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The Three Guys

Posted on by dion1

The Three Guys

The Three Guys (Cleveland, Oh)

 

Personnel :

Ron Bakalar

Robert Puls

William Puls

 

Discography :

1960 - Where Or When / Not Yet (Clown 3009)

 

Biography :

The record, “Where or When,” has received wide praise from the public who heard a trial version of the song. The trio, known as “The Three Guys,” includes Ron Bakalar, 21-year-old senior from Lakewood, Bob and Bill Puls from Parma. Ron and Bill sang in a semi-professional quartet in high school, which broke up just before graduation in 1955. Then in November 1958, the trio got together. Don got the idea for the song by watching the TV program, “Concentration.” He noticed that everytime the M.C.  asked the contestants if they could guess the puzzle, they answered, “not yet.” He thought that would make a good title for a song, and so he wrote it. The song, however, doesn’t deal with the TV show, but with lovers.

The Three Guys

The record was cut in February on the Clown label. The boys originally cut the record Jan. 3 in Chicago, and brought it back to Cleveland for a preview. At the time they were told it needed some refining, so they re-cut it, this time in Cleveland. Al Russ and his orchestra provide the music for the recording. The “three guys” credit WERE disc jockey Tommy Edwards with discovering the group. They brought the “dub” a rough draft of the record to Edwards, who played it on his show. It was picked up by the station’s other DJ’s, including Phil McLean. McLean played the record on his Saturday night request show. At the close of the program he announced over the air that the record “Where or When” had received more requests than any other recording he has played on a Saturday night program.

 

Songs :

  
Where Or When                                        Not Yet

..

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The Sunny Lads

Posted on by dion1

The Sunny Lads The Sunny Lads (Newark, NJ)

 

Personnel :

Frank Racanelli (Lead)

Anthony J. Cuozzo

Lewis “Fred” Biancone

Kenneth Rohn  

 

Discography :

Single :
1959 - You're In Love / That's My Desire (Jax 103)

Unreleased :
1959 - Hi-Fi (Jax)



Biography :

Born in Newark, NJ, Frank Racanelli graduated from Irvington High School, then completed his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Seton Hall University.

   The Sunny Lads

                                                                                         Frank Racanelli

 His joyous years began as lead singer in the group The Sunny Lads. The group signed a JAX / BMI records label, performed with celebrities like Connie Francis, Allan Freed show... They cut one single for Jax with the classic song "That's My Desire" and "You're In Love" wrote by Frank Racanelli . The group have an unreleased side "Hi-Fi".

 

Songs :

  
That's My Desire                        You're In Love


…..

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The Tranells

Posted on by dion1


(L to R) Howard Washington, Chet Stewart, Dave MacPhail, Joan Stewart, Ernie Madison, and Jim Jackson.

The Tranells (Lancaster, PA)

 

Personnel :

Joan Stewart (Lead)

Chet Stewart (vocals)

Jimmy Jackson  (vocals)

Howard Washington (vocals)

Clyde Lucas (keyboards), Ernie Jamison (lead guitar) , Harry Wilkerson (bass), Al Gates (saxophone), Buddy Gantz (percussion)

 

Discography :

Singles :
1964 - Come On And Tell Me / The Music Swayed (Chelten 090)
1967 - Blessed With A Love / Take This Heart (Never Break This Heart) (Flo-Jo 101)

Unreleased :
1965 - Phantom Of The Light

 

Biography :

The Tranells hailed mostly from McCaskey High School in Lancaster. Also, most early 1960s-era groups practiced on the street corner, in church, a garage, school, or wherever they could find decent acoustics and space. For The Tranells, it was the house on Christian Street owned by “Uncle Herbie” Lynch where they got their start in the business. The year was


L to R (Front row) Buddy Gantz, Ernie Jamison, Joan Stewart (Back row) Howard Washington, Jimmy Jackson, Chet Stewart, David McPhail .

