MY FAVE 20 RECORDS BY A VOCAL GROUP
TODAY........FROM 1960
1.STAY - MAURICE WILLIAMS & THE ZODIACS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP-YQYMDazY
My favorite vocal group number of 1960 comes from the recently deceased
Maurice Williams & his guys. Maurice also featured in the recent 1957
episode of this series with the memorable “Sweetheart Please Don’t Go”
by his earlier group The Gladiolas. “Stay” was recorded for Al Silver’s Herald label and sold well enough to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot
Hundred. Licenced to Top Rank here in the UK it reached #10 on the NME
chart in January 1961
2. SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npK8DTKrAdU
With Ben. E King performing lead duty here “Save The Last Dance…” on Atlantic turned out to be the biggest Drifters hit of all reaching #1 on
the Billboard Hot Hundred in the US and spending SEVEN weeks at #2 here
in UK (kept off the top mostly by Elvis and “It’s Now Or Never”)
3. DON’T DOG ME – CLYDE McPHATTER (actually The Drifters)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NgMLL64k5U
Tho credited to Clyde and released in 1960 Atlantic reached way back to
1953 for this old Clyde-led Drifters recording one to use as the
flipside of his then-latest release on the label in 1960 “Just Give Me A Ring” (even tho the singer had been signed to MGM label for best part of
a year!). Appeared on London label in UK
4. SHOP AROUND – THE MIRACLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hho4FY6w6s
Motown’s first really big hit (#2 BB Hot 100 #1 BB R&B) and first big
hit (in a long line of them) for The Miracles (who had just grazed the
Hot Hundred earlier with their “Bad Girl” on Chess).”Shop Around” appeared here in UK on London label.
Interestingly there were two versions of “Shop Around” recorded on Tamla that included a slower version (commonly known as “The Detroit version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLY74jXJ_b0
5. LET’S GO,LET’S GO,LET’S GO – HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU8IZB5rKWU
The followup to their first big BB Hot 100 smash (not allowing for their original on “The Twist” that King had revived to combat the recent #1 Chubby Checker version) that scored #6 for the boys on BB Hot 100 #1 BB
R&B. Released in UK on Parlophone
6. HONKY TONKY – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQYs55HtNl0
Recorded 21 June 1956 in NYC with Johnny Moore (lead) plus Gerhart
Thrasher Charlie Hughes Bill Pinkney the track stayed in the vaults
until resurrected in 1960 on “The Drifters’ Greatest Hits” LP on
Atlantic (and on London in UK)
The song was also recorded by Dinah Washington
7. SINCE YOU’RE GONE – NOLAN STRONG & THE DIABLOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSPKh-pH__c
One of my most favorite of all vocal groups are The Diablos with the
striking vocals of Nolan Strong . From 1960 “Since You’re Gone” on Fortune is one of their very best IMO. One of the great crimes of the
20th century was that NOT ONE Diablos record was ever issued at the time
here in UK. Boo hoo!
8. SADIE MY LADY – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkvHXyprUn4
From the same session as “Honky Tonky” above and with same personnel the same notes apply here. Only difference is that as well as “The Drifters Greatest Hits” LP “Sadie My Lady” was also issued on a London single
here in the UK (on the flip of “I Count The Tears” replacing “Suddenly There’s A Valley” as in USA)
9. WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW – THE SHIRELLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z84YVaS8Njc
One of my very favorite girl group records as well as one of my very
favorite Carole King songs (my absolute fave of her songs is Aretha
Franklin's much later "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman").
