#795 (8/31/13 - 9/13/13)

---

"Will You Be Mine"/"Dearest"
by The Swallows
on King 4458-AA/A
released in 1951

[The above photo courtesy of Paul Ressler.]

Above: Photo of The Swallows dated November 1954. (L-R) Irving Turner, Earl Hurley, Frederick "Money" Johnson, Eddie Rich, and Edward "Buddy" Crawford

Click HERE for an article about The Swallows by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)

Billboard Clippings: Above: 6/16/51 Right: 6/23/51

Afro-American Clipping (2/2/52): Lonesomania by Buddy Lonesome Baltimore

Baltimore Afro-American Clipping (8/24/54):

Baltimore Afro-American Clipping (10/27/56):

Above: Label image of King 4458, recorded on April 6, 1951 and released the following month. This was The Swallows's first record. Eddie Rich sings lead on both sides. Composers shown on both sides are "Denby-Conrad." Billy Conrad was an arranger who helped with several of the group's songs. "Will You Be Mine" made it onto The Billboard's Most Played Juke Box R&B Records' Top Ten in September 1951.

The Swallows had eleven releases on King (1951-53) and one release on After Hours (1954). Some of the King records were actually Junior Denby and a studio group.

The Billboard Review (6/9/51):

THE SWALLOWS
Will You Be Mine (84) A first rate new group debuts most promisingly with a glowing performance of a substantial r and b ballad. This disking could set this group up for big things.
Dearest (80) The group delivers here with the same fine blends and with the same sure and "different" lead solo voices on a ballad lacking the over-all impact in the topside's song.

(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 80-89 as "excellent.")

Listen to this week's selections by The Swallows on King 4458 from 1951:

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. Will You Be Mine           2. Dearest             BOTH played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. Will You Be Mine           2. Dearest      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. Will You Be Mine           2. Dearest

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

This site is non-commercial. All information displayed is provided to further the general public's knowledge of RnB vocal group harmony.