Mother's Love (Music City)
Biography :
The Five Swans consisted of Lamont Scott (Lead), Delmar Neely (Tenor), Phil Shaw (Baritone), Curtis Marshall (Bass) and George Brown solely on piano accompaniment and musical arrangements. They made their performing and vocalizing debut while still in junior high School. The five boys signing a recording contract with The former owner of Music City Records, Ray Dobard.
Lamont Scott, Delmar Neely, Phil Shaw, George Brown & Curtis Marshall
They were originally named the Swans (after the swan department store where they probably purchased uniforms) but Dobart changed it to the Five Swans to avoid mix-up with other Swans groups. The Swans recorded one long session from late lunch to late dinner and cut nine songs, seven of which were "held back". Dobard had a habit of filling tapes with material and only using a fraction of them.
The Five swans toured with the Gaylarks and the Four Deuces. Big LA R&B 1950s labels, Aladdin and Dootone, approached the group to join them, but Music City's head, Ray Dobard, would not let that take place. The Quintet soon tired of Dobard's shoddy treatment and disbanded.
Single : 1959 - Bells Of Joy / You (Dee 1001 / Sherry 1/2)
Unreleased : 1959 - You Didn’t Answer My Letter (Aljon) 1959 - Someday, Someway (Aljon)
Biography :
Vocal group from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn. The Initials were composed by Manuel "Manny" Rivera , Bobby Gonzales, Brother's Dennis and David Rowe. The group Recorded two tracks both written by lead singer "Manny" and their manager Lou Dean. The single will be released in 1959 under the label Dee, a name probably related to Lou Dean. It will be released again in 1965 under the Sherry label. Shortly after the release on the Dee label, the group appeared at Al Browne with a composition by Bobby Gonzales "Someday, Someway". Al Browne will record the song along with one of his compositions "You Didn’t Answer My Letter". Unfortunately the single will not be released. Finally, it was in 1973 that the two titles were released by the Vintage label.
Jim Jennings (Guitar), Denny Davis (Saxophone), and Bob Hensley (Drums)
Discography :
1959 - First Kiss / Silly Willie (Revello 1002)
Biography :
The El Vireos' history is mostly forgotten but it's notable, before integration, the local act featured five black singers and a trio of white backing musicians. Like Willis "Bing" Davis, most of the El Vireos were students at Wilbur Wright High School in East Dayton. However, one singer attended Stebbins and another went to Dunbar. They sing on various stages and go to talent shows at different high schools. They performed at churches. Community centers and recreational centers always had talent shows. Revello's Bob Bowman saw the El Vireos perform at a Mother's Day program at DePauw in 1959 and signed the group to a one-record deal. With little industry experience and no label distribution, pushing copies of the 45s fell on the group. They sold them out of the back of their cars.The single might not have been good enough to hit the national charts, but both songs are very representative of the period. The single was released with minimal promotion behind it, but simply having a record out and hearing it on the radio energized them enough to refocus on music. They decided to get serious and really try to do something with this. Their plan was to go on the road but then they lost Their lead singer, Frank. He ended up drowning in the pond at the Lakeside Amusement Park and that blew them up quite a bit."Williams' drowning was among the factors that officially ended the El Vireos.
Single : 1963 - Summertime Angel / Mr. Misery (Jamie 1253) Unreleased : 1963 - Embraceable You (Jamie)
Biography :
The Intentions were a singing group from the Grays Ferry section of South Philadelphia. All of the members formed in Bishop Neumann High school. Richard Mignona sang lead, John Montmore was first tenor, John F Poloney was second tenor, Tom Inzillo at baritone, and Bill Lerario was bass. Richie Mignona and John Poloney wrote and recorded "Summertime Angel" with the Intentions although they were never given credit for it. Jamie Record released the single in May 1963. Mr Misery was the " A" side written by Bob Finizo but "Summertime Angel" got the most air play on the radio. The band also has an unreleased song "Embraceable You"
The Shy Guys (1) Single : 1958 - The Girl With The Flaxen Hair / Shy Guy (Trump 816) Unreleased : 1959 - Water Boy
Jimmie Stewart bb The Shy Guys (1) 1959 - Ten Thousan'/ Livin' Doll (Trump 817)
Biography :
Jim Slone, Trinidad Chavez and Gail Poch were in Eastern New Mexico University choir together. They were called The Shy Guys and Jim Slone was the lead singer. At the beginning of 1958, the three friends decided to form a group. The same year they recorded two songs at Clovis, NM, where Buddy Holly recorded. Both songs were written by Jimmy Stewart. The Shy Guys backed Jimmy on two other of his compositions "Ten Thousan"'and "Livin' Doll".
"The Girl With The Flaxen Hair" b/w "Shy Guy " and "Ten Thousan"'b/w "Livin' Doll" will be released for the tiny label "Trump". They got enough airplay that as soon as they graduated in ‘58 and went and going on tour for six months to such hot spots as Boise, Idaho, and Elko, Nev.. In Boise, The Shy Guys recorded another song "Water Boy".
Jim Slone had to go into the Army for six months and when he got out he took his first full-time disc jockey job in Farmington, NM. He eventually cut a bunch of demos and had four records on a couple of different labels, but he never had a hit. In 1963, Jim re-recorded "The Girl With The Flaxen Hair" backed by a female group, The Kimberlys. He started as a disc jockey, worked his way into sales, then man- agement and ownership. Before it was all over he was fortunate enough to own nine radio stations.
The Twin Tunes (Altoona, Pa.) aka The Twin Tunes Quintet
Personnel :
Boyd Coulter (Bass)
Bruce Coulter (Piano)
Tony Carle (Trumpet)
D'Roxy Weems (Drums)
Jimmy Conti (Saxophone)
Discography :
The Twin Tunes 1954 - You Are The Most / Where Do I Go (I Go To You) (Coral 61319) 1955 - Japanese Rhumba / I'll Make You Mine (Sound 115/116) 1955 - Miss Paradise / The Goodbye Song (Sound 120) 1955 - The Vision / Feel So Good (Sound 125) 1955 - Never / Good Bye (Sound 127) 1956 - Valley Of Tears / Please Don’t Leave Me (Sound 131)
The Twin Tunes Quintet 1957 - Baby Lover / The Love Nest (RCA 7091) 1958 - Dream Face / Run-Around, Run-Around (RCA 7225)
Biography :
In 1954, Bruce and his twin brother, Boyd from Altoona, Pa., formed a traveling musical team known as the “Twin Tunes”. Both Bruce and Boyd are graduates of the Altoona Senior High School. The brothers added Tony Carle (trumpet), D'Roxy Weems (drums) and Jimmy Conti (saxophone). Between 1954 and 1955, the Twin Tunes recorded six singles, the first for Coral and the nexts for the Sound Records label in Philadelphia.
During this period, they made a solid reputation and began to perform locally. The Twin Tunes becomes The Twin Tunes Quintet. The Coulters and their new combos are quickly becoming one of the outstanding combos in the entertainment business. In 1957, RCA Records released two singles "Baby Lover" b/w "The Love Nest" and "Dream Face" b/w "Run-Around, Run-Around" the next Year.
They have played long engagements in Wahington D.C., Baltimore, Md., Detroit, Mich., Indianapolis, Ind., Saint Louis, Mo., Toronto, Ca. In 1958, they have spent three months in Las Vegas playing at the Dunes hotel, The Riviera and the Tropicana.
Songs :
The Twin Tunes
Where Do I Go (I Go To You) The Vision / Feel So Good
/image%2F0655033%2F20241207%2Fob_c217a1_belmonts-site-2.jpeg)
