MIDWEST GROUPS 1 (Page 2)

THE MIDWEST GROUPS

This page contains biographical information on the Mills Brothers, Ink Spots, Delta Rhythm Boys, Flamingos, Spaniels and El Dorados. A link at the bottom of the page will take you to the Midnighters, Magnificents, Five Chances, Five Echoes, Kingsmen, Dells and Moroccos.

The Mills Brothers

The Mills Brothers were not only the first black vocal group to have wide appeal among whites, they were the most successful American male group of all time, with 71 chart singles(THE ANDREWS SISTERS had 113) spanning four decades. Born in Piqua, Ohio, Herbert (1912), Donald (1915), Harry (1913), and John Mills, Jr. (1911) began practicing in their father's barbershop. John, Sr. himself was an excellent light opera stylist and sang with a group called the Four Kings of Harmony. Barbershop harmony was the Mills boys' forte, and they never did bring much spiritual or gospel favor into their sound (although they did ultimately do a few sides for Decca's Faith series). The brothers began performing at the local opera house (and even on street corners) while imitating instruments with kazoos.

In one performance, during the 1920s the teens forgot their kazoos and began improvising the sound of musical instruments with their voices while cupping their hands over their mouths. (This became a musical break-through for them. ) John mastered the bass trumpet and tuba; Harry mimicked trumpet and sang bari-tone; Herbert did sax, trombone, and trumpet; and Donald was the tenor lead vocal. John, Jr. played the guitar-the only actual instrument the group used.

In the late '20s the quartet was signed to perform in a variety of shows, on WLW-Cincinnati. In order to make it seem as if more than one group was doing all that singing, each sponsor of each show gave the act a different name. Hence they sang as the Steamboat Four, the Tasty East Jesters, and Will, Willie, Wilbur and William, among other names. They finally worked on a show (ironically unsponsored) under the name the Mills Brothers.

The group's fame spread to New York. Agent Tommy Rockwell got the drift and brought the brothers east, where they wound up on the CBS radio network.

By 1931 they were recording for Brunswick Records. The brothers would go on to have five number one records of which the first was "Tiger Rag," issued in December of 1931. The amazing brothers were still youngsters when they sat atop the musical world in 1931, ranging in age from 16 to 20. Brunswick then released their "Gems from George White's Scandals" with Bing Crosby and the Boswell Sisters. It reached number three while "Tiger Rag's" flip side, "Nobody's Sweetheart," held the number four spot. Their second chart topper came shortly after their first: "Dinah," again with Bing Crosby, charted on January 9,1932, and spent two weeks at number one.

Perhaps trying to draw attention to the Brothers' talent, Brunswick had its labels all read, "No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar."

Film now became a big part of the group's across-the-board exposure, as they performed in The Big Broadcast (1932), Operator 133 (1933), and Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934).

Not only were the Mills Brothers destined to be emulated by hundreds of vocal groups, but many of their recordings would later be covered by other groups in the style that came to be called rhythm and blues. THE RAVENS took their recording of "Loveless Love" and reworked it into "Careless Love." The Mills's recording of "Gloria" (1948) became THE CADILLACS' classic in 1954 and THE PASSIONS' mini-classic in 1960. The Brothers' 1934 version of "Nagasaki" was done by the Five Chances in 1954, and 1932's "Sweet Sue" later became a great recording for THE CROWS in 1954.

"Rockin' Chair" (#4), issued in May of 1932, had what some historians consider to be the first talking-bass part in a black group record.

In 1934 the group went to Decca Records and to England. While Decca released new sides and reworked versions of old sides, Brunswick recordings were being reissued on the Melotone and Perfect labels as budget line issues. Since British tastes differed, Mills Brothers releases on British Decca (not all of which made it to the States) were generally more jazz and blues oriented than their domestic product.

After a royal command performance at the London Palladium in 1935, John, Jr. became ill. He died in January of 1936 at the age of 25. John, Sr. then took over for his son.

Hits like "Chinatown, My Chinatown" (#10, 1932), "Sweet Sue" (#8, 1932), "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got that Swing)" (#6, 1932), "Sweet Sister" (#2, 1934), "Sleepyhead" (#2, 1934), and "Sixty Seconds Get-Together" (#8, 1938) kept the group touring the world from Europe to Australia.

The Brothers' biggest hit came smack in the middle of World War II. Recorded February 18, 1942, and released in May, "Paper Doll" took more than a year to chart. When it did so on July 17, 1943, it reached number one and stayed there for a full 12 weeks, ultimately selling more than six million copies. Their fourth number one came in the summer of 1944 with "You Always Hurt the One You Love," and its flip, "Till Then," made it to number eight. "Till Then" was also their biggest R&B charter, going to number one. As the available listings only started in the early '40s, the Mills Brothers racked up only 11 recordings on the R&B hit lists between 1943 and 1949, indicating they may have been going over better with whites than blacks.

By 1950 the quartet had 50 chart hits. Their last number one was 1952's "Glow Worm," adapted from the German operetta Lysistrata. It also became their only hit in England, ranking number 10 at the beginning of 1953.

Up to 1950 almost every Mills Brothers recording featured only a guitar behind their voices in harmony and/or imitating instruments. It was a gutsy move to imitate trumpets behind Louis Armstrong and his real trumpet ("Marie" and "The Old Folks at Home," among others), and on one cut, "Caravan" (1938), they didn't sing at all, just parodied their instruments. The group dropped their instrumental mimicking in the early '50s, opting instead for backing bands and orchestras. To keep in step with the time the Brothers occasionally found themselves doing renditions of songs by groups who had learned from Mills Brothers' own records of the '30s and '40s. They covered THE CHARMS Gumdrop in l955, THE CLOVERS Smack Dab in the Middle," and a cover of THE SILHOUETTES' rocker "Get a Job" in early 1958, though by now their pop barbershop sound was becoming passé.

John, Sr. retired in the mid-'50s, but the brothers stayed on the performing scene as a trio and continued to record for Dot. In 1959 "Yellow Bird" peaked at number 70, and it looked like the record buyers had moved on to other sounds. But nine years later the group, now in their mid-to late 50s, hit the charts three times in the midst of the soul and psychedelic era. "Cab Driver" (#23, 1968) was followed by "My Shy Violet" (#73) and "The Ol' Race Track" (#83), their last charter ever.

Unfortunately, John, Sr. never got to see the comeback: he died in 1967. Harry died in 1982 at the age of 68 while Herbert passed away in 1989 at the age of 77.1n the early '90s, Donald and his son John III continued on as a duo.

The Mills Brothers' influence was pervasive: they made black music acceptable to a wide audience and encouraged other black vocalists to carry on what they had started. And lest we forget, they did it with dignity and grace in difficult racial times, carried forward by their warmth of character and mellow sound.

"For more in-depth information on this and other great vocal groups see the "Da Capo book of: "American Singing Groups (A History 1940-1990)" by Jay Warner available at all major book stores or on-line at Amazon .com."

Bill Kenny and The Ink Spots

One of the two granddaddies of vocal groups, the Ink Spots introduced a number of firsts that had a direct impact on the development of m and blues in the '40s and rock and roll in 50's. Although THE MILLS BROTHERS were successful years before the Ink Spots and turned out more hits (71 to the Spots' 46), each had a tremendous influence on music, the public, and future vocalists, and chances are that a group or singer influenced by one was also influenced by then Bill Kenny's soaring tenor paved the way for Sonny Til (THE ORIOLES), Maithe Marshall (THE RAVENS), Frankie Lymon (THE TEENAGERS), Curtis Mayfield (THE IMPRESSIONS), Russell Tompkins, Jr. STYLISTICS), and many others to follow. Hoppy 's revolutionary talking-bass parts redefined a singer's value and role in a group, and his was emulated by Jimmy Ricks (the Ravens) Almost every rhythm and blues and rock and roll bass since then. More broadly, the Ink Spots one of the first black groups to cross the racial barrier in radio and live performances.

The ballad style for which they gained fame came about by chance and was not part of their original sound. The group met in Indianapolis, Indiana, around 1931. The original members were Ivory "Deek" (Deacon) Watson (lead), formerly of the swing group the Four Riff Brothers (1929) and before that the Percolating Puppies (1928), a vocal band influenced by Duke Ellington and McKinney's Cotton Pickers; Charlie Fuqua (second tenor and baritone), the uncle of MOONGLOWS lead singer Harvey Fuqua; and Jerry Daniels (first tenor), who sang with Charlie in the vaudeville team Charlie and Jerry.

The latter duo had started out harmonizing and playing guitar and ukulele (Jerry) and four-string banjo and guitar (Charlie). Deek Watson met them at Charlie's shoeshine stand in Indianapolis near the old Stutz automobile factory (famous for the Stutz Bearcat cars). They formed a trio called the Swingin' Gate Brothers and later King, Jack and Jester (1931), and launched their career on a 15 minute radio show on WHK in Cleveland.

