Billy J. Kramer was a Liverpool singer who was teamed up with the group The Dakotas by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, and most of their early successes were in the U.K. on Lennon-McCartney songs, including "Bad To Me," but their biggest hit in the U.S. was "Little Children" by American songwriters Mort Shuman and John Leslie McFarland.
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Floyd Kramer was a distinctive pianist whose unique, slip-note playing style came to typify the pop-oriented Nashville sound of the late '50s and early '60s. His most important work in the early '50s was as a session musician at RCA Records, where he began developing what would ultimately be recognized as the Nashville sound, with Chet Atkins on the production boards. Kramer recorded a significant country and pop hit with the self-penned instrumental "Last Date" in 1960. The follow-up, a cover of Bob Wills' "San Antonio Rose," reached the Top Ten of both charts.AlexBrowne said:Billy J. Kramer was a Liverpool singer who was teamed up with the group The Dakotas by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, and most of their early successes were in the U.K. on Lennon-McCartney songs, including "Bad To Me," but their biggest hit in the U.S. was "Little Children" by American songwriters Mort Shuman and John Leslie McFarland.
With His Texas Playboys, Bob Wills, the "King of Western Swing," introduced jazz band influences to country music to create a new sound, best typified by his great classic "San Antonio Rose," first recorded in 1939, and an updated version, an even bigger hit, "New San Antonio Rose" in 1940; the song's been recorded by many other artists including Bing Crosby, Hank Williams, John Denver, Ray Price, and Patsy Cline, in addition to the instrumental version by Floyd Cramer.
AlexBrowne said:With His Texas Playboys, Bob Wills, the "King of Western Swing," introduced jazz band influences to country music to create a new sound, best typified by his great classic "San Antonio Rose," first recorded in 1939, and an updated version, an even bigger hit, "New San Antonio Rose" in 1940; the song's been recorded by many other artists including Bing Crosby, Hank Williams, John Denver, Ray Price, and Patsy Cline, in addition to the instrumental version by Floyd Cramer.
Hank Ballard played an integral part in the development of rock music releasing the hit singles "Work With Me, Annie" (1954) and "Annie Had a Baby" after the group changed their name from The Royals to Hank Ballard and the Midnighters.
They are an illustration of why white radio stations tended to avoid playing songs by black R&B performers. The FCC opposed these songs due to their overtly sexual lyrics, lyrics that had crossed over and were now being listened to by a white teenage audience. Because the record “Work With Me, Annie” was in such demand and received so much publicity, attempts to restrict it failed and the record shot to number one on the R&B charts and remained there for seven weeks. Their third major hit was "Sexy Ways," a song that cemented the band as one of the most risqué groups of the time.
In 1958, Ballard wrote "The Twist", which was released in 1959 as the B-side of "Teardrops on Your Letter" on the King label. A year later Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to #1 on the pop charts twice, in 1960 and again two years later.
Along with Diana Ross and Mary Wilson, Florence "Flo" Ballard was one of the original Primettes, later the Supremes, Motown's most successful girl group in the 1960s, but when Ross's role was elevated and the group was renamed Diana Ross and The Supremes, Ballard suffered chronic depression and alcoholism; she was dismissed from the group in 1967, replaced by Cindy Birdsong, failed at a solo career, and tragically died in 1976, at the age of 32, of cardiac arrest.
"Diana" (Paul Anka) is one of the best selling 45s in music history. Paul Anka’s next single "You Are My Destiny" reached the Top Ten in early 1958. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him, at 17, one of the biggest teen idols of the time.AlexBrowne said:Along with Diana Ross and Mary Wilson, Florence "Flo" Ballard was one of the original Primettes, later the Supremes, Motown's most successful girl group in the 1960s, but when Ross's role was elevated and the group was renamed Diana Ross and The Supremes, Ballard suffered chronic depression and alcoholism; she was dismissed from the group in 1967, replaced by Cindy Birdsong, failed at a solo career, and tragically died in 1976, at the age of 32, of cardiac arrest.
In 1959, Anka was chosen to play a role in the low budget movie "Girl's Town". In the movie he sang "Lonely Boy," which became one of his biggest hits, followed by "Put Your Head On My Shoulder," "It's Time To Cry," "Puppy Love," and "My Home Town," all Top Ten Hits. Anka wrote a number of songs for others including "My Way", Frank Sinatra's signature song; "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" released by Buddy Holly; "She's A Lady", a million seller for Tom Jones; and the theme music for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (reworked in 1962 from a song Anka wrote earlier called "Toot Sweet").