Founder Chet Stewart (who previously enjoyed a short stint with The Crystalaires), along with younger sister Joanie, Jimmy Jackson, and Howard Washington (who joined later), were the singers of the group. Band members included Ernie Jamison (early) and Harold Sheetz (later), lead guitar; Clyde Lucas (later replaced by David McPhail) on keyboards; Harry Wilkerson, bass; Al Gates, sax; and Buddy Gantz, drummer. The Tranells was actually the second name of the group, originally known as the Phoenicians. “Chet had the name,” said Washington. “It (The Tranells name) didn’t have meaning – it had a nice sound.” The group was Central Pennsylvania’s version of a Motown act, with a spit-and-polish, clean-cut image: well dressed, no smoking or drinking, always polite and never late. The first single, “Come On and Tell Me”/“The Music Swayed,” was released in 1964 on the Chelten label.


Originally written as an up-tempo number, this ballad had a sweet soul sound, prevalent at the time. The record enjoyed huge local success, especially at Lancaster’s WLAN-AM radio, where it pushed out Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” for the top spot. Air personality Chuck Raymond was the driving force in The Tranells’ success at that station. Three years later the second 45RPM, this time on the Flo-Jo label, was released. “Blessed With A Love”/“Take This Heart” is a very rare recording. Music collector sources say there could have been as few as 100 copies to as many as 500 pressed. (In 2005, a legitimate reissue on Lancaster’s X-Bat label was released of this hard-to-get recording.)

Another single, “Phantom of the Light,” was never released. The record was supposed to be released between the first and second singles. It was recorded at Dr. Henry Williams’ house on West Orange Street in Lancaster.Between recordings, the group would perform all over central and eastern Pennsylvania. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Orlons, and Patti and The Emblems were a few of the groups with whom they shared the stage. The Tranells backed Patti Labelle in the studio; however, they never received the credit they were due.
story by Derek Shaw

 

Songs :

  
Come On And Tell Me                The Music Swayed

  
Take This Heart (Never Break This Heart)         Blessed With A Love           


...

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The Joylarks aka The Floridians

Posted on by dion1

The Floridians aka The Joylarks
George "Lucky" Lloyd

The Joylarks (Allentown, Pa)
aka The Floridians

 

Personnel :

George "Lucky" Lloyd

Farouk Kamma

Norman Williams

John Price

 

Discography :

The Joylarks
1959 - Betty My Love / In The Rain (Snag 107)

The Floridians   
1961 - I Love Marie / The Lucky Old Sun (ABC-Paramount 10185)

 

Biography :

In Allentown, George Lloyd was approached by some other guys in the neighborhood who were interested in forming a singing group. The group consisted of Farouk Kamma, Norman Williams, John Price and George Lloyd and rehearsed and practiced the popular hits at the time.  They decided to  to name themselves the Joylarks and participed  to an audition for the “Pepsi-Teen-Show.” A record promoter had the show had this radio and was listening and heard them sing.

The Floridians aka The Joylarks    The Floridians aka The Joylarks

His name was T. Griffin. He approached the group afterward and asked them if we were interested in cutting a record.  Two songs written by two members of the group were recorded. "Betty My Love" which was written by Farouk Kamma and “In The Rain" which was written by John Price. George Lloyd arranged the background vocal and harmony for both songs.” It was officially released in May of 1959 by Snag records. Almost two years later, the group recorded two new titles "I Love Marie" and "The Lucky Old Sun" released in February 1961 as the Floridians.

The Sinceres (1)   

Jay & the Techniques

 

Some years later George Lloyd met young Jay Proctor (from the Sinceres) and started a new group : Jay & the Techniques.


Songs :

The Joylarks

  
Betty My Love                         In The Rain

The Floridians   

  
I Love Marie                           The Lucky Old Sun

...

