Hailing from New Haven, CT, the original Nutmegs -- lead Leroy Griffin, Sonny Griffin (born James, he was Leroy's brother), Dieder Cobb, and a second Leroy Griffin (yes, there were two men with the same exact name) who later became Leroy Gomez -- all sang together with other members -- Walter Singleterry, Bill Emery, and Gomez's brother Tommy Griffin -- moving in and out of the lineup. The group performed on the street corners of New Haven, especially Webster and Dixon Streets, where Jimmy "Co Co" Tyson was asked to join the key lineup and soon they were a quintet..
The Four Haven knights
The Nutmegs fragmented again and some of the members left to form a group of their own, the Lyres; the Gomez brothers formed the Four Haven Knights. Now comprised of a lineup that included Bill Emery (lead), Walter Singleterry (first tenor), Sonny Griffin (second tenor), Jimmy Tyson (baritone), and Leroy Griffin (bass), the group met promoter Charlie Johnson in 1953, who fell for their sound and decided to record two of Leroy's songs, "Ship of Love" and "Playboy," for his small J&G label after the group was passed over by the local Klik label .
The Nutmegs
The single failed to sell, however, and Johnson lacked the funds to promote it properly. By 1954, the Nutmegs revised their hierarchy and Leroy Griffin switched over to lead, with Sonny Griffin now filling in as first tenor, Tyson (second tenor), Emery (baritone), and they added yet another Leroy, Leroy McNeil, for the bass vocals. Leroy Griffin's nephew Harold (Harry James, not the musician), would often sit in and listen, little knowing the part he would come to play in the group.
1955 - Lonely Lights / Oo-Wee (Baton 208) 1955 - All My Love Belongs To You / Talk About Him Girlie (Baton 211) 1955 - Gone, Gone, Gone / Until The Real Thing Comes Along (Baton 215) 1956 - Disappointed Bride / Going Home To Stay (Baton 222) 1956 - He Drives Me Crazy / I Had A Guy (Baton 228) 1957 - Dancing In A Dream World / You Needn't Tell Me, I Know (J&S 1657) 1957 - You Say You Love Me / So Long Baby (J&S 1660) 1958 - I Want Your Love Tonight / Like Later Baby (J&S 1626/1627) 1958 - If I Had Known / There Are So Many Ways (J&S 10002/10003) 1959 - My Love Has Gone / You Or Me Have Got To Go (J&S 425/426) 1959 - There Is No Love At All / Goodbye, Baby (J&S 4571) 1960 - A Thousand Years From Today / I Feel So Good (J&S 995) 1961 - I Couldn't Let Him See Crying / You Weren't Home (J&S 1180/1181) 1963 - Dear Abby / (Instrumental) (Tuff 370) 1963 - I Understand Him / (Instrumental) (Tuff 373)
Biography :
The group’s story begins in the mid-fifties, when a woman by the name of Zell Sanders started her own production company. Zell was looking for an R&B group and found the original Hearts, Hazel Crutchfield, Forestine Barnes, Joyce West, and later Louise Harris singing together at the Apollo Theatre.
Rex Garvin, Hazel Anderson, Joyce West, Thaddus Mc Lean & Louise Harris
In 1954 few labels were willing to take a chance on a group of female singers who weren’t clones of the Andrews Sisters or McGuire Sisters, let alone one produced and managed by a woman, but Sanders’ tough attitude brought them to the attention of the small Baton Records label, and a studio recording of the very doo-wopish "Lonely Nights" was the result.
The song became a big hit on the R&B charts and is credited as being one of the first true girl group tunes. The group had some local success in New York with some follow-ups , but nothing came close to the chart power of "Lonely Nights."
Justine 'Baby' Washington Betty Harris
After a series of mild items on baton, the Hearts were moved to Zell’s own J&S Records, but the girls in the original group were dumped when Sanders felt they weren’t being serious enough about being recording stars.
