Doo Wop - Rhythm & Blues - jcpiazza26@gmail.com

The Lockettes

Posted on December 4 2021 by dion1

Jennell Hawkins

The Lockettes (Los Angeles, CA)

Personnel :

Ledoria Ann Knox

Belle Rhea Montgomery

Elaine Carol Brown

Jennell Hawkins

Discography :

The Lockettes
1958 - Puddin' Pie / You Don't Want Me (Flip 334)

Richard Berry & The Lockettes
1958 - The Mess Around / Heaven on Wheels (Flip 336)

Richard Berry bb The Lockettes
1958 - Besame Mucho / Do I Do I (Flip 339)

Jimmie Smith bb The Lockettes
1959 - I Cry And Cry Every Night / Night Time Is The Time (I Miss You) (Flip 347)

Biography :

The Lockettes were a Los Angeles-based girl trio consisting of Ledoria Ann Knox, Belle Rhea Montgomery, and Elaine Carol Brown, with Jennell Hawkins (The Combo-Netts) occasionally enlarging them to a quartet -- Knox's singing was a light alto somewhat similar to a young Diana Ross. They were discovered by Richard Berry, of "Louie, Louie" fame, and were brought to Flip Records, where they recorded "Puddin' Pie" b/w "You Don't Want Me".

Richard Berry

This was their only record and the A-side was characterized not only by radiant singing, but also a pretty powerful performance by their accompanying band (especially the guitarist), while the B-side gave the singers a clearer field. The group also sang backup with Berry on the single "Heaven on Wheels" b/w "The Mess Around" by the Dreamers, and "I Cry and Cry All Night" b/w "Night Time Is the Right Time" by Jimmie Smith.

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Lockettes

Puddin' Pie You Don't Want Me

Richard Berry & The Lockettes

The Mess Around Heaven on Wheels

Richard Berry bb The Lockettes

Besame Mucho Do I Do I

Jimmie Smith bb The Lockettes

I Cry And Cry Every Night Night Time Is The Time (I Miss You)

...

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The Pastels (1)

Posted on December 4 2021 by dion1

1956 - Robert Mills, Robert Randolph, Norman Palm & Charles McKnight

The Pastels (1) (Chicago) 

  Personnel : 

Fred Buckley (Lead)

Norman Palm (First tenor)

Robert Randolph (Second tenor)

Charles McKnight (Baritone)

Charles Williams (Bass)

Discography :

Singles :
1955 - Put Your Arms Around Me / Boom De De Boom (United 196)

Unreleased :
1955 - Bye Bye (Unreleased)
1955 - Goodbye (Unreleased)
1955 - Patty (demo tape)
1955 - My Little Girl (demo tape)
1955 - Goodbye (demo tape)

Biography :

in 1954, Fred Buckley, the group's lead organized the pastels from among High School Friends in his south side neighborhood, the other members were Vernon Thomas (first tenor), Trey Clark (second tenor), Charles McKnight (baritone), and Pettis Williams (bass). Thomas, Clark and Williams eventually dropped out of the group and Fred recruited Norman Palm (first tenor, whom he had met in the National Guard), Robert Randolph (second tenor), and Charles Williams (Pettis Williams' brother; bass). The group signed with United owned by Leonard Allen in October of 1955. The songs they did at the October 19 session were "Bye Bye" and "Goodbye," both of which were fairly good, but Leonard Allen for some reason chose not to release them.

Leonard Allen obviously had plans for the group, because on November 23 the Pastels were recording again, putting on wax an average ballad, "Put Your Arms around Me," with a bouncy El Dorados-type jump tune, "Boom De De Boom." The latter song was originally intended for the El Dorados to record (on Vee-Jay), but the group was out of town when the person who brought it arrived from New York, so he took it to United. "Boom De De Boom" got the original airplay on local station WHFC, but then listener requests pushed "Put Your Arms around Me" onto the playlist. After about a year, Buckley was replaced on Lead by Julius Collins. The Pastels continued on a few more years and they broke up in 1958.

Doowop: The Chicago Scene Par Robert Pruter
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Pastels/pastels.html
http://myweb.clemson.edu/~campber/unitedstates2.html

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Boom De De Boom                Put Your Arms Around Me            Goodbye


Bye Bye    Patty (audition)‬              My Little Girl (audition)

Goodbye (audition)

...

