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Joey & Rodge With The Crysteles

Posted on January 28 2022 by dion1

Joey & Rodge & The Crysteles

Joey & Rodge With The Crysteles (Leetsdale, Pa)

Personnel :

Joe Drake

John Sradomski

Daryl Adams

Duke McGaughy

Discography :

1958 - The One I Love / I Should Live So Long (Tabby 100)

Biography :

The Tempos were the epitome of a one-hit wonder with "See You In September." They started in 1954 as a quartet called The Hi-Lites, consisting of Clairton's Mike Lazo, Gene Schachter, Canonsburg guy Bobby Vinton, and Jim Drake from Leetsdale, a graduate of Quaker Valley High School, who arranged their songs.

Joey & Rodge & The Crysteles

A few years later in 1958, Jim Drake's brother, Joe decided to form his own vocal group, a group also composed of students from Quaker Valley School, Class of 1959, called Joey and Rodge with The Crysteles. The group included Joe Drake, John Sradomski, Daryl Adams and Duke McGaughy. Ross Buck filled in when needed. In 1958, The group recorded two songs "The One I Love" and "I Should Live So Long" released on Tabby. The group performs locally including Club Newman.

Joey & Rodge & The Crysteles

Some members come and go, and the group sometimes finds itself in a quintet with another lead singer like Dick Kruppa as described in "The Daily Collegian from November 14, 1958" : Crysteles to sing at club Newman - "Modern Sound for a modern crowd" will be featured at the Club Newman from 9 to 12 p.m. tonight. This innovation in music is the theme of the Crysteles, assigning group featuring Dick Kruppa, sophomore in industrial arts from Leetsdale. This five-man group has a hit record to its credit, "The one i Love". Unfortunately, compared to his older brother and his band "The Tempos", "The One I Love" b/w "I Should Live So Long" will be their only single.

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The One I Love I Should Live So Long

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The Souveniers aka The Preludes (5)

Posted on January 28 2022 by dion1

The Souveniers aka The Preludes (5)

The Souveniers (Harlem, New York)
aka The Preludes (5)

Personnel :

Norman Solomon (Lead)

Coleman Solomon

Tommy Dorsey

Little John Rogers

Harold (Bass)

Discography :

The Souveniers
1962 - I Could Have Danced All Night / It's Too Bad (Inferno 2001)

The Preludes (5)
1962 - That Would Be So Good / A Place For You (In My Heart)(Octavia 8008)

Biography :

Vocal group was from Harlem, New York included two brothers, Norman (Lead Singer) and Coleman Solomon, Tommy Dorsey, John Rogers and Harold (Bass). Joel Turnero (a DJ on Newark's WNJR and former manager of the Mello-Moods) saw them perform and became their manager. Joel Turnero and Norman Solomon wrote the very nice "It's Too Bad" that the band will record with "I Could Have Danced All Night". Both titles will be released under the small label "Inferno" owned by Joel Turnero. The same year, Joel and Norman wrote "A Place For You", and Joel "That Would Be So Good". The Souveniers recorded the two songs and the single will be released under the Octavia label, but the band's name will be changed to The Preludes. Both sides Turnero was the producer, and Larry Lucie the arranger...same as Infernos. Norman Solomon better known later as Norman Feels, an underground soul sensation in the early 1970's and his songs have been sampled by multiple rappers over the years including Schoolboy Q, French Montana, Ghostface Killah, and more.

Songs :

The Souveniers


          It's Too Bad                      I Could Have Danced All Night

The Preludes (5)


That Would Be So Good               A Place For You (In My Heart)

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The Marquettes (Unrecorded group?)

Posted on January 24 2022 by dion1

The Marquettes (Unrecorded group?)
The Marquettes - David Porter (far left)

The Marquettes (Memphis)

Personnel :

David Porter (Lead)

Tyrone Smith

Robert Davis

Maurice White

???