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The Vibraharps (1) aka The Short Stories

Posted on by dion1

The Vibraharps (1) aka The Short Stories

The Vibraharps (1) (Buffalo, NY)
aka Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories

 

Personnel :

Donnie Elbert

Danny Cannon [aka Lenny O'Henry] (Lead)

Charles Hargrove [Charles Hargro] (Bass)

Donald "Duck" Simmons

Douglas Gibson

 

Discography :

The Vibraharps (1)
1958 - Walk Beside Me / Cosy With Rosy (Beech 713)
1959 - It Must Be Magic / Nosey Neighbours (Atco 6134)

Charles Hargro The Vibraharps (1)
1959 - Baby Oh Baby / Over And Over (Dab 101)

Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories
1961 - Cheated Heart / Billy The Continental Kid (ABC 10222)

 

Biography :

Donnie Elbert and Danny Cannon co-founded the group in 1955, joined by Donald ‘Duck’ Simmons, Douglas Gibson, and Charles Hargro. Donnie was still in the group when they made their first record (written by Buffalonians Bobby Fonville & Ralph Hernandez) for NYC’s Beech Records. In fact Donnie was in the studio but due to a group squabble he didn’t sing on it!So it’s not surprising that he was the first to leave, beginning his solo career on Deluxe Records in 1957. He continued to stay in touch and remained friendly with the group though. As he was hitting the charts the Vibraharps were breaking up – for the first time. During this down time Charles Hargro went to work as his driver.

    
Donnie Elbert                                                                                                                

They reunited, broke up again, reunited again. At one point Danny Cannon and Duck Simmons took off to Toronto to perform as a duet, “Danny & Donnie”, singing Everly Brothers covers! During one of their reunions the Vibraharps brought in Thomas ‘Cookie’ Hardy Jr who had a bonus talent – he could write R&B / R&R songs. He wrote both sides of their 1959 single on Atco Records. Later in 1959 they recorded a single for a local label which saw them working with Bobby Fonville & Ralph Hernandez once again. It featured Hargro and credited only him on the label. Unfortunately not much in the way of financial or chart success resulted from either of these 1959 efforts.

The Vibraharps (1)
L-R Donnie Elbert, Danny Cannon ("Lenny O'Henry"), Donald "Duck" Simmons, Charles Hargrove ("Charles Hargro")

They were drifting in and out of “active” status when local DJ Lucky Pierre took them under his wing. He hooked them up with new local management, a pair of hustlers with all kinds of connections. With the promise of work and good pay the group came solidly together and started performing in and out of town. Somehow the came to the attention of Berry Gordy (maybe through Donnie Elbert, who was also courted by the Gordy empire). They auditioned for Motown Records in Detroit, resulting in a contract offer. Unfortunately they had to turn this offer down. Their managers virtually simultaneously signed them to a deal with business contacts in New York City.

The Vibraharps (1)
Danny Cannon and Donald "Duck" Simmons  in their "Danny & Donnie"

 In 1961 the Vibraharps went off to NYC to record their first single, for music business powerhouse ABC-Paramount. At this time Danny met the man who would become a friend and guide his career for the next few years: Bob Crewe. The record was “Cheated Heart”. When it came out it was billed to Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories. Danny was told he was going to be the front man, he would be called Lenny O’Henry, and he was asked to sign a contract a separate contract from the whole group. Danny – not wanting to go behind their backs – disclosed this to the group and asked them what to do. Though they encouraged him to move forward with his career and appeared to accept secondary status as ‘his’ group, it was really the end of the Vibraharps. They never recorded together again, and Danny – though achieving some solo success – never was able to find the same feeling in the music business as he did when he was one of the boys. “Cheated Heart” was written by Danny. Bob Crewe wrote the flip side, a rocking number titled “Billy The Continental Kid”, a tale of hip cat Billy from Philly. Danny didn’t really care for this one that much. In general, he liked to sing ballads or anything in a Sam Cooke direction. Yet producers and his band mates often pushed him to do uptempos and rockers. So – “Cheated Heart” / “Billy The Continental Kid” is the last actual Vibraharps group record and also the first Danny Cannon solo record, though it’s credited to Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories.
by Bob The Record Guy

 

Songs :

The Vibraharps (1)

  
Cosy With Rosy                            Walk Beside Me


  
It Must Be Magic                      Nosey Neighbours


Charles Hargro bb The Vibraharps (1)

  
Over And Over                           Baby Oh Baby
 

Lenny O’Henry & The Short Stories

  
       Cheated Heart                          Billy The Continental Kid

...