They moved on to Cincinnati's WLW, doing commercials for CBC (Crosley Broadcasting Company), and were announced by a young Red Barber, later a great sportscaster. At this time, one of the aforementioned Four Riff Brothers, Orville "Hoppy" Jones, joined the group on bass vocals and standup bass ,actually a retuned cello. The resulting group sound drew from vaudeville and jazz band music.

The quartet came to New York in the early '30s and immediately ran into a name conflict with the already famous Paul Whiteman orchestra group the King's Jesters. The problem was solved by Harlem's Savoy Ballroom owner and new group manager, Moe Gale, who simply sat down and thought up the name the Ink Spots.

They started out with a 15-minute show on New York's WJZ radio. Unlike most black acts of the time, they were being accepted at white performance venues, allowing them to play the Apollo one day and the Waldorf Astoria the next.

The foursome's first encounter with recording happened on January 4,1935, at RCA Studios, and in the same month RCA issued their first release, "Swingin' on the Strings"/"Your Feet's Too Big." When two 78s went nowhere, the group broadened its popularity by leaving the country, doing transatlantic radio broadcasts over London's BBC in the winter of 1935. In early 1936 Moe Gale took notice of Bill Kenny, the winner of an amateur contest at the Savoy Ballroom, and brought him into the around.

With the addition of the new member, Jerry Daniels left the Spots and moved to Indianapolis, later singing with local acts like the Deep Swingin' Brothers and the Three Shades.

That same year the Ink Spots signed with Decca and on May 12, 1936, waxed "T'aint Nobody's Bizness If I Do" and a re-recording of "Your Feet's Too Big," issued as their first two sides. The group began doing package shows with other Gale acts like Ella Fitzgerald and Moms Mabley.

Over the next three years the group, with Deek usually on lead, tried everything from Gershwin ("Let's Call the Whole Thing Off") to vocal versions of big-band tunes like "Stompin at the Savoy," but by the end of 1938, after 10 singles, nothing had really grabbed the public's interest. About this time, Billy Kenny met 25-year-old Johnny Smith of the Alphabetical Four, a group that sang both gospel and blues. Smith became a swing man filling in on occasion when someone was unavailable.

The group was on the verge of calling it quits as bookings were down and record sales had never been up. Then, on January 12, 1939, the history of popular music took an important turn thanks to a young aspiring songwriter named Jack Lawrence. He brought a composition he'd written to a Spots session that was supposed to be for the recording of a jive song, "Knock-Kneed Sal." The group worked up Lawrence's ballad, "If I Didn't Care," with Kenny doing his now famous quivering tenor lead and Hoppy improvising his talking bass bridge.

A lot of people did care, as it turned out. Issued in February of 1939, by April 15 the song had charted in Billboard and reached number two within weeks, selling a million copies to a broad spectrum of listeners.

The fate of Lawrence's catalog of compositions is indicative of the potential sentimental and financial value of songs: it was sold more than 30 years later for over half a million dollars. Along with "If I Didn't Care" was a song Jack wrote for his lawyer's daughter in 1938 called "Linda." His lawyer's name was Lee Eastman, and Eastman's offspring later married a man named Paul McCartney. That's right-the Beatles' Paul McCartney. And the buyer of Lawrence's songs? Why, Paul McCartney, of course.

Hit after hit in the style of "If I Didn't Care" came forth from the Ink Spots and Decca, including "Address Unknown" (#1, 1939), "My Prayer" (#3, 1939, later a hit for THE PLATTERS), "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano" (#4, 1940) "Maybe" (#2, 1940), "We Three" (#1, 1940), "Do I Worry" (#8,1941), "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" (which was #4 in December 1941), and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (#2, 1943).

The group broke attendance records wherever they appeared, performing with Glenn Miller's Orchestra, Lucky Millinder's Band, and countless others, and they even did films like The Great American Broadcast in 1941 and Abbott and Costello's romp, Pardon My Sarong. A 1944 radio poll voted them the number two favorite singing unit behind Fred Waring's Glee Club and ahead of greats like THE ANDREWS SISTERS.

In mid-1943 Charlie Fuqua joined the service and hand-picked his replacement, Bernie Mackey from Indianapolis.

From August 1942 to September 1943 the musicians' union strike put a halt to any new recordings, but the Spots still placed four singles on the charts (out of only five releases), including "Every Night About This Time" (#17,1942), "Don't Get Around Much Anymore (#2, 1943), "If I Cared a Little Bit Less" (#20, 1943), and "I'll Never Make the Same Mistake Again" (#l9, 1943). The group's arranger during most of the war years was Bill Doggett, who went on to work with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, and his own combo in 1952. In '56 he had hits for King on "Honky Tonk" (#2 Pop, #1 R&B) and "Slow Walk" (#26 Pop, #4 R&B).

In late 1944 Deek Watson, who had been at odds with Bill Kenny for some time, left to form his own Ink Spots but was stopped by a court injunction; he renamed his new group Deek Watson and THE BROWN DOTS. Bill Bowen of McKinneys Cotton Pickers took Deek's place.

On October 18, 1944, Hoppy Jones's booming bass was stilled forever when he died at the age of 39. He was replaced later by former GOLDEN GATE QUARTET member Cliff Givens. There were more transitions: Huey Long took over for Mackey, Herb Kenny (Bill's brother) replaced Givens, and in late 1945 Fuqua returned to replace Long (who never recorded with the group).

Decca wanted to keep the Ink Spots on the charts as often as possible, even if they didn't have enough new material to justify it. Thus from 1945 through '48, they issued 35 78s of which 17 singles contained recordings that were as many as five years old.

In 1949, Herb Kenny moonlighted with a trio for a while. In 1951 Adriel McDonald, the group's valet (and former non recording member of the Cabineers) subbed for Herb Kenny when he missed a radio show, and he became the full-time replacement. Herb went on to record for Federal ("Only You") in 1952 as lead of Herb Kenny and the Comets. The Comets were actually a white group called the Rockets that used to back up Perry Como. Herb recorded with them on MGM for five singles in 1952 and 1953.

As friction grew in 1952, both Bill Bowen and Charlie Fuqua exited. An explosion of groups tried to cash in on the name the Ink Spots. Bowen formed Billy Bowen and the Butterball Four (MGM); Fuqua formed his own Ink Spots, but was taken to court by Bill Kenny. Fuqua won, so his new group, with Harold Jackson, Jimmy Holmes, and Leon Antoine, joined King Records for nine quality singles between late 1953 and 1955. Essix Scott replaced Antoine during the latter sessions.

Bill Kenny, meanwhile, was doing a lot of solo work during the early '50s, while forming yet another Ink Spots, this one including Adriel McDonald, Jimmy Kennedy, and Ernie Brown. The group's demise came in 1953 when they were asked to appear on an Ed Sullivan-sponsored show for returning Korean war vets. Kenny okayed the deal but told the group he was appearing solo and couldn't afford to pay them. The group had had enough and split. Sullivan was so furious that he listed Kenny at the bottom of the bill.

Though the originals sang together no more, Ink Spots groups sprang up like weeds. Kenny was once vacationing in Las Vegas during the mid-'70s and found three groups posing as the Spots at the same time. At the beginning of the 1990s, over 40 groups claimed to be the Ink Spots. Fill-in Johnny Smith supposedly had exclusive authority from Bill Kenny's widow to represent the group. Watson had the rights but sold them to Bill Kenny in the '40s for $20,000.

Such was the value of the name for fans as well as future vocal groups. Many of their recordings were copied and reworked for new generations in later years. The Platters made a career of covering Ink Spots songs. Bobby Day and the Satellites (actually THE HOLLYWOOD FLAMES) did "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano"; the Sharps did "We Three"; THE HEARTS "Until the Real Thing Comes Along"; THE ISLEY BROTHERS and THE BELMONTS covered "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"; the Roommates did "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening; BILLY WARD AND THE DOMINOES cut The Gypsy"; the Orioles revived "I Cover the Waterfront", and James Brown and His Famous Flames covered "Prisoner of Love." There were many more.

Charlie Fuqua died in 1970 at the age of 60. Deek Watson passed away in November of 1969, and Bill Kenny died in 1978. Herb Kenny represented the Ink Spots when they were inducted into the 1992 UGHA Hall of Fame. He performed onstage and gave a moving tribute to his brother Bill and the other original Ink Spots. Sadly, Herb Kenny died several months later.