Discography :

David Porter (bb The Marquettes ?)
1961 - Farewell / Chivalry (Eagle 101)

Biography :

David Porter (born November 21, 1941 in Memphis) is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Porter was a 2005 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, with catalog sales exceeding 400 million units. In 2015, Rolling Stone listed him among the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. He is best known for songwriting, having written Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" (1968 Grammy winner), and "Hold On, I'm Comin'". His songs have been sampled in Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover" (1993 Grammy winner), and Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" (1999 Grammy winner). Raised in the Mc Lemore avenue area, David Porter had been trying to work his way into a music career for quite some time. While in high school at Booker T. Washington, Porter had formed a quintet he dubbed the Marquettes that regularly competed in the Wednesday evening talent shows at Beale Street's Palace Theatre.

The Marquettes (Unrecorded group?)

Under the watchful eye of MC Rufus Thomas, the Marquettes often competed with Isaac Hayes's group, the Teen Tones, the Marquettes' specialty being a version of the Dell-Vikings' "Come Go with Me." The Marquettes consisted of David Porter, Tyrone Smith, Robert Davis, Maurice White (founder and moving spirit of Earth, Wind and Fire) and another guy. When not entering talent shows, the Marquettes were busy auditioning for every record label in town that would listen to them. Jim Stewart from Stax Records was impressed enough to attempt to record a single. At Stewart's suggestion they worked on "The Old Grey Mare," but were never able to cut a version that was deemed releasable. After the initial attempts, Porter, commonly referred to as the local Sam Cooke, opted to record the song without the Marquettes, eventually bringing in the Del-Rios to sing background. But, alas, success was still not forthcoming. At the same time, in 1961 David Porter wrote and recorded his first song (With the Marquettes?); “Farewell” and "Chivalry" released on Eagle 101 which did very well locally. After recording some sides on (as Little David) and Hi (as Kenny Cain), he naturally came to Stax quite from the beginning as he worked exactly across the street.

Songs :

???

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The Creations (5)

Posted on January 22 2022 by dion1

The Creations (5)
(From Left) Richard Hinkle, William Stott, Odie Trotter, Houston Mills and James Watkins

The Creations (5) (Indianapolis)

Personnel :

Richard Hinkle (Lead)

William Stott

Odie Trotter

Houston Mills

James Watkins

Discography :

1962 - I've Got A Feeling / The Wedding (Meridian 7553)

Biography :

Saxophonist, bandleader Jimmy Coe contributed to so many classic Indianapolis rock & roll and R&B records. In the late '50s, Coe recorded fronting an orchestra for the new Chess label, cutting tracks such as "Every Day of the Week and "Shuffle Stroll." In the early '60s, Coe and his group provided backup for the contest-winning vocal group the Students, and the saxophonist may also have accompanied other vocal groups, or participated in other recordings for other microlabels in the Indianapolis area.

The Creations (5)
Jimmy Coe

The Creations from Indianapolis were composed by Richard Hinkle (Lead), William Stott, Odie Trotter, Houston Mills and James Watkins. The group, which has been touring for more than a year, has made a solid reputation and performs regularly in indianapolis and its surroundings. In 1962, Jimmy Coe co-wrote with William Stott, a member of The Creations, two excellent side "I've Got A Feeling" and "The Wedding". The single will be released on Larry Leggett’s Indianapolis-based Meridian label in 1962.

Songs :

The Wedding I've Got A Feeling

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The Five Dreams

Posted on January 22 2022 by dion1

The Five Dreams

The Five Dreams (Cleveland)

Personnel :

Calvin Anderson

Timothy Garry

Nathan "Short Cake" Rogers

Robert Lankford

Jimmy Churchill

Discography

1957 - You Are My Only / Up All Night Long (Mercury 71159)

Biography :

