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

The Blenders (2)

Posted on August 27 2018 by dion1

James “Zeke“ Brown

The Blenders (2) (Chicago)

Personnel :

James “Zeke“ Brown (Lead)

Curtis Campbell

Parnell Shaw

Donald Taylor

Discography :

The Blenders (2)
1958 - Two Loves / Soda Shop (Aladdin 3449)

Debbie Stevens bb The Blenders (2)
1958 - What Will I Tell My Heart / If You Can’t Rock Me (Not Them) (APT 25027)

Biography :

Curtis Campbell, Parnell Shaw, Donald Taylor and Willie Jones on Lead formed a singing group called the Blenders when they were in 7th or 8th grade. At that time, the Blenders were singing songs like the Dells’ “Why Did You Have to Go,” and “Oh What A Night,” the Danderleers’ “Chop Chop Boom,” the El Dorados’ “At My Front Door,” “There In The Night” and “A Rose For My Darling,” the Spaniels’ “Peace Of Mind,” the Robins’ “Smokey Joe’s Café” as well as tunes by the Moroccos. The Blenders had been together for two or three years when troubles within the group started to surface. Willie Jones was a guy who was always in trouble and just kind of self-destructed. James “Zeke“ Brown, a member of the Calvaes who cut two records for Cobra in 1956 & 57 replaced Willie Jones on Lead.

The Blenders (2)
Donald Taylor

The Blenders put together two songs to record, “Two Loves” and “Soda Shop.” They recorded the two songs at Univeral Studios, down on East Walton Street. Zeke Brown sang lead on “Two Loves” and Donald Taylor led on “Soda Shop.” The record was released on the Aladdin label out of California. The Blenders association with Jim Lounsbury led to their second recording. Lounsbury was married to singer Reba Jeanette Smith who’d previously recorded as Penny Smith and was now using the stage name Debbie Stevens. In December 1958, Stevens was scheduled to record for the ABC- Paramount subsidiary, APT. The blenders backed Debbie Stevens on “What Will I Tell My Heart“. Uncredited on the Debbie Stevens record and not invited to sing with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens, the Blenders broke up sometime later.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

The Blenders (2)

Two Loves Soda Shop

Debbie Stevens bb The Blenders (2)

What Will I Tell My Heart

...

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The Astra-Lites

Posted on August 10 2018 by dion1

The Astra-Lites / The Exotics : Gene Novell, Jerry Abramson, Lenny Melnick & Art Gatti

The Astra-Lites (Queens, New York)

Personnel :

Gene Novel (Lead)

Jerry Abramson (Second Tenor)

Art Gatti (First Tenor/Falsetto)

Stu Abramson (Bass)

Discography :
Singles :
1961 - Space Hop / It Was A Bomb (Tribute 101)
Unreleased:
1961 - Let's Have A Doo Wop Christmas
1961 - Happy Holidays

Biography :

In 1959, From Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village, Lenny Melnick & Art Gatti are part of Nicky and the Bell Flairs, with Curtis James and the lead, Nick Angelili. The following year the group consists of Lenny Melnick (Baritone/Bass), Art Gatti (First Tenor/Falsetto), Jerry Abramson (Second Tenor) and Gene Novell (Lead). With two new members the group changes name : The Exotics.

Nicky & the Bell Flairs : Curtis James, Lenny Melnick, Art Gatti & Nick Angelili

The Exotics sang in churches, parks, building basements, subway arcades, subway station platforms and subway trains and begin to occur proffessionally. At this time, Lenny Melnick is replaced by Stu Abramson and the group changes name again, The Astra-Lites. The group have the same manager that Paul Simon had way back then. hey recorded "Space Hop" and "It Was A Bomb" in Feb 1961 at The Brill Building in 1961. "Space Hop" features legendary guitarist Charlie Byrd on guitar and Art Gatti on vocals.

The Astra-Lites / The Exotics

The Record was released by Tribute records owned by Eddie Heller on West 53d Street, NYC. They Astra-Lites recorded two others songs : "Let's Have A Doo Wop Christmas" and "Happy Holidays". The Group recorded under other names and backed up on numerous hit records. Group was featured on Dick clark's American bandstand.

Charlie Byrd The Astra-Lites

The Brill Building, in the early ‘60s, contained everything needed by a young talented singer or songwriter. There you could write a song or make the rounds of publishers until someone bought it. Then you could go to another floor and get a quick arrangement and lead sheet for $10; get some copies made at the duplication office; book an hour at a demo studio; hire some of the musicians and singers that hung around; and finally cut a demo of the song. Then you could take it around the building to the record companies, publishers, artists’ managers or even the artists themselves. If you made a deal, there were radio promoters available to sell the record- all this under one roof.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Let's Have A Doo Wop Christmas Space Hop

It Was A Bomb

...