Composer/conductor Quincy Jones discovered Lesley Gore and then produced all her big hits from 1963-65, including "It's My Party," "You Don't Own Me," and "Judy's Turn To Cry"; "My Town, My Guy And Me," from fall 1965, was the last of Gore's singles to be produced by Jones.
The Coasters began in 1945 as a trio called the A Sharp Trio. They added a bass and the group became the Four Bluebirds and recorded on the Excelsior Label. Once again there was a name change and they became The Robins, recording for Aladdin and it's subsidiary, Score, in 1949. In 1950 they had a number one hit with "Double Crossing Blues". The Robins became the labels most successful act with "Riot In Cell Block No. 9", "Framed," "The Hatchet Man" and "Smokey Jo's Cafe". The group was renamed The Coasters in 1955 and their first single on Atlantic "Down In Mexico" went top ten R&B in 1956. The next single "One Kiss Led To Another" went nowhere. Next "Searchin" b\w "Young Blood" went #1 and #3 (pop) in 1957. The record quickly sold two million copies as deejays first played one side then the other. The next record to chart was "Yakety Yak" (#1, 1958), followed by "Charlie Brown" (#2, 1959), "Along Came Jones" (#9, 1959), and "Poison Ivy" (#7, 1959). By the end of the Fifties the Coasters were America's most popular black rock and roll group, accompanied by the hot, honking “yakety sax” of King Curtis.AlexBrowne said:Composer/conductor Quincy Jones discovered Lesley Gore and then produced all her big hits from 1963-65, including "It's My Party," "You Don't Own Me," and "Judy's Turn To Cry"; "My Town, My Guy And Me," from fall 1965, was the last of Gore's singles to be produced by Jones.
It's tough to find a performer and songwriter who has been involved in more great recordings than Smokey Robinson, and the titles speak for themselves: for The Miracles he wrote and performed on "The Tracks Of My Tears," "I Second That Emotion" "Ooo Baby Baby," "You've Really Got A Hold On Me," "Way Over There," "I'll Try Something New," "More Love," "That's What Love Is Made Of," "Shop Around," and many others; he also wrote and produced "My Girl," "Since I Lost My Baby," "Don't Look Back," "The Way You Do The Things You Do," and "It's Growing," for The Temptations; "One More Heartache," "Ain't That Peculiar," and "I'll Be Doggone" for Marvin Gaye; and "My Guy" for Mary Wells -- what a list of truly outstanding songs!
"Tears on My Pillow" was a #4 hit in 1958 by Little Anthony and the Imperials, a group which had previously been known as "The Duponts" and "The Chesters". Early copies of the single were credited simply to "The Imperials", but Alan Freed gave the group's lead singer, Anthony Gourdine, top billing while introducing the single over the air, and the name of "Little Anthony & the Imperials" stuck. Its success would be matched only by the Imperials' 1965 single "Goin' Out of My Head". A cover of "Tears on My Pillow" by Sha Na Na was featured on the soundtrack to Grease.AlexBrowne said:It's tough to find a performer and songwriter who has been involved in more great recordings than Smokey Robinson, and the titles speak for themselves: for The Miracles he wrote and performed on "The Tracks Of My Tears," "I Second That Emotion" "Ooo Baby Baby," "You've Really Got A Hold On Me," "Way Over There," "I'll Try Something New," "More Love," "That's What Love Is Made Of," "Shop Around," and many others; he also wrote and produced "My Girl," "Since I Lost My Baby," "Don't Look Back," "The Way You Do The Things You Do," and "It's Growing," for The Temptations; "One More Heartache," "Ain't That Peculiar," and "I'll Be Doggone" for Marvin Gaye; and "My Guy" for Mary Wells -- what a list of truly outstanding songs!
His maudlin #1 pop and country hit from 1968, "Honey," is considered by some to be among the worst songs ever recorded, but Florida native Bobby Goldsboro had other hits, too, which received a lot of airplay (some of which are also criticized), including "See The Funny Little Clown," "Little Things," and "Watching Scotty Grow," a Mac Davis composition about his young son.
The Four Seasons scored a series of smash hit singles between 1962 and 1967 featuring the shrill piercing falsetto (three octave) voice of Frankie Valli. During their nearly 40 year career Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons sold over a 100 million records making them the most long lived and successful white doo wop group. In 1962, the group recorded its first megahit, "Sherry”, followed by a second hit, "Big Girls Don't Cry", both songs remaining #1 hits for five weeks each. Their success continued in 1963 with "Walk Like a Man", "Ain't That a Shame", "Candy Girl", and "Marlena". 1964 was a golden year, with six songs in the Top 20: "Stay", "Dawn (Go Away)", "Ronnie", "Rag Doll" (a #1 hit), "Save It for Me", and "Big Man in Town". "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" made it to the #2 slot in 1967.amfmsw said:"Pop-Pop-Popye" was a regional hit in Philly for the Sherrys.
