When Tony & The Twilighters(see in this blog) broke up their leader Anthony Maresco was involved with Carlo Gerace & The Secrets who recorded in 1962 for Throne Records the sides_Pony Party/A Hundred Pounds Of Potatoes. under the group name of Carlo & The Secrets.
See in this blog Anthony & The Sophomores and Tony & The Dynamics.
Jersey City acappella group formed by Simon Cuffa(Lead),Tony Piaza(Tenor),Mike Geazo(2nd Tenor & Lead) and Jim Malin Keyes(Bass).
They recorded one single for Amber Records in 1966_If I Should Lose You/Up On the Roof. and this same year for Catamount Records_Teardrops Follow Me/Man In The Moon. and a complete album for Acappella Unlimited Records.
Also were present with the songs_Gee Whiz/ I Should Get My Head Examined/So Much In Love/Up On The Roof. in the Amber's Lp Stars Of Acappella.
Warren Gradus broke up with his first group, The Crescendos with who have a demo_Zing/Oh What A Night. In his high school Rooselvet in the Bronx discover another group, The Thunderbirds consisted of Gregg Paravati,Richie Capala and Vinny Cea and soon Warren join as their new Lead singer.
From the Dodge DART and the CARVEL ice cream they took their new name THE DARVELS. With addition of Mike Gervan from the Warren’s first group to sing Bass they practice for many weeks, Gregg and Warren written songs for the group_I Lost My Baby(Gregg) and Gone(Warren). The group recorded an acappella demo at Sanders Studios in Manhattan.
Above from left to right; Richie Capala, Greg Paravati, Mike Gervan,Warren
Gradus(front) and not in the picture Alan Mandel.
Their demo was presentet to record producer John Janitch who send the guys to the Variety Arts Studio to re-record with music the acappella sides, in this time Paul Gossman and Alan Mandel taking Vinny’s place.
The sides_I LostMy Baby/Gone. Were released in 1963 on the Eddie’s Gries label (Relic Records owener) out of New Jersey Eddies Records without success.
Later the group added as an extra member to Frank Lyndon(Frankie was the replacement for Carlo in The Belmonts in May,1962) and recorded with music and acappella two sides_Mister Fortune Teller/The Last Goodbye.these tunes were unreleased sides finally released in 1978 for Crystal Ball Records under the group name of Frankie & The Darvels.
LISTEN...
After Warren written songs with Ernie Maresca for Laurie Records continue singing with The Darvels also singing and recorded with the Belmonts and as a solo artist. The Darvels with Richie Greene of The Del Satins recorded for Laurie Records as Sundae,Foregin Intrigue or The Second Generation.
LISTEN...
The Belmonts December,2009 Warren Gradus , Angelo D'Aleo, Dan Elliott and Freddie Milano.
IN MEMORY OF JOHNNY "MAESTRO" MASTROANGELO May,1939-March,2010.
The original Crests;Patricia Van Dross(Tenor),Johnny Maestro(Lead),Harold Torres (Baritone),Totalmadge"Tommy" Gough(Tenor) and Jay"J.T." Carter(Bass).
In 1957 they recorded for Joyce Records_My Juanita/Sweetest One. and_No One To Love_Wish She Was Mine.
LISTEN...
_Sweetest One charted #86 in the summer of 1957.After these recordins Pat leave the group(Pat was the sisters of Luter Van Dross).
The male group signed for Coed Records and in August 12,1958 recorded_Twenty-One Candles.finally this song was Released as_Sixteen Candles.and charted #2 in November of 1958.
LISTEN...
The group continue recording for Coed and charted eight songs in the national charts from March, 1959 to October, 1960.
LISTEN...
Maestro left for solo in 1960 and was replaced by James Ancrum now The Crest's were a black group.
Johnny recorded solo and with various back up groups(see the white Crests and Johnny Maestro & the Del-Satins in this blog) and In 1961 charted #20 with the side_Model Girl.
LISTEN...