The Delta Rhythm Boys

Quick: Which singers performed in more motion pictures than any other group in history? The Beatles? Wrong. THE MILLS BROTHERS? Wrong again. The Delta Rhythm Boys appeared in 15 films from the early '40s to 1956. But this was only one of the many achievements of the pioneering rhythm and blues group. If their name doesn't have the same familiar ring as THE INK SPOTS or Mills Brothers it's because their 50-year career yielded only one chart hit. But in terms of singing, they were a hit every time out and became popular through the media of radio, live performances, films, and even Broadway shows.

Their story begins at Langston University in Oklahoma. Second-year student Lee Gaines had been chosen by school president Dr. Isaac Young to form a university quartet. Lee, a sousaphone player who had led his freshman vocal quartet to a first prize in class competition, recruited first tenor Elmaurice Miller, second tenor Traverse Crawford, and baritone Essie Atkins while keeping himself on bass. The group arranged to transfer to Dillard University of New Orleans after meeting Dr. Horace Mann Bond (father of politician Julian Bond), who got the boys excited about the new music program he was assembling at Dillard as its new dean. In their haste, the group arrived at Dillard a week before classes and had to move furniture and clean floors in order to settle in at the dorm ahead of time.

During the school year, the tutelage of Professor Frederick Hall and the various concerts at the college and in New Orleans sharpened the group's harmonies on their repertoire of folk songs, spirituals, and Mills Brothers pop. On a tour of Southern universities, the group was so well received that when they returned to school they were informed that their tuition fees and costs had been absorbed by the college, in effect grant-ing them full scholarships.

They would never get to use those scholarships fully, however: they met a radio personality from Buenos Aires who was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras to find an act for Argentine radio. When he came to the college and heard the Frederick Hall Quartet (they had named themselves after their musical mentor), Senor Adolpho Avaliz asked Dr. Hall if the group's services could be acquired for several months. The Doctor agreed they could go when school ended and kept the secret until the quartet's last appearance of the school year.

In the summer of 1936 the Quartet made their first professional appearance a continent away from home, performing in Buenos Aires and singing weekdays on Argentina Radio Splendid. A three-month stay turned into seven months of radio work, musical theatre, and performances in Peru and Chile. Having already missed half the school year, the group decided to take their career further by moving to New York. They took up residence on 135th Street and 7th Avenue in Harlem in the house where composer Eubie Blake was living. Blake heard the group rehearsing and tipped the boys to an audition for the Broadway show Sing Out the News, an integrated play requiring a black vocal group. The quartet won the audition over such luminaries as the DEEP RIVER BOYS and THE CHARIOTEERS. By now they were calling themselves the Delta Rhythm Boys. For the next few years their reputations grew through their 15-minutes-a-day radio show on CBS and other Broadway shows such as Hellzapoppin'' and Mike Todd's The Hot Mikado starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

In 1939 the group met Paul Kapp (brother of Decca Records exec Dave Kapp), and their lengthy recording career began with the recording on December 16, 1940, of four songs for that label. The first two songs, "Chilly and Cold"/"Gimme Some Skin," were released in March 1940. Meanwhile they kept up a whirlwind of performance activity, which culminated in a film contract with Universal Pictures.

The early '40s saw a new look for the Delta Rhythm Boys: Clinton Holland took over first tenor and was replaced shortly thereafter by Carl Jones Essie Atkins was replaced by Kelsey Pharr on baritone. Their multifaceted career continued. In 1942, they began playing Las Vegas (when it only had two hotels). They spent two years singing on the "Amos and Andy" radio show. By the beginning of 1945 they'd already recorded 20 singles (including five with Mildred Bailey and two with Fred Astaire) and appeared in 11 Universal films and shorts including Weekend Pass and Follow the Boys.

In June of 1945 Decca released the first of their sides done with Ella Fitzgerald, "It's Only a Paper Moon"/"Cry You Out of My Heart." "Paper Moon" was a particularly fine shuffle-beat smoothie that had Ella and the boys trading leads. In December of 1945 the Delta Rhythm Boys' 23rd 78 hit the market. "Just A-Sittin and A-Rockin" rose to number 17 on the pop charts- their first (and only) chart success.

In 1947, they signed with RCA Records, and among the many classic sides released on the label was the spiritual "Dry Bones" (done with the halfstep modulations that the group had used in auditions as far back as 1937) and an arrangement of Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train." If you wonder when the vocalese style (that groups like Manhattan Transfer used) started, it was most likely with this recording. Another nifty RCA release was the bouncy bass-led "Ain't Gonna Worry 'Bout a Soul." The group's success and diversified career can be attributed not just to their talent but also to their training, since the members could both write arrangements and read music.

In March of 1949 the Deltas recorded under the name the Four Sharps for Atlantic. Victor began reissuing several of their 78s on 45 rpm in April 1949, and Decca continued to record and release Rhythm Boys product. Still, they managed to back Ruth Brown on "I'll Come Back Someday" in 1950 on Atlantic and even recorded under their own name for that label in late 1949 with another bass led ballad, "Sweetheart of Mine." Possibly their best Atlantic effort was the jazz-tinged "If You See Tears in My Eyes" of March 1950.

In 1949, the Deltas made their first trip to Europe, performing in Stockholm and then London. They went on to record numerous Swedish folk songs in Swedish (for Metronome Records in Stockholm) and Finnish folk tunes in Finnish.

During a 1956 trip to Montreal, the group had an impromptu backstage visit from Albert Tavel of the French agency Tavel and Marouani. He managed to lure the group to Paris for a New Year's Eve show at the Moulin Rouge; it turned into a nine month engagement. The "vedettes Americaines" (American stars) became so popular that they signed to record with the French Barclay Records in 1957 and Vega Records in 1958.

In 196O, Kelsey Pharr died in Honolulu after a trip to Japan. Soon after, Carl Jones left to have more time with his family and was replaced by first tenor Herb Coleman. Hugh Bryant replaced Kelsey. With the American music scene changing rapidly, the Deltas found their appeal diminishing. Overseas they were royally received, however, so in the early 1960s the group made Paris their home base for years of European performances.

In 1974, Herb Coleman was shot in Paris and died in the arms of Lee Gaines. Original Delta member Traverse Crawford died in the following year. By 1979, the lineup was Gaines, Bryant, Walter Trammell on first tenor, and Ray Beatty on second tenor. The group had been together more than 50 years when founder Lee Gaines died on July 15th, 1987, in his home of only one year, Helsinki, Finland. In a bizarre scenario that brought the group more attention in America than it had received in more than 30 years, Hugh Bryant sang at Lee Gaines' funeral and upon completing the song died on the spot.

Though not as well-known as some other groups in America, the Delta Rhythm Boys' musical impact is undeniable. Jimmy Ricks, the legendary bass of THE RAVENS, chose a singing career due to his being enamored with Lee Gaines' singing. The Mills Brothers readily acknowledged them as their favorite group.

Web Author's Note

Carl Jones is still alive and appeared at the UGHA Hall of Fame to accept the honors on behalf of the Delta Rhythm Boys. Maybe the finest vocal group that ever sang.

The Flamingos

Elegant vocals, musical pioneers, living legends, all terms used by legions of music lovers to describe the Flamingos. The simplest and most direct accolade would be that they were the best vocal group in history. Not the most successful, not having the most outstanding lead or deepest bass, but for breathtakingly beautiful harmonies enveloping and supporting a lead there were none better.

In 1950 cousins Jake and Zeke Carey moved to Chicago's Douglas community from their native Baltimore, where ORIOLES legend Sonny Til had been a childhood friend and neighbor. They joined the local black Jewish Church of God and Saints of Christ Congregation on 39th and State and met Paul Wilson and Johnny Carter (later cousins to the Careys through marriage).

The foursome began singing in the choir, eventually spilling out onto the streets near 35th and 36th and Lake Park, the same area where the Highway QCs and Sam Cooke sang. The group owes part of its uniqueness to their early singing of Jewish hymns. Minor key melodies were prevalent, giving the music a feeling of foreboding or sadness, perhaps contributing to the eerie quality of the group's later singing on ballads like "Whispering Stars."

One of the member's sisters was dating a guy named Earl Lewis (not the CHANNELS lead), who became the group's lead singer. Johnny and Zeke were tenors, Paul was baritone, and Jake was bass. The quintet called themselves the Swallows for about six months until they got wind of the King Records group out of Baltimore. Each member then submitted a new idea and Johnny came up with El Flamingos, which they changed to the Five Flamingos.

They moved from the streets to house parties and clubs after attending a picnic in the fall of 1952. Another picnicker, Fletcher Weatherspoon, Jr., heard them harmonizing and took the quintet to a friend who owned a club called Martin's Corner. The group entered the Thursday night talent contest and won, a minor achievement considering they were the only contestants. Still, the owner liked them enough to book them the following night. Fletcher started taking the group to house parties to entertain for experience and exposure (in other words, no money).

