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 ...
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry (writer of '
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and ...
') and
Cornell Gunter
Cornell Gunter (November 14, 1936 – February 26, 1990) was an American rhythm and blues singer, most active in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in Coffeyville, Kansas, and died in Las Vegas, Nevada, after being shot in his automobile. He was ind ...
, who would go on to be a member of
the Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with " Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producin ...
.
The group debuted on
Flair Records
Flair Records was an American record label owned by the Bihari brothers, launched in the early 1950s. It was a subsidiary of Modern Records. Its most famous artist were Elmore James, who released ten singles with this label (as listed below), R ...
which it was named after in 1953. In 1956, a new Flairs group was formed and they joined ABC Records. After they went to Loma Records and became known as the Ermines. After another lineup change they became known as the Flares.
Career
The Debonaires/Flairs
Formed at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, the group was originally called the Debonaires. The members included Arthur Lee Maye, Pete Fox, Obediah Jessie, Joe Winslow, and A.V. Odom. Winslow dropped out, leaving the group a quartet. Bass man Odom was out soon after, and was replaced by Richard Berry. Maye began putting baseball ahead of singing (he would later be a professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Braves), and the group brought in Beverly Thompson to replace him.
Cornell Gunter
Cornell Gunter (November 14, 1936 – February 26, 1990) was an American rhythm and blues singer, most active in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in Coffeyville, Kansas, and died in Las Vegas, Nevada, after being shot in his automobile. He was ind ...
, who had recently left the earliest lineup of
the Platters
The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The a ...
, came in to make the group a quintet. Their first recording "I Had A Love" was released as by The Hollywood Blue Jays in 1953 on
John Dolphin
John Robert Vernon Dolphin (1 October 19052 May 1973) was a British engineer and inventor, who joined the Secret Intelligence Service and then became the Commanding Officer of the top-secret Second World War Special Operations Executive (SOE) " ...
's label
Recorded In Hollywood
Recorded In Hollywood was an independent American record label specializing in rhythm and blues, active from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, which issued several sides by artists significant to the genre. John Dolphin (music producer), Joh ...
. Dolphin released another single by a different group called the Five Hollywood Blue Jays around the same time. The Debonaires made a handful of recordings on the label with no real success.
In 1953, the group signed to
Flair Records
Flair Records was an American record label owned by the Bihari brothers, launched in the early 1950s. It was a subsidiary of Modern Records. Its most famous artist were Elmore James, who released ten singles with this label (as listed below), R ...
Bihari brothers
The Bihari brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American businessmen of Hungarian Jewish origins. They were the founders of Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries, such as Meteor Records, based in Memphis. The Bihari brothers w ...
. At this point, the Debonaires changed their name to the Flairs. Although named after the label, they had little success there. They recorded several singles through 1953, beginning with " I Had a Love". The next was "Rabbit On A Log", which was credited to the Hunters, to avoid competition with "I Had A Love." More singles followed into 1954 including "Baby Wants"/"You Were Untrue" with
Ike Turner
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...
on guitar. Thompson left in the summer of 1954. The group performed as a quartet, and brought in Charles Jackson as a fifth member on recordings.
The Flairs performed at the famed tenth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five
Tympany Five was a successful and influential American rhythm and blues and jazz dance band founded by Louis Jordan in 1938. The group was composed of a horn section of three to five different pieces and also drums, double bass, guitar and pi ...
, Christine Kittrell, and Perez Prado and his Orchestra.
Shortly after Thompson's departure, Berry left as well. He had been working with Arthur Lee Maye's new group, the Crowns, as well as his own second group, the Dreamers. This caused friction in the Flairs. His replacement was Randy Jones (who also did some bass spots with the Crowns). The group continued recording, with one of their singles, "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me", being credited to the Chimes. Jackson left to join the Chimes at this time, and Jones left to fill the bass spot in
the Penguins
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. Gunter, Jessie, and Fox continued as the Jac-O-Lacs, recording for Tampa Records. The group broke up at this point. Jessie recorded one more Jac-O-Lacs single, "Mary Lou", backed by the Cadets. He got to know this group and, when a baritone was needed a few years later, recommended fellow Flair Pete Fox for the job. Jessie continued as a soloist.
The Ermines/second Flairs
With Fox joining the Cadets and Jessie recording solo (as
Young Jessie
Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie (December 28, 1936 – April 27, 2020) was an American R&B, rock and roll and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flai ...
), Cornell Gunter formed a new group, the Ermines, with new members George Hollis, Thomas Miller, and his cousin, Kenneth Byley. After a brief stint with Loma Records, they signed up with manager
Buck Ram
Samuel "Buck" Ram (November 21, 1907 – January 1, 1991) was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger. He was one of BMI's top five songwriters/air play in its first 50 years, alongside Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, Ji ...
, and moved to
ABC-Paramount Records
ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels befo ...
, taking the name the Flairs. After recording for ABC a short time, they moved to Modern, then to Aladdin Records. Old Ermine's tracks continued to be released by Loma. Also, during this time, they frequently backed up Gunter's sister,
Shirley Gunter
Shirley M. Gunter (September 29, 1934 – December 1, 2015)Aaron Collins joined the Flairs. Former Flair Pete Fox was also a member of the Cadets when they split, and he did not join the Flairs. The fourth Cadet, Will "Dub" Jones, filled one of two recent vacancies in
the Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with " Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producin ...
, the other being filled by recent Flair departee Cornell Gunter.
