|
The Diamonds
The Diamonds are a Canadian vocal quartet that rose to prominence in the 1950s and early 1960s with 16 ''Billboard'' hit records. The original members were Dave Somerville (lead), Ted Kowalski (tenor), Phil Levitt (baritone), and Bill Reed (bass). They were most noted for interpreting and introducing rhythm and blues vocal group music to the wider pop music audience. Contrary to a popular myth, the father of Tom Hanks was never a member of the group. History 1950s In 1953, Dave Somerville, while working as a sound engineer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, met three other young singers. They decided to form a stand-up quartet called the Diamonds. The group's first performance was in the basement of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Toronto singing in a Christmas minstrel show. The audience's reaction to the Somerville-led group was so positive that they decided that night they would turn professional. After 18 months of rehearsal, they drove to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many disparate styles. During the 1950s and 1960s, pop music encompassed rock and roll and the youth-oriented styles it influenced. ''Rock'' and ''pop'' music remained roughly synonymous until the late 1960s, after which ''pop'' became associated with music that was more commercial, ephemeral, and accessible. Although much of the music that appears on record charts is considered to be pop music, the genre is distinguished from chart music. Identifying factors usually include repeated choruses and hooks, short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), and rhythms or tempos that can be easily danced to. Much pop music also borrows elements from other styles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coral Records
Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer. Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head of the label in 1954, he produced pop and rock musicians such as Buddy Holly, Jackie Wilson, Lawrence Welk, and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. He also produced hit songs by his wife, Teresa Brewer. Coral stopped issuing new material in 1971. In 1973, MCA amalgamated Decca, Kapp Records, and Uni Records under the single MCA Records banner, and Coral was repositioned as a mid-line and budget album reissue label in the U.S. and internationally. That version of Coral (MCA Coral) lasted into the 1980s. Some product from MCA's former Vocalion Records budget label was manufactured with MCA Coral labels that bore Vocalion catalog numbers and was shipped in sleeves still bearing the Vocalion trademark, presumably to cut costs. Roster * Steve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Stroll (song)
"The Stroll" is a song written by Nancy Lee and Clyde Otis and performed by The Diamonds. It reached No. 1 on the ''Cashbox'' chart, #4 on the U.S. pop chart, and #5 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1957. The song was ranked #48 on '' Billboard'' magazine's Top 50 singles of 1958. Other versions *Frankie Avalon released a version of the song on his 1958 album ''Frankie Avalon''. * Leroy Kirkland's Rock-Chas released a version of the song on his 1958 EP ''Strollin' the Cha Cha Cha''. * Ken Mackintosh and His Orchestra released a version of the song as a single in 1958, but it did not chart. *Jack Pleis and Owen Bradley released a version of the song on their 1958 album ''Bandstand Hop''. *Chubby Checker released a version of the song on his 1961 album ''It's Pony Time''. *Brenda Lee released a version of the song on her 1985 compilation album ''The Golden Decade''. * Adriano Celentano released a version of the song on his 1998 album ''Selection of Adriano Celentano''. * Jimmy Nalls ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American doo-wop/ R&B vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Originally the (Royal) Charms, the band changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959. Early history Maurice Williams was born 26 April 1938 in Lancaster, South Carolina. His first experience with music was in the church, where his mother and sister both performed. By the time he was six, Williams was performing regularly there. With his childhood friend Earl Gainey, Williams formed the gospel group the Junior Harmonizers. As rock and roll and doo-wop became their primary interest, the Junior Harmonizers changed their name to the Royal Charms. The Royal Charms and the Gladiolas In addition to Williams and Gainey, the Royal Charms were made up of Willie Jones (baritone), William Massey (tenor, baritone, trumpet), and Norman Wade ( bass). In the winter of 1956, while still in high school, Williams an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Gladiolas
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American doo-wop/ R&B vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Originally the (Royal) Charms, the band changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959. Early history Maurice Williams was born 26 April 1938 in Lancaster, South Carolina. His first experience with music was in the church, where his mother and sister both performed. By the time he was six, Williams was performing regularly there. With his childhood friend Earl Gainey, Williams formed the gospel group the Junior Harmonizers. As rock and roll and doo-wop became their primary interest, the Junior Harmonizers changed their name to the Royal Charms. The Royal Charms and the Gladiolas In addition to Williams and Gainey, the Royal Charms were made up of Willie Jones (baritone), William Massey (tenor, baritone, trumpet), and Norman Wade (bass). In the winter of 1956, while still in high school, Williams and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Darlin'
"Little Darlin'" is a popular Top 40 song, made famous by the Diamonds. The Gladiolas' version It was written by Maurice Williams with both melody and doo-wop accompaniment strongly emphasizing the clave rhythm. It was first recorded by Excello Records in January 1957 and quickly released as a rhythm-and-blues song by Williams' R&B group, the Gladiolas. The song is noted for its spoken recitation by the lead singer ("My Darlin' I need you..."). The Gladiolas, featuring Williams, were from Lancaster, South Carolina, where they had been together since high school. Their original version of the song was on the small Excello label. (Excello primarily recording "swamp blues" songs in Crowley, Louisiana.) The Gladiolas song peaked at No. 11 on the R&B charts in April 1957, but barely dented the Hot 100. By 1959, Williams' group became "Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs" with the rock 'n roll-R&B hit "Stay." The Gladiolas' version was included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Willows (group)