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The Crystals (4)

Posted on August 8 2018 by dion1

The Crystals (4)
J. Ricci, Aqueleno, Dore Riccuiti (Pat D'Amato not on the photo)

The Crystals (4) (Philadelphia, Pa)

Personnel :

J. Ricci

Dore Riccuiti

Pat D'Amato

Aqueleno

Discography :

The Crystals (4)
1959 - Mary Ellen / Blind Date (Felsted 8566)

Johnny Stevens bb The Crystals (4)
1959 - Hm-Mm-Baby-Hm-Mm / Apple Taffy (Parkway 805)

Bobby Rydell bb The Crystals (4)
1959 - All I Want Is You / For You, For You (Cameo 164)

Biography :

Vocal group from Philadelphia composed by J. Ricci, Dore Riccuiti, Pat D'Amato and Aqueleno. In 1959, The crystals make a train trip to New York's Bell Sound Studios to make the recording. The group recorded two songs "Mary Ellen" and "Blind Date". Felsted Records released the single in Mars 1959. Bobby Rydell who played in several bands in the Philadelphia area and after three unsuccessful singles for small companies, he signed a recording contract with Cameo Records. In May 1959, The Crystals are contacted by Cameo who needs a vocal group to doing backgrounds behind Bobby. Bobby Rydell and the Crystals recorded "For You, For You" released on Cameo 164.

The Crystals (4)
Bobby Rydell

The Crystals also made a recording at Cameo which was an answer to the hit "Short Shorts" but was never released. The Crystals wrote "Apple Taffy" who was recorded by a young man named Johnny Stevens, who was Disc Jockey Joe Niagara's brother. It was released on Parkway Records (P-805). The group also do background on the other side "Hmm-mm Baby Hmm-mm". The Crystals also wrote three of Fabian's recordings, "Stop Thief!", "I'm Sincere" and "Hold Me (In Your Arms)".

Songs :

The Crystals (4)


Mary Ellen                                               Blind Date

Bobby Rydell bb The Crystals (4)


For You, For You                    All I Want Is You

Johnny Stevens bb The Crystals (4)


          Apple Taffy                               Hmm-mm Baby Hmm-mm

…

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The Cardinals

Posted on August 7 2018 by dion1

The Cardinals
(1955) Left to right: Ray Butler, Ron Emmons, Warren Dickerson, and Francis Bonello.

The Cardinals (New Jersey)

Personnel :

Ray Butler

Ron Emmons

Warren Dickerson

Francis Bonello

Discography :

?

…

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The Scarlets

Posted on August 6 2018 by dion1

The Scarlets

The Scarlets (New Haven, Connecticut)
ref The Five Satins

Personnel :

Fred Parris（Lead）

Sylvester Hopkins（Tenor）

Nathaniel Mosely（Tenor）

Albert Denby（Baritone）

William L. Powers（Bass）

Discography :

The Scarlets
Singles :
1953 - Dear One / I've Lost（Red Robin 128）
1954 - Love Doll / Darling I'm Yours（Red Robin 133）
1955 - True Love / Cry Baby（Red Robin 135）
1955 - Kiss Me / Indian Fever（Red Robin 138）
1960 - Truly Yours / East Of The Sun (Fury 1036)
1976 - Teardrops Fell / Yes You'Re Mine (by the Vocaleers) (Robin Hood 134)
Unreleased :
1960 - Truly Yours (alt. vers.) (Fury)
1960 - Remember (Fury)

Fred Parris & The Scarlets
1958 - She's Gone With The Wind / The Voice（Klik 7905）

Biography :

Fred Parris of 24 Sperry Street in New Haven, Connecticut, was expelled in 1953 from a vocal group known as the Canaries. The avid ball player (he once had a tryout with the Boston Braves) decided to form his own group and labeled them the Scarlets. The quintet of Hillhouse High School students included Sylvester Hopkins (first tenor), Nathaniel Mosely, Jr. (second tenor), Albert Denby (baritone), and William L. Powers (bass).

The Scarlets

Since Fred wrote the songs the guys made him lead singer. The rehearsed under the influence of THE 5 ROYALES, THE CLOVERS, THE DOMINOES, and THE FIVE CROWNS. Fred was a particular fan of the Velvets and THE FOUR FRESHMEN. As the group’s leader, Parris was saddled with the responsibility of finding them a record label, but the 17-year-old had little idea how to go about it. He traveled to New York without so much as a tape in hopes of finding Red Robin Records (home of the Velvets), which was operated out of a record shop at 301 West 125th Street in Harlem.