One night while the Flamingos were playing Martin's Corner a representative of the King Booking Agency caught their act and recommended them to his boss, Ralph Leon, who soon became their manager. Fletcher was on his way to heed Uncle Sam's call so there was little possibility of a conflict of management. But before he left he discovered 19-year-old Sollie McElroy of Gulfport, Mississippi, at a talent show held by the Willard Theatre. Fletcher brought him to the group at a party, and Sollie became the new lead. Earl was unceremoniously kicked out since he lacked the strict discipline or serious attitude of the others and often missed rehearsals. He went on to sing with the Five Echoes (Satire, 1953).

By 1952 new manager Leon felt it was time to take his a cappella-trained music machine to a record company audition. He picked the most successful R&B label in Chicago at the time, United Records, but they weren't impressed with the technical perfection of the Five Flamingos, wanting a looser R&B group like all their others. The Five Flamingos (who ranged in age from 17, Paul, to 26, Jake) had strived to become qualitatively different (influenced by THE FIVE KEYS, ORIOLES, DOMINOES, CLOVERS, RAVENS, and FOUR FRESHMEN but intent on developing their own style) yet they had become too clean-sounding for United. While Leon was preparing his next move, Billboard noted in one of its columns that the Flamingos had signed with Savoy Records in 1952. This was not the same group, and curiously no recordings by an act named the Flamingos ever came out on Savoy.

In February 1953 Leon took the group to Art Sheridan's Chance label and they issued the ballad "If I Can't Have You" in the second week of March.

The label read "The Flamingos" even though they continued to perform as the Five Flamingos for almost two years. The quality of their vocals was immediately evident. Jake's bass notes were round and full, John's unique falsetto (which took to echo like a duck to water) was atmospheric and chilling, and Sollie's warm resonant lead was the perfect foreground for the Flamingos' background.

In July their second single came out, the Sammy Kaye hit (#2, 1947) "That's My Desire," which was done in a slow, controlled, yet sincere manner. It, too, did well regionally.

The third week of October ushered in the release of "Golden Teardrops," which many collectors call the most perfect-sounding single of all time. The Johnny Carter-penned balled opened with the most exquisite of intricate harmonies and soothed the listener with Sollie's passionate lead; Johnny and Jake roamed freely on top and bottom while Zeke and Paul tied it all together smoothly. In all, it was a breathtaking masterpiece that further spread their fame through the Midwest to the East, though it couldn't muster white radio interest in those days. (A reissue did go to number 108 on the Pop lists in the summer of 1961.) Unfortunately Art Sheridan felt that paying royalties was an acquired taste he'd never acquired, and the group had to live by their performances.

These were growing due to their new association with ABC (Associated Booking Company). They began doing shows with big jazz bands like the Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington outfits at places like the Regal in Chicago on Christmas 1953 and the Apollo in New York on February 19, 1954.

The Flamingos were not satisfied with just being musically unique and a notch better vocally. They choreographed themselves into a visually exciting performing group that would later be emulated by such R&B artists as THE FOUR TOPS and THE TEMPTATIONS. They also learned early on that to last over the long haul they should polish their skills on instruments; the Flamingos thus became the first musically self-contained R&B vocal group. It's a good thing, too, because Art Sheridan's ability to run a record label was far below that necessary to promote the outstanding product he had (Chance also had THE MOONGLOWS and THE SPANIELS). The quality of Chance's releases coupled with their rarity due to Sheridan's inept marketing ability have made all vocal group releases on Chance expensive collectibles.

July 1954 brought the release of "Plan for Love," a straightforward blues number made uncommon by the Flamingos' pristine harmonies, but it's doubtful Sheridan sent out many copies. "Cross Over the Bridge" was next in March, but the former Patti Page hit (#2, 1954) had the same fate as "Plan for Love."

Their last Chance release came in November 1954. "Blues in a Letter" was an okay blues, but the flip, "Volt Voit (Jump Children), " was the group's best jump tune and one that deserved a better-than-dismal fate. Alan Freed liked it so much he included a Flamingos visual performance of it in his film Go Johnny Go! five years (1959) after the tune's original release.

One of the Flamingos' best Chance recordings "September Song," was never issued on a single and wasn't out at all until a 1964 Constellation LP. So beautiful was their rendition that it's reported whenever Lionel Hampton would hear them perform it he'd break down in tears.

With Chance visibly failing, the group moved over to Chicago disc jockey Al Bensons Parrot label. Their first of three Parrot singles was a popish sounding ballad called "Dream of a Lifetime" in January 1955.

The Flamingos tackled a variety of musical styles in their recordings and weren't afraid to venture outside the traditional R&B mold. From pop standards and blues to Latin they traveled, even testing country in their version of Eddie Arnold's "I Really Don't Want to Know." It had a flip that offered the debut of new lead singer Nate Nelson, formerly of a Chicago group known as the Velvetones (not the Aladdin group).

Sollie decided to leave; he often felt separate from the group since he was of a different religion and not part of their family. He did join a group with United called the Morocco's and went on to do several fine leads for them, especially on "Sad, Sad Hours" and "Over the Rainbow." In 1961 he joined the Chaunteurs, of which two members, Eugene Record and Robert Lester, later became part of THE CHI-LITES.

Nate Nelson did a duet with Johnny Carter on the Flamingos' last Parrot single, "Ko Ko Mo," which was an attempt to capitalize on what Al Benson felt would be a hit after he heard the Gene and Eunice version in California. The real prize was the "I'm Yours" B side, unquestionably their best Parrot recording, but few heard it since "Ko Ko Mo" was the push side. The group was beginning to do better on the performing scene with tours of the U. S. and Canada arranged by agent Joe Glaser-including an appropriate stint in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel.

During this period manager Ralph Leon was arranging a new deal with the Chess brothers' Checker label when he suddenly died. The group took over its own business activities at this time and closed the Checker deal. They began recording in Checker's funky office studios and then re-recorded sides like "When' in a real studio. Ironically, the studio sides lacked the warmth of the office tracks and so their original takes were the ones released on the first few singles.

In the fourth week of April 1955, "When" was released to little response. "I Want to Love You" came in July and when it failed, its flip "Please Come Back Home," an even more potent ballad than "When," was released in September. Neither could break the national ice for the group.

Then in January 1956 Checker issued "I'll Be Home," supposedly written by disc jockey Fats Washington though New Orleans record distributor Stan Lewis got co-author credit (Nate Nelson actually wrote all but the first line from his navy experiences). "I'll Be Home" was the record the Flamingos had been working for. The beautiful ballad, warmly led by Nelson, was a Billboard "Spotlight" pick in their January 14th issue. "The boys blend smoothly and sweetly on a pretty ballad with a relaxed romantic tempo and a stand out performance by the lead singer," wrote the reviewer. "This one should grab off plenty of attention from jocks, jukes and cross-counter buyers." It did become their first national R&B charter, reaching number five in March.

Phil Groia, in his book They All Sang on the Corner, states that during Nelson's navy days, he would, when on leave in Newport News, Virginia, sit around, drink, and talk with an unknown vocal group who loved to sing Sonny Til and the Orioles songs. When Nate returned from overseas the local group had become THE FIVE KEYS.

Just before the release of "I'll Be Home," the Flamingos performed the song on a Tommy Small show which also included the nemesis of all R&B artists, Pat Boone. Several weeks after the show his pasteurized version came out and canceled out the group's early crossover airplay, monopolizing the pop charts at number four. Decades later his version is virtually forgotten and rarely if ever played on oldies radio while the Flamingos' version is acknowledged as an R&B ballad standard.

"A Kiss from Your Lips" was their stunning ballad follow-up with haunting harmonies reminiscent of THE DIABLOS "The Wind". Billboard's May 12, 1956, reviewer didn't think much of the song, however, stating, "Though the material on both sides is below par for this fine group the renditions should carry them into the money. This one's a ballad with an especially tender voice handling the lead throughout." It reached number 12 R&B in June.

Two more love songs followed ("The Vow" and "Would I Be Crying") but mysteriously missed their mark. Still, Alan Freed made sure to include the Flamingos in his movie classic Rock, Rock, Rock in 1956 performing "Would I Be Crying." Freed, who loved the Flamingos, sensed their greatness and wanted them immortalized on celluloid even though they didn't have a hit at the time. (He also included "The Vow" in his 1959 film Go Johnny Go!) Others sensed their greatness as well. In 1956 Irving Feld was packaging the first integrated rock and roll show, which was akin to hiring the first African-American to play in the big leagues. They had to be the best of the time, justifying the continuation of integrated music into the future. The bill included Bill Haley and the Comets, THE PLATTERS, FRANKIE LYMON AND THE TEENAGERS, Clyde McPhatter, and artists of equal caliber. Oh yes, and the Flamingos.

After "Would I Be Crying" the group broke up due to Zeke and Johnny's draft commitment.

