Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues

The Victorials

Posted on April 25 2024 by dion1

The Victorials

The Victorials (Cincinnati, OH.)
Ref :The Emeralds (1)

Personnel :

Harold Davis (Lead)

Sedrick Cox (First Tenor)

Charles Godfrey (Second Tenor)

Willis Miller (Baritone)

Clyde Giles (Bass)

Discography :

1956 - I Get That Feeling / Prettiest Girl In The World (Imperial 5398)

Biography :

Harold Edward "Hal" Davis (February 8, 1933 — November 18, 1998) was an American songwriter and record producer. He is best remembered as the key figure in the latter part of the Motown career of The Jackson 5. Davis was the co-writer and producer of Jackson 5 hits such as "I'll Be There" and "Dancing Machine," and Eddie Kendricks' "Can I". Davis also produced for Bette Midler (her Motown record of 1975, produced by Davis, was never released), Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Brenda Holloway, Thelma Houston, Joy Holden, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Little Stevie Wonder, Four Tops, Junior Walker, and The Miracles.

Marc Gordon, Marvin Gaye & Hal Davis in Motown's studios

Back in the mid 50’, At the end of 1955, Hal Davis joined some neighborhood friends, Willis Miller, Clyde Giles and Sedrick Cox. The three fellows were part of Luther Bond & the Emeralds and have recorded three singles for the Savoy Label. With the addition of Charles Godfrey, they named themselves the Victorials after the car (Ford Crown Victoria). DJ: Charles "Bugs" Scruggs of WCIN managed the group for about eight months and recorded some demos at the station.

Charles "Bugs" Scruggs Charles Godfrey, Willis Miller, Harold Davis, Sedrick Cox & Clyde Giles
Scruggs sent the demos to Imperial Records. Imperial responded by sending pianist Ernie Freeman to Cincinnati to hire some pick-up musicians and oversee a recording session. The Victorials cut "I Get That Feeling" and "The Prettiest Girl In The World" written by Scruggs & Davis. The record released in July went nowhere and the Victorials decided to call it a day, breaking up after about a year in existence.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Emeralds/emeralds.html

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

I Get That Feeling Prettiest Girl In The World

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The Big Five aka The Fabulous Five Flames aka The Fabulous Five aka The Fabulous Flames (1)

Posted on April 17 2024 by dion1

The Fabulous Flames (1) aka The Fabulous Five Flames

The Big Five (Cleveland, Ohio)
aka The Fabulous Five Flames aka The Fabulous Five aka The Fabulous Flames (1)

Personnel :

Otis Carter

Harvey Hall

David McPhatter

Richard Fisher

Ernest Smith

Discography:

The Big Five
1958 - Wob-Ding-A-Ling / Baby, I Need You So (Junior 5000)
1960 - Blue Eyes / Stardust In Her Eyes (Shad 5019)

The Fabulous Flames (1)
1958 - Josephine / My Joan (Rex 3000)

The Fabulous Five
1960 - Janie Made A Monster / Gettin' Old (King 45-5220)

The Fabulous Five Flames
1960 - Lonely Lover / No More Tears (Time 1023)

Biography :

This Vocal group from Cleveland was known locally as The Fabulous Flames. The group included J. C. Tatum, Otis Carter, David McFadden, Ernest Smith, and Harvey Hall. The group started while some of the members were students at East Technical High School. The group performed at local clubs, and in Detroit. Their first single "Wop Ding A Ling" (also Known as "Wab Ding A Ling") plus the flip "Baby, I Need You So" was issued on the Shad predecessor Junior label (Junior 5000) on 29 October 1958. Bobby Shad renamed The Fabulous Flames by The Big Five. Their second single "Josephine" b/w "My Joan " released as their original name (The Fabulous Flames) was a local production, done for the short lived Rex label. Bill Jacocks, a local entrepreneur, wrote the songs and helped get the record released. Jacocks later became known as Cleveland's first African-American TV news anchor, along with producting some records in the mid 1970s.

