MY FAVE 20 RECORDS BY A VOCAL GROUP
TODAY........FROM 1951
1. DON’T YOU KNOW LOVE YOU – THE CLOVERS ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwAWOIPJABg
Enter The Clovers on Atlantic who struck gold with their very first
record for the label---a memorably catchy number written by Atlantic
bigwig Ahmed Ertegun recorded at their first session for the label in
February 1951 Released in the next month the disc spent MONTHS on the
r&b chart rising to #1 a pattern that was followed by a couple of later releases too
2. SIXTY MINUTE MAN – THE DOMINOES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJbDHw_qsFs
As with The Clovers The Dominoes here break onto the scene (and top the
r&b chart) with their second released record---a most salacious affair
with their lead (usually Clyde McPhatter but not here—he is relegated to
the background) bragging of his sexual prowess. The record on Federal
ended up topping the BB r&b chart for no less than FOURTEEN weeks!!
Unlike most entries here this got a (78 only) release on Vogue in UK in December 1951
3. FOOL FOOL FOOL – THE CLOVERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edUG7PHX0JM
In the latter part of 1951 The Clovers returned to the #1 spot with the
above “Fool,Fool,Fool” spending six weeks at the top. Recorded in July
the session for Atlantic had also produced “Needless” (the flip here),”Better Be On My Way” and “All Night Boogie” (both unreleased for decades)
4. THE DEACON MOVES IN – LITTLE ESTHER & THE DOMINOES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoY53OEP0sg
Here come The Dominoes again this time with Little Esther in tow with a
nice duet between her and Charlie White with the rest of the group harmonizing.Sadly this nice duet recorded in January 1951 didn’t produce
the hit for Federal that it really should have but over the years it
seems to have become a firm fan favorite
5. IT AIN’T THE MEAT – THE SWALLOWS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr9IZA2xJ1g
Famous swinging double entendre number by The Swallows recorded for
King in September 1951 with Bunky Mack lead.The resulting record “It
Ain’t The Meat” /”Eternally” was released in December that year.Sadly it
completely missed the US charts. It did appear here in UK but only on a
(HUGELY RARE NOW) “Rhythm & Blues” EP on Vogue (in 1956) containing “It Ain’t The Meat” and “Roll Roll Pretty Baby” + two Dominoes tracks (“Sixty Minute Man” & “Have Mercy Baby”)
6. ROLL ROLL PRETTY BABY – THE SWALLOWS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm5wCK3XCFI&t=68s
Also released at the end of 1951 was the swinging “Roll Roll Pretty
Baby” on King (again led by Bunky Mack) with a flipside “Tell Me Why” (see below) Again it was released on the UK Vogue EP mentioned above in
1956
7. HUCKLEUCK WITH JIMMY – THE FIVE KEYS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDVQp1m2_30
The second release by the boys on Aladdin was the rockin’ “Hucklebuck
With Jimmy” b/w “The Glory Of Love” (see entry below). Both are great
tho I give the slight edge to “Hucklebuck…” with a great Maryland Pierce lead. Actually the boys had recorded the song a month earlier than the
released version (in February 1951) but that version was shelved.
