#956 (1/13/24)

JERRY BLAINE (President and owner of Jubilee Records)

Above Left: THE BILLBOARD, August 11, 1958: (A Carlton Record Corporation Advertisement) "I'm glad I bought I'm Sorry (I Did You Wrong) by The Royal Holidays on Carlton 472... the record is happening and I'm making money with it!" says JERRY BLAINE, Cosnat, N. Y., Carlton Record Distributor. Above Right: CASH BOX, February 6, 1954. NOTE: The four Orioles' members on Jubilee 5134 are Sonny Til, Alexander Sharp, Charlie Harris, and Gregory Carroll. It was recorded in December 1953 and released in January 1954. Detail coverage of The Orioles is included in the "Jubilee Records - Part One" article. The Four Tunes are included further down this page. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Robe Of Calvary" - The Orioles - Jubilee 5134 - 1954. 2. "There's No One But You" - The Orioles - Jubilee 5134 - 1954. BOTH SONGS played in sequence. CASH BOX, January 30, 1954: JUBILEE SIGNS ORIOLES TO NEW 5 YEAR PACT NEW YORK—Jerry Blaine, Jubilee Records prexy, this week announced the signing of the Orioles, sensational vocal group, to a new five year contract. The Orioles, with lead voice Sonny Til, have been with the Blaine label for six years, never having recorded for any other record company. During this period they have "hit" with such releases as "Is It Too Soon To Know", "Tell Me So", "Forgive And Forget", and "At Night". Currently one of the hottest vocal aggregations in the business, the Orioles are riding with "In The Mission Of St. Augustine" and their previous etching, "Crying In The Chapel", which sold both rhythm and blues and pop. At Right: CASH BOX, January 18, 1958: DOT PARTY NEW YORK—Randy Wood, President of Dot Records, was the guest of honor at a cocktail party held recently by Dot at New York’s Warwick Hotel. A huge turnout included a host of Dot artists and many song publishers and their pluggers and trade paper reps. Some of the luminaries surrounding Wood in the above pic are, left to right, Ira Howard of The Cash Box, Jerry Blaine, Jubilee Records Prexy, Wood, and Bob Austin of The Cash Box. DAILY NEWS (New York City), November 7, 1960: WRONG NUMBER GANG RINGS UP 80G LOOT IN POSH NASSAU AREA Nassau County Police yesterday were hunting the Wrong Number Gang which got about $80,000 in loot from homes in exclusive Flower Hill after saturating the area with telephone calls and striking houses where they got no answer. The gang hit Saturday night. The cops said the burglars were extremely neat and left practically no evidence of their visits. One family didn't know it had been robbed until yesterday morning. The biggest loser was Jerry Blaine, a recording firm executive, whose home at 220 Chestnut Road was cleaned of $35,000 in jewelry and furs, including a $15,000 pear-shaped diamond ring. The Blaine robbery had an ironic twist. On April 26, three thugs invaded Blaine's home, tied him and his wife, and carried off $46,000 in furs, jewels and cash. Three men were subsequently jailed, and the cops were able to return all but $2,500 of the loot. Saturday night, virtually all of it was swiped again. From questioning persons in the neighborhood, police learned that dozens of telephone calls had been made Saturday night in which a person answering the phone would be told, "Sorry, wrong number." The cops believe that where there was no answer, the gang, using a telephone book, jotted down the street address of the house and made a visit.

