PART TWO
6. The Flamingos - This Chicago based
group is known immediately for having a total of five gifted lead singers during
their existence. First their original lead, Sollie McElroy who if he did nothing
ever again after "Golden Teardrops" would still rank as one of the
finest voices in vocal group history. Then there was the picturesquely described
"voice of champagne" Nate Nelson, and the latter days of the group
saw the fine lead voice of Tommy Hunt, followed by Terry Johnson and Paul Wilson.
The story of the Flamingos beginnings is surely an intriguing one, and is told
in great detail in the book "Doowop" by Robert Pruter (U. of Illinois
Press), how they evolved out of a congregation of Black Jews with cousins Zeke
and Jake Carey and cousins Johnny Carter and Paul Wilson. Originally recording
on the Chance label, ballads "Golden Teardrops", "Cross Over
The Bridge" and "Blues In A Letter" were reasons for the group's
building a fan base in Chicago and spreading elsewhere as the recordings got
added airplay. My first exposure to the Flamingos was the uptempo Checker hit
"That's My Baby" which was plugged heavily in New York by Alan Freed.
The dual tempo (mambo and straight 2/4 rhythm & blues)used on the tune was
interesting. The year 1956 was a year that showcased the group as they were
as hot as a group could be with four consecutive monster hit ballads for Checker.
From "I'll Be Home" to "A Kiss From Your Lips","The
Vow", and "Would I Be Crying", the unique harmonies and sensational
lead singing by Nate Nelson put the Flamingos on a par with the other nationally
recognized vocal groups-The Platters and The Five Satins. Just when they were
about to become national headliners, military service caused the Flamingos to
regroup and record for a major label, Decca. The Decca sides were lost in a
haze of poor promotion and legal wrangles. But in 1958 the Flamingos achieved
a second life as major recording artists and they did it by the notion of reinventing
themselves. Now on a New York label, George Goldner's End records, the group
hit with "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" (written by Terry Johnson, and
featuring Johnson and Paul Wilson on dual leads) and a haunting and almost ethereal
version of the old chestnut "I Only Have Eyes For You" that took took
the musical world by storm the next year. The ballad versions of old pop standards
now became a second career for the group, and many new listeners were added
to their fan base including many from another generation that remembered the
songs from earlier years. One of the greatest original albums of the fifties
was released containing twelve of these incomparable versions of pop music standards.
It was called Flamingo Serenade, and is still available and is still selling
now on CD and cassette tape. The decade long hit record potential of the group
was not over yet as they added "Mio Amore" , "Love Walked In"
and "Besame Mucho." Terry Johnson remained the guiding force behind
the group in writing and lead singing during this time. In 1960 he left the
group and fronted his own version of The Flamingos. The longevity of their hitmaking
potential and the ability to survive changes in the musical tastes of the public
rival only that of the Clovers. From the early stirrings of the rise of R &
B until the arrival of the British Invasion, The Flamingos certainly presented
themselves as worthy of their designation as one of the top R & B vocal
groups ever. (ed note : updated information supplied by Joseph Mirrione)
5.) The Penguins - The Penguins may not have the long list of recorded attributes
that some of the other groups listed, or others you may think of, but their
one big claim to fame is that they were surely in the right place at the right
time and had the right sound for the ages. "Earth Angel" was probably
the song that launched a thousand groups. It was the theme song of an era and
still sells today more than forty years after its release. Many of those whose
first taste of what was being now called rock & roll, were also enthralled
by the sound of the flip side "Hey Senorita". Originally promoted
as the 'A' side by Dootone label president Dootsie Williams, 'Senorita' is a
contagious rhythmic tune that sounds almost a capella. It also sounds like it
was recorded in someone's garage or basement, but that only adds to its appeal.
The second Dootone release could never top the first, but "Love Will Make
Your Mind Go Wild" and "Ookey Ook" were just as musically interesting.