In late 60's Johnny form with members of The Del-Satins(see in this blog) and members of the Rhythm Method band The Brooklyn Bridge and charted#3 in late 1968 with_Worst That Could Happen.
LISTEN...
In 1987 the original Crests appeared together at a show in Peekskill,New York. from those days to today Johnny continue singing in the revival circuit.
THE INVITATIONS.
Unrecorded Brooklyn group featuring Ralph Rega who later recorded with The T-Birds(see in this blog) for Vegas Records the sides_Nobody But You/Have You Ever Been In Love Before.
The Gaylords were a 1950's singing trio present in the Jeff Kreiter's Vocal Group Record Guide consisting of Ronald L. Fredianelli,Bonaldo Bonaldi and Don Rea.They formed the Gaylords (originally The Gay Lords) in Detroit in 1949.
The group had a number of Italian-flavored Pop charting hits during the 1950s, often consisting of a song partly sung in Italian and partly in English.They versioned doo wop songs as _Only You/Sh-Boom/Yakety Yak.in a popish style.
The well know bandleader Johnny Otis is present in the Kreiter's Vocal Group Record guide as...
JOHNNY OTIS SHOW.
-Tell Me So/Stay With Me.Capitol Records-1957.
-It's Too Soon To Know/Satr Of Love. Capitol Records-1957.
-Bye Bye Bye/Good Golly. Capitol Records-1958.
-My Dear/You. Capitol Records-1959.
JOHNNY OTIS.
-Tough Enough. Dig Records-1957.
-Baby I've Got News For You/Hand Jive One More. King Records-1961.
-It Must Be Love/She's All Right. King Records-1962.
-I Knows My Love Is True/Queen Of The Twist. King Records-1962.
-Bye Bye Baby/Tha Hash. King Records-1963.
Group from Tremont Avenue in the Bronx,NY. consisted of Jimmy Appollo(Lead),Joe"Pepe" Contaldi(Baritone),Joe Foti(2nd Tenor) and Frankie Bujosa(1st Tenor).
Jimmy Recorded with Jimmy & The Crestones(see in this blog) and Joe Foti occasionaly singing with The group when Jerry droped out for his military obligations.
They recorded with music in 1964 for Louis Records as The Rue-Teens_Lucky Boy/I Don't Cry Over Girls.(Tommy Cosgrove, the rock guitarist (Brethren, Dr. John, Todd Rundgren) plays Lead Guitar along with the original members of The Elegant 4 Billy,Jay and Dennis).
LISTEN...
And in 1965 as The Ru-Teens for Old Timer...
-Happy Teenager/Come A Little Bit Closer.
-More/Diamonds And Pearls.
LISTEN...
Also they were present in the 1965 Cat-Time Lp I DIG ACAPPELLA Vol 1 and 2 with the sides_Cara Mia/She Cried.
Probably this group recorded the unreleased sides_Bad Girl/Dance With Me. for Lou Cicchetti's Cousins Records finally issued on Crystal Ball Lp 124(1978).
Interracial band from Philadelphia formed in 1958 by Vito Jacono (vocals and guitar), Jim Jacono (vocals), Sylvanus "Slip" Franklin (piano and vocals), Herb Campbell (vocals), and Frank Jacono (drums). Lou Razzae later joined the band playing sax.(Herb Campbell and Lou Razzae left the band in 1960 and were replaced by Bunky Robinson on vocals and Lou DiMattio playing sax and other reed instrument).
In 1958 they recorded as Jim Jacono & The J's for Kay-Y Records the sides...
Pop vocal group from Renton,Washington formed by Stan Farber (1st Tenor), Ron Hicklin (2nd tenor), Ron Rolla (Bass) and Bob Zwirn(Baritone).
In 1959 and 1960 they recorded for Capitol Records four singles present in the Jeff Kreiter's Vocal Group Record Guide....
-I Wrote A Song/Car Trouble-1959.
-24 Hours/Faker Faker-1960.
-My First Christmas With You/Little Engine-1960.
-Young Is My Love/East Of West Berlin-1960.