The Big Five aka The Fabulous Five Flames aka The Fabulous Five aka The Fabulous Flames (1)
Bobby Shad

The group was known as the Fabulous Flames, but changed for The Fabulous Five for their third record for the King label to prevent confusion with other groups with that name. The song "Janie Made A Monster" is a classic R&B Halloween record. Richard Fisher replaced J. C. Tatum. Four sides were recorded at Capitol Studios in New York on 4 December 1959, "Lonely Lover", "No More Tears", "Blue Eyes" and "Stardust In Her Eyes". The first two will be released on the Time (/Shad) Label on April 1960 as The Fabulous Five Flames, and the next two were released on 10 June 1960 on Shad 5019 as The Big Five. Richard Fisher was the brother of Jesse Fisher. He wasn't with the group for long as he left for New York where he ended up joining the Jive Five. Art Blakey replaced him, not long before the group disbanded. Harvey Hall - later known as Harvey Nickerson-Hall - went on to lead Harvey and the Phenomenals. https://www.buckeyebeat.com/

Songs :

The Big Five


Wob-Ding-A-Ling                               Baby, I Need You So


      Blue Eyes                                     Stardust In Her Eyes

The Fabulous Flames (1)

Josephine My Joan

The Fabulous Five

Janie Made A Monster Gettin' Old

The Fabulous Five Flames

Lonely Lover No More Tears

...

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The Chancers

Posted on April 17 2024 by dion1

(L to R) Eddie Miller, Tom Fagan and ed Burkhalter

The Chancers (Auburn, Alabama)

Personnel :

Eddie Miller (Lead)

Tommy Fagan (Tenor)

Fred Burkhalter (Bass/ Baritone)

Discography :

1958 - Shirley Ann / My One (Dot 15870)

Biography :

Vocal & Instrumental Trio, the Chancers formed in the late 1950s at A.P.I. (Alabama Polytechnic Institute), which in 1960 became Auburn University. Better known as the KA Trio. Tommy Fagan (from Fort Valley), a member of this group, has gained added fame for himself and the trio by writing a ballad entitled "Remember The Night," which was previewed in february 1958 over a national TV hookup by singer Autry Inman. RCA has released the recording.

The Chancers
Chancers'Friend Dorothy Gideon spins their disc. Fred Burkhalter, Tommy Fagan & Eddie Miller

The Chancers began singing as a group about 1956 when they met as KA fraternity brothers. Tommy Fagan and Eddie Miller (from Anniston) were roommates at the time, began experimenting and came up with some very fine arrangements, with Fagan on the tub bass, a wash tub arrangement, and Miller on the guitar. Fred Burkhalter (from Rome, Ga.) soon joined the group adding his bass and baritone voice to those of Fagan, tenor, and Miller, lead. The Chancers got their start by entertaining at fraternity activities. Several of their originals were played over WAUD, and the group performed on Fagan's hometown station, WEPM in Fort Valley, Ga.

The Chancers
Fred Burkhalter, Eddie Miller & Tommy Fagan Autry Inman ("Remember The Night")

The big break came when Jeff Whatley, Auburn's expert in high fidelity, sent tape recordings of their work to Tru Publishing Company. Tru sold Fagan's song, "Remember the Night" to RCA victor, who became very interested in both the group and the song. The group will record several songs, two of which, "My One" a song composed by the trio and "Shirley Ann" will be released by Dot records.

Songs :

The Chancers

My One Shirley Ann

Autry Inman

Remember The Night

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The Vel-Tones (1)

Posted on April 17 2024 by dion1

Top : W.Kimbrough - L.Alford Middle : F.Abercrombie - W.Glenn Bottom : G.Jones - M.Glenn

The Vel-Tones (1) (Aliquippa, Pa.)