Theresa Chatman, Anna Barnhill, Justine "Baby" Washington, Joyce Peterson & Rex Garvin
By 1957, the new group, which featured a young Baby Washington, in addition to Anna Barnhill, Theresa Chatman and Joyce Peterson, began recording. The first release "Dancing In A Dream World," kept the Hearts’ schedule busy, but the chart was still barren.
Over the next few years a dozen girls or more would filter in and out of the Hearts as Sanders picked who would be on what recording, hired and fired personnel at will, and created new group names to release her product. One such name was the Jaynetts, a combination of the J in J&S records, and Heart singer Lezli Valentine’s middle name, Anetta. In 1958 Sanders’ released "I Wanted To Be Free b/w Where Are You Tonight," to an indifferent audience.
Lezli Valentine Lezli Valentine & Marie Hood
Meanwhile, various configurations of the Hearts kept releasing singles through 1961 without much more than regional interest. Sanders encountered some financial problems in the early 1960s and despite the creation of new labels like Tuff and Zell’s, couldn’t keep her business afloat. Executives at Chess Records still thought Sanders had something going for her, though, and helped to bankroll her next venture, a revamped version of the Jaynetts.
(The Hearts) Marie Hood, Lezli Valentine, Mandy Hooper & friends
In 1963, Sanders, producer Abner Spector and his wife Lona Stevens, came together to create one of the most talked-about records of the 1960s. "Sally Go ‘Round The Roses," by The Jaynetts, a nursery rhyme turned pop hit was recorded during several sessions over for more than a week. Estimates now put the cost of this recording at well over $60,000, a huge cost for something that only lasted about 3 minutes and for a producer who hadn’t had a bonafide hit since 1955.
The Hearts, 1962, (top) Theresa Chatman, (Bottom) Marie Hood, Cindy Felder & Louise Muray
The Sof-Tones (2) 1958 - I Failed / Canadian Sunset (Young 1002)
The Stewart Sisters 1958 - The Witness / Movie Magazine (Specialty 653) 1959 - Comes Dawn / Shine On Me, Moonbeam (Specialty 668) 1959 - Sound Of Love / Love Was Born (Specialty 679)
Little Richard(backing vocals of The Stewart Sisters) 1958 - The Fabulous Little Richard (SPECIALTY 2104) Shake A Hand / Chicken Little Baby / The Most I Can Offer / Wonderin' / Kansas City / Directly From My Heart / Maybe I'm Right / I'm Just A Lonely Guy.
Larry Williams (backing vocals of The Stewart Sisters) 1959 - Give Me Love / Teardrops (Speciality 677) 1959 - Ting-A-Ling / Little School Girl (no group) (Speciality 682)
Biography :
Trio from Long Beach consisted of Darlene Paul, Trudy Hancock and Irene Diaz. The Sof-Tones' harmony accomplishments include winning talent contest at West Coast Theater, being featured on Al Jarvis television show, appearing at Lions Club, Chandelier Club, assemblies, dances… In 1958, they cut "I Failed"/ "Canadian Sunset" for the young Label.
The Stewart Sisters The Stewart Sisters
The Girls move to Speciality records and cut three singles under the name of the Stewart Sisters… In 1959, Little Richard had been out of show business for over a year, having since returned to the church and gospel music.
Little Richard Larry Williams
The Album "The Fabulous Little Richard " Recorded in 1958 for Specialty is a series of outtakes and studio tracks, many of which (eight sides) feature the backing vocals of The Stewart Sisters, which apparently were added at Little Richard’s request in an attempt to give the album a more gospel feel. The Stewart Sisters also provided backing vocals for three recordings of Larry Williams in 1959.