A Cleveland R&B vocal group that included Calvin Anderson, Timothy Garry, Nathan "Short Cake" Rogers, Robert Lankford, and Jimmy Churchill. They were teenagers/high school age but otherwise we don't know much about them. They included a guitarist, Luther "Smack" Biggers, for their live shows. They had at least one high profile show, a September 29, 1957 Circle Theatre event headlined by Jackie Wilson and Otis Williams and the Charms. They also performed in Youngstown. In June, 1957, they had a 45 released on Mercury records. The writer credit for the A side "You Are My Only" is Jimmy Churchwell. All the newspaper mentions of the group list Jimmy Churchhill (assuming they are the same person) so we don't know which name is correct. Calvin Anderson is credited on the flip.
https://buckeyebeat.com/fivedreams.html

Songs :

You Are My Only Up All Night Long

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Bryan Brent & The Cut Outs

Posted on January 14 2022 by dion1

Bryan Brent & The Cut Outs
from Left : Mike Rooney, Don Kitchen, Bryan Clapp (Brent), Bruce Campbell and Mike Anderson

Bryan Brent & The Cut Outs (Detroit, Mi)

Personnel :

Bryan Clapp "Brent" (Lead)

Mike Rooney

Don Kitchen

Bruce Campbell

Mike Anderson

Discography :

1959 - Vacation Time / For Eternity (Penny 2201)

Biography :

Bryan Brent and The Cutouts came together at Redford High School. The group were composed by Bryan Clapp (Brent), Mike Rooney, Don Kitchen,Bruce Campbell and Mike Anderson. After forming the group, they began performing at sock hops, skating rinks and DJ dance events. They were introduced to Berry Gordy, Jr in the Spring of 1959 and agreed to cut a record of his song 'Vacation Time' and one of their songs, "For Eternity" on the Penny Label, part of Tamla Records. The record was released in late Spring and quickly the "For Eternity" side became very popular. The Number #1 hit in Detroit during the Summer of 1959 gave them appearances on Mickey Shorr's Detroit Bandstand and Soupy Sales Late Night Show. They performed the song at many DJ venues, Martha Jean "The Queen", Tommy Clay, and Jack Scott's Dance Ranch to name a few!.

Songs :

For Eternity Vacation Time

...

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The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

Posted on January 9 2022 by dion1

The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

The Souvenirs (2) (San Bernardino, CA.)
aka The Mementos

Personnel :

Rosetta Lawrence

Alvin Williams

Norm Williams

Joseph ...

Discography :

The Souvenirs (2)

Singles :
1962 - The Bump / The Worm (Reprise 20065)
1962 - The Real McCoy / The Watusi (Reprise 20066)

Lp :
1962 - Everybody's Doin' It with The Souvenirs (R/R9 6027)
Slow Twistin' / Mashed Potatoes / Popeye / Hully Gully / New Continental / Watusi / Bump / Real McCoy / Rocheroo / Mop / Mash / Worm

The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

The Mementos
1962 - Do The Mashed Potatoes / The Watusi (Strip) (Reprise 20091)

Discography :

Reprise Records was started by Frank Sinatra in 1960 as a vehicle for his own recordings, and the recordings of his Las Vegas pals, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1961, Arranger, songwriter, and musician Steve Venet under the pseudonym of Steven Venetoulis (He also used sometimes Kathie Venetoulis) produced and arranged an Album for the Souvenirs.

The Souvenirs (2) aka The Mementos

This Vocal group from San Bernardino, CA. comprised Rosetta Lawrence, Brothers Alvin & Norm Williams (who wrote "The Real McCoy") as well as a fourth member named Joseph. "Everybody's Doin' It with The Souvenirs" is a mix of instrumental as well as vocal tracks of which three singles will be extracted almost at the same time: two under their name and the third under the name of "The Mementos": probably not to have too many single from the same group at the same time.

Songs :

*** The Bump ****

...