THE TOP NOTES

Above Left: 1952 photo of The Top Notes. This vocal/instrumental group consisted of pianist/leader Curtis Harmon, bassist Kenneth Mitchell, guitarist Arthur Long, and drummer Lester Nichols. This group had two records on the Jubilee label (1952). All four sides were recorded in the same session. Above Right: Label image for Jubilee 6021, released in November 1952. At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, September 13, 1952. THE BILLBOARD, June 14, 1952: ....Jubilee Records has pacted the Top Notes, a Philadelphia group.... THE BILLBOARD, August 25, 1952: ....The Top Notes, new unit formed by men formerly with Buddy Hawkins, set by the Jolly Joyce Agency, Philadelphia, at the Bowling Green Show Bar, Detroit.... JET MAGAZINE, September 25, 1952: BAND PLAYS 159 HOURS IN "MUSICTHON" Four musicians, who bill themselves as the Top Notes, ended a long-winded "musicthon" at Philadelphia's Castle Inn. Pausing only to shower and eat, they had performed continuously for 159 hours. The Notes, pianist-leader Curtis Harmon, bassist Kenneth Mitchell, guitarist Arthur Long, and drummer Lester Nichols, said they were conducting a scientific experiment "... or something." The Billboard Review (11/8/52): THE TOP NOTES — Jubilee 6021 I'll Always Love You Some (70) Smooth rendition by the vocal group of a pretty new item. A strong beat would have made a stronger disk. To Be Yours Forever (65) Another warm reading by the Top Notes, but not up to the flip. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 60-69 considered as "satisfactory" and 70-79 as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "To Be Yours Forever" - The Top Notes - Jubilee 6021 - 1952. 2. "I'll Always Love You Some" - The Top Notes - Jubilee 6021 - 1952. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORDS — BUDDY HAWKINS AND THE KEY NOTES

Above Left: Buddy Hawkins And The Key Notes, also known as "The Keynotes" and "...His Keynoters". Alton "Buddy" Hawkins is at bottom left in the photo. They had recorded as "Buddy Hawkins And The Songmasters" on the Commodore label (1949). Buddy joined Al Russell's Do-Ray-Me Trio not long after the Skyscraper records. However, there are newspaper clippings (see further below) that show "Buddy Hawkins And His Keynotes" were still active as late as June 1951. One such clipping says "...Featuring Andre D'Orsay, 2 1/2 Years with the Red Caps". Another states "...Featuring Herb Kenny, Former Bass Singer With The Ink Spots". Above Right: CASH BOX, September 15, 1950. At Direct Right: EVENING SUN (Hanover, Pennsylvania), June 8, 1951. (NOTE: This is a newspaper picture of "Buddy Hawkins And His Keynotes". Buddy is at top-left. The picture looks to be cropped... one original member is missing. However, the clipping says "Featuring Herb Kenny...", implying that he's the new fourth member.) BRIDGEPORT POST (Bridgeport, Connecticut), May 29, 1951: ....Herb Kenny, who does the baritone singing and talking chores with the Ink Spots under the direction of his twin brother Bill Kenny, the tenor, has left the group to join Buddy Hawkins and the Keynotes.... THE BILLBOARD, August 11, 1951: 3 QUIT HAWKINS UNIT TO FORM NEW QUARTET PHILADELPHIA—Three of the four men making up Buddy Hawkins and the Keynotes, instrumental–vocal unit linked with Skyscraper Records, left to form a foursome of their own. Curtis Harmon will head up the new unit which will take the billing of the Top Notes. The Jolly Joyce agency here, which handled the original Hawkins group, has signed the new Harmon group to exclusive management. (NOTE: As it turned out, all four of The Key Notes that had originally backed Buddy Hawkins became The Top Notes.)

At Direct Left: CASH BOX, September 2, 1950. Above Left: Label image for Skyscraper S-1201 B, released in August 1950. The flip-side is "Shake Shake". Above Right: Label image for S-1202 B, released in September 1950. The flip-side is "St. Louis Blues". Interesting that the label design changed between Skyscraper's first and second release. Cash Box Review (9/9/50): BUDDY HAWKINS AND THE KEY NOTES "I Shouldn't Love You But I Do"/"Shake Shake" Skyscraper S-1201 Top deck of this one is gonna make 'em sit up and take notice. Ditty is a hit blues ballad if there ever was one, and is handled by Buddy Hawkins and the Key Notes in excellent style throughout. Flip has a clever set of lyrics and makes for mellow listening pleasure as well. Top deck gets our nod.