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The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers

Posted on by dion1

The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers
Jewel Akens

The Four Dots (2) (Los Angeles)
aka The Composers

 

Personnel :

Jewel Akens (Lead)

Albert “Jerry” Stone (Lead)

Freddy Clark

Sam Dearden

Warn Crosby (Bass)

 

Discography :

Jerry Stone & The Four Dots (2)
1958 - My Baby (She Loves Me) / It's Heaven (Freedom 44002)

The Four Dots (2)
1959 - Don't Wake Up The Kids / Pleading For Your Love (Freedom 44005)

John Ashley bb The Four Dots (2)
1959 - I Want To Hear It From You / Seriously In Love (Silver 1002)

The Composers
1963 - I Had A Dream / You And Yours (Era 3118)

 

Biography :

The Houston-born singer spent his teenage years in Los Angeles; around 1958 he met Jerry Stone of doo wop group The Fascinators, whose "Shivers and Shakes" had been released that year on Walter "Dootsie" Williams' L.A.-based Dootone label. Jerry and Jewel formed The Four Dots with Warn Crosby, Freddy Clark and Sam Dearden (unwittingly taking the name of a Pittsburgh group that had recorded for Bullseye in 1956); entrepreneur Jerry Capehart, a songwriter and manager of Liberty Records rock and roller Eddie Cochran, took notice. "My Baby," a routine uptempo doo wop song credited to Jerry Stone and the Four Dots, appeared in the fall of '58 on a new Liberty subsidiary label, Freedom.

The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers

Cochran played guitar on the group's Freedom sides. "Don't Wake Up the Kids," a domestic novelty along the lines of The Coasters' chart topper "Yakety Yak," was promoted in trade magazines in January '59; Jewel composed the B side, "Pleading For Your Love," his name misspelled on the label as "Jewel Akins." Liberty had no further interest after these two singles, so Capehart started his own label, Silver, and had the group do backing vocals for actor John Ashley (star of late '50s guilty pleasures Dragstrip Girl, Motorcycle Gang and Hot Rod Gang) on his initial bid to be a singing idol; "Seriously in Love" was a good midtempo rhythm/teen track, but it failed to establish Ashley among the ranks of hitmaking actor-singers.  

The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers    The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers
                                                                                    John Ashley

In 1963, Jerry and Jewel formed the Composers. The Composers were an offshoot of the Four Dots. In 1963 they worked for Herb Newman at Era Records, demoing songs. They got their chance to record two Albert Stone songs for which Newman named the group the Composers. Though excellent sides, nothing happened with the release. Akens would come back to the label in 1964 when his other group the Turn-Arounds (formerly the Rainbows) cut ‘Ain't Nothin’ Shakin”, That same session had Jewel singing The Birds And The Bees’ as a solo because the group refused to sing the novelty song. Akens got sole billing and a new career when his record became a pop hit around the world.

https://www.waybackattack.com/akensjewel.html

 

Songs :

Jerry Stone & The Four Dots (2)

  
My Baby (She Loves Me)                           It's Heaven            

The Four Dots (2)

  
Don't Wake Up The Kids                   Pleading For Your Love

John Ashley bb The Four Dots (2)

  
I Want To Hear It From You                    Seriously In Love       


The Composers

  
I Had A Dream                                    You And Yours

...

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The Sedates

Posted on by dion1

The Sedates

The Sedates (New York)

 

Personnel :

John Downer

Wendell Davis

John Dyches

Jerald Reed

Steve Adamson

 

Discography : 

Singles :
1958 - Please Love Me Forever / I Found (Port 7004 / MRB 171 / 20th Century )
1962 - Bei Mir Bist Du Schon / Girl Of Mine (Trans Atlas 692à)
Unreleased :
1959 -  Don't Laugh At My Dreams
1959 -  Miracle In the Night

 

Biography :

Vocal Group From New York, the Sedates were composed by John Downer, Wendell Davis, John Dyches, Jerald Reed and Steve Adamson . In 1958, The group wrote and recorded  "I Found" and "Please Love Me Forever" wrote by Johnny Malone and recorded by Tommy Edwadrs for MGM two months before. Sedate's "Please Love Me Forever" was reviewed on September 15, 1958s. Edwards' version of "Please Love Me Forever" spent 3 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 61. The Sedates version, although excellent, will go unnoticed. In 1959, the Sedates wrote a lot of good songs like "Don't Laugh At My Dreams", "Miracle In the Night" and the splendid "Girl Of Mine". Despite several studio recordings, none of their pieces were published. It was well after separating that Trans-Atlas released "Girl Of Mine" with "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" in 1962.