In 1957 they regrouped with Jake Carey, Nate Nelson, Paul Wilson, and former Five Echoes member (Satire) Tommy Hunt. For the first time the group was a quartet. They signed with Decca Records, who then put a major promotion campaign together for their first 45, "The Ladder of Love, " in July. Checker, however, still held a contract on Nate and effectively killed the chances of that single- and subsequent Decca releases-with legal entanglements; it was a truly unfortunate set of circumstances for the group and their pretty ballad. It's reported that around this time Nate moonlighted as lead on Steve Gibson and the Red Caps' ABC-Paramount single of "Silhouettes" (Rays).

In August 1958 Zeke Carey returned while Johnny Carter eventually went on to sing with THE DELLS. Zeke, knowing of George Goldner's interest in the Flamingos, mediated an arrangement between George and Chess Records thereby freeing up Nate and allowing the group to sign with End Records in late 1958.

Though collectors and purists consider their best works to have been the Chance and Checker sides, the End recordings were some of their finest, most beautifully sung songs, the main difference stemming from the Flamingos' decision to change from recording originals to old standards in their full harmony style. This was Goldner's idea, according to Zeke Carey, who reports "George came up with the concept of an LP of standards for us. It was the only album we ever did that he picked every single song."

Their first End single, however, was a Paul Wilson-lsiah and Terry Johnson original (Terry was the group's guitarist and additional tenor) titled "Lovers Never Say Goodbye." One of the most beautiful of all R&B love songs, "Lovers" reached number 25 R&B and became the Flamingos' first pop success, lifting their voices to number 52 in the spring of 1959.

"But Not for Me" was the next single, setting the stage for (as Zeke put it) the Flamingos' national anthem (and their favorite), "I Only (Shoo Bop Shoo Bop) Have Eyes for You." The 1934 Eddy Duchin recording (#4), written by Al Warren and Harry Dubin, was a spectacular ballad as done in the inimitable Flamingos style, awash in echoing harmonies, Nate's buttery delivery, and Terry Johnson's flowing falsetto. "Eyes" charted Pop on June 1st and R&B June 15th. By mid-summer it was a national hit, missing the Pop top 10 by one notch while flying to number three R&B. The record received international acclaim and even made the Australian charts at number 32. Those rehearsals in their rooms at the Hotel Cecil (118th Street and 7th Avenue) in Harlem had truly paid off. All this excitement caused Decca to continue releasing the 10 sides they'd recorded, coming out in May with "Kiss-A-Me" while Checker repackaged "Whispering Stars" b/w "Dream of a Lifetime" and put out an LP under the latter title's name.

In 1958 the Flamingos did a rare backup for Bo Diddley on an even rarer ballad performance for Bo titled "You Know I Love You," which was not released until 1990 when MCA put out a special Bo Diddley boxed set. It was the most subdued performance ever heard from BO, and the Flamingos' prominent harmonies seem to have mellowed the rocker. Zeke maintains he was not on the Diddley backup though he did recall backing Gone artist Ral Donner with Jake on one long-since-forgotten single.

1959 to 1961 was the group's most prolific period chart- and album-wise. End put out four LPs in four years along with such outstanding singles as "Love Walked In" (#88 Pop, July 1959), "I Was Such a Fool" (#71 Pop, November 1959), "Mio Amore" (#74 Pop, #26 R&B, June 1960), "Your Other Love" (#54 Pop, November, 1960), and "Time Was" (#45 Pop, June 1961).

By 1961 Tommy Hunt had left to pursue a solo career, he came up with a few minor hits for Scepter including "Human" (#48, fall 1961).

In the spring of 1964 the Flamingos returned to Checker for a few sides. They recorded an incredible Latin-rhythmed version of Oscar Hammerstein's "Lover Come Back to Me" that would have established a whole new legion of Flamingos followers had radio given it a chance to be heard. (Proving the group's greatness no matter what some wacked-out A&R man handed them, the Flamingos recorded "Lover Come Back to Me" [Polydor, 1970] as a funk balled and still came out sounding good.)

In 1965 the veterans joined Phillips Records and released a funk/doo wop version of Bing Crosby's 1934 (number three) hit "Temptation."

In early 1966 they applied an "l Only Have Eyes for You" treatment to Hoagy Carmichael's song "The Nearness of You" and the effect was brilliant. It was the flip, however, that got the action: "The Boogaloo Party," a catchy dance tune sung mostly in unison, became their first R&B charter in six years (#22, #93 Pop). Trivia question: Out of all the fantastic Flamingos recordings ever made, which is the only single ever to make the British charts? Right! "The Boogaloo Party" (#26, and it took three and a half years to get there, charting in June of 1969).

By late 1966 Nate Nelson had left Atco, where he had recorded one excellent single with the Starglows (a Flamingos sound-alike) called "Let's Be Lovers." He shifted to Musicor Records as lead of the Platters, and one of his first singles was a beautiful remake of the song he'd sung years before with the Flamingos, "I'll Be Home."

The Flamingos' last charter was a 1970 ode to the black cavalry soldiers of the 1880s titled "Buffalo Soldier" (#86 Pop, #28 R&B). A few singles for Roulette, Worlds, Julmar, and their own Ronze label (including three LPs shifting between an old and new sound) and the Flamingos were finished with recording.

In the early '90s they were still performing with Zeke and Jake at the helm along with relative newcomers Archie Saterfield, Kenny Davis, and Ron Reace, and singing a wider variety of material than ever.

Though they've had only one national top 20 hit and only 11 national charters all told, the artists they've influenced (including THE TEMPTATIONS, Diana Ross and THE SUPREMES, THE JACKSON FIVE, THE SPINNERS, SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES, HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES, and GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS to name just a few) testify to their significance.

When Dick Clark wanted the best for his "Rock & Roll: The First Twenty-Five Years on TV," the Flamingos were there. When the 1988 Grammy Awards wanted the best of the '50s, the Flamingos were there. After almost 40 years it's good to know the best are still around.

Bobby Lester and The Moonglows

One of the most innovative vocal groups, the MOONGLOWS perfected a blend that practically defines blow harmony. It was around 1950 when Harvey Fuqua (nephew of INK SPOTS great Charlie Fuqua) and Bobby Lester began singing for fun in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

By 1952, Harvey and Danny Coggins (lead), both just out of the service, found themselves in Cleveland harmonizing with Prentiss Barnes. The trio was jazz-oriented originally and called themselves the Crazy Sounds. They soon brought in Bobby Lester from Louisville and Alexander "Pete" Graves of Cleveland; Coggins dropped out. The lineup in late 1952 was Bobby Lester (22, lead), Pete Graves (17, tenor), Harvey Fuqua (22, baritone), and Prentiss Barnes (31, bass), who was the brother of SPANIELS lead "Pookie" Hudson.

Influenced by groups like THE RAVENS and ORIOLES, the new quartet started to develop that deep warm sound they would later be famous for, and Harvey began writing songs with Bobby working out the vocal leads. The group would then go into clubs and ask if they could perform. Some said no but the ones that said yes gave them a chance to perform the rhythm and blues hits of the day like "Crying in the Chapel" (Orioles) and "I Woke Up This Morning" (B. B. King).

It was at one such club, the Chesterfield Lounge in Cleveland, where they were heard by Al "Fats" Thomas. He was so knocked out that he called his friend, a local disc jockey at WJW, and had him listen to the group over the phone while they were performing. The disc jockey was none other than Alan Freed, and he liked what he heard enough to bring the group right into WJW to record what would become their first single, the Fuqua-Lester composition "I Just Can't Tell No Lie," on Freed's own instantly created Champagne label. He also changed their name to reflect his own on-air "Moondog" persona by renaming them the Moonglows. The label read "Al Lance" as writer, which was Freed's pen name. Released in late 1952 the blues ballad gave the world the first taste of Bobby Lester's incredibly smooth and soulful lead and a rough introduction to Moonglows harmonies of the future.

The record did well within the range of Freed's voice and sold almost lO,000 copies, but he mysteriously never followed up with another. Contrary to popular opinion, according to Fuqua, Freed did not take the group to Chance Records. When the Moonglows saw nothing happening after their first release (except for the stage shows they were doing for Freed), they went to Chicago on their own to Chess Records (Phil Chess had been in the WJW office, probably promoting Chess product, when the Moonglows first recorded). They never got to see Chess, but since the Chance label was only a few blocks away (1151 East 47th Street to Chess's 950 East 49th Street), the group walked over to Chance and sang three new Fuqua compositions, "Hey Santa Claus," "Baby Please," and "I Was Wrong" for Ewart Abner, general manager of the label. He and owner Art Sheridan liked every song and signed them. They cut the blues ballad "Baby Please" (which was Harvey's favorite of the Chance sides) and a harmony-filled jumper, "Whistle My Love" as the group's first single, issued the fourth week of October 1953. It sold well in the Chicago and Cleveland areas.