"Wild" was a very complex ballad with interesting chord changes and
an odd structure. It seemed very advanced for a doowop group right out of high
school. By this time legal issues were the dominating influence on the group
as they headed for major label Mercury, and what they thought would be a better
path to success for them. At almost the same time in the late spring of 1955,
"Kiss A Fool Goodbye" / "Baby Let's Make Love" on Dootone
and "Be Mine Or Be A Fool" / "Don't Do It" on Mercury were
released. Each ballad side and uptempo side are extremely similar. All tunes
are well done but you can imagine the reaction on the part of the public. They
were now as confused as the group seemed to be at this time. Seemingly cleared
of the legal problems with Dootone the Penguins concentrated on their output
for Mercury. Here they were a victim of circumstance, as the label concentrated
all their promotion efforts on Buck Ram's other vocal group on Mercury, The
Platters. Some extremely well done songs such as "Devil That I See",
"My Troubles Are Not At An End" and "Dealer Of Dreams"did
not get the expected push by the label. A very interesting remake of "Earth
Angel" complete with pop music trappings was also done in late 1956, but
this too did not gather the attention that it deserved. The Penguins now seemed
to fade into obscurity, but were back in the spotlight with the release of the
first oldies album by Art Laboe's Original Sound label. It included the original
Dootone version of "Earth Angel" complete with the missing piano intro,
and it was a tremendous success and spurred renewed interest in the group. With
Cleveland Duncan on lead a revamped group cut the interesting tune "Memories
Of El Monte" (written by doowop fanatic and rock iconoclast Frank Zappa)
for Original Sound. Heading for the millennium year of 2000, the Penguins sound
is still the overture music for an age and a generation that were there for
the birth of rock and roll.
4.) The Five Keys - The Five Keys hail from Newport News, Virginia, and was
the case with so many of the pioneering groups, originally sang gospel music.
Two sets of brothers were the founding members (Rudy and Bernie West, and Ripley
and Raphael Ingram) and as the Sentimental Four began gathering experience as
a musical act. Military service intervened for Raphael and he was replaced by
Maryland Pierce, and Dickie Smith was added to make the group a quintet who
rechristened themselves the Five Keys. They were soon signed to Los Angeles
based Aladdin records, and a four year successful association with that label
began in 1951. The second release for the label in the late spring of that year
was the one that established their reputation as a top vocal group. "The
Glory Of Love" showcased the great talent of the quintet and became a national
rhythm & blues top seller. For the next three years the group recorded many
fine sides for Aladdin but none reached the level of success of "Glory".
Some became vocal group classics over the years such as "Red Sails In The
Sunset", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "These Foolish Things"
and in late 1953 recorded one of the first vocal group songs in the 'modern'
R & B style of separate bass, lead, and harmony background with "My
Saddest Hour". As the contract with Aladdin came to an end, the Keys were
looking to sign with a major label so they could take advantage of the greater
distribution and support that a major offered. They had a short lived stint
with RCA and its subsidiary label Groove, until they went with Capitol records
based in Hollywood. With the rock & roll explosion in full swing, the Keys
began their association with Capitol by recording in a smoother more refined
sound, but still keeping the R & B tempo and feel intact. The first Capitol
release "Ling Ting Tong" was the result and it was a smash with fans
of this new musical trend. Ramon Loper and Ulysses Hicks had replaced Rudy West
and Dickie Smith while they were in the army. Tragedy struck as Hicks suddenly
suffered a fatal heart attack soon after "Ling Ting Tong" was released.
Rudy West returned in time for the ballad hit "Close Your Eyes" and
the flip "Doggone It You Did It". Other hits during the Capitol years
followed - "Don't You Know I Love You", the powerful ballad "Wish
I Had Never Learned To Read", "The Verdict", "The Story
Of Love" and two rockers "Gee Whittakers" and "She's The
Most". The last few releases had shown the Five Keys to be very skilled
at adapting to a more pop oriented ballad sound as they had with "The Verdict".
It was this quality that led the group to their two huge hits in 1956 and early
1957, "Out Of Sight Out Of Mind" and "Wisdom Of A Fool"
with almost perfect tenor lead by Rudy West. The next two years saw the group
settle in this groove coming full circle in 1958 with their version of the great
Inkspots hit "The Gypsy". Rudy West took leave of the group as the
remnants of the Keys recorded a series of tunes for King for the next two years.
The hit making days for the group were over, but for many years after, a version
of the Five Keys recorded and made in-person appearances throughout the country.
Live recordings of the Five Keys as late as 1970 show that 20 years had not
dimmed their luster for vocal treasures and they spanned the rock and roll years
as a top rated inspiration and influence.