Personnel :

Willie Glenn (Lead)

Melvin Glenn (First Tenor)

Len Alford (Second Tenor)

Frank Abercrombie (Baritone)

William Kimbrough (Bass)

Discography :

1958 - Please Say You'll Be True / Broken Heart (Vel 9177/9178 / Fee Bee 9177/9178)

Biography :

In 1954, Richie Blackson, Joe Freeman, Willie Glenn and Coyt Young formed a barbershop quartet from a Choir at Aliquippa High School in Aliquippa, Pa. In 1956, While in school Willie Glenn had been groomed to the more conservative musical stylings. Now, he and others would be crooners had become street corner vocalists. Not until early 1957 did a cohesive quintet, the Vel-Tones, surface with Willie Glenn, Melvin Glenn (Willie's brother), Len Alford, Frank Abercrombie and William Kimbrough. Initially, the only instrumental accompaniment was provided by Gorge Jones on piano and Organ. Although the Vel-Tones offerings lacked originally, their superb harmony impressed former original "Come Go With Me" Dell-Viking, Kripp Johnson. On account of contractual obligations, Johnson was still recording for Joe Averbach's Fee Bee Label with a new assemblage of Dell-Vikings, aka, the Versatiles.

Kripp Johnson The Dell-Vikings - Willie Glenn in the Middle
Kripp johnson arranged an audition for the Vel-Tones at Averbach's home in Whitehall, Pa. The group brought along a new number called "Broken Heart" which had been written just for them In August, the group traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for a session at the Way Out Recording Studio. "Broken Heart" and "Please Say You'll Be True" were waxed. The Vel-Tones shared the stage with the Five Royales at the CIO Hall in Aliquippa. there were continuous engagements at a multitude of club in Pensylvania. In 1959, Kripp Johnson approached Willie Glenn about joining a new edition of the Del Vikings. Glenn agreed and With his departure the Vel-Tones finally Disbanded.

Songs :

Broken Heart / Please Say You'll Be True

...

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The High Hatters aka The Earls (2)

Posted on April 11 2024 by dion1

The High Hatters aka The Earls (2)
Edward Harder, John Wray, Bob DelDin, Larry Chance & Larry Palombo.

The High Hatters (Bronx, New York)
aka The Earls (2)

Personnel :

Edward Harder (Lead)

Bob DelDin (First Tenor)

Larry Chance (Second Tenor)

John Wray (Baritone)

Larry Palombo (Bass/Baritone)

Discography :

Unreleased :
1959 - It's You (Rome)

Biography :

From the Bronx, The Earls began life as the High Hatters, cutting four demos in 1959 for Rome Records. They planned to buy themselves white tux & tails, spats, patent leather shoes, ruffled shirts, white gloves, white top hats and fancy white walking sticks. However, they had no money, so the name went out , along with the idea. At that time, the group consisted of Val Polillo (Lead), Bob Del Din, (First Tenor), Larry Palombo, (Bass/Baritone), John Wray,(Baritone), and Larry Chance, (Second Tenor). Val Polillo left and was replaced by Eddie Harder on lead.

The High Hatters aka The Earls (2)
Larry Palombo

Their First appearances as the High Hatters were at the Moose Lodge on 216th Street in the Bronx and at Teen Town in Mt. Vernon, NY. They sang all the standard street songs, "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom," "I'm So Happy," "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "Thousand Miles Away," etc. Knowing they couldn't afford to buy the outfits they had wanted, they decided to change the name. However, they had five guys, all of whom thought that the name they wanted was best. Five members, five ideas. So, they decided that the only fair way to arrive at a new name would be to get a dictionary, open a page at random, place a finger on a word and call the group whatever came up. Finger landed on the word "EARL,... nobleman of high rank." That was it....they would be called "The EARLS!". Later, in 1959, the Earls lost their original member Larry Palombo in an army skydiving accident when his parachute failed to open during an exercise. In 1961, Rome released the Earls' first record "Life is But a Dream" (Rome 101 – 1961) b/w "Lost Love".