The Willows are an American doo-wop group formed in Harlem, New York, in 1952. The group was an influential musical act that performed into the mid-1960s and had a Top 20 R&B hit with " Church Bells May Ring", a song which was covered with greater commercial success by The Diamonds. History Before the Willows, the group was known as the Dovers, which originally built a reputation in Harlem nightclubs and by practicing with other Harlem doo wop acts like Gloria Lynne's all-female group the Deltones. The first line-up included members Bobby Robinson (lead vocals), Richard "Richie" Davis (tenor), Ralph Martin (tenor), Joe Martin (baritone), and John "Scooter" Steele ( bass), before Robinson departed to open a record store on 125th Street where he later established Fury Records and Red Robin Records. In 1952, aspiring boxer Tony Middleton joined the Dovers on the nightclub circuit where they became revered for their competitive charisma in battle of the bands-type perfo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Church Bells May Ring
"Church Bells May Ring" is a song written by The Willows, with songwriting credits also given to Morty Craft; Craft, a veteran arranger and talent scout, owned Melba Records, the label the Willows recorded for, and as often happened in the 1950s, label executives would give themselves a songwriting credit. There is little evidence Craft wrote the song, and according to the band members, he only paid them $200, despite the fact that the song sold well. The Willows were formed in New York City in 1952. Their original name was the Five Willows, and their song was originally called "Church Bells Are Ringing." "Church Bells May Ring" reached number 11 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 62 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956. Neil Sedaka played chimes on the song. Other charting versions *The Diamonds released a version of the song as a single which reached number 14 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956. *The Willows re-released a version of the song as a single which reached number 114 on the U.S. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers
The Teenagers are an American music group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed. The group, which made its most popular recordings with young Frankie Lymon as lead singer, is also noted for being rock's first all-teenaged act. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. History The Teenagers had their origins in the Earth Angels, a group founded at Edward W. Stitt Junior High School in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan by second tenor Jimmy Merchant and bass Sherman Garnes. Eventually, Garnes and Merchant had added lead singer Herman Santiago and baritone Joe Negroni to their lineup and evolved into The Coupe De Villes. In 1954, 12-year-old Frankie Lymon joined the Coupe De Villes, who changed their name to first the Ermines and later the Premiers. The same year Lymon joined the group, he helped Santiago and Merchant rewrite a song they had composed to create " Why Do F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Why Do Fools Fall In Love (song)
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song by American rock and roll band Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers that was released on January 10, 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on '' Billboard'''s Pop Singles chart, and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in July. Many renditions of the song by other artists have also been hit records in the U.S., including versions by the Diamonds (in 1956), the Beach Boys (in 1964), and Diana Ross (in 1981). The song was included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings—published in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981)—and ranked No. 314 on the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Background and authorship In late 1955, The Teenagers (at that time calling themselves The Premiers) auditioned a song called "Why do Birds Sing So Gay?" for George Goldner, recording producer and owner of Gee Records. Herman Santiago, tenor of the group, had written ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Crew-Cuts
The Crew Cuts were a Canadian vocal quartet, that made a number of popular records that charted in the United States and worldwide. They named themselves after the then popular crew cut haircut, one of the first connections made between pop music and hairstyle. They were most famous for their recording of The Chords' hit record, "Sh-Boom". Group members * Rudi Maugeri (''né'' Rudolph Peter Maugeri; January 27, 1931 – May 7, 2004) (lead and baritone) * John Perkins (born August 28, 1931) (lead and tenor) * Ray Perkins (born November 24, 1932) (bass) (John Perkins' brother) * Pat Barrett (September 15, 1933 – July 27, 2016) (lead and tenor) Biography They all had been members of the St. Michael's Choir School in Toronto, which also spawned another famous quartet, The Four Lads. Maugeri, John Perkins, and two others (Bernard Toorish and Connie Codarini) who later were among the Four Lads first formed a group called ''The Jordonaires'' (not to be confused with a similarly named ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Randle
Bill Randle (March 14, 1923 – July 9, 2004) was an American disc jockey, lawyer and university professor. Randle was born William McKinley Randle Jr. in Detroit, Michigan. In Detroit, he hosted a popular show on WJLB-AM radio (now WDTK) called ''The Interracial Goodwill Hour'', featuring rhythm and blues music and hot jazz. As a pioneering disc jockey at radio station WERE in Cleveland, Ohio, he helped change the face of American music. In the 1950s, ''Time'' magazine called Randle the top DJ in America. His popularity and huge listening audience allowed him to bolster the careers of a number of young musicians, including the Four Lads, Bobby Darin, and Fats Domino. Nicknamed "The Pied Piper of Cleveland", a 1955 musical documentary film was made about him titled '' The Pied Piper of Cleveland: A Day in the Life of a Famous Disc Jockey''. The film includes a Cleveland concert at Brooklyn High School on October 20, 1955, featuring Pat Boone and Bill Haley & His Comets with Elvis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
