Doo Wop Party

The Clovers formed at Armstrong High School, Washington, D.C. in 1946.  An introduction to Lou Krefetz, a record sales distributor who became their manager, led to their first recording session for New York's Rainbow Records and the release of one single in November 1950 - Yes Sir, That's My Baby.  By the end of 1950 Bill Harris had joined as their guitarist; his blues and jazz inflected playing would become an integral part of their sound.  Krefetz then brought them to the attention of Atlantic Records who signed the group in February 1951.  The Clovers were immediately booked by the Shaw Artists agency to perform at the Apollo Theater in Harlem starting on the 15 February. The Clovers, now part of the United Artists' roster of acts, entered the studio for their first UA recording session in June 1959 which resulted in the July release of Love Potion No. 9 featuring Billy Mitchell on lead vocals.  Love Potion No. 9 (written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) became the biggest hit of their career peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart of November 1959. The Clovers received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award (1989).  The Clovers were inducted in the United in Group Harmony (UGHA) Hall of Fame (1991).  Inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (2002) and The Doo Wopp Hall of Fame (2003).  The Clovers were inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame 2013 class.

Dion & The Belmonts were formed in the Bronx, New York City.  The name The Belmonts was derived from the fact that two of the four singers lived on Belmont Avenue in the Bronx, and the other two lived near Belmont Avenue.  The group formed when Dion DiMucci, lead singer, joined The Belmonts – Carlo Mastrangelo, bass-baritone, Fred Milano, second tenor and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor, in late 1957. After an unsuccessful single on Mohawk Records in 1957, the group signed with Laurie Records in early 1958.  The breakthrough came when their very first Laurie release, I Wonder Why reached No. 22 on the Billboard Top 100 charts, and they appeared for the first time on the nationally televised American Bandstand show, hosted by Dick Clark.  Dion said of the Belmonts; I'd give 'em sounds. &bsp;I'd give 'em parts and stuff.  That's what 'I Wonder Why' was about.  We kind of invented this percussive rhythmic sound.  If you listen to that song, everybody was doing something different.  It was totally amazing.  When I listen to it today, often times I think, Man, those kids are talented.  Dion and the Belmonts were the sound of the city.  Their roots were groups like the Flamingos, the Five Satins, and the Dells; acts who developed their sound in urban settings on street corners, mimicking instruments with their voices, even complex jazz arrangements. In early 1960, Dion checked into a hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had since his mid-teens.  At the height of the group's success his drug dependency worsened.  When, Where or When, peaked, he was in a hospital detoxifying.  In addition, there were financial and musical differences between Dion and members of the Belmonts.  They wanted to get into their harmony thing, and I wanted to rock and roll, said Dion.  The label wanted me doing standards.  I got bored with it quickly.  I said, I can't do this.  I gotta play my guitar.  So we split up and I did, Runaround Sue, The Wanderer, and Ruby Baby.  In 2000, Dion and the Belmonts were inducted in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers were an integrated doo wop group with three African American members - Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes, and two Puerto Rican members - Herman Santiago and Joe Negroni.  They were most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed as rock's first all-teenaged act. The Teenagers had their origins in The Earth Angels, a group founded at Edward W. Stitt Junior High School in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan by second tenor Jimmy Merchant and bass Sherman Garnes.  Eventually, Garnes and Merchant had added lead singer Herman Santiago and baritone Joe Negroni to their lineup and evolved into The Coupe De Villes.  In 1954, 12-year-old Frankie Lymon joined the Coupe De Villes, who changed their name to first the Ermines and later The Premiers. The same year Lymon joined the group, he helped Santiago and Merchant rewrite a song they had composed to create Why Do Fools Fall In Love.  The song got the Teenagers an audition with George Goldner's Gee Records, but Santiago was too sick to sing lead on the day of the audition. Lymon sang the lead on Why Do Fools Fall in Love instead, and the group was signed to Gee as The Teenagers, with Lymon as lead singer. By 1957, the group was being billed as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.  This caused in-fighting, and by September Goldner had pulled Lymon out of the group to record solo.  However, both Lymon's career and those of the Teenagers fell into decline.  Frankie Lymon, at age 25, was found dead in his grandmother's bathroom from a heroin overdose.  His life was shown in the 1998 film, Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

The Cadillacs, from Harlem, New York City were active from 1953 to 1962.  The group was noted for their 1955 hit Speedoo, which was instrumental in attracting white audiences to black rock and roll performers. The group came together as The Carnations in 1953, with the members Earl Carroll (lead vocalist), Bobby Phillips, Lavern Drake (bass vocalist), and Gus Willingham.  As the group moved into the recording studios, James "Poppa" Clark was added as a fifth member, and the name was given to them.  The group's first recording came in July 1954, with Josie Records #765, featuring Gloria and Wonder Why. In 1955, Willingham and Clark left the group and were replaced by Earl Wade and Charles Brooks.  At this time, the group first began to experiment with choreography, suggested by manager Esther Navarro.  Later that year came the group's biggest hit, Speedoo, Carroll's nickname.  The Cadillacs were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

Wanderin' Spirit
February, 2014
"Doo Wop Party"

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