Songs :

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Bobby & The Counts (4)

Posted on April 7 2024 by dion1

1958 - (From Left) Dale Sherwood, Chuck Ciaschi, Gus Eframson, Fred Ciaschi, Bill lucas & Bobby Comstock

Bobby & The Counts (4) (Philadelphia)
(Early Years)

Personnel :

Bobby Comstock (Lead)

Fred Ciaschi (Lead vocals & Piano)

Gus Eframson (Rhythm Guitar)

Dale Sherwood (Drums)

Chuck Ciaschi (Bass)

Discography :

Bobby & The Counts (4)
1958 - Tra-La-la (Im So Happy) / Too Young (Marlee 104)
1958 - Three Signs Of Love / Cellar Stomp (Count 6985)

Bobby Comstock & The Counts (4)
1959 - Sweet Talk / Tennessee Waltz (Blaze 349)
1959 - Jealous Fool / Zig Zag (Triumph 602)
1960 - Let's Talk It Over / Jambalaya (Atlantic 2051)
1960 - Bony Maronie / Do That Little Thing (Jubilee 5392)
1960 - Everyday Blues / Wayward Wind (Mohawk 124)
1961 - The Garden Of Eden / Just A Piece Of Paper (Festival 25000)
1962 - I Want To Do It / Let's Stomp (Lawn 202)
1963 - Jezebel / Your Big Brown Eyes (Jubilee 5396)
1963 - Susie Baby / Take A Walk (Lawn 210)
1963 - Sunny / Chicken Back (Lawn 217)
1963 - This Little Love Of Mine / Your Boyfriend's Back (Lawn 219)
1963 - I Can't Help Myself / Run My Heart (Lawn 224)
1964 - Since You Been Gone / The Beatle Bounce (Lawn 229)
1964 - Ain't That Just Like Me / Can't It Be True (Lawn 232)

Freddy Davis & The Counts (4)
1958 - I Hope You're Happy / Faith CAn Move Mountains (Count 405)

Biography :

Comstock was born in Ithaca, New York, and began singing and playing mandolin as a child. At the age of seven, he started appearing regularly with his brother on a local radio station, and then on country music radio in Sayre, Pennsylvania. In 1958, after hearing rock and roll broadcasts from Nashville, he formed his own band, Bobby and the Counts. As well as Comstock on guitar and vocals, other band members were Fred Ciaschi (lead vocals & piano), Gus Eframson (rhythm guitar), Dale Sherwood (drums), Chuck Ciaschi (bass) and (initially) Bill Lucas (bongos & vocals).

Bobby & The Counts (4)

The group recorded their first single, "Too Young"/"Tra-La-La", for Marlee Records in Trumansburg, New York, and in 1959 were signed to a national deal by Triumph Records, established by Herb Abramson after he left Atlantic. The group's moderately rocked-up version of the Patti Page hit "Tennessee Waltz" was released on the subsidiary Blaze label in late 1959 - with the group now being billed as Bobby Comstock & The Counts - and rose to no.52 on the Billboard pop chart.

Bobby & The Counts (4)
(From Left) Chuck Ciaschi, Fred Ciaschi, Bobby Comstock, Gus Eframson & Dale Sherwood.

As a result of its success, the group appeared on several package shows promoted by Alan Freed, toured nationally with artists such as Bobby Vinton and Freddie Cannon, and appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. Their follow-up record, a version of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya", released on the Atlantic label, also made the national pop chart, reaching no.90.

Bobby & The Counts (4)

The group, with various changes of personnel over the years, continued to release singles on Abramson's labels until 1962, with diminishing success, before signing to the Lawn label. Their first record for the label, "Let's Stomp", released as a Comstock solo single, reached no.57 on the US pop chart in early 1963.

Bobby & The Counts (4)

The song was written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer, who later recorded as The Strangeloves. It was reputedly performed by the Beatles in Hamburg, and was certainly performed by the Searchers and recorded by Lee Curtis and the All-Stars, a beat group featuring ex-Beatle Pete Best. Follow-ups were less successful, although the group broke into the US charts for a final time in 1963 with "Your Boyfriend's Back", an answer record to "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels, a female group recording on the same label.