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The Tabs (2)

Posted on January 9 2022 by dion1

The Tabs (2)

The Tabs (2) (St. Louis, Missouri)

Personnel :

Charles Drain (Lead)

Howard Robertson (First Tenor)

Lionel Stokes (Baritone)

John Hopkins (Second Tenor)

Tuman Hughes (Bass)

Discography :

Singles :
1961 - Dance All By Myself / Dance Party (Vee Jay 418)
1962 - Mash Them Taters / But You're My Baby (VeeJay 446)
1963 - Two Stupid Feet / The Wallop (Wand 130)
1963 - Take My Love Along With You / I'm With You (Wand 139)

Unreleased :
1962 - The Big Show (Wand)
1962 - The Landlord (Wand)
1962 - Laughing To Keep From Crying (Wand)

Biography :

Charles Drain was born in Eupora, Mississippi back in 1939. He began singing at the age of eight and formed his first group a couple of years later. After moving to St Louis, he secured work singing back-up vocals before joining the "Tabs" as their lead singer. The group back then consisted of Charles Drain, Sonny Robertson (1st tenor), John Hopkins (2nd tenor) & Lionel Stokes (baritone). All the guys were childhood buddies though a couple of additional members (Tuman Hughes & Leroy Terry) had dropped out down the years. Sonny Robertson had started out in gospel groups as a teenager and had sung in male gospel quartets back in St Louis with the likes of Mel & Tim. Although not actually a member of the group, Charles’ brother William (Billy) was influential in their development. Billy schooled the group, helping them develop their singing skills plus he wrote songs especially for them.

The Tabs (2)

Charles Drain

The group were signed by Vee Jay in 1962 and they enjoyed two 45 releases. Their first single was issued in December 1961 and this coupled “Dance All By Myself” (written by Ollie Jones) with “Dance Party” (written by Charles Drain himself). Their 2nd 45 also featured a song that Charles had written; “Mash Them Taters” (c/w “But You're My Baby”) and this escaped in June 1962. They got to tour, playing shows with the Miracles, Flip Wilson, Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley and the Isley Brothers at venues such as the Apollo, the Uptown in Philly, the Howard in D.C. & the Regal in Chicago. For their show at the Apollo, they were backed up by a group of musicians that included Phillip Upchurch (guitar) and King Curtis (sax). Next, the group were signed to a deal by New York based Wand Records. Their initial outing for the label was “Two Stupid Feet” (written by Wand's Luther Dixon) which was backed with a Billy Drain song “The Wallop” (Wand 130; February 1963).

The Tabs (2)

Reggie Obrecht, who had earlier worked with Leiber & Stoller on tracks by the Drifters, was responsible for the arrangements on the tunes. This single got some radio airplay and so Wand got behind it's release and placed some ads in US music magazines. By April, “Two Stupid Feet” was popular enough to land the group a big theatre gig in Philadelphia and this was followed by a number of other theatre bookings on the east coast circuit. Another 45 came out that July; “Take My Love Along With You (William Drain) / I'm With You” (Ed Townshend, Alvin Stewart) but this didn't do as well. The group had cut a number of other tracks for Wand (“The Big Show”, “The Landlord” and “Laughing To Keep From Crying”) but these failed to make it out of the tape vaults and so their career began to drift.
https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/soul-articles/charles-drain-two-stupid-feet-r2609/

Songs :


Dance All By Myself              Mash Them Taters


   Dance Party                             Two Stupid Feet

But You're My Baby The Wallop

Take My Love Along With You

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The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers

Posted on January 8 2022 by dion1

The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers
Jewel Akens

The Four Dots (2) (Los Angeles)
aka The Composers

Personnel :

Jewel Akens (Lead)

Albert “Jerry” Stone (Lead)

Freddy Clark

Sam Dearden

Warn Crosby (Bass)

Discography :

Jerry Stone & The Four Dots (2)
1958 - My Baby (She Loves Me) / It's Heaven (Freedom 44002)

The Four Dots (2)
1959 - Don't Wake Up The Kids / Pleading For Your Love (Freedom 44005)

John Ashley bb The Four Dots (2)
1959 - I Want To Hear It From You / Seriously In Love (Silver 1002)

The Composers
1963 - I Had A Dream / You And Yours (Era 3118)

Biography :