 

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 


  
    Girl Of Mine                                 Please Love Me Forever

  
        I Found                                    Don't Laugh At My Dreams

  
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon                          Miracle In The Night
...

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The Sheppards (2)

Posted on by dion1

The Sheppards (2)
(L to R) Murrie Eskridge , O. C. Perkins, Millard Edwards, James Dennis Isaac, Jimmy Allen & Kermit Chandler

The Sheppards (2) (Chicago, IL.)

 

Personnel :

Murrie Eskridge (Lead / Top Tenor)

Millard Edwards  (Lead / Tenor / Bass))

O. C. Perkins (Second Tenor / Baritone)

Jimmy Allen (Baritone / Second Tenor)

James Isaac (Tenor / Bass)

Kermit Chandler (Guitar)

 

Discography :

Singles :

The Sheppards (2)
1959 - Island Of Love / Never Felt Like This Before (Apex 7750)
1960 - Just Like You / Feel Like Lovin' (Apex 7752)
1960 - Meant To Be / It's Crazy (Apex 7755)
1960 - Society Gal / Just When I Needed You Most (Apex 7759)
1960 - Come Home Come Home / Just Like You (Apex 7760)
1961 - Tragic / Come Home, Come Home (Apex 7762)
1961 - Tragic / Feel Like Lovin’ (Apex 7762)
1961 - Never Let Me Go / Give A Hug To Me (Pam 1001)
1961 - Glitter In Your Eyes / Every Now And Then (Wes 7750)
1961 - Every Now And Then / Glitter In Your Eyes (Vee-Jay 406)
1962 - Come To Me / Tragic (Version With Echo) (Vee-Jay 441)
1962 - Loving You / Elevator Operator (Abner 7006)
1963 - Pretend Your Still Mine / Walkin' (Okeh 7173)
1967 - Stubborn Heart / How Do You Like It (Mirwood 5534)
1969 - What's The Name Of The Game / Glitter In Your Eyes (Sharp 6039)
1969 - Steal Away / Island Of Love (Bunky 7764)
1969 - Your Love (Has A Hole In It) / I'm Not Wanted (Bunky 7766)

The Shepards
1965 - Little Girl Lost / Let Yourself Go (ABC-Paramount 10758) 

Murrie Eskridge
1961 - So In Need For Love / Never Felt This Way Before (Apex 7764)

 

Lps:

1964 - The Sheppards – Collectors Showcase Vol. IV (Constellation CS 4)
Island Of Love / Never Felt Like This Before / I'm Not Wanted / Never Let Me Go / Forgotten / Queen Of Hearts / Tragic / Elevator Operator / Give A Hug To Me / Come To Me / Loving You / Glitter In Your Eyes

The Sheppards (2)

 

 

Biography:

The group was formed in 1959 by the members of two earlier groups, the Ballads and the Bel Aires (who had actually gotten a record, "Rockin' and Strollin'," released by Decca), who decided to pool their abilities under one cover -- in addition to Eskridge, who sang in a full, soulful wail, and the smoother-voiced Edwards, the members included baritone Jimmy Allen, bass Dennis Isaac, and second tenor O.C. Perkins, with Kermit Chandler playing guitar. Edwards, Perkins, and Chandler also wrote songs, providing them with a stream of originals, which helped set the group somewhat apart from most of their rivals. The sextet, taking the name the Sheppards, signed to Apex Records, a company owned by Bill "Bunky" Sheppard (who had produced the Bel Aires' single) in late 1958.

