Is know that originally Five Disc's were an integrated group formed by two blacks and three white members from the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn. Mario DeAndrade (Lead), Andy Jackson (Bass), Paul Albano (First tenor), Tony Basile (2nd Tenor) and Joe Barsalona (Baritone)
They were know for their side_I Remember.
Recorded in 1958 for Emge Records.
... but in 1960 the two black members Mario DeAndrade and Andy Jackson leave the group and were replaced by Lenny Hutter and John Russell The Five Discs were now a White Group and recorded several sides for labels as Yale,Calo or Cheer Records.
Paul,Tony and Joe with new white members recorded on Kapp Records as The Boyfriends(see in this blog).Read The Five Disc's bio at;http://www.fivediscs.com/TheStory.html
LISTEN....
4 comments:
I am the grandson of Joseph Barsalona and my grandpa would roll in his grave knowing that the five discs are Refered to on this site as white doo wop. Their best music came from the time when they had the two talented black fellows. Not the current day five discs. Our family takes pride in our history and love of all people. Hence the five discs being the first multi racial group coming from NY. Would be considerate if you removed the bands name from your site. The music rights still belong to the family and wouldn't like to be associated with this site. Also, there is a rich African history in the Sicilian bloodline that flows through my veins. To call this band white is farthest from the truth. My grandpa was Puerto Rican and Sicilian. It's offensive to downplay those band members who left the band as they contributed to the soul of the group.
Since when has referring to something as being "white" become "offensive" ? Maybe calling something "black" is just as offensive then, no ? The Five Discs were just as good when they were predominately white as when they were when they had two black members. The "sound" and harmonies were just as good either way. I know Italians who would not agree on there existing some rich "African history" in their heritage, by the way (I wonder how many Africans, in Africa, would appreciate being branded as being Irish ?) . Further more, The Five Discs weren't the first multi-raced vocal group in the New York area, others such as, Norman Fox & The Rob-Roys, The Crests, The Fascinators, & The Impalas and probably a few others, were also around during the mid 1950's. Being related to someone means nothing, the credit belongs with the guys who there back then, making it happen and whether the group had two black members and three white or just the five white members, matters very little. They were good and if the blogger posts that they were a "white group", well, he's not wrong, after 1960, they were basically a white group and they had just as much "soul" as they did before they were all white and yes, many Sicilians do consider themselves white. As for me, I just like the group..... either way.
I was stunned, when I first read the comments above ,but I kept quiet about this, until now. As a very close friend of Joe Barsalona's, and the last manager of the Five Discs, let me try to clear this up.
The original Five Discs formed in 1954 and didn't have a release until 1958. I know someone who owned a record company and he went down to the Five Discs school (PS 73), where they rehearsed, to sign them up but his parttner was afraid because of the interracial makeup of the group. Two weeks later, Gene Schwartz signed up the Five Discs to his EMGE Record label and released "I Remember" in February 1958.
The original Five Discs consisted of 3 Italians, one Black and Mario deAndrade (the lead singer) who was part Portuguese and part Black. In 1959, the Five Discs, with Mario and Andy Jackson leaving, became an all White vocal group. There is nothing offensive about the Five Discs when they were an interracial group nor when they had all White members.
I just spoke, last night, to Joe Barsalona's wife for the first time in 30 years. So I asked her about Joe's ethnic background, specifically if Joe had Hispoanic b lood in him. She said that Joe was all Italian and that she was the source of the Hispanic blood in the family. Let me state that the Five Discs were a great mixed group and also a great White group. They made great records and were one of best, pure streetcorner singing groups to exist. Whether, Black, Italian, Hispanic ..... it doesn't matter as the Five Discs were a great singing group (that's what matters)!
I wrote an article, on the Five Discs, in my "They Sang In Brooklyn" feature in Record Collectors Monthly in the May-June Issue of 1991. I am glad to announce, because of subscriber requests, I will be writing another article on the Five Discs, for the publication "Echoes Of The Past" who I presently write for. It should be out in the first week of September 2022.
I don't believe that I can top my 1991 article on the group, but I have conducted interviews with members who haven't been interviewed fully, if at all, in the past. I have already interviewed Mario deAndrade, Russell Johnson, Johnny Carbone, Charlie DiBella and will soon interview Eddie Pardocchi, Mike Strippoli and hopefully Tony Basile (if we can find him). I will combine these interviews with my old article and hopefully everyone will be happy reading about the great Five Discs ....... one again!
The Five Discs have always been my favorite singing group,
Bobby Diskin - Brooklyn, NY.
Nothin like a great group singin great songs. What's not to like.
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