The Vocaleers

Last updated
The Vocaleers
The Vocaleers.jpg
The Vocaleers in 1953
Background information
Also known asThe Rainbows
Origin Harlem, New York, United States
Genres
Years active1952–1961
Labels
Past membersJoe Duncan
Herman Dunham
William Walker
Melvin Walton
Teddy Williams
Lamar Cooper
Joe Powell

The Vocaleers were an American doo-wop group formed in Harlem, New York, in 1952. Managed by record producer Bobby Robinson, the group released a string of regional hits and scored one national R&B hit with the song "Is It a Dream" in 1953. Highlighted by the distinctive vocal delivery of Joe Duncan, "Is It a Dream" became a standard component of several R&B acts in Harlem and, briefly, the Vocaleers were among the most popular attractions of the city's music scene.

Contents

History

In 1952, the first version of the Vocaleers, featuring Joe Duncan (lead vocals), Herman Dunham (first tenor), William Walker (second tenor), Melvin Walton (baritone) and Teddy Williams (bass), came together after some of the members met each other while playing in a local Davega Stores-sponsored softball league. Originally known as the Rainbows, the group was managed by Jimmy Manning, a former gospel singer who performed with Brook Benton and Howard Lymon Sr. in the Harlemaires. The Rainbows' live appearances were initially limited to school assemblies, but they began receiving exposure at contests arranged at the Apollo Theater with Duncan's song "My Love". Late in 1952, in a record store on 116th Street, the Rainbows demoed another Duncan original, "Be True", with the manager accompanying them on ukulele. Impressed by the song, the manager delivered the demo to Bobby Robinson, who signed the Rainbows to a recording contract on Red Robin Records. [1] [2]

In December 1952, the group, then known as the Vocaleers, recorded and released "Be True", paired with "Oh Where", for their debut single. It became a regional hit in cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, characterized by Duncan's unusual vocal delivery, which he explained in an interview: "I sing through my nose; I don't do it from the diaphragm.... I have a yo-yo funny voice". [1] For a brief while, the group was the most popular act in Harlem; music writer Nelson George compared the Vocaleers' popularity in the district to sport figures Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. [3] As the single continued to sell well, the Vocaleers gigged at Lloyd's Manor in Newark, but were forced to replace Williams, who suffered from a case of stage fright followed by tuberculosis, with neighborhood friend Lamar Cooper. [1] [2]

Awarding them with a new, lucrative five-year contract, Robinson assembled the Vocaleers back into the studio in March 1953 to record six additional songs. Among the set, "Is It a Dream" and "Hurry Home" were distributed as the Vocaleers follow-up single, which rose to number four on the Billboard R&B charts in June. Soon, local doo wop groups incorporated "Is It a Dream" into their own repertoire, making it a standard of the doo wop music genre, and, with its good fortune, the Vocaleers were packaged in tours alongside other acts. [4] Some of the groups/musicians the Vocaleers performed with include Dinah Washington, the Five Royales, Pigmeat Markham, and Arnett Cobb. [1]

Robinson called the group back to the studio to record "I Walk Alone" and "How Soon", much to the reluctance of Duncan, who feared the new record would take sales away from "Is It a Dream". When "I Walk Alone" was not too commercially successful, the group recorded their fourth single "Will You Be True" in December 1953, before Dunham announced he was leaving the Vocaleers, possibly over disputes with lead vocal duties. Replaced by Joe Powell, Dunham, adopting the stage name Herman Curtis, joined the Solitaires soon after. However, the Vocaleers did not survive long after Dunham's departure, with Walker and Walton leaving to form the Savoys in July 1954 and Duncan joining the military. Robinson, who still retained rights to the act's name, recorded one song, "If Your Heart Aches", with unknown session musicians. [1] [4]

When Duncan returned from the service in late 1958, he reformed the Vocaleers with most of the original line-up. They recorded tunes for Old Town Records and Vest Records in 1959 and 1960 before disbanding for the last time in 1962. In recognition of their contributions to R&B music, the Vocaleers were inducted into the UGHA Hall of Fame in April 1996. [1]

Discography

Singles

Red Robin Records

Old Town Records

Vest Records

Related Research Articles

The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts. The song peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but had a three-week run at No. 1 on the R&B chart, later used in the Back to the Future movies. The group's tenor was Cleveland Duncan.