The Sheppards (2)    The Sheppards (2)

 They made their debut in 1959 with "Island of Love," featuring Edwards on the lead vocal. The smoothly romantic ballad was a great showcase for the group that got into Billboard's "Bubbling Under" listings during the summer of that year. If the single's A-side was classic doo wop, the B-side, "Never Felt Like This Before," featuring Eskridge's lead vocal (sounding like a more passionate Jackie Wilson), was more representative of soul music and a much more forward-looking record. The Sheppards went on to release a handful of follow-up records on Apex, of which "Come Home Come Home" earned some airplay in the Midwest and local sales but never broke out to national audiences or chart placements.

The Sheppards (2)

Their efforts culminated with "Tragic," an achingly beautiful ballad that got them onto American Bandstand, the biggest single piece of national exposure they had during their history -- "Tragic" became the group's best-known track and is one of those songs that, when heard, usually makes non-soul fanatics scramble to find the artist's name. By this time, the Sheppards had developed a wonderfully engaging and commercial style that should have put them in the front ranks of soul groups of their era -- "Come to Me" sounds almost more like Ben E. King/Rudy Lewis-era Drifters than the Drifters did, yet somehow it never got heard.

The Sheppards (2)

In 1962, the group was shifted by Sheppard to his new Pam label, co-founded with Carl Davis, who had one major success to his credit with "Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler. Their debut on the new label, "Give a Hug to Me," was successful in Chicago but never got any wide exposure outside of the city. A brief association with Vee-Jay Records didn't do anything to raise the Sheppards' profile as a recording act. They also got one single, "Pretend You're Still Mine," issued on OKeh during 1963, courtesy of Davis. In 1967, the group released one single, "Stubborn Heart," but by that time their style was a little too dated to have much chance of competing. It was around this time that they were reduced to a quartet, when Edwards exited to begin a solo career under the name Mill Evans, on the King label. The group had ceased to exist by the end of the decade.

 

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Sheppards (2)

     
Island Of Love                Never Felt Like This Before                 Just Like You

     
            Feel Like Lovin'              It's Crazy / Meant To Be       Just When I Needed You Most

     
Come Home Come Home / Just Like You                   Tragic                     Never Let Me Go / Give A Hug To Me

     
Glitter In Your Eyes               Every Now And Then                  Come To Me      

     
                         Tragic             Loving You / Elevator Operator    Walkin'/ Pretend Your Still Mine     

     
   Forgotten                            I'm Not Wanted                      Queen Of Hearts

     
Tragic (Version With Echo)                Society Gal            What's The Name Of The Game


Steal away


The Shepards

  
Little Girl Lost                           Let Yourself Go


Murrie Eskridge


So In Need For Love

...

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The Kavetts aka The Kavettes

Posted on by dion1

The Kavetts aka The Kavettes

The Kavetts (Chicago, IL,)
aka The Kavettes

 

Personnel :

Jessie Birden (lead vocals)

 

Discography :

The Kavetts
1963 - I've Got A Story To Tell You / Stay With Me (Len Dre 101)

The Kavettes
1964 - I'm Not Sorry For You / You Broke Your Promise (Okeh 7194)

 

Biography :

For every glittering success story on the Windy City soul scene, countless artists came and went without much of anvone noticing. Such was the case with the Kavetts, a female quartet that had a 1963 release on the microscopie Len-Dre label, pairing the wonderfully raucous "l’ve Got À Story To Tell You" and "Stay With Me". It seems to have been the logo’s inaugural release, and maybe its only one. They turned up the next year on OKeh as the Kavettes, with another one-off coupling of "You Broke Your Promise" and "I'm Not Sorry For You". Among the good things the group had going for them were songwriters Karl Tarleton and Andre Williams, who provided much of their material. Tarleton would quickly establish himself as a Windy City soul scribe, penning Joyce Kennedy's "65 Blue Rock outing "l’m A Good Girl" with Andre Williams and two 1967 hits: Gene Chandler’s "To Be A Lover" for Checker and Jackie Wilson's Brunswick outing "I Don't Want To Lose You". No such luck for thKavetts, despite their roof-raising lead singer.

 

Songs :

The Kavettes

  
  I'm Not Sorry For You                         You Broke Your Promise

The Kavetts

  
         Stay With Me                         I've Got A Story To Tell You

...

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