At Direct Right: LEBANON DAILY NEWS (Lebanon, Pennsylvania), July 8, 1950. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "I Shouldn't Love You But I Do" - Buddy Hawkins And The Key Notes - Skyscraper S-1201 B - 1950. 2. "Shake Shake" - Buddy Hawkins And The Key Notes - Skyscraper S-1201 A - 1950. 3. "I'm Lost" - Buddy Hawkins And The Key Notes - Skyscraper S-1202 B - 1950. 4. "St. Louis Blues" - Buddy Hawkins And The Key Notes - Skyscraper S-1202 A - 1950. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence. EXTRA RECORD — BUDDY HAWKINS & THE SONGMASTERS The Songmasters, The Key Notes, and The Top Notes are all the same group, with the same members. Buddy Hawkins And The Songmasters had two records released consecutively on the Commodore label in 1949. All four sides are from the same recording session. Do-Ray-Me was on the Commodore label in 1949, about the same time as (or just before) The Songmasters. Buddy Hawkins joined the Do-Ray-Me trio in early 1951. Commodore was a New York City label run by Milt Gabler. Their records were distributed by Decca. Milt also worked as A&R director at Decca and Decca's subsidiary label, Coral.

Above Left: Photo of Alton "Buddy" Hawkins circa 1951. Above Right: Label image for Commodore 7556 A, released in 1949. Jerry Blaine's Cosnat Company handled distribution of Commodore Records in the New York area. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Am I Wasting My Time On You?" - Buddy Hawkins And The Songmasters - Commodore 7556 A - 1949. 2. "I'm Just A Dreamer" - Buddy Hawkins And The Songmasters - Commodore 7556 B - 1949. 3. "Please Tell Me Now" - Buddy Hawkins And The Songmasters - Commodore 7555 A - 1949. 4. "How'd You Like To Have A Sweetheart?" - Buddy Hawkins And The Songmasters - Commodore 7555 B - 1949. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORD — I'M JUST A DREAMER

Above: Photo of The Gates, who were actually The Golden Gate Quartet, a spiritual group, singing secular songs.

Above Left: Label image of Columbia 30149 recorded on October 19, 1948 and released in December of that year. The Golden Gate Quartet had just left Columbia to join the Mercury label when this was released. It is the only record by them under "The Gates" name. They began their recording career on the Bluebird label as The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet in the mid-1930s. Both this label and The Songmasters' label credit "Hawkins-Barksdale" as the composers. Neither BMI or ASCAP have this specific song listed. Both websites show songs written by Alton Hawkins and Buddy Hawkins, but not this one. Above Right: Photo of The Golden Gate Quartet. At Direct Right: The flip-side, "She's Gonna Ruin You, Buddy". No, they're not referring to Alton Hawkins. CLEVELAND CALL AND POST, January 8, 1949: Golden Gate Quartet To Appear At Masonic Temple The famous Golden Gate Quartet, radio and concert artists, will appear in Cleveland.... Among the most popular radio artists, the Golden Gate Quartet is composed of Clyde Riddick, tenor; Willie Johnson, tenor and arranger; Henry Owens, baritone; and Orlandus Wilson, bass. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, they began their professional career as a travelling quartet in the South, where they went from church to church, singing spirituals to earn their living. They have sung as a unit for the past fifteen years. Several years ago an appearance on a radio program led to an NBC contract. Some of their renditions are such as "You Better Run", "Blind Barnabus", "Swing Down Chariot", Moses Smote The Water", "I Declare This Old World Is In One Bad Condition", "Sylvia", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho", and many others. Starting out as an unaccompanied group, except for the sensitive assistance of a drummer who served as the background for their harmonies, the Golden Gate Quartet switched to a guitar accompanist several years ago and then added ten four-bar introductions from a pianist.... [Above Cleveland news article was provided by Richard Koloda.] LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "I'm Just A Dreamer" - The Gates - Columbia 30149 - 1948. 2. "She's Gonna Ruin You, Buddy" - The Gates - Columbia 30149 - 1948. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS — BUDDY HAWKINS AND THE KEY NOTES

Above: LEBANON DAILY NEWS (Lebanon, Pennsylvania), July 7, 1950. NOTE: Buddy Hawkins is at lower left in the picture.

