THE V(B)ISCAYNES aka THE VI-TONES (Their Complete Bio)

In late 1959 at the Vallejo High School in Vallejo,California Frank Arellano and Charlene Imhoff were part of the vocal group The Viscounts and Sylvester Stewart "Sly Stone" part of another school group named The Webs.

When these two groups disbanded Frank,Charlene and Sly with others classmates Maria "Ria" Boldway and brothers Charles and Vern Gebhardt form their own Vocal group. They continue with the name The Viscounts (see above picture).

But when the Viscounts of _Harlem Nocturne. fame emerged they changed their group name to The Viscaynes (inspired in the Chevy model car) but with a V in honor to their hometown,Vallejo.

This interracial group (a flipino,a black and four white members) for a long time singing in school dances and local shows when in 1961 are invited to sing in a contest for the Dick Stewart Dance Party TV Show and this perfomance moved the group to cut their first record in VPM Records_Yellow Moon / Heavenly Angel.

Later VPM send the group to Los Angeles for a record session with George Motola where the group recorded new several sides and re-recorded their VPM sides. 

Finally two more singles were released one in VPM with their revised tune_Yellow Moon.with the B side_Uncle Sam Need You (My Friend). issued as The Biscaynes.

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And another single on Trop Records with_Stop What You Are Doing / I Guess I'll Be. as The Viscaynes & The Ramblers. in first pressing and as Sly Stewart & The Viscaynes on 2nd pressing.

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Also the group back up to Jasper Woods on their VPM sides_I'm Comming Home  /Hully Gully Papa.

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By November 1961_Yellow Moon. was a regional Hit but in this time the boys and girls were out of School and the group are broke up.

In 1976 two unreleased sides were released in the Subarro label_Oh What A Night / You're Forgotten Me. under the group name of Sly Stone & The Biscaynes.

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Others unreleased tunes of the group were_You're My Only Love / Maybe I'm Wrong. or the girl group sound_Just A Fool For Your Love.

To Listen or Download_Just A Fool For Your Love. please visit;http://www.box.net/shared/h2tkn359ih

Unreleased sides...

 

Additional Note...

Their Single_Stop What You Are Doing / I Guess I'll Be. was released this same year by Arteen Records from Hollywood under the group name of The Vi-Tones. also in this label Dal La Roc released their version of the A side produced by Motola.

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THE AMBERS meet THE JAGUARS

In March,1958 two interracial groups from California The Ambers and The Jaguars recorded together for the Ebb label owened by Leonora Rupe( whose ex-husband Art owned Specialty).

The Ambers(back up by The Jaguars) featuring Ralph Mathis_Never Let You Go.Ebb Records-1958.

To Listen or Download please visit;http://www.box.net/shared/dvyln3lps7

THE AMBERS.

The Ambers were from San Francisco's George Washington High School and consisted of Clockwise Barry Tompkins(2nd Tenor),Many Haber(Bass),Ralph Mathis(Lead and brother of pop singing sensation star Johnny Mathis) and Stan Voetz(Baritone).

They recorded for Ebb and Greezie Records.

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THE JAGUARS.

Above;left to right Sonny,Val,Manny and Charles.

Above; left to right Charles,Val.Sonny and Manny(1956).

The Jaguars were one of the first interracial vocal groups(Black,White and Hispnanic members).they started in 1954 from the chorus on The Freemont High School in Los Angeles by four guys around the country; Herman" Sonny" Chaney(Lead from Dallas, Texas) ,Valerio "Val" Poulito(Tenor from Detroit), Manuel "Manny" Chavez (Baritone from Los Angeles) and Charles Middleton(Bass from Lafayelle,Louisiana).

Above; back row Val and Charles,front row Sonny and Manny(1956).

The group first called The Shadows and after The Miracles.in 1955 they recorded two obscure sides for Cash Records_A Gal Named Jo/You're An Angel. and signed with Aardell Records owened by big-band trumpeter Bob Ross and backed to his daughter Patty Ross on the side_Rocket Davey Rocket. This side was re-recorded by the group in June of 1955 and with the ballad_I Wanted You. was the first release of the group on the label.but by recomendation of the comedian Stan Freberg the group changed their name to The Jaguars.the recording have a good local acceptacion and the guys appeared on The Hunter Hancock's Rhythm Bluesville Show but without promotion from the label the record dead soon.

Above; left to right Charles,Manny,Val,Sonny and Hunter Hancock's Rhytm & Bluesville TV Show(late 1955).

In late 1955 they recorded the sides_You Don't Believe Me/Be Me Sweetie. without any success.In mid 1956 Ross change the label name to R-Dell Records and the group recorded the 1936 Fred Astaire Hit_The Way You Look Tonight. with the B Side_Moonlight And You. the A Side was a moderate local hit and the bigggest seller of the label,this re-released the side in late 1956 with the flipside_Baby Baby Baby.(others re-releases were in 1962 on Baronet and in 1965 on Original Sound Records).