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The Five Fleets

Posted on December 1 2021 by dion1

The Five Fleets

The Five Fleets (Atlanta, GA)

Personnel :

James Simms

Robert Sim Jr

Walter Quillian

Henry Alex

Arthur Simms

Discography :

1958 - Oh What A Feeling / I Been Cryin' (Felsted 8513)
1958 - Yo Good Lovin' / Slight Case Of Love (Felsted 8522)
1961 - Pitter Patter / Cheer Up (Seville 112)

Biography :

James Simms, Robert Sim Jr, Walter Quillian, Henry Alex and Arthur Simms made up this doo top group from Atlanta, Georgia who had two earlier records for Felsted, one of which had been released in Britain in 1958. Three years later the group were signed to Seville by Murray Spork. Seville record company founded in 1958 by Danny Kessler and Murray Sporn. In 1960 Kessler sold his interests to Edward Kassner who operated the company as a sister label to his UK based President Records. The Five Fleets had "Pitter Patter" b/w "Cheer Up" outing on the label. Arranger Marv Meredith had previously recorded easy listening album for the Strand label.

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Pitter Patter Yo Good Lovin'

Oh What A Feeling                        I Been Cryin'


Slight Case Of Love                      Cheer Up

...

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The Thrills

Posted on December 1 2021 by dion1

L to R : Reginald Gammon, Marcus Hampton, Ernest Jack, Haley, Richard Pierson, Robert Hurd, and Warren Hurley.

The Thrills (Indianapolis, IN.)

Personnel :

Ernest Jack Haley

Robert Hurd

Reginald Gammon

Marcus Hampton

Richard Pierson

Warren Hurley

Biography :

In the 1957, six students From Crispus Attucks High School formed The Thrills, a group that performed rhythm-and-blues songs at school assemblies and concerts. The members were, Reginald Gammon, Marcus Hampton, Ernest Jack Haley, Richard Pierson, Robert Hurd, and Warren Hurley. It was one of many musical acts to emerge from the school, and then The Thrills went on stage, they could count on crowds of screaming students.

...

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The Satisfiers

Posted on November 27 2021 by dion1

The Satisfiers (Don Covay is in front)

The Satisfiers (Washington, D.C.)

Personnel :

Don Covay (Lead)

John Berry "Sonny Spencer"

John Woody

David Scott

Discography :

Unreleased :
1954 - You Broke My Heart
1954 - Hold My Hand
1954 - Shake That Thing
1954 - The Telephone Is Ringing

Biography :

In the early 1950 John Berry aka "Sonny Spencer" (later with the Rainbows) was with a group in LeDroit Park Called The Satisfiers. The Original name for them was the Cherokees and that a lot of guys were in and out the group. At some point Don Covay rejoined the Satisfiers. Some sources point out that the members of the group at this time were John Berry, John Woody and David Scott. they recorded at least four masters: "You Broke My Heart," "Hold My Hand," "Shake That Thing," and "The Telephone Is Ringing." These were all lumped into the bootleg "Rainbows" LP that came out on "Pilgrim" in the 80s.

Songs :

Hold My Hand The Telephone Is Ringing

...

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The Five Wings (1) aka The Checkers (2)

Posted on November 24 2021 by dion1

The Five Wings (1) aka The Checkers (2)
Three of the Five Wings (L to R) Billy Carlisle, Richard Blandon & Tomy Gratte

The Five Wings (1) (Harlem, New York)
aka The Checkers (2)

ref The Dubs
ref The Scale-Tones
ref The Marvels (1)

Personnel : 

Jackie Rue (Lead)

Billy Carlisle (Second Tenor)

Frank Edwards (Tenor)

Melvin Flood (Baritone)

Tommy Grate (Bass)

Discography :

The Five Wings (1)
Singles :
1955 - Johnny Has Gone / Johnny's Still Singing (King 4778)
1955 - Rock-A-Locka / Teardrops Are Falling (King 4781)
Unreleased :
1955 - Middle Of The Night (King)

Billy Nelson bb the Five Wings
Singles :
1955 - Walk Along / Pack-Shack And Stack Your Blues Away (Savoy 1183)
Unreleased :
1955 - Angel Time (Savoy)
1955 - Hurry Up Honey (Savoy)
1955 - My Gal (Savoy)