The Flares/Peppers
Miller, Hollis, Davis, and Collins recorded only briefly as the Flairs, before changing their name to the Flares in 1959. Buck Ram had actually proposed a different name, the Peppers. After a two-year break, the Flares began to record again. By this time, however, both of the former Cadets had left, and the group was now Miller, Hollis, Eddie King, Robbie Robinson, and Beverly Harris. This lineup recorded for
Felsted Records
Felsted Records was the name of two record labels. The UK version began as a subsidiary of Decca Records in July 1954 with music mainly in the jazz and dance band genres and recordings leased from the French Blue Star, Riviera, and Classique ...
. Then the lineup returned to Miller, Hollis, Willie Davis, and Aaron Collins (possibly featuring Harris). They recorded as Bennie Bunn and the Cadets for Sherwood Records in 1960.
At that time, Hollis left and was replaced by a former Flair, Randy Jones and Patience Valentine was added as a fifth member. Once again as the Flares, the group recorded for Jan-Lar Records. The group's lineup shifted rapidly at this point- later, Davis was out and Hollis was in. Then, Jones and Valentine were out, and Davis and Collin's sister Rose Collins were in. Rose was only in shortly, then she and Aaron's sister Betty Collins. Then, Davis was out again, replaced by the returning Vince Weaver for a short time, before Davis returned.
As the Flares, their biggest hit was the 1961 release "Foot Stompin' Part 1", which hit #20 on the
Black Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and #25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
In 1961, the group took Buck Ram's previous suggestion and recorded as the Peppers for
Ensign Records
Ensign Records was a record label started in 1976 by London-born Nigel Grainge, elder brother of UMG Chairman Sir Lucian Grainge.
History
Nigel Grainge began his career in the record business as a sales office assistant at Phonogram UK in 19 ...
. Then it was back to the Flares for Ram's Press Records. They alternated between the Peppers and the Flares through 1964. At that point, the group split.
Discography
Singles
The Hollywood Blue Jays
* 1953: "I Had A Love" / "Tell Me You Love Me" (
Recorded In Hollywood
Recorded In Hollywood was an independent American record label specializing in rhythm and blues, active from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, which issued several sides by artists significant to the genre. John Dolphin (music producer), Joh ...
396)
The Flairs
* 1953: "I Had A Love" / "She Wants To Rock" ( Flair 1012)
* 1953: "Tell Me You Love Me" / "You Should Care For Me" (Flair 1019)
* 1953: "Baby Wants" / "You Were Untrue" (Flair 1041)
* 1954: "Getting High" / "Love Me Girl" (Flair 1028)
* 1954: "This Is The Night For Love" / "Let's Make With Some Love" (Flair 1044)
* 1954: "I'll Never Let You Go" / "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Chill Me" (Flair 1056)
* 1955: "She Loves To Dance" / "My Darling, My Sweet" (Flair 1067)
* 1955:
Shirley Gunter
Shirley M. Gunter (September 29, 1934 – December 1, 2015)Modern
Modern may refer to:
History
* Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Phil ...
989)
* 1956: Shirley Gunter and The Flairs – "Fortune In Love" / "I Just Got Rid Of A Heartache" (Modern 1001)
* 1956: Fatso Theus and The Flairs – "Be Cool My Heart" ( Aladdin 3324)
* 1956: "Aladdin's Lamp" / "Steppin' Out" (
ABC-Paramount
ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
9740)
* 1957: "I'd Climb The Hills And Mountains" / "Swing Pretty Mama" (Antler 4005)
* 1959: "The Sheik Of Araby" / "Adorable" ( Barclay 60165)
The Hunters
* 1953: "Rabbit on the Log" / "Down at Hayden" (Flair 1017)
The Chimes
* 1954: "My Heart's Crying For You" / "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me" (Flair 1051)
Cornel Gunter and The Ermines
* 1955: "True Love" / "Peek, Peek-A-Boo" (Loma 701)
* 1956: "Muchacha, Muchacha" / "Keep Me Alive" (Loma 704)
* 1956: "One Thing For Me" / "I'm Sad" (Loma 705)
Bennie Bunn and the Cadets
* 1960: "You Must Be An Angel" / "I'm Looking For A Job" (Sherwood 211)
The Flares
* 1960: "Hotcha Cha-Cha Brown" / "Loving You" ( Felsted 8604-V)
* 1960: "Jump And Bump" / "What Do You Want If You Don't Want Love" (Felsted 8607-V)
*1961: "Foot Stomping Pt. 1" / "Foot Stomping Pt. 2" ( The Ramrocks) (Felsted 8624) – peaked at #25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100/ #20 R&B
* 1961: "Foot Stomping" / "Hotcha Cha-Cha Brown" (London HLU 9441)
* 1962: "Doing The Hully Gully" / "Truck and Trailer" (Press 2802)
* 1962: "Mad House" / "Make It Be Me" (Press 2803)
* 1962: "Rock and Roll Heaven Pt. 1" / "Rock and Roll Heaven Pt. 2" (Press 2800)
* 1963: "Do It With Me" / "Yon He Go" (Press 2807)
* 1963: "Hand Clappin'" / "Shimmy And Stomp" (Press 2808)
* 1963: "The Monkey Walk" / "Do It If You Wanna' (Press 2810)
* 1964: Cookie Jackson and The Flares – "I Didn't Lose A Doggone Thing" / "Write A Song About Me" (Press 2814)
The Peppers
* 1961: "One More Chance" / "A Place In My Heart" (
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
1706)
* 1963: "It Wouldn't Be The Same" / "Little Piece Of Paper" (Press 2809)
Ike Turner
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...
– T''hat Kat Sure Could Play! The Singles 1951-1957'' ( Secret Records Limited)
* 2013: ''Dust My Rhythm & Blues - The Flair Records R&B Story 1953-55'' (Ace Records)
* 2016: Richard Berry – ''Louie, Louie:'' ''1953-1962'' (Real Gone)
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 ...