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God Only Knows (1954 Song)
"God Only Knows" was a regional hit for Philadelphia Doo wop group The Capris. It was their debut single for the group and was written by Ruben Wright. The song also had a dramatic effect on Motown singer Marvin Gaye. It has been covered by other artists as well. Background The song was written by Ruben Wright. It was hastily written and together with five other songs it was recorded by The Capris with their very recently acquired female singer Renee Hinton on lead vocal. According to Charlie Stroud (who was to leave the group before Renee Hinton joined), he sang the song first and didn't like it. So it was given to Ruben Wright to sing the lead. Wright then gave it to Renee Hinton. The singer is singing about how only God can know how deep her feelings are and how she is worried that their relationship is breaking up. She also tells her lover that only God would know what would happen if they did. On hearing the song, Marvin Gaye said that it fell from the heavens and hit him be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Capris (Philadelphia Group)
The Capris were a 1950s doo-wop group from Philadelphia who started out in their teens. They consisted of four males and a female. They recorded singles for the Gotham Records label. The song that they are most known for is "God Only Knows". Background The group started out in the early 1950s as The Uniques. They all came from the same neighborhood. Their early line-up consisted of Ruben Wright on piano, Harrison Scott on alto sax, Robert "Bobby" Smart on guitar, Gus Crawford on drums and a bass player called Jerome, together with a male singer whose name has now been lost to time.Classic Urban Harmony ''Echoes of the Past'', Issue #97, Philadelphia’s Original Capris by Charlie HornerWith contributions from Pamela Horner, Article page 1/ref> Later, as The Capris, they were a male vocal quintet, originally comprising Ruben Wright, Charlie Stroud, Eddie Warner, Harrison Scott and Bobby Smart.AllMusic -The Capris, Biography by Jim Dunn/ref> At that time the ages of the members of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1954 In Music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1954. Specific locations *1954 in British music * 1954 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1954 in country music * 1954 in jazz Events *January 14 – First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City. Previously the genre term was just called "Rock and Roll". *February 1 – Johnny "Guitar" Watson records "Space Guitar" pioneering reverb and feedback techniques on guitar. *March 12 – Arnold Schoenberg's opera ''Moses und Aron'' has its first performance in Hamburg (it is given a staged première on June 6 in Zürich). *March 15 – The Chords record "Sh-Boom" for Atlantic Records' Cat subsidiary. *March 25 – At the 26th Academy Awards, Frank Sinatra wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''From Here to Eternity'', resuscitating his singing career in the process. At the same ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doo Wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as "doo-wop") is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.Hoffmann, FRoots of Rock: Doo-Wop In ''Survey of American Popular Music'', modified for the web by Robert Birklin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gotham Records
Gotham Records was an American record label formed by Sam Goode (Goody) and Ivin Ballen in New York City in 1946. In January 1948 Ballen acquired the interest of Goode and became the sole owner. He then moved the company to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where the label was based for the rest of its existence until 1956. The label specialized in rhythm and blues. Ivin Ballen died in Miami Beach, Florida, in February 1978. Artists ;Dan Pickett Gotham's most notable contribution to American music was the release of recordings by the acoustic bluesman Dan Pickett, originally recorded in 1949. ; Doug Quattlebaum Another artist who recorded for Gotham included Doug Quattlebaum. His song "Lizzie Lou" was one of the last releases for the label. ; Doris Browne, The Capris Doris Browne was a singer who around the 1949/1950 period had she performed on a weekly show which was broadcast by WPEN-AM in Philadelphia. The hour long show was called the Parisian Tailor Kiddie Hour.Vocal Group Harmony S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruben Wright
Ruben Wright is a musician and former bandleader from Philadelphia. He had an R&B Top 30 hit with " I'm Walking Out On You". He is also a songwriter. He also wrote the regional hit "God Only Knows" for The Capris in 1954. Background Wright was a member of an early 1950s group called The Uniques, in which he played piano. All of the members came from the same neighborhood. The group later evolved into the Capris. At that time the group's ages ranged from 15 to 16. In June 1954, the group was signed to Gotham Records, and recorded the Wright-penned "God Only Knows", featuring female singer Renee Hinton on lead. The Capris broke up after their final single in 1958, and Wright began his solo career. Career The single "Girls Make Me Nervous" bw "Love Is Gone" was released on the Wynne label in 1958. The B side "Love Is Gone" was composed by Eddie Warner and it has been suggested that some of the backing singers were members of The Capris. His next single "To You" bw "Bye Bye" was rele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''motor'' and ''town'', has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved crossover success. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most of the Motown sound, a style of soul music with a mainstream pop appeal. Motown was the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million. During the 1960s, Motown achieved 79 records in the top-ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969. Following the events of the Detroit Riots of 1967, and the loss of key songwriting/production team Holland–Dozier– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". Gaye's Motown songs include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Gaye also recorded duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Diana Ross. During the 1970s, Gaye recorded the albums '' What's Going On'' and ''Let's Get It On'' and became one of the first artists in Motown to break away from the reins of a production company. His later recordings influenced several contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo soul. "Sexual Healing", released in 1982 on the album ''Midnight Love'', won him his first two Grammy Awards. Gaye's last televised appearances we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Billboard
The Billboard () is a massive granite monolith in the Sarnoff Mountains of the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, standing just west of Mount Rea between Arthur Glacier and Boyd Glacier. It was discovered in November 1934 by a Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1933–35) sledge party under Paul Siple, and is so named because of its form and appearance with vertical faces rising above the continental ice. The summit was first visited by Bruce Luyendyk and Kuno Lecha by helicopter in January 1993 during expedition GANOVEX VII. In 1998–99, Christine Siddoway led a geological party from Colorado College Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its campus. The college offer ... that reached the summit by climbing a west route. Geology The Billboard is composed of Cretaceous Byrd Coast granit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Larks (Philadelphia Group)
The Four Larks were an R&B group that recorded from the 1960s through to the 1970s on various record labels. Their singles have been released on at least ten different record labels. They had a hit on the pop charts with " It's Unbelievable". Background The Larks were originally started by Weldon McDougal. In 1954, with himself singing bass, and along Calvin Nichols, Mary Archer and brothers Clarence and Bill Blalock, he formed a group called The Victors. Mary Archer was soon replaced by Herman Green. By the end of the year McDougal joined the marines and had a group with the same name while in still in the marines. Having left the service in 1958, he went about reforming The Victors. The only member he could get was Calvin Nichols. He managed to bring in Jackie Marshall, a high tenor. News got out which attracted the attention of Baritone Bill Oxendine who joined up. McDougal's wife Cleopatra also joined up and the group's membership became five. He also changed the name of the g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleopatra McDougal
The Four Larks were an R&B group that recorded from the 1960s through to the 1970s on various record labels. Their singles have been released on at least ten different record labels. They had a hit on the pop charts with " It's Unbelievable". Background The Larks were originally started by Weldon McDougal. In 1954, with himself singing bass, and along Calvin Nichols, Mary Archer and brothers Clarence and Bill Blalock, he formed a group called The Victors. Mary Archer was soon replaced by Herman Green. By the end of the year McDougal joined the marines and had a group with the same name while in still in the marines. Having left the service in 1958, he went about reforming The Victors. The only member he could get was Calvin Nichols. He managed to bring in Jackie Marshall, a high tenor. News got out which attracted the attention of Baritone Bill Oxendine who joined up. McDougal's wife Cleopatra also joined up and the group's membership became five. He also changed the name of the g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lost Nite Records
Lost Nite Records was an American reissue independent record label, that was founded by Al Trommers, Jerry Greene, Jared Weinstein and Johnny Esposito in 1959 when they acquired the masters of " There's a Moon Out Tonight" by the Capris from Planet Records and rereleased it on Lost Nite in 1960. History After this, Jerry and Jared relocated to Philadelphia from New York City. At this time, disc jockey Jerry Blavat was a partner in label until the late 1960s, at which time he sold back his interest in the company to Greene and Weinstein. Lost Nite, and its sister label Crimson Records, were known for releasing rare and hard-to-find doo-wop and R&B records. Lost Nite was one of the few labels responsible for keeping the doo-wop genre alive during the late 1960s and 1970s. The most popular single released by the label was "There's A Moon Out Tonight" by The Capris. The label released doo wop group the Paragons LP also. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