Songs :
The Sof-Tones (2)
I Failed
The Stewart Sisters
The Witness Movie Magazine Shine On Me, Moonbeam
Comes Dawn
Little Richard(Backing vocals of The Stewart Sisters)
Shake A Hand Chicken Little Baby The Most I Can Offer
Wonderin' Kansas City Directly from My Heart
Maybe I'm Right I'm Just A Lonely Guy
Larry Williams (backing vocals of The Stewart Sisters)
The Four Larks were a short-lived Pittsburgh area group who hailed from the communities of Leetsdale and Swickley formed in 1953 by Jim Drake. The Foursome - ranging in age from 18 to 23 - consisted of Charles "Bud" Polizotto, First Tenor, Alvin "Chuck" Ludovici, Second Tenor, Jim Drake, Baritone/Trombone and Don Baron, Bass.
Barry Kaye, His Wife & the Four Larks
Having solidified their four part harmony, the fledging group of chanters approached radio personality Barry Kaye (WJAS…Pittsburgh, PA), at one of his record hops, with a request to vocalize. their impromptu acappella harmonizing impressed Kaye. Soon the Four Larks was being viewed as Kaye's show attraction at his dances. Laking a Mentor, the group enlisted Kaye as their manager. Kaye promptly secured a recording contract with Philadelphia based Guyden Records during the late fall of 1954. In November 1954, the Four Larks' record was issued as Guyden #707.
Polizotto, Ludovici, Drake & Baron
"Go Baby Go" attained a moderate degree of popularity in Pittsburgh through the spins given to Kaye at WJAS. Even though their venture into the entertainment fed was primarily very successful, other undertakings brought about an early demise of the group in 1955. A Pittsburgh Variety group calling themselves the Hi-Lites were using Jim Drake as a rehearsal pianist and arranger. Realizing Drake's vocalizing and arranging abilities, the Hi-Lites invited him to join the group as their Baritone. A name change to the Tempos occurred in 1957 when signed to Kapp Records
The Dorells 1963 - The Beating Of My Heart / Maybe Baby (Atlantic 2244/ G.E.L. 4401)
The Dorelles 1965 - Good Luck To The Lucky Girl / You Are (RSVP 1108)
Biography :
Trio from Washington, The Dorells had one disc on G.E.L., "The Beating Of My Heart", which later came out on Atlantic. In 1965, under the name of the Dorelles, They cut "Good Luck To The Lucky Girl" for RSVP, Flip is "You Are", also recorded by Bobby Reed (Brunswick 55282, 1965).
Norman Fox & The Rob Roys (Bronx, New-York) aka The Tradewinds (4)
Personnel :
Norman Fox (Lead)
Bob Trotman (First Tenor)
Andre Lilly (Second Tenor)
Robert Thierer (Baritone)
Marshall "Buzzy" Helfland (Bass)
Discography :
The Rob-Roys 1957 - Tell Me Why / Audrey (Backbeat 501)
Norman Fox & The Rob-Roys 1958 - Dance Girl Dance / My Dearest One (Backbeat 508)
 1959 - Dream Girl / Pizza Pie (Capitol 4128) 1988 - Lover doll / Little Star (Backbeat 499) 1988 - Rainy Day Bells / That's love (Backbeat 500)
 1990 - Do Re Mi / Lover Doll (Backbeat 501)
The Tradewinds (4) Unreleased: 1962 - Aggravation (Time) 1962 - Lonely Boy (Time)
Biography :
One of the earliest interracial quintets, Norman Fox & The Rob-Roys were also one of the most underrated and overlooked groups ever to cut a 45. With his distinctive lead voice, Norman Fox (16) of the Bronx hooked up with DeWitt Clinton High School friends Robert Thierer (17, baritone), Marshall "Buzzy" Helfand (17, bass), Bob Trotman (16, first tenor) and Andre Lilly (16, second tenor) in 1956 to form a dynamic vocal mix with their Jewish/black coalition (Trotman and Lilly were originally members of the Harmonaires on Holiday.) Early in 1957 Bob Trotman met Don Carter, New York agent for the Duke/Peacock organization, at Buddy's Record Shop on 167th Street in the Bronx, and told him of their group. After a live audition in that very same record store, the Bronx boys found themselves contracted to the Texas-based record label. Originally called the Velvetones, they changed their name to the Rob-Roys (after the drink) and recorded their first single for Peacock's new Backbeat affiliate in April 1957 at Bell Sound Studios.