This Shirelles was a huge #1 hit in early 1961 (and #2 r&b) in USA for
Scepter Released in UK on Top Rank and scored #3 hit in March 1961
10. SHOPPIN’ FOR CLOTHES – THE COASTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XetJMlt3-l4
One of the few occasions that Leiber & Stoller “borrowed” from another record when they absorbed much of the structure and rhythm of the 1956 “Clothes Line (Wrap It Up)” classic by Kent Harris (as “Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew”) on Crest and turned it into the great “Shoppin’ For Clothes” which fit The Coasters like a..um..glove when recorded for Atco
(and on London here in UK)
11. FINGER POPPIN’ TIME – HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAeea4S43JY
Their first big smash on the BB Hot 100 (and the record referred to in
the “Let’s Go X 3” piece above that graced the charts just before their original “The Twist” was revived to challenge the Chubby Checker
upstart. #7 for the boys on BB Hot 100 #2 R&B. Released in UK on
Parlophone
12. SUDDENLY THERE’S A VALLEY – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bgjPPUaJPk
From a session on April 28 1958 (that also produced “Drip Drop”) came “Suddenly There’s A Valley” featuring a dynamic Bobby Hendricks/Tommy Evans duet.The boys here revive the much-recorded song from 1955
originally by Grandma Fuck herself (alias Gogi Grant). In the USA it
came out as the flip to “I Count The Tears” In late 1960 as well as appearing on the “Greatest Hits” LP. Never a single here in UK (as noted above “Sadie My Lady” was the UK flip) it was confined to the LP
release on London
13. THIS MAGIC MOMENT – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bacBKKgc4Uo
A much more up to date Drifters recording from December 1959 with the by
now trademark lead of Ben E. King that reached #16 BB Hot 100 and #4
r&b. Released in the UK on London.
14. ONCE UPON A TIME – ROCHELL & THE CANDLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls_eozRsvFs
Representing the West Coast here come Rochell & The Candles from Los
Angeles with their memorable hit “Once Upon A Time” on the Swingin’ label. Reached #26 BB Hot 100 and #20 r&b. Apparently it was scheduled
for UK release on Top Rank but no such record appears in their files and
nobody here has ever seen a copy
15. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – THE SHIRELLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzCDwGw6tdA
Here’s those Passaic pussycats again with an earlier outing this time
that did quite well reaching #39 BB Hot 100 and #14 r&b. This was
famously covered by The Chiffons. Contrary to what Whitburn says these
were not the famous Bronx “He’s So Fine” group but another bunch of gals from Los Angeles. This Shirelles was on Scepter in US and London label
in UK
16. LONELY WINDS – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ_zY1Ah8SU
Benny at the helm here again as we wrap up the considerable Drifters consignment here today. Didn’t do quite as well as most other Drifters
discs of the time peaking at #54 BB Hot 100 but a more respectable #9
r&b. Atlantic label of course in USA and London here in UK
17. TO BE LOVED (FOREVER) – THE PENTAGONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM115N5ebl8
Smooth doowop favorite by this five man outfit from San Bernardino Ca. originally recorded for George Motola’s small Fleetwood International
label where it made enough noise to attract the attention of Bob Keane
who released it on his Del-Fi subsidiary Donna label selling well enough
to reach #48 on the BB Hot 100 in early 1961. Here in UK it appeared on
London but received very little airplay since I never heard it until
much later
18. DIAMONDS AND PEARLS – THE PARADONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5RpuM3b9-E
Four man group from Bakersfield Ca with the lovely number they are
renowned for recorded in 1960 for the small Milestone label. It reached
the BB Hot 100 at #18 and scored a #27 hit on their r&b chart. Here in
UK it appeared on Top Rank label
19. DANCE BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON – THE OLYMPICS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD7UiGol1cg
Regular hitmakers by this point in time The Olympics rock up the old
Tony Pastor “Dance With A Dolly” ditty from 1940 into one of their best performances since “Western Movies”. Released on the Arvee label it sold well enough t o reach #47 on the BB Hot 100 but failed to register on
the R&B chart. Here in UK it appeared on the Vogue label retitled back
to “Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stocking)”. No,I don’t know why either
20. HELP ME – THE DEL-CHORDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFS5ePB1BpY
Time to cruise way down south now to Dixie---Ville Platte,La to be
exact---and let the Del-Chords serenade us with this little beauty
recorded for Floyd Soileau’s Jin label by this group of whom I know
nothing more—save that this is a wonderful sound! (It goes without
saying that this never appeared on this side of the puddle but then
again I don’t suppose it graced the shelves of very many Queens or Bronx record stores either)
BUBBLING UNDER
That’s What You’re Doing To Me The Five Keys
The Wind The Jesters
Let’s Do The Cha Cha The Magnificents
That’s How It Goes The Jesters
Rendezvous With You The Desires
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