THE BAY BOPS_Follow The Rock

Bottom left to right;Bobby Serrao(Second Tenor),George Taylor Jr.(First Tenor),Danny Zipfel(Lead).
Standing;Barney Zarzana(Baritone/Bass).

In the summer of 1954 Barney Zarzana formed a group with Frank Bonararo,John Sarno and John Simonelli and harmonizing in Bedford Park in Broolkyn though Simonelli soon left the group to be replaced by Danny Zipfel.the four decided to call The Starlighters and appering at clubs and community functions in Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island but soon Frank and John left the group and were reaplaced by George Taylor Jr. and Bobby Serrao and The Bay Bops group was born(name took from the Bop hat).

In December 1957 the group pay (each member pay$15) an acappella demostration record and with this call to the door of Coral Records this company liked the demos and recorded these with music and released_Joanie/Follow The Rock.

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In the early 1958 the first side_Joanie.up the charts in Connecticut,Baltimore Washington DC,Albany,New Jersey and New York.

In this time Danny have a star's attitude and aspirations a solo recording career he never to sing with the group again.Coral release another two demos_My Darling My Sweet(original know as_Refreshing)/To The Party(original know as_Go To The Sputnick Rock). but Coral offering no promotion once they knew the group had broken up.

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Barney,George and Bobby searched a replacement for Danny they adde Lou Frazier of The Ravens but Lou only sang with therm for one month.By the end de the summer of 1958 Barney Zarzana reformed The Bay Bops with his brothers Michael,Benny and Sal they auditioned for Decca but never recorded.
In 1964 Danny call to Barney and together with a studio group recorded_Hey Little Girl for MGM as Danny Zip(see in this blog).

Additional note...

In late 1957 early 1958 the group recorded several songs in the Bell Studios never released by Coral Records...  Coming Home/Let Me Know/Will I Sin/Sin To Tell A Lie/Christopher Columbus/Secret/Tomboy/Crazy Discharge.

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-Secret/Tomboy at...



In 1960 The Paramounts on Fleetwood Records released the Bay Bop's unreleased song_Christopher Columbus and in 1961 The Holidays on Pam Records released the songs_Refreshing/Crazy in Discharge.