LISTEN...
And did background singing on...
SONNY JAMES & THE ELIGIBLES.
-Talk Of The School/The Table.Capitol Records-1959.
In 1958 the Puerto Rican guys Ernie Sierra(2nd Tenor & Lead),Arnie Torres(Baritone) and Alex Miranda(Bass) from the Treeman Street neighborhood of the Bronx,NY. decided to form a vocal group when they were in junior high,they recruited from other schools to Charlie Girona(Lead) and Fred Hodge(1st Tenor) and The Gleamers were born.
By this time the group had original tunes as_Christams In The Jungle. and send this a local manager Bill Martin under the group name of The Orbits,Bill signed the group and send this to Melba Records owened by Morty Craft this label changed their name to The Eternals and recorded the demo in 1959 as_Rockin In The Jungle. with the B side_Rock & Roll Cha Cha.on the Melba subsidiary label Hollywood Records.
LISTEN...
_Rockin In The Jungle. made #78 nationally and #11 in the New York area and the group play at Palisades Park with Bruce Morrow and Murray K and appear on the Clay Cole's TV show.
Their second release was in the summer of 1959_Babalu's Wedding Day/My Girl. without any success.
LISTEN...
In this time George Villanueva and Richie Sierra join the group and Morty released another recording on their label Warwick records without The Eternals manager permission_Blind Date/Today. was released in 1960 but in this time the group manager have a denunciation with Warwick Records and the record without promotion dead soon.
LISTEN...
Before _Blind Date was released the company added the Tarzan chant from Joan Campbell's tune_Kookie Little Paradise. and the opening voice of Ed Rudy a Warwick executive.
With the legal problems of their manager with Morty the group never made another record and finally broke up in 1962. in 1972 Ernie reformed The Eternal's group.
Unreleased sides of the group were_You Are/To The Service/Big Trouble/Mr. Night/Sad Christams and_ The Mixture(their lyrics refer to the three released recordings: for example"We went rockin' in the jungle and married babalu".
This white group from Maspeth,Queens,NY. started as The Dialtones and Jr. & The Counts(see in this blog).
Domnick Safuto(Lead),Frankie Safuto(1st Tenor),Sal Zero(2nd Tenor),Mike Zero(Baritone) and Kenny Arcipowski(bass) were know as Jr. & The Counts when their manager Frank Carrarie present the group to songwritter Neil Levenson this liked the group and introduce them to the Tokens who signed then to their B.T.Puppy label.
The Tokens send the group to Laurie Records this label changed their name to Randy & The Rainbows and offer two songs to the group_Denise. and_Come Back. both written by Neil Levenson these sides were released in 1963 on the Laurie subsidiary label Rust Records.
_Denise was a big hit charted in August #10 nationally and #2 locally later in September charted #14 on the R&B chart,this hit moved the group a have great TV appearances and a tour across the country.
LISTEN...
Their second release on Rust Records_She's My Angel/Why Do Kids Grow Up. was released in December,1963 and the B side made #97.
LISTEN...
Three singles followed on Laurie Records without success and the group moved to Mike Records owened by Eddie Matthews where in 1966 recorded others three singles and as none of them made the charts the group returned with B. T. Puppy Records where recorded one single in late 1966 and finally the group broke up.
They back in the 70's as The Triangle and Madison Street and finally in 1982 recorded again as Randy & The Rainbows for Ambient Sound Records.
LISTEN...
the music files presented are posted for purposes of musical enlightenment only.The intention is to raise awareness of underappreciated artists/songs. If you like what you hear, seek these artists out on CD or get out there and find some of this old vinyl for yourself... If you are the copyright holder and wish any files to be removed, I will do so immediately upon request.
When Tony & The Twilighters(see in this blog) broke up their leader Anthony Maresco was involved with Carlo Gerace & The Secrets who recorded in 1962 for Throne Records the sides_Pony Party/A Hundred Pounds Of Potatoes. under the group name of Carlo & The Secrets.