The Houston-born singer spent his teenage years in Los Angeles; around 1958 he met Jerry Stone of doo wop group The Fascinators, whose "Shivers and Shakes" had been released that year on Walter "Dootsie" Williams' L.A.-based Dootone label. Jerry and Jewel formed The Four Dots with Warn Crosby, Freddy Clark and Sam Dearden (unwittingly taking the name of a Pittsburgh group that had recorded for Bullseye in 1956); entrepreneur Jerry Capehart, a songwriter and manager of Liberty Records rock and roller Eddie Cochran, took notice. "My Baby," a routine uptempo doo wop song credited to Jerry Stone and the Four Dots, appeared in the fall of '58 on a new Liberty subsidiary label, Freedom.

The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers

Cochran played guitar on the group's Freedom sides. "Don't Wake Up the Kids," a domestic novelty along the lines of The Coasters' chart topper "Yakety Yak," was promoted in trade magazines in January '59; Jewel composed the B side, "Pleading For Your Love," his name misspelled on the label as "Jewel Akins." Liberty had no further interest after these two singles, so Capehart started his own label, Silver, and had the group do backing vocals for actor John Ashley (star of late '50s guilty pleasures Dragstrip Girl, Motorcycle Gang and Hot Rod Gang) on his initial bid to be a singing idol; "Seriously in Love" was a good midtempo rhythm/teen track, but it failed to establish Ashley among the ranks of hitmaking actor-singers.

The Four Dots (2) aka The Composers
John Ashley

In 1963, Jerry and Jewel formed the Composers. The Composers were an offshoot of the Four Dots. In 1963 they worked for Herb Newman at Era Records, demoing songs. They got their chance to record two Albert Stone songs for which Newman named the group the Composers. Though excellent sides, nothing happened with the release. Akens would come back to the label in 1964 when his other group the Turn-Arounds (formerly the Rainbows) cut ‘Ain't Nothin’ Shakin”, That same session had Jewel singing The Birds And The Bees’ as a solo because the group refused to sing the novelty song. Akens got sole billing and a new career when his record became a pop hit around the world.

https://www.waybackattack.com/akensjewel.html

Songs :

Jerry Stone & The Four Dots (2)


My Baby (She Loves Me)                           It's Heaven

The Four Dots (2)


Don't Wake Up The Kids                   Pleading For Your Love

John Ashley bb The Four Dots (2)


I Want To Hear It From You                Seriously In Love

The Composers


I Had A Dream                                    You And Yours

...

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The Valentines (2)

Posted on January 6 2022 by dion1

The Valentines (2) (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Personnel :

Irene Butler

Nancy Davis

Joy Findlay

Nancy Davis

Discography :

The Valentines (2)
1961 - The Sock / 16 Senoritas (Iona 1003)

Les Vogt (bb The Valentines (2))
1960 - The Blamers / Moon Rocketin' (Iona 1001)

Biography :

The Valentines were founded by three girls from Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada named Miki Shannon, Irene Butler, and Joy Findlay. In 1960 a four member was added named Nancy Davis and in May or June of 1960 they went into studio of Iona records at 6035, Le Doux Road in Los Angeles to sing back up on a Les Voigt session that saw a release in July.

The Valentines (2)
The Valentines Les Vogt

This led to more session work and are almost certainly he reason why they were called in to do session by themselves in October-November 1960. At the time, Irene who had married Les Vogt was pregnant and left the group shortly after the session. The Songs "The Sock" and "16 Senoritas" saw release in late November. The three remaining girls continued to perform live and did radio and TV shows with the local success their records (hit #3 in the local hit parade) had until they broke up in 1962.

The Valentines (2)

Nancy kept on performing with Tom Baird, a local piano player from Vancouver, later she went on To CBC Television show called "Let's Go". Nancy opened a singing studio in West Vancouver where she taught singing, still doing occasional performance.

Songs :
(Update By Hans-Joachim)

The Valentines (2)

The Sock Sixteen Senoritas

Les Vogt (bb The Valentines (2))

The Blamers Moon Rocketin'

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