The Checkers (2)
1959 - Rock-A-Locka / Teardrops Are Falling (King 5199)

Biography :

Second tenor Billy Carlisle and bass singer Tommy Grate (brother of Dovers' lead Miriam Grate) were members of a local vocal group from Harlem called the Five Wings. Along with lead singer Jackie Rue (later of Jackie and the Starlites) tenor Frank Edwards (who replaced Bobby Johnson in the Dovers in 1959), and baritone Melvin Flood, the quintet had recorded two songs on the King Records label on February 2nd 1955; "Johnny Has Gone" and "Johnny's Still Singing", both tributes to the recently deceased recording artist Johnny Ace. On the 18th, they had their second King session, at which they recorded "Teardrops Are Falling" and "Rock-A-Locka." These were released in March. The Same sides were re-released in 1959 as by the "Checkers," on King 5199.

The Five Wings (1) aka The Checkers (2)
Frank Edwards Frank Edwards with The Dovers

But when those sides, as well as the two first failed to attract attention, Rue, Edwards, and Flood quit the outfit and Kenny "Butch" Hamilton was recruited to replace Edwards. Richard Blandon, a cousin of Carlisle and a lead singer who had just been discharged from the U.S. Air Force, came to visit with Carlisle and ended up fronting the Five Wings. In November 1955, Hiram Johnson got the Wings one last session, backing up blues singer Billy Nelson. Although the label credits the 5 Wings, the only voices backing up Nelson were Carlisle, Grate, and Hamilton. Billy Carlisle, Tommy Grate and Richard Blandon joined the Dubs in 1957.

Songs :

The Five Wings (1)


       Johnny Has Gone / Johnny's Still Singing          Rock-A-Locka

Teardrops Are Falling

Billy Nelson bb the Five Wings


Walk Along / Pack-Shack And Stack Your Blues Away       Hurry Up Honey / My Gal

...

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The Tren-Teens aka The Dew Drops (2)

Posted on November 20 2021 by dion1

The Tren-Teens
L to R - Clara Woodard, Mary Ann Camp, Carlton Sumners, Barbara Ingram and Sandra Mingo

The Tren-Teens (Trenton, NJ)
aka The Dew Drops (2)

Personnel :

Clara Woodard

Mary Ann Camp

Barbara Ingram

Sandra Mingo

Carlton Sumners

Discography :

The Tren-Teens
1962 - Your Yah-Yah Is Gone / My Baby's Gone (Carnival 501)

The Dew Drops (2)
1963 - No Other Guy / Johnny Run Run (Jeff 1963/64)

Biography :

Jazz saxophonist Joe Evans set up Carnival Records label, based in New York and then in Newark, New Jersey, in the early 1960s. Releasing a total of 63 singles and two albums, the label's main focus was rhythm and blues/soul music. The label's roster included The Manhattans, The Pretenders, Lee Williams & The Cymbals, Little Royal, The Lovettes... Carnival was launched in 1962 with their first release "My Baby's Gone" and "Your Yah-Yah Is Gone" by The Tren-Teens.

The Tren-Teens aka The Dew Drops (2)
Carlton Sumners

The Tren-Teens are from Trenton, NJ and were composed by four Girls (Clara Woodard, Mary Ann Camp, Barbara Ingram and Sandra Mingoand) and one Boy (Carlton Sumners). Joe Evans co-arranged the two numbers on them. The A-side was a cute answer to Lee Dorsey's R&B success "Ya Ya", called "Your Yah-Yah Is Gone". In 1964, the group recorded "No Other Guy" b / w "Johnny Run Run". The single will be released by Jeff Records from New Jersey and the Tren-Teens will be renamed The Dew Drops. Cindy Birdsong sang with them for a time, then left to join Patti LaBelle and then onto the Supremes

Songs:

The Tren-Teens

My Baby's Gone Your Yah-Yah Is Gone

The Dew Drops (2)

No Other Guy

...

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The Invictas (1)

Posted on November 20 2021 by dion1

The Invictas (1)

The Invictas (1) (Long Beach, CA.)