Above: COURIER-POST (Camden, New Jersey), May 18, 1951.

Above Left: MORNING CALL (Allentown, Pennsylvania), June 20, 1951. Above Right: BRISTOL DAILY COURIER (Bristol, Pennsylvania), June 26, 1953.

THE FOUR TUNES

Above: Signed photo of The Four Tunes, (From Left Clockwise) Jim Gordon (bass), Jimmie Nabbie (tenor), Danny Owens (tenor), and Pat Best (baritone and guitar). Their first recordings were as The Sentimentalists on the Manor label in 1946. This is the same group as The Brown Dots, except Danny Owens replaced Deek Watson. In 1947, they continued to record for Manor, except for a name change to The Four Tunes. They moved to RCA Victor in 1949, and then to Jubilee Records in 1953. The Four Tunes had fifteen records on Jubilee (1953-1957). Their first two releases on that label, "Marie" and "I Understand Just How You Feel", were million sellers. "Marie" is the Irving Berlin song, while "I Understand..." was composed by The Four Tunes' baritone, Pat Best. OXNARD PRESS-COURIER (Oxnard, CA), May 23, 1953: FOUR TUNES ARE NOTED FOR UNIQUE RENDITIONS ....The Four Tunes are comprised of Jimmie Nabbie from Tampa, Fla.; Danny Owens from Newark, N.J.; Jimmy Gordon from Dover, Okla.; and William "Pat" Best, who hails from Wilmington, N.C.... Best first sang publicly at the Plantation Club in St. Louis, when he was 21 years old, and it wasn't until some years later when he joined the Brown Dots, after being discovered entertaining servicemen in New York at a USO recreational center. Since that time, he has written many hit songs and has been instrumental in the formation of the Four Tunes. Jimmie Nabbie taught school in Florida, but on the side sang with the Orange Blossoms Quartet and with the Payne Jubilee Singers, before joining up with the Brown Dots when they were passing through Tampa, Fla. in 1945. Jimmy Gordon studied under a musical scholarship at the Lamont Conservatory, Denver, Colo. Danny Owens made his singing debut in Boston at the age of 19 and has been singing professionally ever since. At Direct Right: In a picture from January, 1950, The Four Tunes are listening to an RCA Victor 45-rpm phonograph. In May 1949, The Four Tunes had the first vocal group record released on the 45-rpm format. That and their next five records, all on RCA Victor 45-rpm, were pressed on orange "wax". (L-R) Jimmie Nabbie, Pat Best, Danny Owens, and Jim Gordon. Click HERE for an article about The Brown Dots/Four Tunes by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)

Above: CASH BOX COVER, May 29, 1954: (INSCRIPTION) Jerry Blaine, head of Jubilee Records, holds the gold disk which The Four Tunes earned for their best seller, "Marie". The boys hit the jackpot with their first Jubilee recording and now are following through with still another hit, "I Understand Just How You Feel". From left to right are: Danny Owens, Jimmy Nabbie, Blaine, Pat Best, and Jimmy Gordon. Pat Best is not only the guitarist of the group, but he is also the writer of "I Understand Just How You Feel".

Above Left: Label image for Jubilee 5128, released in September 1953. This is The Four Tunes' first record on the Jubilee label. Above Right: Label image for Jubilee 5165, released in October 1954.