The Alan Freed connection was obviously still active since both sides of their first and subsequent Chance originals had the writer credits Fuqua-Freed. ("I Was Wrong" actually read Freed-Fuqua. It was just the way things were done in those days, and a resigned Harvey has stated, "Alan would sit there and throw a word in every now and then so, ya know, we'd give him credit for that, sometimes all the credit."). For Christmas, Chance issued two Moonglows originals, the rockin' "Hey Santa Claus" and another soulful blues ballad, "Just a Lonely Christmas." They are R&B Christmas standards today.

In February 1954 their third Chance release was the only non original, a cover of the January 1954 Doris Day-sung, Fain-Webster song "Secret Love," done in a beautiful Moonglows setting. Though Beside rockers were mandatory, "Real Gone Mama" was a first-class jazz-tinged jump side.

Their biggest Chance single was their next 45, "I Was Wrong" in June 1954, a rhythm ballad with a bluesy melody, a great bass part, and a jumpin' bridge that was another solid example of the Moonglows carving their own vocal niche. The group's last Chance side "219 Train" was during Chance's decline and so the song received no promotion, relegating a good R&B record to instant extinction. The Moonglows left Chance after those five classics for the standard reason: no royalties and no royalty statements.

In the fall of 1954 the quartet signed with Chess for records and the Shaw agency for bookings, and two years of struggling started to pay off. "Sincerely," another Fuqua-penned ballad (that naturally read Fuqua-Freed) was issued in November 1954 and in March 1955 made the national Jukebox top 20. It reached number one R&B in early 1955 and stayed there two weeks. Had they not been covered by THE MCGUIRE SISTERS(#]Pop) they no doubt would have had a bigger hit, though some maintain the McGuire's access to white radio gave the song its status as a standard. (Harvey acknowledges that the bridge on "Sincerely" is almost exactly the bridge of THE DOMINOES' 1952 rocker "That's What You're Doin' to Me, " so whether they knew it or not, the McGuire girls covered two R&B groups in one song.)

The same month that Chess released "Sincerely," they issued a Lester-Fuqua duet, "Shoo Doo Be Doo," as Bobby Lester and the Moonlighters. Feeling they had an up-tempo hit but not wanting to wait for "Sincerely" to die down and not wishing to distract from the ballad image they were projecting, Chess's sister label Checker became home to the Moonlighters. Though not charting nationally, "Shoo Doo Be Doo" received extensive airplay and sales in pockets of the country, and booking agents looking to hire the group found out that to get them, they had to take the Moonglows too (I wonder why). The Moonlighters' schizophrenia lasted for one more single in 1954. "Hug and a Kiss" failed and they went back to being full-time Moonglows.

In February 1955, a simple "doe doe doe" bass intro led listeners into "Most of All, " one of the most beautiful of all Moonglows masterpieces. With Bobby's soaring lead and the group "blowing" through the bridge, "Most of All" and its four-part harmony "ooh wah" ending reached number five R&B but mysteriously failed to chart Pop. In June 1955 "Foolish Me," with its ascending and descending slur harmonies and Bobby's potent lead, came out but couldn't chart.

On September 10th Billboard reviewed the Moonglows' "Starlite" and "In Love," writing, "The boys come through with showmanly vocal performances on two fine songs. 'Starlite' is a dreamy ballad with a poignant warbling stint by the group's lead singer. 'In Love' is a delightful rhythm ballad, highlighted by a fascinating phrasing gimmick on the title. The platter has a bright future." Wishful thinking for the reviewer and countless music lovers. "Starlite" stiffed. Apparently Chess was in a "don't spend a dime on promotion' period.

If "Starlite's" failure was a sin, the loss of its follow-up, the fluid bluesy rhythm ballad "In My Diary," was pure sacrilege. The last Moonglows single of 1955, its beauty was heard only in scattered spots throughout the country. The record sold more as a collector's favorite in the '60s and '70s than it did upon release.

The ultra commercial "We Go Together" in March 1956 was next and by the summer it was number nine R&B. Their next became their only two-sided charter. "When I'm with You," with its chime harmony, sent kids swooning to the tune of number 15 R&B. Written by Fuqua and Dallas (Bobby Lester's real name), it is acknowledged by Harvey as being one of his favorite Chess sides. The "See-Saw" flip had unfamiliar credits (Davis-Sutton and Pratt); Freed's name was no longer showing up on Moonglows sides. Pratt, by the way, was Harry Pratt, a.k.a Harvey Fuqua. "See-Saw" outdistanced "When I'm with You" and by the fall of 1956 had reached number six R&B. "See-Saw" was the Glows' first record with a jazz group backing in the form of James Moody's rhythm section. Harvey admits with a chuckle that he kept writing up-tempo B sides in hopes he'd get a chance to sing lead; he readily acknowledged no one could touch Bobby on a ballad.

In 1956 the group had its first appearance in a film when Alan Freed brought them to the soundstage of the teen classic Rock Rock Rock, along with THE FLAMINGOS, Chuck Berry, and Tuesday Weld in her screen debut (with Connie Francis singing for her). The two songs the Moonglows sang in the film were the Ben and A1 Weisman ballad "Over and Over Again" and "I Knew from the Start," which became their next two-sider in 1956 (but not until a fast version of "Over and Over Again" was recorded and released around the same time with the same record number.) Their last single of 1956, "Don't Say Goodbye," cast the Moonglows as one of the first R&B groups to use strings.

By 1958 Bobby's voice was conspicuous in its absence, a problem magnified by the lack of quality material except for one gem supposedly written by a mysterious M. Paul titled "Ten Commandments of Love." The group was now called Harvey and the Moonglows, and their harmony intro and Harvey's listing of the commandments of love made the record a favorite love song of 1958 and an all-time classic. It ultimately charted number 22 Pop and number nine R&B. M. Paul turned out to be the nine-year-old son of one of the Chess brothers, but before you consider him a protégé, note that when the legal smoke cleared, it turned out that Fuqua had actually written the song.

"I'll Never Stop Wanting You," recorded in 1956, was issued in January 1959. Billboard's January 19th issue reported, "This one starts with some pleasant vocal harmonies, followed by a devoted lead performance [Lester] in a slow rock tempo. The cat really put his heart in this. Watch it!" Without Bobby Lester, the Moonglows lacked vibrancy and a sense of purpose, and Fuqua knew it.

During one period, Harvey and the guys were performing at the Howard Theatre in Washington when a 14-year-old kid came up to Harvey before the show and asked if he would listen to the teen's group. Harvey was mainly interested in eating at the moment so he told Prentiss Barnes to talk to the kid. When Fuqua returned, Prentiss had brought the youngster into the dressing room. Harvey was now cornered so he asked, "Where's your group?" "Outside," the teen replied. Harvey went to the Howard Theatre alleyway where the Marquees, to quote Harvey, "sang me in the gutter-with our own songs!" The kid, by the way, was one of two lead singers. His name was Marvin Gaye.

The Marquees (who recorded one great rocker in 1957, "Hey Little Schoolgirl" b/w "Wyatt Earp" for Okeh) were fresh and exciting. So Harvey finished up the week with the Moonglows, but instead of going to Baltimore to continue the tour he folded the group and took the Marquees with him to Chicago. The members besides Gaye (baritone) were Reese Palmer (first tenor), James Nolan (first tenor), and Chester Simmons (first tenor/baritone).

In Chicago, Mr. Harvey (as Marvin used to call him) added Chuck Barksdale of THE DELLS to the group on bass and proceeded to cut the next "Moonglows" single, the ballad "12 Months of the Year," with Marvin doing a bland talking intro. Despite Harvey's enthusiasm, Barksdale's bass, and a budding Marvin Gaye, the new Moonglows couldn't shine the old Moonglows' shoes.

In 1960 the new Moonglows dispersed and Harvey and Marvin went off to Detroit. While there Harvey married the sister of the young songwriter who had co-written a late Moonglows trifle called "Soda Pop." Her name was Gwen and his name was Berry, as in Gordy.

In 1961 Harvey set up his own Tri-Phi label signing groups like the Five Quails and THE SPINNERS, whom Harvey trained as a cross between the Moonglows (blow harmony and all) and a soulful HiLo's type group. Meanwhile Chess issued its last Moonglows single, a 1956 recording and one of the group's most beautiful ballads, "Blue Velvet." Harvey molded the Spinners so well that their recording of "That's What Girls Are Made For" (with Marvin Gaye playing drums) sounded like Harvey was on lead even though it was Bobby Smith. Harvey sang on all the Five Quails and Spinners records on Tri-Phi.