Tell Me Why" came out in the summer of 1957. The single was well received by East Coast radio stations (particularly in New York and Philadelphia), but it was obvious that the gospel conglomerate had no idea of how to market rock and roll. The Rob-Roys turned out to be Backbeat's first integrated group (Fox, Helfand and Thierer were white, Lilly and Trotman black), but they performed at Harlem clubs to the surprise and delight of patrons lucky enough to see them. For the most part they played New York area record hops with deejays like Jocko while waiting for their next release, the Robert Thierer-Bob Trotman dance doo wop classic, "Dance Girl Dance."
In late 1958 the group, weary of lost records, brought two Norman Fox originals to Capitol Records. They signed the group and issued "Pizza Pie" b/w "Dream Girl" in January 1959. Paul Schneller (another white Jewish bass) replaced Helfand on bass just before the Capitol sides were recorded. On January 19th, Billboard reviewed "Pizza Pie," stating "a rocker slightly dated in sound and approach, but the side is well made, the boys handle it nicely and the novelty interest is there. It ties the story of a lifetime in with a pizza pie. This could catch a spin." The minute the record came out, Don Robey of Backbeat showed up waving a still-valid contract with the Rob-Roys. Capitol chose to pull the single before it reached most radio stations. In 1962 Fox and company did two sides, Aggravation" and "Lonely Boy under the name of the Tradewinds," for Bob Shad's Time label, but they were never issued. http://robroys.homestead.com/Welcome.html
The Knockouts (North Bergen / Bayonne, New Jersey) (By Hans-Joachim)
Personnel:
Bob D’Andrea (Lead)
Eddie Parente (Guitar)
Harry Venuta (Drums) (replaced by Pierre LaSalle in 1960)
Bob Collada (Piano)
Discography :
Singles: 1959 - Darling Lorraine / Riot In Room 3C (Shad 5013) 1960 - Rich Boy - Poor Boy / Please Be Mine (Shad 5018) 1961 - You Can Take My Girl / Fever (MGM 13010) 1964 - Mo Jo (Part 1) (Got My Mo Jo Working) / Mo Jo (Part 2) (Tribute 199) 1964 - What's On Your Mind / Tweet-Tweet (Tribute 201) 1964 - Don't Say Goodbye (instrumental) / Ecuador (Tribute 203) 1965 - Falling From Paradise* / Ecuador* (Tribute 216) *credited to Bob D’Andrea & The Knockouts
Unreleased: 1960 - Please Be Mine (Allegro acetate) N/A - Stormy Weather N/A - Jungle Mambo
Album: 1964 -Go Ape With The Knockouts (Tribute LP 1202)Mo Jo Pt. 1 / Darling Lorraine* / Tweet Tweet / Ecuador / Poor Boy - Rich Boy** / I Got A Woman Pt. 1 / What’s On Your Mind / Give Me A Chance / Number One Girl / Molly Malone / Don’t Say Goodbye / I Got A Woman Pt. 2 *re-recording, **re-recording of Rich Boy - Poor Boy
Biography:
The Knockouts hailed from North Bergen and Bayonne, New Jersey and consisted of Bob D'Andrea (vocals), Eddie Parente (guitar), Bob Collada (piano) and Harry Venuta (drums). In 1959, their manager Chic Salerno persuaded Bob Shad of Time/Brent Records, who'd just come off two hits with "I've had it" by the Bell Notes and "It Was I" by Skip and Flip, to sign his boys.
