#798 (10/12/13 - 10/25/13)

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"DREAMERS" GROUPS - PART ONE

THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS PROVIDED BY ANDREW BOHAN

"At Last"/"Bye, Bye" by The Dreamers (Featuring Richard Berry) on Flair 1052 released in 1954

"Do Not Forget"/"Since You've Been Gone" by The Dreamers on Flip 319 released in 1957

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Above Left: The Dreamers group that recorded for the Flip label. Disco-File has the Flair 1052 Dreamers group as Richard Berry, Fanita Barrett, Jewell Cobbs, Patricia Howard, Gloria Jones, Annette Williams, and Nannette Williams. No personnel for the Flip group are given. However, Flip 319 was re-issued in 1961 as "Jenell Hawkins And The Dreamers" (Flip 354). Disco-File also shows that the two groups were related.

Above Right: Flip Records advertisement from The Billboard dated 5/20/57.

Above: Also, there was a "Rollettes" group that recorded for Class (1956) with Fanita Barrett, Gloria Jones and Annette Williams. And The Blossoms on Capitol (1957-58) with Fanita Barrett, Gloria Jones, Annette Williams and Nannette Williams. And let's not leave out a "Playgirls" group that recorded for RCA Victor (1959-60) with Fanita Barrett, Gloria Jones and Nannette Jackson as members.

(NOTE: To listen to "Sad Fool" using Windows Media Player, click on the Class 201 label above.)

Above Left: Photo of Richard Berry.

Above Right: Flair Records advertisement from The Billboard dated 1/29/55.

Above: Label images of Flair 1052 released in September 1954 and Flip 319 released in February 1957. Three of these four sides were composed by Richard Berry, including both Flip sides.

The Dreamers, featuring Richard Berry, had three releases on the Flair label (1954-55). The Dreamers had just the one release on Flip. Richard Berry had other releases on Flair with The Flairs (1953-55), The Hunters (1953), The Crowns (1954), The Chimes (1954), and The Cadets (1955). Berry also had releases as "Richard Berry And The Pharaohs" on Flip (1956-60).

Trade Magazine, March 1957: ....Flip Records have signed a new four-girl vocal group called The Dreamers. Group's first sides of "Since You've Been Gone" and "Do Not Forget" have been set for an early release....

The Billboard Review (9/18/54):

THE DREAMERS—FLAIR 1052
Bye, Bye (79) Familiar buck dance riff is fashioned into a strong rhythm opus which is chanted powerfully by the group. There are smiles in this one. Should garner spins and many juke plays.
At Last (78) The beautiful old standard is sung tenderly by the group, with the bass lead adding listenable values.

The Billboard Review (4/20/57):

THE DREAMERS—FLIP 319
Since You've Been Gone (72) One of the wailingest chicks around leads the gal group thru this slow, insistent triplet-backed ballad. Strong pleasing quality in evidence. Jocks may expose this crew.
Do Not Forget (65) A slow, slow ballad with a dedicated feeling. Gal group is sometimes flat and always fervent on this wailer. With a little work this could be a strong group.

(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 60-69 as "satisfactory" and 70-79 as "good.")

Listen to this week's selections by The Dreamers:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio...             1. At Last - Flair 1052 - 1954           2. Bye, Bye - Flair 1052 - 1954           3. Do Not Forget - Flip 319 - 1957           4. Since You've Been Gone - Flip 319 - 1957             ALL FOUR played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. At Last - Flair 1052 - 1954           2. Bye, Bye - Flair 1052 - 1954           3. Do Not Forget - Flip 319 - 1957           4. Since You've Been Gone - Flip 319 - 1957      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. At Last - Flair 1052 - 1954           2. Bye, Bye - Flair 1052 - 1954           3. Do Not Forget - Flip 319 - 1957           4. Since You've Been Gone - Flip 319 - 1957

     [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]

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