First he encountered Bob Shad, a record shop owner who also owned the Jax label (Bobby Hall and the Kings). Shad sent Fred down the block where he met Red Robin proprietor Bobby Robinson. When the Scarlets lead told Robinson of his group he got the same response elicited from Shad, which in effect was “go home and bring me a demo tape.” When Fred did return with a tape of the self penned “Dear One,” Robinson still wasn’t impressed, but his brother and partner Dan did like the group and convinced Robinson to record them.

In early spring of 1954 the Scarlets were given 15 minutes to cut “Dear One” and another ballad called “I’ve Lost.” “Dear One” had a classic rhythm and blues harmony sound. Fred’s Plaintive lead, shifting to falsetto riffing while the baritone and bass took over, helped make the record a New York hit in the spring of 1954. The flip, “I've Lost,” was another solid ballad with more than a hint of the melody line from the 1948 Benny Goodman tune “Beyond the Sea.”

The Scarlets

The group got better with each release as December’s “Love Doll” and the later “True Love” demonstrated. Even though “True Love” was almost a clone of “Dear One,” the harmonies had a more confident sound. Parris had his first hit as a writer with the B side but not via the Scarlets. The rocker, “Cry Baby,” was cut a year later by three moonlighting nurses from Bellevue Hospital called THE BONNIE SISTERS, reaching a healthy number 18 on the Pop charts. The New Haven quintet was called by Uncle Sam in 1955 with the promise that they could stay together. Thus assured, the Scarlets foresaw a great time entertaining troops and officers. Instead, one member wound up in Alaska, One in Texas, and other in Korea, and so on. After basic training in Texas the group returned to New York on leave and cut one farewell single for Red Robin called “Kiss Me.”

Fred was then stationed in Philadelphia and was able to return to New Haven for weekends. He formed a new group that included Lou Peebles (tenor), Ed Martin (baritone), Stanley Dortch (tenor), and Jim Freeman (bass). Fred wanted a new name since none of these new members had been in the Scarlets. He liked the idea of something soft and red like the Velvets and the Scarlets. The result: the Five Satins.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

Dear One                                  I've Lost                           Love Doll


Darling I'm Yours                     True Love                           Cry Baby


Kiss Me                                Indian Fever                      Truly Yours


East Of The Sun               She's Gone With The Wind                   The Voice


Teardrops Fell                    Truly Yours (alt. vers.)                   Remember

...

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The Bobbi-Pins

Posted on August 3 2018 by dion1

(L to R) Linda Brown, Mary Ragland, Cheri Richman, Sherrie Ragland and Candy Brown.

The Bobbi-Pins (Chillicothe, Ohio)

Personnel :

Linda Brown

Candy Brown

Mary Ragland

Sherrie Ragland

Cheri Richman

Discography :

1963 - Why Did You Go? / I Wanna Love (Mercury 72193)
1965 - Sad Sad Girl / Little Wheel (Mercury 72389)

Biography :

First know as the Splendorettes, the Bobbi-Pins were a vocal group of five girl students at Chillicothe High School in 1962. The group included Linda Brown, 16, Candy Brown,16 (no relation), Mary Ragland, 17, Sherrie Ragland, 15, and Cheri Rickman, 16. The teenagers have been singing since October 1960, they were members of the senior Teen-Timers which organized a 10 girl chorus at Carver Community center.

The Bobbi-Pins

Through some means they connected with Redda Robbins (possibly through meeting her at a live performance) and Robbins used her Philadelphia connections to have them record a couple 45s for Mercury records using the Madara-White production team. The same team responsible for fantastic records by the likes of Len Barry, The Sweet Three, Joey Heatherton, Maureen Gray, Johnny Caswell, The Sherrys, Bunny Sigler and many more. The first 45s have a strong girl group sound. The group (Candy and Linda Brown) co-wrote "Why Did You Go?" and "I Wanna Love".

Songs
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

   Sad Sad Girl                                    Why Did You Go


I Wanna Love                                Little Wheel

…

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The El Capris

Posted on August 3 2018 by dion1

The El Capris

The El Capris (Huntington, WV.)

Personnel :

Oscar Waiters

Warner Griffin

Donald Hill,

Jimmy Morton

Ray Wacasey

Discography :

???

...

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The Exceptions

Posted on August 1 2018 by dion1

The Exceptions

The Exceptions (Philadelphia)

Personnel :

Eugene Carbonetti

Nicky Pucillo,

Chuck Pyle

Roy Grassinger

Richard Fagan

Discography :

???

...

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Johnny Stark & The Four Winds (2)

Posted on July 27 2018 by dion1

The Four Winds - L to R : Pat Lacroix, Teddy Morris, Gordon Lightfoot & ?