Personnel :

John Perkins [aka Sonny Patterson]

Robert Jones

Booker Banks

Alan Jay

Ervin Simril

Discography :

The Invictas (1)
1959 - Gone So Long / Nellie (Jack Bee 1003)

Jimmie Hombs & The Invictas (1)
1959 - Voo Doo Dolly / Ask The Stars(with The Twinkle Tones) (Jack Bee 1004)

Sonny Patterson & The Invictas (1)
1962 - Gone So Long / Troubles (With The Pastel Six) (Vault 101)

1963 - The Invictas (1) featuring Sonny Patterson
1962 - Gone So Long / Troubles (With The Pastel Six) (Vault 903)

Biography :

The Invictas with the Hollywood Rebels excellent pleading ballad “Gone So Long” b/w the jump “Nellie” didn’t chart, yet moved briskly at the Wenzel Music Town counter. Lead singer Sonny Patterson (RN: John Perkins; b: Texas) was backed by Robert Jones, Booker Banks, Alan Jay and Ervin Simril. All except Perkins hailed from the same Long Beach neighborhood with Simril singing briefly with the Debonaires. Their name was derived from the brand new Buick Invicta. According to Simril, “a white Jewish guy named Pete” owned a meat market on Orange Ave. and contacted Jack Bee and arranged for the recording session. The backing group, the Hollywood Rebels were most likely Hollywood session players hired to back these acts. The Invictas then backed teen idol Jimmie Hombs on “Voo Doo Dolly” with the Twinkle Tones backing Holmes on the flip. When Jay left the Invictas, he was replaced by ex-Debonaires Bill Melvin. When Perkins got into legal trouble, he too left the group, but “Gone So Long” was reissued on the Vault label b/w “Troubles” with the Pastel Six.

Songs :

The Invictas (1)

Gone So Long Nellie

Jimmie Hombs & The Invictas (1)

Voo Doo Dolly

...

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The Fascinators (3)

Posted on November 19 2021 by dion1

The Fascinators (3)

The Fascinators (3) (Brooklyn, New York)  

 Personnel :  

Anthony Passalacqua (Lead)

Angelo LaGreca (Baritone)

 Nicky Trivatto (Tenor)

 Eddie Wheeler (Tenor)

 George Cernacek (Bass)

 Discography : 

Singles :
1958 - Chapel Bells / I Wonder Who (Capitol 4053/4544)
1959 - Who Do You Think You Are / Come To Paradise (Capitol 4137)
1959 - Oh, Rose Marie / Fried Chicken And Macaroni (Capitol 4247)

Unreleased :
1956 - Forgive Me (My Darling) (Demo)
1958 - Oh, Rose Marie (Demo)
1958 - Teenage Wedding (Capitol)
1958 - Recess (Capitol)
1958 - Dear Lord (Capitol)
1958 - Love That Girl (Capitol)

Biography :  

The original members of the Fascinators came together, as did many of the vocal groups of the '50s, while singing harmonies on the street-corners of their hometown, in this case, the Ridgewood-Bedford Stuyvessant section of Brooklyn. The group -- Tony Passalaqua, lead, Angelo LaGreca, baritone, Nicky Trivatto, tenor, Eddie Wheeler, tenor, and George Cernacek, bass (though he was just a tenor and occasionally had to smoke cigars before appearances or record sessions in order to deepen his voice!) -- ultimately received offers from several record labels, but it was their manager, Jim Fererri, who directed them to Capitol Records.

The Fascinators (3)
Top: Angelo LaGreca, Nicky Trivatto and George Cernacek - Bottom : Anthony Passalacqua & Eddie Wheeler

Unfortunately for the group, Capitol wanted to sign Passalaqua as a single artist, but he insisted that he would not go forward without the group. Manny Kellem, director of A&R, proceeded to set a session up with musicians Big Al Sears and King Curtis on sax, Panama Francis (from the Count Basie band) on drums, and the arranger was Sid Bass. Capitol issued three singles before dropping the group, who became so completely disillusioned by the entire process that they disbanded and, with the exception of Passalaqua, were never to record again.