8. HARBOR LIGHTS – THE DOMINOES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muWw_fUe89I
The mighty Clyde takes the lead here on a song penned by Irish songsmith
Jimmy Kennedy and originally recorded by Roy Fox in 1937 (and of course recently a #1 pop hit for Sammy Kaye and in later years released in a
big hit version by The Platters). Released in January 1951 on Federal
the Dominoes’ song apparently sold quite well though it failed to chart
9. SHOULDN’T I KNOW – THE CARDINALS
Hailing from Baltimore,The Cardinals (previously known as The
Mellotones) were at this time a four piece outfit pacted to Atlantic
with their first release being the memorable ballad “Shouldn’t I Know”
in August 1951. The group found themselves with an instant hit selling
well enough to reach #7 on the BB r&b chart
10. THE GLORY OF LOVE – THE FIVE KEYS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1fZ9i7kUY
The “A” side to “Hucklebuck With Jimmy” (see above) was a great revival of the old standard “The Glory Of Love” first recorded by Willie Bryant
& His Orchestra (yep,just before Benny Goodman got to the song)..a..um .glorious collaboration between Rudy West and Dickie Smith recorded
March 22 1951 at their second session for Aladdin. The record went on to
reach #1 BB r&b
11. W-I-N-E – THE HOLLYWOOD’S FOUR FLAMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWWlZdvvVOs
Originally released on Sherman William’s Unique label in November 1951
this Bobby Byrd led effort seems to have also been released at almost
the same time on Art Rupe’s Specialty label subsid Fidelity. This seems
to have been the result of some skullduggery deal between the two
gentlemen named. Of course over the years the group would
eventually---by convoluted means---become the more well known Hollywood
Flames of “Buzz Buzz Buzz” fame)
12. DEAREST – THE SWALLOWS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bii3ShQNFbk
Here’s the Swallows again this time with their first record for
King---the beautiful Eddie Rich-led ballad “Dearest” released circa May 1951. Tho it was the excellent flipside of “Will You Be Mine” (see
below) that scooped most of the sales I like the “Dearest” side just
that tiny tad more
13. BABY PLEASE DON’T GO – THE ORIOLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQgu1oc8XTI
Recorded September 6 1951 Sonny Til led The Orioles in releasing their excellent version of “Baby Please Don’t Go” on Jubilee that was already by that time something of a blues standard (originally by Joe Williams
and his Washboard Singers way back in 1935)
14. PRETTY BABY BLUES – THE CARDINALS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CzIms_Yqu8
Baltimore’s The Cardinals (see #9 above) return here with their bluesy
follow up to “Shouldn’t I Know” on Atlantic---the spightly and combative “Pretty Baby Blues” that appeared at the end of the year and that really should have done much better than it did IMO
15. WHERE ARE YOU (NOW THAT I NEED YOU) – THE MELLO-MOODS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzoGy2C-E3s
The debut of this five man group from Harlem--and their only record on
Bobby Robinson’s Robin label (which changed its name to “Red Robin” shortly after this release). This little gem sold well enough to reach
#7 on the BB r&b chart in early 1952
16. HEARTBREAKER – THE HEARTBREAKERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3D49c_uB_s
The Heartbreakers were a five man setup from Washington DC led by Robert
Evans who got a contract with the giant RCA label in 1951. Four records followed on the label of which the smooth but fairly soulful
Heartbreaker” was the first.Sadly neither this one nor any of their
other records saw hide nor hair of the r&b chart
17. WILL YOU BE MINE – THE SWALLOWS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADr_6quwUkQ
The Swallows are back with the topside to “Dearest” already included
above. Recorded at the same initial King session April 6 1951 this
splendid ballad emerged as the best selling side of the
record---reaching #9 on the BB r&b chart
18. I’M JUST A FOOL IN LOVE – THE ORIOLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z-Ll56YtYo
Another Deborah Chessler composition is added to the Orioles Jubilee
catalog here recorded 24 July 1951 with Sonny Till doing lead honors as usual.And also as usual in the year 1951 this one fails to chart. While
their records sold fairly well they surprisingly had no charting records
in either 1950 nor 1951
19. LEMON SQUEEZING DADDY – THE SULTANS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai6o0U0ttus
Staying with the Jubilee label who here provide another of my favorite
vocal group records of 1951 from the Sultans who were descended from a
gospel group (The Selah Jubilee Singers--a group that had once counted
Nappy Brown as a member). but here on a most secular kick with the salty
(but ultra catchy) “Lemon Squeezing Daddy” (which also failed to chart
btw)
20. HOW COULD YOU? – THE MELLO-MOODS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=620SGQ-X7yo
The B-side to the Mello-Moods Robin label hit “Where Are You (Now That I
Need You)” mentioned above is very similar in style and structure with
lead Buddy Wooten again in good vocal form and the rest of the group
doing the honours behind him
BUBBLING UNDER
21. EYESIGHT TO THE BLIND – THE LARKS
22. HEART TO HEART – LITTLE ESTHER & THE DOMINOES
23. THAT’S WHAT THE GOOD BOOK SAYS – BOBBY NUNN WITH THE ROBBINS *
24. BABY PLEASE – THE HOLLYWOOD FOUR FLAMES
25. I MISS YOU SO – THE ORIOLES
* sic!
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