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After of another release on R-Dell_The City Zoo/I Love You Baby. the group moved to Ebb Records where back up to Ralph Mathis(see above post) and cut an own single in 1958_Hold Me Tight/Picadilly. without any success in 1959 the group moved to Art Laboe's Original Sound label where recorded the single_Look Into My Eyes/Thinking Of You. in this session Manny was out and Tony Allen and Richard Berry singing in the session.With one mayor distribuccion by the label the B Side have a nacional acceptacion and the group have many live perfomances(the label re-release the disc in 1962.)

Above; left to right Val,Charles,Sonny(1960-61).

In April of 1959 Manuel Chavez and Sonny Chaney recorded as Frankie & Johnny for Sabrina Records_My First Love/Do You Love Me. and in 1960 as Chavez & Chaney on Spry Records_Be My Love/Picadilly. (later re-released in 1964 on Blast Off Records as by Frankie & Johnny)(see in this blog).
In late 1960 Sonny and Val recorded for T-Bird Records as The T-Birds(see in this blog)_Green Stamps/Come Dance With Me.(later re-released in early 1961 on Chess Records). and R-Dell Records released two unreleased sides of the group_Don't Go Home/Girl Of My Dreams.

Above; left to right Charles,Val,Manny,Sonny and friend(1957-58).

In 1961_The Way You Look Tonight. is enclosed on the Art Laboe's first Oldies But Goodies LP and The Jaguar's name have a national recognition.On August of 1961 the group recorded their last single_Fine Fine Fine/It Finally Happened. on Randezvouz Records (re-released in 1963) and finally broke up. Val recording with The Nuggets on RCA and with The Beach Boys on their single_Surfin Safari. Manny recorded with The Sevilles of_Charlena. fame.

In late 80's the group reunited again and recorded for Classic Artist Records.


Above;left to right Sonny,Charles and Buddy Holly-lookalike Val (1960-61).

Bio anf Pictures from The Jaguars Lp "The way You Look Tonight" but you can find more information at; http://www.uncamarvy.com/Jaguars/jaguars.html

THE VIDELS_I Passed Your House

Group from Providencd,Rhode Island formed in 1956 by peter Andreoli,Norman Marzano, Bobby Calitri, Maurice “Jimmy Boo” Bouchard, Dino Amaral and guitarist John Corsi.In 1960 Dino was replaced by Herbert Rickey.
In 1960-63 recorded for labels as Kapp,Rhody,JDS,Tic Tac Toe and Musictone.

In 1960 with the side_Mr. Lonely.they have a top 70 in the billboard charts.

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And this same year they have a regional hit with their new release_Now That Summer Is Here.

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By 1961 The Videls had broken up,so Allie Contrera and George Galfo of The Mystics and Pete Andreoli and Vinny Poncia of The Videls joined forces and perfomed as both The Mystics and The Videls.this formation appeared on Clay Cole's show one week as The Mystics and another week as The Videls

In late 1961 kapp Records released_A Letter From Ann/This Year's Mister New.these sides have to Pete and Vinny overdubbing their voices.

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Another recording acredited to The Videls for Musictone in 1963_We Belong Together.Today is a mistery record.

Also in 1963 Norman Marzano and Bobby Calitri with Richard and Joe Mancini of The Corals (see in this blog) orm a Videls group and toured the nation without success (see below picture)...

The Videls "road" group: Norman Marzano, Bobby Calitri & Joe Mancini (standing left to right), Richard Mancini (seated).

This same year Pete and Vinny recorded_Hand Clappin Time Part 1 & 2.on Big Top Records.in 1964 with a new vocal group The Treasures they recorded The Beatle's tune_Hold Me Tight.and later some singles under their original name of The Trade Winds on Red Bird Records in 1964-65(see in this blog).Also Anders and Poncia, found much greater success during the early '60s as songwriters in association with Phil Spector, co-authoring such future classics by the Ronettes as _Do I Love You?_ and _(The Best Part Of) Breaking Up.

Unreleased sides of The Videls are available in some doo-wop compilations as_I Passed Your House.

To Listen or Download please visit;http://www.box.net/shared/d75529szij

In 1980 Crystal Ball Records released a Videls album that mistakenly incluide_Save A Dream.but really this cut is an unreleased Mystics tune.

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http://whitedoowopcollector.blogspot.com/2008/12/save-dream-by-mystics-not-videls.html

See complete Videl's bio with great pictures at...

http://peteranders.net/?page_id=39

http://www.ripopmusic.org/musical-artists/composers/the-mancini-brothersthe-corals/

The original Videls 1957 (left to right): John Corsi, Bobby Calitri, Dino Amaral, Frank Bianchini, Norman Marzano, Peter Andreoli.

The Videls 1959 (left to right): Bobby Calitri, Vini Poncia, Peter Andreoli, Dino Amaral, Norman Marzano.

The Videls 1960: (left to right): Norman Marzano, Peter Anders, Vini Poncia, Bobby Calitri, Herbert Rickey.