The Cleftones were an American vocal group formed in 1955, who were then called The Silvertones at Junior High School 40 in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. [1]
The Cleftones were an American vocal group formed in 1955, who were then called The Silvertones at Junior High School 40 in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. [1]
In 1955, the members of the group were high school students attending Jamaica High School in Queens, New York. [1] The group initially formed around the idea of writing a political campaign jingle for Jamaica High School's Independent Party, an unpopular group of students "made up of people who were typically also-rans in all the school activities", which included future members of The Cleftones. With this aim, Herbie Cox (lead singer), along with classmates Charlie James McGhee (first tenor), Berman Patterson (second tenor), Warren Corbin (bass) and William "Buzzy" McClane (baritone), changed the lyrics to "Gee", a then-popular rhythm-and-blues song by The Crows. Performing their version of "Gee" resulted in making the Independent Party popular and winning the school elections. The group began performing locally as "The Silvertones" in a variety of neighborhood concerts, such as at Hillcrest Jewish Center Day Camp in Queens. The hit song "Gee" was originally produced by "gruff music industry legend" George Goldner, who also signed the group, now renamed "The Cleftones", to a recording contract in 1955.
In their first effort as professional musicians, Corbin and Patterson wrote "You Baby You," which became a hit in 1955. [1] Herb Cox then wrote "Little Girl of Mine" and "Can't We Be Sweethearts," for the group. [1] However, after a few minor hits ("Why You Do Me Like You Do" & "See You Next Year") their next major hits would not come until years later. In 1961 the second generation of The Cleftones included Herb Cox, Charlie James, Warren Corbin, Gene Pearson (baritone from The Rivileers who replaced baritone William "Buzzy" McClane) and new addition Pat Spann, the first and only female to sing with the group. [1] In 1961 they reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Heart and Soul," a rearrangement of the 1938 song of the same name (a Number #1 by Larry Clinton and his orchestra, with Bea Wain on vocals). [2] The group followed that song with "For Sentimental Reasons" (1962), a rearrangement of a 1936 song of the same name. [2] However, the British Invasion of the mid-1960s took the audiences of The Cleftones and other doo-wop groups. [3] Gene Pearson left to sing with The Drifters from 1962 to 1966. The Cleftones broke up in 1964, three years after their "Heart and Soul" greatest success. [4]
In 2000, tenor Berman Patterson characterized his experience with The Cleftones:
It seemed like everybody and his brother had a singing group back in the '50s. I think we caught on because we didn't have that stereotypical rhythm-and-blues sound. We were bubblegum. Something bouncing and refreshing. But I'll tell you this: Once you got popular, you were expected to work. I can remember playing five shows a night at the Apollo Theater. We went on every hour and were paid $500 to split five ways. [5]
Lead singer Herb Cox (born Herbert Alexander Cox on May 6, 1938) died in Fayetteville, Georgia on December 7, 2019, at the age of 81. [6] [7] [8]
The Drifters are an American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and led by Ben E. King, were originally an up-and-coming group named The Five Crowns. After 1965 members drifted in and out of both groups and many of these formed other groups of Drifters as well. Several groups of Drifters can trace roots back to these original groups, but contain few—if any—original members.
The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in pop and doo wop music history. In 2001, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Ink Spots were an American pop vocal group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely accepted in both the white and black communities, largely due to the ballad style introduced to the group by lead singer Bill Kenny.
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet originating in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was changed to the Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel group until the mid-1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated on country music.
The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first recording in 1954 and two years later had their first R&B hit with "Oh What a Night". After disbanding due to a near-fatal car crash in 1958, the band reformed in 1960 with Funches being replaced by Johnny Carter. This lineup remained together until Carter's death in 2009. In 2004, The Dells were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group performed until illness forced longtime lead singer Marvin Junior and bass vocalist Chuck Barksdale into retirement, ending the group's 60-year run.
