The Counts were a doo-wop group from Indianapolis, Indiana, formed in the 1950s. [1] [2] The group included Chester Brown, James Lee, Robert Penick, Robert Wesley, and Robert Young. [3] [4] The Counts were also known as the Original Counts, as they performed with their original lineup until the death of Robert Young, in 2001. [5] They were thought to be the longest-running doo wop group made up entirely of their original membership. [6] [7]
Young wrote most of the Counts' songs, including "Hot Tamale" and "Darling Dear". "Darling Dear" (Dot 44-1188, b/w "I Need You Always") made it to No. 6 on the R&B singles chart. [8] [6]
All of the members attended Crispus Attucks High School, in Indianapolis, where they originally formed as the Five Diamonds. [6] [3] They changed their name in 1954 when they signed with Dot Records. The Counts recorded at Wilkins Studio, possibly with Jimmy Coe (or, perhaps, with a Jimmy Cole), and were at times backed live by Wes Montgomery. [9] [10]
Pompatus is a nonce word coined by Steve Miller in his hit single "The Joker" (1973).
Doo-wop is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.
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 Teenagers were an American music group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed. The group, which made its most popular recordings with young Frankie Lymon as lead singer, is also noted for being rock's first all-teenaged act. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Cruising with Ruben & the Jets is the fourth album by the Mothers of Invention, and fifth overall by Frank Zappa, released under the alias Ruben and the Jets. Released on December 2, 1968 on Bizarre and Verve Records with distribution by MGM Records, it is a concept album, influenced by 1950s doo-wop and rock and roll. The album's concept deals with a fictitious Chicano doo-wop band called Ruben & the Jets, represented by the cover illustration by Cal Schenkel, which depicts the Mothers of Invention as anthropomorphic dogs. It was conceived as part of a project called No Commercial Potential, which produced three other albums: Lumpy Gravy, We're Only in It for the Money and Uncle Meat.
Color Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by lead singer Bryan Abrams, 2nd tenor Mark Calderon, 1st tenor Sam Watters and baritone/bass Kevin Thornton. Color Me Badd broke up in 1998 before reuniting in 2010, with various lineups since.
The Del-Vikings were an American doo-wop musical group that recorded several hit singles in the 1950s and continued to record and tour with various lineups in later decades. The group is notable for the hit songs "Come Go with Me" and "Whispering Bells", and for having been a successful racially mixed musical group during a period of time when such groups were rare.
The Harptones are an American doo-wop group, which formed in Manhattan in 1953.
Ruben and the Jets was an American rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California. The band originated as an alias for The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa's band, to release Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968). Later, musician Rubén Guevara Jr. continued the band with his own lineup. Guevara's "Jets" recorded two albums, For Real! (1973) and Con Safos (1974).
"I'm So Young" is a song written by William H. "Prez" Tyus, Jr., of Cincinnati, Ohio. First recorded by the Students, the song has received cover versions by Rosie and the Originals, the Del-Vikings, Benjy Ferree, the Beach Boys, Naomi Wilson, and, as "So Young," by the Ronettes, Antony and the Johnsons, and the Devil Dogs.
The Chords were an American doo-wop vocal group formed in 1951 in The Bronx, New York, known for their 1954 hit "Sh-Boom", which they wrote. It is the only song they created that reached mainstream popularity.
The Solitaires were 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.
Kenny Vance is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer who was a founding member of Jay and the Americans. His career spans from the 1950s to today, with projects ranging from starting doo-wop groups to music supervising to creating solo albums.
James "Jimmy" R. Coe was an American jazz saxophonist.
The Students were an American doo-wop vocal group, which formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, in 1957. Although they only released four sides, two of them – "I'm So Young" and "Every Day of the Week" – became doo-wop standards. "I'm So Young" in particular became popular and durable, and has been covered by the Beach Boys, Rosie and the Originals, The Ronettes and Kid Kyle and "The Students".
Lillian Leach, also known by her married name, Lillian Leach Boyd, was an American singer who performed lead vocals with the Bronx-based doo-wop group the Mellows. She was noted for her mellifluous voice and wistful singing style. The Mellows recorded several hit songs in the 1950s, including "Smoke From Your Cigarette", "Yesterday's Memories", and "How Sentimental Can I Be?"
The Four Fellows were an American doo-wop group formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953. The combo possessed a more polished and professional style than much of their regional contemporaries, reflecting upon influences from gospel and barbershop music. In the Four Fellows' recording career, they underwent multiple line-up changes with lead singer Jimmy McGowan remaining the sole consistent member of the group until it disbanded in 1956. The group released several singles, but their one and only national hit came in 1955, with the distribution of "Soldier Boy", a Top 10 song on the Billboard R&B charts.
The Willows are an American doo-wop group formed in Harlem, New York, in 1952. The group was an influential musical act that performed into the mid-1960s and had a Top 20 R&B hit with "Church Bells May Ring", a song which was covered with greater commercial success by The Diamonds.
"God Only Knows" was a regional hit for Philadelphia Doo wop group The Capris. It was their debut single for the group and was written by Ruben Wright. The song also had a dramatic effect on Motown singer Marvin Gaye. It has been covered by other artists as well.
Chillin' is an album by the American R&B vocal group Force MDs. The hit single "Tender Love" also appears on the soundtrack to Krush Groove.