The Passions (American band)
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The Passions are an American doo-wop group from
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Bensonhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bordered on the northwest by 14th Avenue, on the northeast by 60th Street, on the southeast by Avenue P and 22nd ...
. The quintet recorded a few demos in 1958, at which time Tony, Albee and Vinny began looking for replacements who were more career-minded. Another group in Bensonhurst had what they needed; when the three Sinceres heard Runarounds lead singer Jimmy Gallagher, they knew he was the one for them (Jimmy’s previous group, the Palladiyms, included Joe DiBenedetto, who later formed The Four-evers). The Sinceres weren’t sure how to approach Jimmy, so they followed him home one night and knocked on his door. After convincing his mother that they only wanted to sing with her son, not mug him, the foursome went to a nearby park and ended up harmonizing for hours. They were now a quartet, with Jimmy on lead, Tony on first tenor, Albee on second tenor, and Vinnie on baritone. In 1959, while
the Mystics The Mystics are an American rock and roll group that began in Brooklyn, New York, United States, in the late 1950s. The group was known as The Overons, a quintet that, when signed to Laurie Records, consisted of Phil Cracolici (born 1937, lead) ...
were recording "Hushabye" at their first session, their friend Tony Armato was there cheering them on promoting his own group to their manager, Jim Gribble. Gribble soon signed the Sinceres and renamed them the Passions. He gave them a demo by a duo of studio singers who called themselves the Cousins. The song was "Just to Be with You" written by Mary Kalfin. The Cousins were Paul Simon and Carole King. By the time the group recorded "Gloria", Vinny had left and been replaced by Gallagher’s friend Lou Rotondo. Also in 1960 Lou Rotondo and Albie Galione, along with Albie Contrera of the Mystics, sang behind Clay Cole on "Here, There, Everywhere" (Roulette), single that became popular in the New York area. Audicon Records lost the group’s next release, the harmony rocker "Made for Lovers." The group recorded a few more sides for Audicon which were leased to Jubilee and Octavia. Released in August 1959 on Sol Winkler’s Audicon label, the Passions’ impeccable harmonies and Gallagher’s impassioned lead put "Just to Be with You" on radios across America. It was a top 20 hit in many eastern cities and it charted nationally, rising to number 69. The follow-up out of Audicon’s 1674 Broadway digs was twice as good. Both sides—the harmony-filled "I Only Want You" and the beautiful Billy Dawn Smith ballad "This Is My Love" –vied for radio play and sales throughout the states. They were managed by Jim Gribble, who managed several doo-wop groups including the Mystics and
The Jarmels The Jarmels was an American doo wop rhythm and blues group formed in 1959 in Richmond, Virginia best known for their only 1961 hit, " A Little Bit of Soap". Career The start of their big break came in 1960 when they were at a local (Richmond) ...
, and worked with producer songwriter Stan Vincent. In the late 1990s, they reunited with the Mystics and the Classics for the Brooklyn Reunion Show. Lead singer Jimmy Gallagher left the Passions in 1960 to join the Navy, but later sang with
The Legends of Doo Wop The Legends of Doo Wop is a music group of 1950s doo-wop singers. The original members included Jimmy Gallagher of the Passions, Tony Passalaqua of the Fascinators, Frank Mancuso of the Imaginations, and Steve Horn of the Five Sharks (died July 24 ...
in 1998.Anthony M. Musso, ''Setting the Record Straight'', 1438952929, 2008. In the meantime, the Passions found a replacement for Gallagher. "Jimmy O'Neill took my place in the ... Simultaneous to his work with Dion, Gallagher helped form the popular Legends of Doo Wop group in 1998.


Original members

*Jimmy Gallagher (Lead) *Albie Gallone (Second Tenor) *Vinnie Acierno (Baritone) *Tony Armato (First Tenor) *Lou Rotondo (Baritone / Lead - replaced Vinnie Acierno in 1960)


Discography

*1958 - "Tango Of Love" / "Nervous About Love" (Dore 505) *1959 - "Just To Be With You" / "Oh Melancholy Me" (Audicon 102) *1960 - "I Only Want You" / "This Is My Love" (Audicon 105) *1960 - "Gloria" / "Jungle Drums" (Audicon 106) *1960 - "Beautiful Dreamer" / "One Look At You Is All It Look" (Audicon 108) *1960 - "Made For Lovers" / "You Don't Love Me Anymore" (Audicon 112) *1961 - "I Gotta Know" / "Aphrodite" (Octavia 8005) *1962 - "Lonely Road" / "One Look At You Is All It Look" (Jubilee 5406) *1963 - "The Bully" / "Empty Seat" (ABC 10436) *1963 - "Sixteen Candles" / "The Third Floor" (instrumental) (Diamond 146)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Passions, The Musical groups from Brooklyn Doo-wop groups