The Brown Dots were an American vocal group initially formed in late 1944, when second tenor Ivory "Deek" Watson left the Ink Spots. He immediately put together a competing Ink Spots group consisting of lead tenor Joe King, bass Jimmy Gordon, and an unknown baritone. By late January 1945, a lawsuit brought by the Ink Spots caused Deek Watson to claim that he would form a new group based on a "completely new idea". This new idea was simply to change their name to the Brown Dots and to sound as much like the Ink Spots as possible. At this time, the unknown baritone left, to be replaced by baritone/guitarist William "Pat" Best.
James Peter Giuffre was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He is known for developing forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating forms of free improvisation.
Serge Chaloff was an American jazz baritone saxophonist. The first and greatest bebop baritonist, Chaloff has been described as 'the most expressive and openly emotive baritone saxophonist jazz has ever witnessed' with a tone varying 'between a light but almost inaudible whisper to a great sonorous shout with the widest but most incredibly moving of vibratos.'
Gee Records was a New York-based American record label formed as a subsidiary to Gloria Gee George Goldner's Tico Records and Rama Records labels in 1953 to honor the million selling hit song "Gee" (1953). Sometime in 1955 Goldner sold 50% of Gee to Joe Kolsky who was a business partner of Morris Levy. Kolsky and Goldner then opened another label Roulette Records in 1957 with Levy as president. A few months later, Goldner sold his shares of Roulette, Rama, Gee, and Tico to the Morris Levy Combine. Goldner then proceeded that year to open two new companies Gone Records and End Records. Gee Records eventually became deactivated. When Gee Records was reactivated as a division of Roulette Records by president Morris Levy in early April 1961, The Cleftones' hit "Heart and Soul" (1961) became Gee Records first release.
The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocalion Records, Stop Records, and many other smaller independent labels.
"Heart and Soul" is a popular song composed by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser. It charted with different artists between 1938 and 1961. A simplified version is a popular piano duet.
Joe Negroni was an American singer of Puerto Rican descent. He was a rock and roll pioneer and founding member of the rock and roll group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
David Ernest White, also known as David White Tricker, was an American singer and songwriter. He formed the doo-wop quartet Danny & the Juniors, as well as being a founding member of the pop trio The Spokesmen. He wrote "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" and co-wrote a number of other hit songs, including "At the Hop", "You Don't Own Me", and "1-2-3".
Naturally 7 is an American music group with a distinct a cappella style they call "vocal play," which, according to group leader Roger Thomas, is "the art of becoming an instrument using the human voice to create the sound." They simulate the sounds of an instrumental band using only their voices, mouths and distortion effects. The group was formed in 1999 in New York City. It currently consists of the Thomas brothers Roger and Warren, Rod Eldridge, Ricky Cort, Dwight Stewart, Sean Simmonds, and N'Namdi Bryant.
Roy Charles Hammond, better known as Roy C or Roy "C", was an American southern soul singer, songwriter and record executive, best known for his 1965 hit, "Shotgun Wedding". Another song, "Impeach the President", which he recorded and produced with a high school group, the Honey Drippers, has had one of the most sampled drum tracks in hip hop music.
"(I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons" is a popular song written by Ivory "Deek" Watson, founding member of the Ink Spots and of the Brown Dots, and William "Pat" Best, founding member of the Four Tunes.
"Lost Someone" is a song recorded by James Brown in 1961. It was written by Brown and Famous Flames members Bobby Byrd and Baby Lloyd Stallworth. Like "Please, Please, Please" before it, the song's lyrics combine a lament for lost love with a plea for forgiveness. The single was a #2 R&B hit and reached #48 on the pop chart. According to Brown, "Lost Someone" is based on the chord changes of the Conway Twitty song "It's Only Make Believe". Although Brown's vocal group, The Famous Flames did not actually sing on this tune, two of them, Bobby Byrd, and "Baby Lloyd " Stallworth, co-wrote it with Brown, and Byrd plays organ on the record, making it, in effect, a James Brown/Famous Flames recording.
Noel G. Da Costa was a Nigerian-Jamaican composer, jazz violinist, and choral conductor.
The Solitaires are an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1957 hit single "Walking Along". Although they never had a national chart hit, they were one of the most popular vocal groups in New York in the late 1950s.
Buzzy or Buzzie may refer to:
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