Songs :


Too Young / Tra-La-la (Im So Happy) Three Signs Of Love         Cellar Stomp


Sweet Talk                      Tennessee Waltz                           Jealous Fool


Zig Zag        Let's Talk It Over                    Jambalaya


Bony Maronie                       Do That Little Thing                   Everyday Blues


Wayward Wind                  The Garden Of Eden            Just A Piece Of Paper


I Want To Do It                     Let's Stomp                                Jezebel


Your Big Brown Eyes                     Susie Baby                         Take A Walk


       Sunny                            Chicken Back                 This Little Love Of Mine


Your Boyfriend's Back          I Can't Help Myself                   You Been Gone


The Beatle Bounce                   Ain't That Just Like Me                Can't It Be True

...

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Dee & Di

Posted on April 7 2024 by dion1

Dee & Di
Diane & Susanne

Dee & Di (San Diego, California)

Personnel :

Susanne Roshay

Diane Roshay

Discography :

1960 - Just You / Dream (Keen 82121 / Sims 153)
1961 - (Then I'll Say) Goodbye / Lucky Girl (Keen 8219)
1961 - Silly Billy / Roses Are Red (Acclaim 1007)

Biography :

Dee & Di were Susanne and Diane Roshay, two graduates from Clairmont High School, San Diego, class of 1960. The Girls first recorded for the Bob Keane's label Keen in 1960 with a session that produced four tracks. The Four tracks were recorded in Hollywood at Gold Star Studios with arranger, Hank Levine who provided a lovely arrangement that was sparse yet quite dreamy, showcasing Diane and Susanne's harmonic lead voices. "Just You" b/w "Dream" were both composed by the girls as was the follow up Keen single released in February 1961, "(Then I'll Say) Goodbye" b/w "Lucky Girl". While attending Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, the final Dee & Di disc, "Silly Billy" b/w "Roses Are Red" was released in September 1961 on the Acclaim label.

Dee & Di
Diane & Susanne

By the summer of 1965, Susanne, Diane and five young men had formed the folk/pop group, the Lively Set and recorded one single for Mercury Records. They moved to Capitol Records the following year and under the production of David Axelrod, in August released only one single as well. The final known Lively Set single was from October 1966 on the Straight Ahead label. After that, the doings and whereabouts of Susanne and Diane Roshay are not known other than their names are now Diane Roshay Finnegan and Susanne Roshay McClain. Anthony Reichardt

Songs


Dream                                         Just You


Lucky Girl                       (Then I'll Say) Goodbye


Silly Billy                               Roses Are Red

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Vernon Green & The Phantoms (1)

Posted on April 7 2024 by dion1

Vernon Green & The Phantoms (1)
Vernon Green

Vernon Green & The Phantoms (1) (Los Angeles)

Personeel :

Vernon Green (Lead)

Bobby Relf (Tenor)

Jerry Williams (Tenor)

Johnny Moss (Bass)

Discography :

Vernon Green & The Phantoms (1)
Single :
1956 - Sweet Breeze / The Old Willow Tree (Specialty 581)
Unreleased :
1956 - Tell Me Why (Specialty)
1956 - How Do You Kiss An Angel (Specialty)

 Lynn Roberts & The Phantoms (1)
1956 - Miss You Tonite / I'll Be Around (Oriole 101)

Biography :

In mid-1956, Vernon Green (Lead singer of the Medallions put together another group (called the Phantoms) at the request of Specialty Records' owner Art Rupe. The Phantoms were, Bobby Relf (tenor; lead of the Laurels and future "Bob" of Bob & Earl), Jerry Williams (tenor), and Johnny Moss (bass). [The Specialty files tell a different identity of the Phantoms: Vernon Green, Johnnie Moss, Edward Earl Daniels, Madalyn Marselle, and Sidney Runnels.) When the Specialty sides were released, in July, the label credits even included Vernon's name! The association lasted only a short time, and a second Phantoms release on the Oriole label had the group, minus Vernon, backing Lynn Roberts.
https://www.uncamarvy.com/Medallions/medallions.html