Doo-wop Style of rhythm & blues

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, DC, 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 American doo-wop group

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.

Richard Berry (musician) American singer-songwriter (1935–1997)

Richard Berry, Jr. was an American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles doo-wop and close harmony groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs and The Robins.

Earth Angel 1954 single by The Penguins

"Earth Angel", occasionally referred to as "Earth Angel ", is a song by American doo-wop group the Penguins. Produced by Dootsie Williams, it was released as their debut single in October 1954 on Dootone Records. The Penguins had formed the year prior and recorded the song as a demo in a garage in South Central Los Angeles. The song's origins lie in multiple different sources, among them songs by Jesse Belvin, Patti Page, and the Hollywood Flames. Its authorship was the subject of a bitter legal dispute with Williams in the years following its release.

The Clovers

The Clovers are an American rhythm and blues/doo-wop vocal group who became one of the biggest selling acts of the 1950s. They had a top 30 US hit in 1959 with the Leiber and Stoller song "Love Potion No. 9".

Sh-Boom 1954 song by The Chords

"Sh-Boom" is an early doo-wop song by the R&B vocal group The Chords. It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and William Edwards, members of The Chords, and published in 1954. It is sometimes considered the first doo-wop or rock 'n' roll record to reach the top ten on the pop charts, as it was a top-10 hit that year for both the Chords and The Crew-Cuts. In 2004, it was ranked No. 215 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".

The Harptones are an American doo-wop group, which formed in Manhattan in 1953.

The Flairs were an American doo-wop group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry and Cornell Gunter, who would go on to be a member of the Coasters.

Gee (The Crows song) 1953 single by The Crows

"Gee", is a song by American R&B and Doo-wop group the Crows, released in June 1953. The song has been credited as the first rock and roll hit by a rock and roll group. It is a doo-wop song, written by William Davis and Viola Watkins, and recorded by the Crows on the independent label, Rama Records, at Beltone Studios in New York City in February 1953. It charted in April 1954, one year later. It took a year to get recognized on Your Hit Parade. It landed No.2 on the rhythm and blues chart and No. 14 on the pop chart. It was the first 1950s doo-wop record to sell over one million records. Recorded on an independent label, it was one of the first such R&B records to crossover to the wider pop market. In fact, some, including Jay Warner, consider it as the first of the "rock n' roll records".

The Valentines were one of the most highly regarded American doo-wop groups from the mid-1950s.

The Solitaires

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.

The Zircons was a singing musical group in the late 1950s and 1960s with various line-ups.

"Memories of El Monte" is a doo-wop metasong released in 1963 by the Penguins featuring Cleve Duncan. It was written by Frank Zappa and Ray Collins before they were in the Mothers of Invention. The song was first released as Original Sound 27.

Little Jimmy Rivers & the Tops were an American doo-wop group from Harlem, New York, best remembered for their 1958 recording "Puppy Love" written by Ronnie Mack. The song became a local hit in Philadelphia in 1961. Sylvia Peterson, later of The Chiffons, sang with Little Jimmy & the Tops, sharing lead vocals with Jimmy on "Say You Love Me," the B-side of "Puppy Love."

Lillian Leach American singer

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

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 Du Droppers

The Du Droppers were an American doo-wop group formed in Harlem, New York, in 1952. Members of the band were experienced gospel singers in ensembles dated to the 1940s, and were one of the oldest groups to record during the era. Among the Du Droppers' most enduring songs are "I Wanna Know" and "I Found Out ", which both reached number three on the Billboard R&B charts in 1953.

The Willows (group) American vocal group

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.

The Marquees American band

The Marquees were an American doo-wop group formed in Washington, D.C., United States, in 1957. Evolving from the former group the Rainbows, the Marquees included Marvin Gaye and backed musicians such as Bo Diddley and Billy Stewart. The group also recorded as the New Moonglows with singer Harvey Fuqua.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Goldberg, Marv. "The Vocaleers". Uncamarvy.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "The Vocaleers - Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  3. ↑ George, Nelson (1988). The Death of Rhythm and Blues. Penguin Books. ISBN   9781101160671.
  4. 1 2 Filleti, Donn (1995), The Golden Era Of Doo Wops: Everlast Records (CD booklet), Relic Records
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.