In 1964 Pete Graves formed another Moonglows including Doc Green (THE FIVE CROWNS, Rainbow), George Thorpe, and Bearle Easton (both from the Velvets, Red Robin). They tried to recreate the old group's sound on five singles for Lana (from the Chess days), one single for Times Square, and one for Crimson.

In 1970 Bobby Lester, who was now managing a Louisville nightclub, returned to perform with a local group called the Aristocrats. Within a year he turned the quintet into a new Moonglows with Albert Workman, Bobby's cousin Gary Rodgers, Robert Ford, and Billy McPhatter (son of the late DRIFTERS lead Clyde McPhatter). They performed at the Academy of Music in 1971 but after the show the backups wanted to go home to Louisville while Bobby wanted to continue on. He contacted Fuqua and they went about the task of restructuring the group.

In 1972, three-fourths of the original Moonglows group (Fuqua, Lester, and Graves), along with Chuck Lewis and Doc Williams, recorded an LP for Philadelphia deejay George Woods' Big P label. The album was then bought by RCA. The LP was called Return of the Moonglows and had remakes of "When I'm with You," "Most of All," "I Was Wrong," "Ten Commandments of Love," and "Sincerely ' 72," which started like the original and then got funky after one verse. The latter song reached number 43 on the R&B chart in the summer of 1972 and became the Moonglows' last chart record.

A performance in Boston in January 1979 was taped and issued as the Relic LP, Bobby Lester and the Moonglows' One More Time, featuring many of the old favorites. These Moonglows stayed together until Bobby's sad demise in October 1980 of cancer. The group was to appear at Madison Square Garden on November 14th, so to keep the tradition alive, Billy McPhatter rejoined the group and performed for the five-thousand-plus fans who had come to hear the Moonglows, a group that hadn't had a pop hit in 22 years. In 1983 Fuqua was invited to appear at the Grammy Awards and brought the remainder of his RCA version of the group. It was this same foursome that appeared at Radio City Music Hall in April 1986.

Billy McPhatter's group of Moonglows, with Robert Lee Davis, Gary Rodgers, Peter Lawford, and Bruce Martin carried the tradition into the late '80s. Entering the '90s the newest member was none other than Bobby Lester's son.

Today, Prentiss Barnes is retired and living in Macomb, Mississippi. Alexander Graves is also retired. Harvey Fuqua is anything but retired. After selling his Tri-Phi operation to his brother-inlaw Berry Gordy, Jr., he became the head of Motown's Artist Development Department. He discovered Tammi Terrell, wrote and produced numerous hits including "What Does It Take" for Junior Walker (an original Tri-Phi artist), and produced "Someday We'll Be Together" for THE SUPREMES. Today he is still writing and works closely with Smokey Robinson. His song "Sincerely" was nominated for a 1990 Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance by a Country Group known as the Forrester Sisters (who had a top 10 country hit with it). And as recently as 1991 the Moonglows original was used in the box office smash Good Fellas. The Moonglows are simply an American vocal legend, and deservedly so.

Pookie Hudson and The Spaniels

It was the R&B and rock and roll sound of the Spaniels that brought about the formation of one of R&B's legendary labels, Vee-Jay Records.

Gary, Indiana, natives Ernest Warren (first tenor), Opal Courtney, Jr. (baritone), Willie Jackson (second tenor), and Gerald Gregory (bass) met and started singing in Roosevelt High School. The unnamed quartet had heard schoolmate James "Pookie" Hudson sing, and they convinced him to sing with them for the school talent show. They debuted as Pookie Hudson and the Hudsonaires for the Christmastime 1952 show and fared so well they decided to continue as a quintet. The 11th-graders began rehearsing and performing Pookie penned songs like "Baby It's You" at local churches and talent show performances, with Pookie's smooth and smoky lead marvelling the masses. The group was looking for a new name when Gregory's wife heard them singing and told them they sounded like a "bunch of dogs." Not wanting to join the bird group club they went for the name the Spaniels.

In the spring of 1954 the group visited a local record shop owned by James Bracken and Vivian Carter Bracken of WWCA. The group's singing convinced the Brackens to start their own label named after the couple's first-name initials (V. J. ). The Brackens moved their operation to Chicago and on May 5, 1953, the Spaniels recorded "Baby It's You" and "Bounce." The 45, issued as Vee-Jay 101 in July 1953, had a bouncy ballad piano, bass, and melody line that surfaced in numerous later recordings (THE CAPRIS' "Oh My Darling" [1954] and THE 1959 JESTERS' "So Strange" [1957]). "Baby It's You" started getting enough radio response and sales in the Chicago area to interest the larger Chance label. (In later years, Vee-Jay would own and distribute all of Chance's recordings.) On September 5th "Baby" hit number 10 on the national R&B Best Seller and Jukebox charts.

The follow-up, "The Bells Ring Out" was a mellow bluesy ballad with lots of vocal harmony but it received only some local play. The Spaniels were the first of the successful Midwestern R&B groups. They were also one of the first (if not the first) R&B groups to perform with the lead singer on one mike and the group on another and they initiated a trend toward using tapdance routines in live shows. In terms of original material, Pookie's songs did not come about through the traditional formula. Normally the group would just walk down a street and harmonize till something came together.

In March 1954 Vee-Jay released "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight," about which billboards' reviewer wrote, "Almost pop-like piece of material. The imitation of the sounds of a sax by the bass singer gives this side a gimmick which helps greatly. Strong wax." (In a 1970s interview with Alan Lee and Donna Hennings, Pookie Hudson stated that Gregory was not attempting to imitate a sax but rather trying to keep the guys on pitch. ) The success of "Goodnight" prompted THE MCGUIRE SISTERS (#7) to cover it for the white market, stealing a lot of the Spaniels' thunder. But their version still managed to peak at number five R&B in the sum-mer of 1954. It became one of the most requested records on oldies radio.

Pookie and company's next single, "Let's Make Up," earned more for writer Hudson as someone else's B side than it did as his A side. That's because the voice of Walter Schumann had it on the flip of the hit "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (#14, 1955). On June 11, 1954, the Spaniels made the first of numerous appearances at the Apollo in New York, long with Joe Turner and Arnett Cobb's Orchestra. In August they toured with the second annual "Biggest R&B Show" through the Midwest with THE DRIFTERS, the Counts, Erskine Hawkins, Roy Hamilton, and King Pleasure, winding up on September 12th at the Brooklyn Paramount.

Their mid-tempo "Do Wah" single of May 1955 failed, but the follow-up "You Painted Pictures" reached #13 R&B in October and kept the Spaniels working.

Opal Courtney, Jr. was then drafted and replaced by Vee-Jay A&R man Cal Carter for a few months until James "Dimples" Cochran took over. Shortly thereafter, Ernest Warren was drafted and the group continued recording as a quartet. Two subsequent singles, "False Love" and "Dear Heart," drifted off into obscurity.

With records not selling, Pookie and Willie left. The roster now read Carl Rainge (lead), Gerald Gregory (bass), James Cochran (baritone), and Don Porter (second tenor). This contingent lasted for only one single in 1956 ("Since I Fell for You") until Pookie rejoined and began creating some of the group's most outstanding sides: "Peace of Mind," "Everyone's Laughing" (which became their one and only Pop charter at number 69, July 1957), the solid rhythm number "Tina," and an exciting fast version of the standard "Stormy Weather."

The story goes that in 1958 Pookie Hudson was performing with the group at the Casbah Club in Washington, D.C., at a time when a gospel act, the Nightingales, were also there. The 'Gales had a song called "The Twist" that they offered to the Spaniels since they couldn't record secular songs and still keep their gospel following. The Spaniels passed on it, and HANK BALLARD put it out shortly thereafter. When Chubby Checker had his hit version of it, the Spaniels must have kicked themselves for letting it get away. It's unclear how the Nightingales came upon the song, though they probably had heard Hank and the Midnighters performing it before it was released since Hank is the acknowledged author of the song and the Nightingales never publicly claimed to have created it.

By 1960 the Spaniels were Hudson, Ernest Warren (who was back again), Gerald Gregory, Bill Carey, and Andy McGruder (former lead of the Five Blue Notes on Sabre). They recorded the group's last Vee-Jay single, "I Know," in 1960, and it reached number 23 R&B that summer.

By 1961 McGruder and Gregory had left. Road manager Ricky Burden took over on bass for "For Sentimental Reasons" (Neptune). Pookie did a few solo sides for Jamie and in 1962 cut "I Know, I Know" backed by THE IMPERIALS minus Little Anthony for Lloyd Price's Double-L label. In the late '60s Pookie formed his own North American Records and issued "Fairytales" (with the Imperials backing again). It was picked up by Nat McCalla's Calla Records (distributed by Roulette), becoming Pookie's last chart single (#45 R&B) in the fall of 1970.