CASH BOX - OCTOBER 31, 1953

CASH BOX - NOVEMBER 21, 1953

At Left: CASH BOX, October 10, 1953. At Right: Label image for Jubilee 5132, released in January 1954. Jubilee's 45-rpm records were solid dark blue with silver print. In 1958, the design was changed to black with multi-color. The Billboard Review (10/3/53): THE FOUR TUNES — JUBILEE 5128 Marie (76) The boys are energetic and bring an infectious good humor on this novelty reading of the evergreen. It's off-beat enough to earn enthusiastic response. Jocks should have fun with this one. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) CASH BOX, April 10, 1954: ....Jerry Blaine, Jubilee Records, bouncing with joy as the Four Tunes look like they’ve done it again. It appears that both sides are going to get big action as both "Sugar Lump" and "I Understand" are breaking.... CASH BOX, May 15, 1954: CANADIAN CAPERS: ....The Four Tunes are currently starring at the Brown Derby, and their local appearance is putting a lot of steam behind their "Sugar Lump" and "I Understand". The boys have long been strong favorites here in Canada and Frank McKim of Quality Records is making the most of this with special DJ and Dealer promotion on their platters. These Quality disks originate on the Jubilee label in the U. S. A. .... Cash Box Review (11/6/54): THE FOUR TUNES — JUBILEE 5165 Don't Cry Darling (C+) Sid Bass’ ork again assists the boys as they wend their way through a slow pretty ballad. Versatile crew really sells the tune. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good".) The Billboard Review (11/13/54): THE FOUR TUNES — JUBILEE 5165 Don't Cry Darling (78) Material here is a simple ballad. The bass [sic] lead fronts the group in a smooth and attractive reading. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".)

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Marie" - The Four Tunes - Jubilee 5128 - 1953. 2. "I Understand Just How You Feel" - The Four Tunes - Jubilee 5132 - 1954. 3. "Don't Cry Darling" - The Four Tunes - Jubilee 5165 - 1954. ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX REVIEW - APRIL 3, 1954

Above Left: CASH BOX, June 5, 1954. Near the bottom left it states "Note change of Title". There was a flap because when the song was first issued by Jubilee it was named "I Understand" (see Cash Box review further up). That was the same as an earlier "I Understand" (which, incidentally, had been done on Manor by The Four Tunes with Pat Best on lead). The first "I Understand" was originally popularized by Bob Eberly/Jimmy Dorsey. Walter Winchell made a stir about it in his newspaper column. That is why Jubilee changed Pat's song to add "Just How You Feel" to the title! Above Right: CASH BOX, June 12, 1954.

EXTRA RECORD — THE FOUR TUNES

Above: Photo of The Four Tunes, (L-R) Jimmie Nabbie, Danny Owens, Jim Gordon, and Pat Best. [Photo provided by Paul Ressler and restored by Tony Fournier.]

Above Left: Label image of Manor 1077-A, released in July 1947. Pat Best sings lead on this side, while Jimmie Nabbie does the honor on the flip-side, "Sometime, Someplace, Somewhere". Columbia purchased some masters from Manor, including "(I Wonder) Where Is My Love", releasing the side in 1948 (See label image at right). Credited composer "Lynn" is Manor Records owner Irving Berman, who had no hand in writing this song. BMI.com credits only "William Pat Best" as the composer of this side, with Best and "James Nabbie" for the flip-side. Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, August 2, 1947. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "(I Wonder) Where Is My Love" - The Four Tunes - Manor 1077-A - 1947. 2. "Sometime, Someplace, Somewhere" - The Four Tunes - Manor 1077-B - 1947. BOTH SONGS played in sequence. EXTRA RECORDS — DON'T CRY DARLING Pat Best composed many excellent songs, including this one, "Wrapped Up In A Dream", "Where Is My Love", and "I Understand Just How You Feel". But the most famous is "For Sentimental Reasons". Originally done by The Brown Dots, the song provided top ten hits, in 1946, for Nat King Cole (#1), Eddie Howard (#2), Dinah Shore (#2), Charlie Spivak (an instrumental) (#5), and Ella Fitzgerald And The Delta Rhythm Boys (#8).

Above Left: Label image of Arco 1236-A, released in February 1950. In 1949, Manor changed its name to Arco (American Record Company) but continued its old numbering system. Again, Irving Berman had nothing to do with composing this song. Here, even though Pat Best (of The Four Tunes) wrote the song, the vocal group that backs Savannah Churchill is probably The Striders. Above Right: Label image of Essex 706, released in 1950. This is the first of two records this Philadelphia group had on the Essex label (both in 1950).

Above Left: Savannah Churchill, who had records on Manor/Arco from 1945 to 1950, before moving to Regal, RCA Victor, Decca, and Chess' subsidiary, Argo. Above Right: The Mystery Quartette. Per Disco-File, group members on this record consist of Earl "Ricky" Wells (bottom right in photo), Robby Wells, Mickey Dissaro, and Frank Squillace.

