Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#677 (Week of 9/11/10 - 9/17/10)

"(It's No) Sin"/"It's Over"
by The Billy Williams Quartet
on M-G-M 11066-A/B
released in 1951


TV'S MOST REGULAR FOURSOME
(From Jet Magazine 11/15/51)

Under contract for 39 weeks on NBC's Saturday night hour-long "Show Of Shows," the Billy Williams Quartet holds the record for being the most regular Negro entertainment act in television. Organized only two years, the popular foursome appeared at New York's Paramount Theater last week. The group is set for dates in Wash­ington and Buffalo and a swing West after Christmas which will take them to Las Vegas for two weeks.

Click HERE for an article about Billy Williams by J.C. Marion.
(Above link will open in a separate window)




Above: The Billy Williams Quartet (with two extra Billy Williams') from 1952.

Billy Williams Quartet Guests On Show Of Shows (From Jet Magazine 5/3/54)
The Billy Williams Quartet, which held down a full-time spot on NBC-TV's Your Show Of Shows until last fall, will make one of their few appearances on the show this season. The singing foursome—tenor Billy Williams, tenor John Bell, baritone Claude Riddick Jr. and bass Eugene Dixon—played to over 18 million televiewers weekly during their full-time TV stint.



Above: Label image of M-G-M 11066 recorded on September 6, 1951 and May 21, 1951, A and B sides respectively. It was released in October 1951. This is the sixth of eleven records by The Billy Williams Quartet on M-G-M (1950-52). They also recorded for Mercury (1952-54) and Coral (1954-58). Billy Williams had previously been with The Charioteers (1935-50).

Trade Magazine: Miller's "Sin" Breaking Wide Open Nationally
NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 1951—Coming out of left field on an unknown label, "Sin," recorded by the Four Aces and put out by Victoria Records, has proven a sensational sleeper that has broken all over the country.

Dave Miller of Palda Records, Philadelphia, had the inside track on the master and leased it from Al Alberts, who produced it. Understanding was that Mercury reps were supposed to have gotten into Philly for the bidding but lost out to Miller. Disk is the first to be released on Victoria, which is being distributed nationally by Palda.

Miller has since had to bring in outside firms to manufacture the disk, which is being ordered at such a rate that he is now completely swamped. His own presses are being utilized to capacity making Dot and Sittin' In records. Miller's Chicago distrib, Jimmy Martin, has been ordering in the 10,000 figures and he insists they must be flown out. In Philadelphia the demand can't be met. And only this week, Miller had to fly a load of disks up to Sam Clark, of Music Suppli­ers of New England in Boston, personally. Now the disk is beginning to break in New York.

The following records have already been made since the Victoria version: Billy Williams and Arthur (Guitar) Smith (M-G-M); Savannah Churchill (Victor); Sammy Kaye (Columbia); Arthur Prysock and Al Morgan (Decca); the Four Buddies (Savoy); the Four Knights (Capitol); and the Larks (Apollo).

It's reported that Al Alberts and the Four Aces, who made the original record­ing, are about to be signed by a major label.

Listen to this week's selections by The Billy Williams Quartet on M-G-M 11066 from 1951:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. (It's No) Sin
          2. It's Over
 
          BOTH played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. (It's No) Sin
          2. It's Over

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. (It's No) Sin
          2. It's Over


(The Billy Williams Quartet 1954)


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


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