Aware of their limitations as vocalists, The Knockouts hedged their bets by placing "Darling Lorraine", which sounded like a bunch of leathery-faced cowboys breaking into an impromptu doo-wop session around the camp fire. Shad heavily hyped "Darling Lorraine" in New York area in the autumn of '59 and the song ascended to #45 on the charts just before the payola bandwagon came to a crashing halt amid a welter of recriminations and investigations.
During the 60's, The Knockouts used to perform in Seaside, NJ at the Parrot Club, Luciano's in Lodi, NJ, in Lyndhurst, NJ and also up at Greenwood Lake, NY on weekends. Bob Catucci (aka Pierre LaSalle) replaced Harry Venuta in 1960.
left Eddie Parente, right Bob D'Andrea; back: left. Bob Collada, right Pierre LaSalle
Pierre was with the group in all the recordings that followed Lorraine and stayed with them until the group started to decline in the early mid sixties. Bob D’Adrea went on to form a comedy duo called Andre and Cirell which still performs around the Jersey Shore.
Movie:
Darling Lorraine
Songs:
Darling Lorraine (short ending) Darling Lorraine (alt. take with long ending) Riot In Room 3c
Rich Boy - Poor Boy Please Be Mine You Can Take My Girl
Fever Mo Jo Pt. 1 What’s On Your Mind
Tweet-Tweet Don’t Say Goodbye Ecuador
Darling Lorraine (album version) Poor Boy - Rich Boy (album version) Give Me A Chance
I Got A Woman Part 1 I Got A Woman Part 2 Number One Girl
The Five Thrills (1) Singles : 1953 - My Baby's Gone / Feel So Good (Parrot 796) 1954 - Wee Wee Baby / Gloria (Parrot 800) Unreleased : 1953 - My Saddest Hour 1953 - All I Want 1953 - Ride Jimmy Ride 1953 - Rockin' at Midnight 1953 - So Long Young Girl
The Earls (1) 1954 - Laverne / Darlene (Girl of My Dreams) (Parrot 803 )
Biography :
Parrot Records was a Chicago-based label founded in 1952 by disc jockey Al Benson. It specialized in blues, jazz, doo-wop, and gospel. The Five Thrills were basically an aggregation of young men who lived Thirty-first Street and began singing together in 1950, while they were still students at Douglas Elementary School at Thirty-second and Calumet.
Al Benson
The Five Thrills flashed onto the R&B scene in Chicago for a year during 1953-54 and then disappeared forever. During that year, they were the most frequently recorded group on Parrot. By early 1954, Robinson had left the group and was replaced with Leon Pace . Two sides from their last session (Parrot 800) were released under a new name : "The Earls". Robert Pruter "Doowop: the Chicago scene" http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/parrot.html
Singles: 1964 - Chapel Of Love / Ain't That Nice (Red Bird 10-001) 1964 - People Say / Girls Can Tell (Red Bird 10-006) 1964 - You Should Have Seen The Way He Looked At Me / No True Love (Red Bird 10-012) 1964 - Little Bell / Another Boy Like Mine (Red Bird 10-017) 1965 - Iko Iko / I'm Gonna Get You Yet (Red Bird 10-024) 1965 - Iko Iko / Gee Baby Gee (Red Bird 10-024) 1965 - Gee, The Moon Is Shining Bright / I'm Gonna Get You Yet (Red Bird 10-032) 1965 - That's Where It's At / Two-Way-Poc-A-Way (ABC Paramount 10692) 1965 - I'm Not The Kind Of Girl (To Marry) / What Goes Up, Must Come Down (ABC Paramount 10715) 1965 - A-B-C Song / That's What The Kids Said (ABC Paramount 10755) 1966 - Love Ain't So Bad (After All) / Daddy Said No (ABC Paramount 10855)
Unreleased: 1964 - Wrong Direction (Red Bird) [released in 1979 on the Charly LP CRM 2004]
Albums:
1964 - The Dixie Cups "Chapel Of Love" (Red Bird LP 20-100) Chapel Of Love / Gee, The Moon Is Shining Bright / I'm Gonna Get You Yet / Ain't That Nice / Thank You Mama Thank You Papa / Another Boy Like Mine / /Gee Baby Gee / Iko Iko /Girls Can Tell / All Grown Up /People Say
1965 - The Dixie Cups "Iko Iko" (Red Birl LP 20-103) Iko Iko / Chapel Of Love / Gee The Moon Is Shining Bright / I'm Gonna Get You Yet / Ain't That Nice / Thank You Mama, Thank You Papa / Gee Baby Gee / Another Boy Like Mine / Girls Can Tell / All Grown Up / People Say
