The Bell Notes were an early
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
group from the
East Meadow
East Meadow is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. The population was 38,132 at the 2010 census.
Many residents commute to Manhattan, which is away.
History
In ...
area of
Long Island,
New York.
The Bell Notes were regular performers in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
in the 1950s, and performed at a bar owned by the father of
Ray Tabano
Ray Tabano (a.k.a. Crazy Raymond) (born December 23, 1946) is an American musician, who was a founding member of Aerosmith in 1970.
Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971, at which time he concentrated on maintaining the band's office, h ...
; he and
Steven Tyler (of
Aerosmith) occasionally played between Bell Notes sets, and covered their song "
I've Had It". New York DJ (WADO)
Alan Fredericks saw the group play at a record hop on Long Island and saw the group's potential. In 1958, he recorded "I've Had It" at a recording studio in
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
, New York.
The session cost a total of $50. He peddled the song around town and the group was eventually signed by Bob Shad. He was starting up a new label and thought the band would be ideal, because of the raw sound of the recording and the catchy tune. "I've Had It", released on
Time Records, was a nationwide hit in the U.S. in March 1959, peaking at No. 6 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
They released four further singles in 1959 – "Old Spanish Town", "That's Right", "You're a Big Girl Now", and "White Buckskin Sneakers & Checkerboard Socks" – but only "Old Spanish Town" charted, peaking at No. 76.
The band was managed by Natalie Fredericks.
In 1960, they signed with
Madison Records and released two singles,"Shortnin' Bread" and "Friendly Star" followed. "Shortnin' Bread" hit No. 96 in the U.S. and was their last hit; they broke up by 1962.
In 1964, the group appeared in the series of Nu-Trading Rock 'n Roll Trading Cards.
Members
*Carl Bonura – vocals, saxophone
*John Casey – drums
*Ray Ceroni – vocals, guitar
*Lenny Giambalvo – bass
*Peter Kane – piano
Discography
Singles
References
;Footnotes
;General references
*
The Bell NotesAt
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell Notes, The
Musical groups from Long Island
Rock music groups from New York (state)