#882 (1/28/17 - 2/10/17)

"All Alone"
by Doles Dickens And His Quintet
on Decca 48199
released in 1951


[The above photo is courtesy of Paul Ressler.]

Above: Doles Dickens And His Quintet. Personnel in this group were Doles Dickens (playing stand-up bass), Joe Gregory, Clarence Harmon, Sam Hendricks, and Louis Judge.

PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE, December 1, 1945: Doles Dickens Trio At Caramela's Oasis—Newest attraction at Caramela's Oasis is the Doles Dickens vocal and instrumental trio, which came here direct from a successful engagement at Cafe Society, New York City. The crack threesome will appear nightly in the Tropical Lounge Bar and will be heard in a varied program of especially arranged numbers....

NEW YORK AGE, July 30, 1949: DECCA RECORDS has signed contracts with Doles Dickens and his listenable quintet for a series of original recordings. Dickens was former bass player with Teddy Wilson, Eddie South, the Red Caps, and Phil Moore before winning fame in the East and Canada with his own smooth group.

PITTSBURGH COURIER, October 8, 1949: Gale Contracts Doles Dickens 5—The Gale Agency has signed the Doles Dickens Quintet to an exclusive booking contract this week. They are planning to build the Decca recording unit into a major attraction, alike in caliber of Louis Jordan and Raymond Scott.

THE BILLBOARD, July 26, 1952: Ray Hudson, r&b deejay on WKBN, Youngstown, Ohio, was in New York last week on a talent buying spree. He puts on dances and shows in Youngstown, and also owns Lion Records. Hudson has just pacted Doles Dickens for six sides on his label....

PITTSBURGH COURIER, January 17, 1953: Piano And Bass Duo With Butts And Dickens Tops—Jimmy Butts and Doles Dickens, currently appearing at the Park Lane Restaurant here (Rochester, NY), are finding that their unique idea of a bass and piano duo is a hit plan.

This unusual act idea was conceived when Butts, known throughout the theatrical world as "The Face," learned that Dickens was available to join a new effort. Realizing Doles' ability as a musician and his unusual flair for writing and preparing material for an act presentation, Jimmy talked over the plans with him for the bass-piano combo.

Butts has been a single act and novelty band attraction for the past seven years. Dickens played a violin [sic?] with Eddie South and pianist Phil Moore and was leader of the "Whispers."

PITTSBURGH COURIER, June 26, 1954: Dickens Eyes ASCAP Ties—Doles Dickens, the pianist [sic] with the musical comedy duo, Dickens And Butts, has immediate plans of becoming a member of ASCAP. The pianist [sic] feels qualified since his four new tunes, "Don't Go," "I Need My Baby Now," "Tore UP" and "Beauty" are being published and considered for recordings.

At the Midwood Restaurant (Brooklyn, NY), where the duo is in its ninth week, other Dickens compositions are customer favorites. These include "Something in G," "Nuts To You" and "After Theater." Their stay at the Midwood is an indefinite one.




Doles Dickens And The Whispers (ca 1951)
[The above photo is courtesy of Paul Ressler.]

Doles Dickens Quintette
(From The Plain Speaker, Hazelton, PA, dated 9/11/50)
As you can see, the personnel in The Whispers photo is the same as the Doles Dickens Quintet photo (in top section), except the trumpet player is replaced with a saxophonist. There is a sax, but no trumpet, on The Whispers lone Apollo record, released in March 1950. The name change likely was because they were still under contract with Decca at the time.

Listen to "Your Ever Lovin' Slick" - The Whispers - Apollo 1156 - 1950.
(There is no vocal group backing on this one.)


DOLES DICKENS CLIPPINGS:

(The Plain Speaker, Hazelton, PA, 4/5/51)

(The Plain Speaker 6/29/51)

(The Troy Record, Troy, NY, 2/9/52)


(The Morning News, Wilmington, DE, 10/3/50)

(The Plain Speaker 6/11/51)

EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):

At Left: From Cash Box Magazine 10/8/49.

At Right: Doles Dickens from Pittsburgh Courier 11/21/53.

Listen to "Find 'em, Fool 'em And Forget 'em"
- Doles Dickens And His Quintet - Decca 48115 - 1949.

(This song was recorded on 6/3/49 and released in September 1949.)
















JIMMY BUTTS AND DOLES DICKENS CLIPPINGS:


Above/Below: Pittsburgh Courier 3/7/53)

Earl's Famous Door in Jackson, Mich., is getting the Dickens and Butts treatment this week, and the customers who inevitably go with them. The famed music and comedy team, with Jimmy Butts on piano and Doles Dickens on bass, and both of them on jokes, are there for an unlimited engagement.






Above: Label image of Decca 48199 recorded on January 10, 1951 and released in March 1951. The flip side, "Blues In The Back Room," is an instrumental. Doles Dickens And His Quintet had six releases on Decca (1949-1951) and two records on the Gotham label (1949).

As "Doles Dickens And The Whispers," there was one release on Apollo (1950).

A different group led by Doles Dickens, "The Doles Dickens Quartet," had one release on Continental and one on Super Disc, both in 1947.

The Cash Box Review (3/3/51):

DOLES DICKENS — DECCA 48199.... Blues In The Back Room/All Alone
Doles Dickens and his quintet go to town on a slow number on the upper level and make it sound real good. Doing this instrumental in good style, the boys give it a definite beat. Second half is an oldie with a vocal by Doles which makes it very appealing. Ops oughta tune in.

NOTE: Most discographical information provided at this website is from Ferdie Gonzalez' Disco-File.


Listen to this week's selections featuring Doles Dickens And His Quintet on Decca 48199 from 1951:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          All Alone

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          All Alone

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          All Alone


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


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