1965 - The Dixie Cups "Riding High" (ABC Paramount LP 525) What Goes Up, Must Come Down / Two-Way-Poc-A-Way / That's Where It's At / Sugar That I Need / I'm Not The Kind Of Girl (To Marry) / I've Got To Get That Boy / Danny Boy / Chances Are / Here It Comes Again / I'll Never Let The Well Run Dry / Promises, Promises
Biography:
The Dixie Cups came from New Orleans and had one giant hit along with several other records before slipping into rock history. The three girls who comprised the group were Barbara Ann Hawkins [born 1943], her sister Rosa Lee Hawkins [born 1944] and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson [born 1945]
. All were from New Orleans. Originally known as Little Miss and the Muffets, the girls were discovered at a talent contest. New Orleans record producer/singer Joe Jones, who had a top ten hit of his own in 1960 with You Talk Too Much, liked their act and brought the girls to the Brill Building in New York.
In 1964 they began to rehearse a song that had been written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector titled Chapel Of Love. Spector produced a version of the same song by one of his groups, the Crystals, that went unissued. He also produced a version by another one of his groups, the Ronettes, which coincidentally was also comprised of two sisters and their cousin.
With Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich
Although it appeared to everyone involved that Chapel Of Love had "hit" written all over it, Spector was somewhat apprehensive about releasing the song. Barry and Greenwich arranged a rehearsal for the girls from New Orleans at Red Bird Records, a new label that was owned by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
The group was renamed the Dixie Cups, and their version of Chapel Of Love was released in 1964 on Red Bird. It became a huge international hit, a million seller, and a solid number one record in the United States. It also was a huge boost to Red Bird, which a short time later would become the home of another enormously successful girl group from New York City, the Shangri-Las. Spector later issued the Ronettes' version of Chapel Of Love on an album.
The Dixie Cups added two more top forty hits in 1964, People Say and You Should Have Seen The Way He Looked At Me. When there was a pause in one of their recording sessions, the girls began a chanting song that they had learned in New Orleans called Iko Iko.
It was a call-and-respond type of chant with some percussion in the background, and when they recorded it, it became their final top forty record, in the Spring of 1965. Iko Iko was covered by a British female band called the Belle Stars in the 80's, and when this version was used in the movie Rain Man it made a return to the top forty in 1989.
The Dixie Cups' run on the charts didn't last very long, but their brief run was enough to make them one of the memorable girl groups of the Sixties.
1955 - Somewhere, Sometime, Someday / Too Bad (Mercury 70557) 1955 - False Alarm / Honeybun Cha Cha (Wing 90013)
Biography :
The Honeytones are a female quartet, in 1955 they closed a successful engagement at Harlem's Baby Grand.
The group includes Shirley Kee, 20, and the Givens sisters — Jacqueline, 18, Gloria, 19, and Grace, 21, all of whom attend high school in Jersey City, N. J., and do their homework backstage between acts.
They have been in show business since winning a I Mack Amateur Hour show in 1951. The Honeytones cut two singles for Mercury and Wing. Wing Records was a record label subsidiary of Mercury, founded in 1955.
The Honeytones perform at the Apollo Theater with such greats as Hal Jackson, the Solitaires and the Cadillacs .
/image%2F0655033%2F20241207%2Fob_c217a1_belmonts-site-2.jpeg)