The Fascinators (3)
Nicky Trivatto, George Cernacek, Eddie Wheeler and Angelo LaGreca

Among the Fascinators' rivals and contemporaries were the Clusters, who were friends of Passalacqua's, and the Markels, another Bushwick-based group, who scored a modest hit in 1958 with "Letter of Love." When the Fascinators broke up, Passalacqua hooked up with Joe Gugliaro and Joe Agugliaro (who were cousins) of the Clusters, and Donnie Milo, formerly of the Markels, essentially forming a reconstituted Clusters.

The Fascinators (3)
Top : Angelo LaGreca, Eddie Wheeler and George Cernacek - Bottom : Nicky Trivatto, and Anthony Passalacqua 

The new group was called the Twilights and the group was signed to Colpix Records, but they immediately ran into trouble when their first single was issued as The Twilights featuring Tony Richards, which was soon changed to Tony & the Twilights. The inevitable ego clashes ensued and the group split up in the next year after recording a series of singles for Colpix and other labels. Tony Richards, as he was billed, later recorded as Tony Mitchell, but never recaptured the promise of his early work with the Fascinators.

Songs:


     Chapel Bells                       I Wonder Who             Who Do You Think You Are


      Come To Paradise                Oh, Rose Marie          Fried Chicken And Macaroni


Teenage Wedding / Recess        Dear Lord / Love That Girl

Forgive Me (My Darling) (Demo) / Oh, Rose Marie (Demo)

...

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The Chelmars aka The Chanels aka Virgil & The Four Chanels aka The Five Chanels

Posted on November 18 2021 by dion1

The Chanels aka The Five Chanels aka Virgil & The Four Chanels

The Chelmars (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
aka The Chanels aka Virgil & The Four Chanels aka The Five Chanels

Personnel :

Sharon Scott (Lead)

Gwynn Speller

Donza Drummond

Dolores Stringer

Virgil Hammond

Discography :

The Chanels
1958 - The Reason / Skiddily Doo (Deb 500)

The Five Chanels
Singles :
1958 - The Reason / Skiddily Doo (Deb 500)
Unreleased :
1958 - You Treat Me Mean (Deb)
1958 - Wish You Were Near (Deb)

Virgil & The Four Chanels
1959 - Waiting / Don't Keep It To Yourself (Deb 508)

The Chelmars
1962 - Jigsaw Puzzle / Confess (Select 45K-712)

Biography :

One of the few vocal group to have escaped the scrutiny of record researchers, the Five Chanels were the protégés of Julius Dixon, a veteran songwriter whose successes included (as co-writer) the Chordettes' 1958 smash 'Lollipop' and Bill Halley's 'Dim Dim the Lights'. Dixon dabbled in all aeras of the music business and in 1958, he launched the Deb Label as a vehicle for his protégé, 14 year-Old Beverly Ann Gibson who had won the amateur hour at the Apollo theatre.

The Chanels aka The Five Chanels aka Virgil & The Four Chanels

She in turn introduced Dixon to the Chanels who hailed from her hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The group were composed by Sharon Scott, Gwynn Speller, Donza Drummond, Dolores Stringer and Virgil Hammond.Early pressings of 'the reason' credited the Chanels but this was changed to the Five Chanels after rival record boss, Georges Goldner, complained that the name was too close to that of the Channels, a group he had recorded for his Gone Label. And not only that, but the Chanels' lead singer, Sharon Scott, sounded similar to Arlene Smith ot the Chantels, another of Goldner's groups.

The Chanels aka The Five Chanels aka Virgil & The Four Chanels aka The Chelmars

'The Reason' benefited from some immediate plugs on American Bandstand, the nation's most influential TV pop show and Dixon set up a distribution deal with ABC Paramount Records in anticipation of the hoped for hit. However, Dick Clark who hosted Bandstand, and had tried to acquire 'The Reason' for Swan Records, a Philadelphia Label with which he was associated, promptly lost interest causing 'The Reason' to stall at #98. A subsequent Release was credited to Virgil & the Four Chanels. In 1962, Julius Dixon will call the group again, without Virgil. The girls renamed "The Chelmars" recorded "Jigsaw Puzzle" b/w "Confess" released by Select Records.

Songs :

The Chanels aka The Five Chanels

The Reason Skiddily Doo

You Treat Me Mean Wish You Were Near

Virgil & The Four Chanels

Waiting Don't Keep It To Yourself

The Chelmars

Confess Jigsaw Puzzle

...

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