Songs :

Vernon Green & The Phantoms (1)


Sweet Breeze                                  The Old Willow Tree

How Do You Kiss An Angel

Lynn Roberts & The Phantoms (1)


Miss You Tonite                           I'll Be Around

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The Five Letters (1)

Posted on April 6 2024 by dion1

The Five Letters (1)
Artis Rucker

The Five Letters (1) (Sumter, South Carolina)

Personnel :

Artis Rucker (Lead)

Henry Postel

Louis Carpenter

John Josey

Julius Colcolough

Discography :

1957 - Your First Love / Hold Me Baby (Ivy 102)

Biography :

Lincoln High School, an institution in Sumter, has a one-legged tackle, 17 year old Artis Rucker, who lost his right leg in a train accident when he was eight yearsold. Five years later he got an artificial limb and reported to foothall practice in 1957. Reputedly capable of running 100 yards in 13 seconds in football togs, his Coach Robert Jenkins, who calls him "my best defensive lineman." Artis Rucker became co-captain of the Football team and leads his small vocal group composed of Henry Postel, Louis Carpenter, John Josey and Julius Colcolough. In 1957, the Five Letters recorded "Your First Love" b/w "Hold Me Baby" released by Ivy Records owned by Stan Feldman and Ed Portnoy with offices at 1697 Broadway.

Songs :

Your First Love Hold Me Baby

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Shirley Gunter & The Queens

Posted on April 1 2024 by dion1

Shirley Gunter & The Queens

Shirley Gunter & The Queens (Los Angeles)

Personnel :

Shirley Gunter (Lead)

Lula B. Kenney (Soprano)

Lula Mae Suggs (Middle Harmony)

Blondene Taylor (Alto)

Discography :

1954 - Oop Shoop / It's You (Flair 1050)
1955 - You're Mine / Why (Flair 1060)
1955 - Baby, I Love You So / What Difference Does It Make (Flair 1065)
1955 - That's The Way I Like It / Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (Flair 1070)

Biography :

Shirley Gunter was born in 1934 in Coffeyville, Kansas, and migrated to Los Angeles with her family in early 1942. She began her singing career as a solo artist in 1953 when her older brother, Cornelius, a member of a vocal group called The Flairs, took her to his label, Flair Records, a subsidiary of Modern Records.

After her first two singles, Shirley put together her own group called The Four Queens in 1954 with high soprano Lula B. Kenney, Lula's Aunt Lula Mae Suggs (middle harmony) and alto Blondene Taylor, Shirley's best friend at Polytechnic High School. One day the four girls were fooling around on the piano in Shirley's living room when they came up with a "Sh-Boom"-like ditty with nonsense lyrics called "Oop Shoop." When they took it to saxophonist Maxwell Davis, Shirley's mentor at Flair Records, he helped them work up a more polished arrangement.

Shirley Gunter & The Queens

Label chief Joe Bihari liked what he heard, changed their name to Shirley Gunter & The Queens, and released "Oop Shoop" in August 1954. Within two months it entered the R&B charts and rose to number eight, but before the record had a chance to cross over into pop territory, The Crew-Cuts, who had already had a major hit by covering "Sh-Boom" for Mercury Records, gave "Oop Shoop" the same treatment.

Blondene Taylor The Flairs

Bandleader Spike Jones' wife, Helen Greco, also recorded it (on RCA's X label), along with The Hamilton Sisters (Columbia), Big John & His Buzzards (Okeh) and Kay Brown (on Crown, another Modern Records subsidiary ). After four singles and a couple of tours with The Queens, Shirley Gunter paired up with her brother's group, The Flairs.

Songs :

Oop Shoop                             That`s The Way I Like It


Why                                         You're Mine


Gimme, Gimme, Gimme                  Baby, I Love You So

It's You What Difference Does It Make

..

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