Sam Hawkins & The Crystals (3) (Harlem, New York)



Personnel :

Sam Hawkins (Lead)

J.R. Bailey (Tenor)

Bobby Spencer (Baritone)

Freddy Barksdale (Bass)

Ronnie Bright  (Bass)

Discography :

1958 - King Of Fools / The Whatchamacallit (Gone 5042)
1959 - When Nobody Loves You / She Don't Notice Me (Gone 5054)
1961 - Nobody but You / You're Something Out Of This World (Decca 31160)
1961 - You're The Reason /I'd Be A Fool Again (Decca 31233)
   


Biography :

Quartet formed out of members of The Cadillacs/Solitaires/Valentines/Crickets .
Fred Barksdale, with old friends Bobby Spencer and J.R. Bailey and with former Valentine and Cadillac Ronnie Bright, formed the Crystals, singing behind Sam Hawkins.

   
                                                                                              Sam Hawkins

Hawkins, who had recorded a pair of singles for Gone Records, including the minor 1958 hit, "King of Fools", was a regular in New York nightclubs. For about a year, Hawkins and the Crystals sang together.

The Crystals (3)  (paste-up picture) Left to right : Barksdale, Bailey, Spencer, Bright

They sang in clubs, like the Baby Grand on St. Nicholas and 125th with Nipsey Russell, appeared at the Apollo, and recorded two singles for Decca in 1961.

 

Songs :

   
Nobody but You                                 King Of Fools

   
You're The Reason                                I'd Be A Fool Again

   
You're Something Out Of This World              She Don't Notice Me

   
The Whatchamacallit                   When Nobody Loves You (Come To Me)

Cds :