Johnny Stark & The Four Winds (2) (Hollywood, Calif.)

Personnel :

Gordon Lightfoot

Pat Lacroix

Teddy Morris

?

Discography :

Johnny Stark bb The Four Winds (2) (uncredited)
1957 - Feeling Like A Fool / Cold Coffee (Crystalette 713)

Johnny Stark & The Four Winds (2)
1957 - Rockin' Billy / Drivin' Me Out Of My Mind (Crystalette 715)

Biography :

Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr.(born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s.He is often referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter and is known internationally as a folk-rock legend. In 1954, He Forms a group called the Teen Timers with Terry Whelan.

Johnny Stark & The Four Winds (2)
The Teen Timers

Lightfoot moved to California in 1957 to study jazz composition and orchestration for two years at Hollywood's Westlake College of Music, which had many Canadian students. To support himself, he sang on demonstration records and wrote, arranged, and produced commercial jingles. In 1957, With fellow students, Pat LaCroix, Teddy Morris and another , Gordon Lightfoot formed a singing group called the Four Winds. The Four Winds landed a couple of cool gigs through Westlake connections. They were hired to sing backup vocals for a rockabilly-style artist named Johnny Stark, Real name John. G. Sticco.

Johnny Stark & The Four Winds (2)
Johnny Stark

They recorded four songs with him including “Cold Coffee“, “Feeling Like A Fool“, “Rockin' Billy“ and “Drivin' Me Out Of My Mind“ released on the Crystalette record label. Then the Four Winds were asked to appear on a local TV show hosted by Bobby Troup, a musician and actor who later starred in Emergency! with his wife Julie London. They sang on several tunes performed on the show, including Troup's own “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66. The group separates some time later and In the fall of 1958 Lightfoot moves to Toronto. Pat Lacroix then formed yet another band, this time with Denny Doherty, Richard Byrne and Zal Yanovsky called The Halifax III.

Songs :

Johnny Stark & The Four Winds (2)

Drivin' Me Out Of My Mind Rockin' Billy

Johnny Stark bb The Four Winds (2)

Feeling Like A Fool Cold Coffee

…

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The Four Temptations

Posted on July 26 2018 by dion1

The Four Temptations (Flushing, new York)
ref : The Temptations (3)

Personnel :

Artie Ripp

Mario "Skippy" Scarpa

Stu Silverman

Joe Tedesca

Discography :

Singles :
1958 - Cathy / Rock and Roll Baby (ABC 9920)
Unreleased:
1958 - Dreams Money Can't Buy
1958 - The Boy Who Cried Love

Biography :

Artie Ripp began his career as a singer, initially informally harmonizing rock and roll songs with friends from high school. In 1957, Ripp formed an official singing group with neighborhood friends; the group was signed by ABC-Paramount Records as backup singers for ABC solo artists. The singers sang backup for Paul Anka on his 1957 hit "Diana" and broke up shortly thereafter.

Ripp rejoined with some of his informal singing partners (Mario "Skippy" Scarpa, Stu Silverman, and Joe Tedesco) to form "The Four Temptations". The quartet wrote its own songs and was signed by ABC-Paramount Records, which released the group's first single in 1958. The A-side, "Cathy" (named after Scarpa's newly born niece), was written by Scarpa and Ripp; the B-side was "Rock & Roll Baby", written by Scarpa, Ripp, and Silverman. When the group rejected opportunities offered by the record company to record others' songs, the record company withheld further recording opportunities, and the group disbanded.

The Four Temptations
In 1958, Artie Ripp targeted George Goldner to be a potential mentor. Goldner, based in New York City, was a music industry entrepreneur who owned copyrights, produced records, and owned record companies. Goldner was, in the words of American blues singer and songwriter Jerome "Doc" Pomus, a "very hip, New York kind of tough guy." After Ripp spent weeks informally observing Goldner at work, Goldner formally hired Ripp to be a go-fer.

Artie Ripp with Phil Spector The Temptations (3)

Ripp worked with songwriter and producer Richard Barrett within Goldner's organization, where Ripp got a "street education in the record business equal to none".[Ripp learned how Goldner worked a studio, structured a record contract, and got records played on the radio. Functioning as manager instead of performer, Ripp put together the New York vocal group "The Temptations", (formed at least a year before the name was used by the different Motown group). Ripp's Temptations recorded for Goldner's Goldisc Records; its three singles were released in 1960 and 1961. The song "Barbara" charted nationally, reaching number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1960.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)

   Cathy                              Rock and Roll Baby


Dreams Money Can't Buy              The Boy Who Cried Love

….

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