(Top) Reggie Smith, (Middle) Harold Jones, Johnny Jones, Howard Pitman, (Bottom) Kenneth Childers

The Maples (Chicago)

Personnel :

Kenneth Childers (Lead)

Johnny Jones

Albert Hunter

Andrew Smith

Discography :

1955 - I Must Forget You / 99 Guys (Inst.) (Blue Lake 111)

Biography :

On the Al Benson's Blue Lake label, a subsidiary of Parrot Records, The Maples were a one-time ad hoc gathering of vocal group singers who came together in November 1954. The Five Chances started working with singer Kenneth Childers, who was paying for his own sessions to get on record. Reggie Smith and Howard Pitman recalled the Five Chances (using the name Maples) making a recording with Childers. But it never got that far according to Johnny "Chubby" Jones (who was the lead singer for the Five Chances at the time).

  
                       The Five Chances                                                                                             Al Benson

Rather, Jones arranged to back Childers at the recording session with an ad hoc group consisting of himself, Albert Hunter (from the Clouds), and Andrew Smith (from the Fasinoles). The record was "I Must Forget You" b/w "99 Guys" and the group was dubbed the Maples. Like many Benson-produced jump sides, "99 Guys" gets a superb instrumental break courtesy of Von Freeman on one of the tenor saxophonist's first recordings.
http://www.vocalgroupharmony.com/mustforg.htm

Songs :

   
 I Must Forget You                                99 Guys

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