The Versatiles (1963) (L to R) Michael Manno, Robert Ciappetta, Robert Vignaplano, Ralph Marsella & Alex Narducci

The Demolrys (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Brooklyn Boys

Personnel :

Robert Vignaplano (Lead)

Ralph Marsella (First Tenor)

Robert Ciappetta (Second Tenor)

Alex Narducci (Baritone)

Michael Manno (Bass)

Discography :

The Demolrys

Singles:
1964 - Rain / Hey Little Rosie (U.W.R.900/Jason Scott 7)

Unreleased:
1963 - Shang (U.W.R. 901)
1963 - Don't Cry Little Girl (U.W.R. 901)
1964 - My Girl

The Brooklyn Boys
1965 - The Normal One (Laurie)

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Uncredited Vocal Backup & Instrumental

Ernie Maresca
1962 - Shout Shout Knock Yourself Out / Crying Like A Baby Over You (Seville 117)
1964 - The Beetle Dance / Theme From Lily, Lily (Rust 5076)

The Run-A-Rounds
1963 -  Let Them Talk / Run-A-Rounds (Tarheel 065)

Slim Jim
Lilly, Lilly / Theme From Lilly Lilly (Inst.) (Laurie 3226)

The Camelots (2)
1963 - Your Way / Don't Leave Me Baby (Aanko 1001)         
1963 - My Imagination / Sunday Kind Of Love (Aanko 1004)

The Cupids (6)
1962 - (If You Cry) True Love, True Love / Let's Twist (Say Man Let's Twist) (UWR 4241/4242)
1963 - Brenda / For You (Aanko 1002)

The Decoys (2)
1963 - For You / I Want Only You (Aanko 1005)

The Del-Rons
1964 - Your Big Mistake / Leave Us Alone (Laurie 3262)

Biography :

 The Demolyrs (pronounced: DemoLears). In 1958, in the South Brooklyn section of that borough, a couple of friends, ages 11 and 12, put together an instrumental combo named the Bel Aires.  Soon after forming the band they started vocalizing as well. It was a short step to the street for Robert Vignapiano (lead), Ralph Marsella (first tenor), Robert Ciappetta (second tenor andfalsetto), Alex Narducci (baritone), and Michael Manno. (bass). The group could befound singing on 19th street and 5th Avenue, on 21st Street and 6th Avenue, under the Coney Island boardwalk, and at the Prospect Avenue train station. Being instrumentalists as well as vocalists soon proved an important asset. Around late 1962 or early 1963 the group was approached by Jimmy Kice who suggested that they change their name to the Versatiles . The Versatiles would sometimes appear as just vocalists and at other times as a band. They became quite popular at St. Michaels, and were known for their version of “Over The Rainbow.”The Versatiles also appeared at St. Johns in Brooklyn, at record hops run by Jack Spector and Cousin Brucie, andataskating rink in Long Island.

Other acts they appeared with were: The Roomates, Randy & the Rainbows, Rocky Fellers, and Santo & Johnny. Management was provided by Joe Ciappetta whose son Robert was one of the Versatiles. It was Joe Ciappetta who walked into a record store on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, and got the group their initial recording contract. This record store, Aanko Records, sold records in the front and was a recording studio in the back. It was owned by Steve and Bill Jerome who soon signed the Versatites not only to record vocals, but also as house band for their record labels. The Versatiles provided the instrumentation on records by the Cupids, Decoys, Camelots, and Reparata & the Delrons for the Jerome Brothers’ Aanko and UWR labels. Around this time the group changed their name to the Demolyrs and through the Jerome Brothers, hooked up with Emie Maresca.

The Demolyrs were used as instrumentalists (and for some background yelling) on Maresca’s hit  “Shout Shout Knock Yourself Out.” Ernie would take the Demolyrs into a recording studio many times to just lay down instrumental tracks for songs later put out by other artists. They recorded many instrumental tracks without knowing what the song was or who would sing it. There were probably many records issued (caturing the Demo1yrs that the group is not aware of.  For example, they were the instrumentalists on the Runarounds* “Let Them Talk” b/w “Are You Looking For A Swectheart” released on Tarheel Records in 1963. They not only played but also provided vocal backups on “Hey Jean Hey Dean” b/w “Please Don’t Tell Me Now” by Dean & Jean on Rust Records and “Lilly Lilly” by Slim Jim (actually Jocy Columbo) on Laurie Records in 1963.

April 30, 1964 found the Demolyrs at CBS Studios in Manhattan. They recorded “Rain,” written by group member Robert Vignapiano, and “Hey Little Rosie” written by Ernie Maresca and Lou Zerato. These two sides were released on the Jerome brothers’ UWR label.  The Demolyrs soon modernized their sound and recorded “The Normal One” in British-Invasion style. It appeared on a Laurie Records album credited to The Brooklyn Boys. Now the group made club appearances in Brooklyn as the Demolyrs, but in upstate New York they became popular calling themselves The Brooklyn Beatles. But soon afterward the Demolyrs broke up because several members were called into the armed forces.

(from a magazine)

Songs :

The Demolrys

     
Hey Little Rosie                                        Shang       



     
Don't Cry Little Girl                                     Rain                




My Girl

The Brooklyn Boys

The Normal One

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