The Four Preps, a vocal group made up of guys from Hollywood High School, had two very big hits in 1958, "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" -- about famous Catalina Island, 26 miles off the coast of California, "the island of romance" -- and "Big Man."
Generally considered the first (instrumental) R&B group to emerge from the Cleveland area, the Four Shades of Rhythm formed in 1939 and gigged around the area throughout World War II, developing a large repertoire of standards and jazz tunes. The Four Shades of Rhythm cut their first session for the Vitacoustic label, issuing "One Hundred Years from Today" in 1947 and in early 1949 cut a follow-up, "My Blue Walk/Baby I’m Gone" (Old SwingMaster 13). They also released “I Can Dream/Master Of Me” (Old Swingmaster 23). After many changes in personnel they released “Yesterdays/So There” (Chance 1126) in 1952. “I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You/Come Here” (Mad 1206) was released in 1958 but as most before it, did not sell. After one final single -- a 1960 remake of "One Hundred Years from Today" recorded on the Apex label - the Four Shades of Rhythm] split for good.AlexBrowne said:The Four Preps, a vocal group made up of guys from Hollywood High School, had two very big hits in 1958, "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" -- about famous Catalina Island, 26 miles off the coast of California, "the island of romance" -- and "Big Man."
Cleveland claims to be the city where rock 'n' roll was invented, based primarily on the pioneering radio work of Alan Freed; in 1951, Freed's new late-night program on WJW mixed R&B music, which was generally not played on "white" radio stations, with popular hits, and he used the phrase "rock 'n' roll" in the show's title -- "The Moondog Rock & Roll House Party" -- to describe the new sound.
The Dells, one of the longest-running vocal groups in rock and roll history, date back to 1952. They cut their first sides for Checker (a Chess subsidiary) as the El-Rays in 1953. A year later, renamed the Dells, they signed with Vee-Jay as a doo-wop group. The group scored a major hit in 1956 with their first Vee-Jay single, “Oh What a Nite” (#4), a vocal-group classic that they remade a decade later as “Oh, What a Night”. The later version topped the R&B charts and became a Top Ten pop hit also. Between 1956 and 1992, the Dells racked up an astonishing 46 R&B hits, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.AlexBrowne said:Cleveland claims to be the city where rock 'n' roll was invented, based primarily on the pioneering radio work of Alan Freed; in 1951, Freed's new late-night program on WJW mixed R&B music, which was generally not played on "white" radio stations, with popular hits, and he used the phrase "rock 'n' roll" in the show's title -- "The Moondog Rock & Roll House Party" -- to describe the new sound.
The biggest hit of 1952 -- the year yours truly was born -- was Jo Stafford's "You Belong To Me," which sold close to two million copies; other popular versions were recorded that year by Patti Page and Dean Martin, but the 1962 single by The Duprees, a vocal quintet from Jersey City, is the best known during the rock era.
The Duprees, The Rivieras, The Crests and others recorded for Coed. The Coed Label talent used the same orchestra as Perry Como did for RCA Victor in NYC. Most all were recorded in stereo.
The Rivieras are THE most underrated doo-wop group of all time. The Stereo master recordings were used for Collectibles Label re-issue in the '80's. It is very grainy sounding, but better than mono vinyl made from safety dubs of the master tape.
The Rivieras are THE most underrated doo-wop group of all time. The Stereo master recordings were used for Collectibles Label re-issue in the '80's. It is very grainy sounding, but better than mono vinyl made from safety dubs of the master tape.
The Crests had an impressive list of recordings between 1957 and 1978, most of which were cut on the Coed label, with many unreleased. Their most popular song was "Sixteen Candles" (Coed 506) which rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958. In 1959 they released “Six Nights A Week” (Coed 509) and “The Angels Listened In” (Coed 515) as A sides. 1960 brought “Step By Step” (Coed 525) and “Trouble In Paradise” (Coed 531), also A sides. They rank on my top ten list of Doo-Wop groups of the 50s.amfmsw said:The Duprees, The Rivieras, The Crests and others recorded for Coed. The Coed Label talent used the same orchestra as Perry Como did for RCA Victor in NYC. Most all were recorded in stereo.
The Rivieras are THE most underrated doo-wop group of all time. The Stereo master recordings were used for Collectibles Label re-issue in the '80's. It is very grainy sounding, but better than mono vinyl made from safety dubs of the master tape.
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