Two more North American singles were issued in the early '70s with a new Spaniels lineup of Hudson, Charles Douglas (first tenor), Alvin Wheeler (second tenor), Alvin Lloyd (baritone), and the group's former guitarist Pete Simmons (bass). Douglas was replaced by Andrew Lawyer (the Truetones), and the group recorded a remake of "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" for Buddah.

Their last release was for Henry Farag's Canterbury label of Gary, Indiana, in 1974 when Hudson, Rainge, Cochran, and Porter recorded a contemporary version of "Peace of Mind" and two B sides, "She Sang to Me" and an a cappella arrangement of "Danny Boy."

Pookie and the Spaniels remained active and were one of the more in-demand acts on the oldies circuit. Though they never had a pop hit, oldies radio made them popular far beyond the R&B audience. Their recordings remain excellent examples of fine R&B and rock and roll, and Pookie's sound remains unique.

Web Author's Note

Pookie Hudson is still performing with a Spaniel's group. Opal Courtney and Willie C. Jackson are also alive. Sadly, one of the greatest bass singers of all time, Gerald Gregory died in 199.

Pirkle Lee Moses & The Eldorados

Any group that can call themselves the Five Stars even though they have six members must have an interesting history, and the El Dorados do. Actually the original group did have five members when they formed in the Englewood section of Chicago's south side in 1952 while attending Englewood High School (the same school the Moroccos went to).

The roster included Pirkle Lee Moses, Jr. (lead), Louis Bradley (tenor), jewel Jones (second tenor and baritone), James Maddox (baritone and bass), and Robert Glasper (bass). In one of the unusual twists of their career, they were so well liked by the school's custodian, Johnny Moore, that he became their manager. In 1954 Moses and Glasper took advantage of the air force's 90-day active duty program, but while Moses returned Glasper stayed in. By then, Arthur Bassett (tenor) had temporarily replaced Moses, and Richard Nickens came in for Glasper. The Five Stars were now six, and a name change was inevitable. They were about to become the Cardinals (with no knowledge of New York's Atlantic group) when the car-group craze hit. Since they couldn't call themselves the Cadillacs, why not its hottest model, the luxurious El Dorado?

Their exciting harmony blend made them a hot local act, and at one particular talent show at the Club De Lisa (where they won first prize) they came to the attention of Chicago disc jockey Al Benson. He arranged for an audition of sorts at a contest Vee- Jay Records was holding at the Park City Skating Rink in which groups were challenged to compete against Vee-Jay's own SPANIELS. The El Dorados rose to the occasion, winning the contest and a recording contract with Vivian Carter's label. Their first release came in September 1954. While nothing out of the ordinary, the blues ballad "My Loving Baby" introduced the public to Pirkle's voice and was a regional seller.

The El Dorados next effort had them backing up Hazel McCollum on Vee-Jay's contribution to the ongoing "Annie" saga begun by the Midnighters in early 1954 and that eventually included "Work with Me Annie" (February 1954), " 'Sexy Ways" (June 1954), and "Annie Had a Baby' (August 1954). So it was that in the third week of October, "Annie's Answer" opened the floodgates for such additional responses as "My Name Ain't Annie" (Linda Hayes), "Annie's Aunt Fannie" (with the Midnighters still at it), and the unforgettable "Annie Kicked the Bucket" (the Nutones).

Arthur Bassett soon left for the call of the wild blue yonder (less romantically known as the air force), and the sextet became a quintet.

On December 3, 1954, the El Dorados had drawn 6,700 people to the Sixth Annual WDIA Radio Goodwill Review in Memphis along with the Five Cs (United), Gatemouth Brown (Peacock), and Eddie Boyd (Chess). In February 1955 they had spent a week at the Apollo Theatre in New York with Willie Mae Thornton, Charlie and Ray, and Danny Overbea.

In the third week of September 1955, Vee-Jay released "At My Front Door." It had an intro that seemed to sneak up, leading into Al Duricatis pounding drum rhythm and El Dorados harmonies. Before one could catch a breath the group kicked in with "wop, wop, doodley wop, wop wop doodley, wop, wop, wop" followed by a rousing sax solo. The "baby talk" pre-finale by Pirkle made the record soar even further, and the story of that "crazy little mama" became as legendary as "Annie." "At My Front Door" stormed the Billboard R&B chart on September 24th and the Top 100 on October 15th.

By the end of the year it was number 17 as a Pop Best Seller and number one R&B, hanging on for 18 weeks. All this despite more people walking into record stores asking for "Crazy Little Mama7 (the first line of the song) than for "At My Front Door" and despite the fact that the Pied Piper of pasteurized pop, Pat Boone, covered it, bringing his version to number seven Pop. The El Dorados'legend-ary status was now established, although the group itself could not foresee the song's future as a rock and roll standard.

Their follow-up to "Door," in the second week of December, was just slightly more restrained but every bit as good as "Crazy Little Mama." "I'll Be Forever Lovin' You' was a polished pop R&B panacea. The rocker exuded jazz, pop, and R&B overtones that should have clinched the group's hold on stardom, but although it made it to number eight R&B in February 1956, it never charted Pop. In fact, "Forever" (which was originally recorded by the Rip Chords and never released) was the last chart record the group would ever have.

The group then became a quartet when Richard Nickens left after "Forever." Of their next few releases the best shots were "A Fallen Tear" in a Marvin and Johnny styling that did well in a few cities, and an "At My Front Door" sequel titled "Bim Bam Boom," which should have been called "At My Back Door." Its name inspired the legendary oldies publication (Bim Bam Boom) formed in August 1971 through August 1973 by vocal group enthusiasts Sal Mon-drone, Bob Galgano, and Steve Flam.

"Tears on My Pillow" (not Little Anthony's record) was the last 45 of the original El Dorados; the group and Pirkle separated over a disagreement on new management. In 1957 Jones, Bradley, and Maddox left Vee-Jay and joined Academy Records of Chicago with new lead Marvin Smith. Their 1958 issue of "A Lonely Boy," a modest ballad that sounded older than it was, had smooth harmonies but an obtrusive and unnecessary flute. To avoid legal problems with Vee-Jay, the group's name was changed to Those Four El Dorados and Jewel Jones's name on the label was spelled J-u-e-l-l" (each member's name was listed).

Feeling the need for a change the group went west, hooked up with Don Barksdale (former NBA basketball star) and his Rhythm Record Company of Oakland, California, and did one single as the Tempos, a tough ballad titled "Promise Me." The flip, "Never Let Me Go," was an El Dorados-styled rocker that couldn't be hidden behind the Tempos' name. When Rhythm Records couldn't make it a success, the group returned to Chicago and split up in 1961. Marvin Smith went on to join the Artistics on Okeh and Brunswick Records as the lead for such R&B charters as "I'm Gonna Miss You'(#55 Top 100, #9 R&B, 1966) and "Girl I Need You" (#69 Top 100, #26 R&B, 1967).

Following the separation back in 1957, Pirkle had been left with no group; another Vee-Jay act, THE KOOL GENTS, had been left without a singer when their front man, Dee Clark, departed for a solo career. Presto! John McCall (tenor), Douglas Brown (second tenor), Teddy Long (second tenor and baritone), and Johnny Carter (bass) of the Kool Gents joined with Pirkle Lee Moses, Jr., to become the New El Dorados. They released two singles in 1958 for Vee-Jay, the best of which was an excellent shuffle ballad, "Lights Are Low," but when neither sold, Vee-Jay released the group.

By 1959 Pirkle's group was no more. Johnny Carter kept the name alive by forming a new El Dorados with John McCall, Danny Edwards, and Eugene Huff (the latter formerly of the Valquins on Gaiety in 1959 with "Falling Star") lasting until 1965. Carter tried again in 1971, hooking up with Huff, Spence Goulsby, Jr., and Lee Toussaint on lead for two sides on Paula. That group was gone by the early '80s. Pirkle recorded with an unknown group as the Squires in 1963 on Boss ("It's Time") and then did a solo effort titled "The Docks." In 1965 Pirkle, Melvin Morrow, and George Prager (the latter two late of the Moroccos) came together as the Major Minors.

In 1969 they once again became the El Dorados, doing a single for Torrid Records called "In Over My Head." Pirkle then quit for almost a decade but returned with another El Dorados with Norman Palm tenor (from THE PASTELS on United), Billy Henderson (second tenor), George Prayer (bari-tone), and Anthony Charles (bass). Circa 1985 Henderson left and Charles died. Gene Huff (of Carter's El Dorados) and Larry Johnson (Moroccos) took their places and the group recorded a ballad, "Ease the Pain," for Delano Records in 1987. In effect, that last El Dorados recording group contained members of four Chicago groups: the Palms, the Moroccos, the Kool Gents, and the El Dorados.

Web Author's Note

Sadly, Pirkle Lee Moses passed away in 2001.

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