Above Left: Label image of Abbey 3017, released in 1950. This is the second of two records by The Masterkeys on Abbey (both in 1950). The first was as "The Master Keys". Above Middle: KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN, April 23, 1948. Above Right: CASH BOX, July 22, 1950. Cash Box Review (8/19/50): THE MASTERKEYS "Don't Cry, Darling" Abbey 3017 Vocal harmony of the Masterkeys on this record is smooth and effective enough to warrant music ops attention here. Both sides of the platter whirl in moderate tempo, with the group pitching soothing vocal strains throughout. The "Don't Cry, Darling" side has more commercial possibilities—ops should listen in. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Don't Cry, Darling" - Savannah Churchill (With The Striders) - Arco 1236-A - 1950. 2. "Don't Cry Darling" - The Mystery Quartette - Essex 706 - 1950. 3. "Don't Cry, Darling" - The Masterkeys - Abbey 3017 - 1950. ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.

GLORIA MANN AND THE CARTER RAYS

Above Left: Photo of Gloria Mann, who was from Philadelphia. She had records on Jubilee (1954), Derby (1954), Sound (1955), and Decca (1956). Her two "pop" hit records were "Earth Angel" and "Teenage Prayer", both on the Sound label, both in 1955. Above Right: Photo of The Carter Rays. This Philadelphia group consisted of Eddie Carter (pianist, songwriter), Harold Cade (lead singer, drummer), Elvie Hill (guitarist), and Percy Joell (bassist). With the same members, they were also known as the "Eddie Carter Quartet", "Eddie Carter Quartette", "Eddie Carter And The Carter Rays", and "Eddie Carter And The Carterays". They had records on M-G-M (1953), Grand (1954), Sound (1954), and Jubilee (1954).

Above Left: Photo of Gloria Mann. Above Right: CASH BOX, May 8, 1954.

Above Left: Label image for Jubilee 5142, released in April 1954. This is a "pop" version of The Spaniels' "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite", which had been released on Vee-Jay Records in December 1953. The Carter Rays also backed Gloria Mann on one record on the Sound label in 1954. Above Middle: Label image for S-L-S SLS-102A, released in 1954. Jubilee Records purchased the two songs from S-L-S, a Philadelphia company. Note that the publisher on Jubilee is shown as Arc Music, which was a Chess/Checker company. Here the label credits "Conrad", which was Vee-Jay's publishing company. BMI.com credits Arc Music, which probably means the rights to the song were sold by Vee-Jay to Chess. Above Right: Label image for M-G-M 11405-A, released in January 1953. The publisher is Beacon Music Co., which was owned by Joe Davis. It was about this same time that Davis started producing sides by Dean Barlow's Crickets for M-G-M. At Direct Right: M-G-M CLIPPING, January 1953. Cash Box Review (1/10/53): EDDIE CARTER QUARTET — M-G-M 11405 Don't Turn Your Back On Me (B) A slow tender tune, in the vein of "You Only Hurt The One You Love" of several years ago, is smoothly dished up by the quartet. Lead voice is lush and easy on the ears. Eat 'Em Up (C+) The lower end is a middle beat rhythmic novelty with a deep voice handling the lead on this side. Harmony is good and the happy bounce item comes out ok. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) Cash Box Review (5/8/54): GLORIA MANN AND THE CARTER RAYS — Jubilee 5142 Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight (B+) A beautiful new ballad gets a hit contending delivery from Gloria Mann and the Carter Rays. Terrific job that’ll sell well in blues too. Tune is clicking in East. Love-Me-Boy (C+) The artists rhythm through a cute jumper on this end. This side is definitely better fitting for the rhythm and blues market. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B+ as "excellent".) CASH BOX, April 24, 1954: BLAINE ACQUIRES MASTER MAKING NOISE IN EAST NEW YORK — It was announced this week by Jerry Blaine, prexy of Jubilee Records, that the master of the original record of a tune called "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" by Gloria Mann and the Carter Rays, was purchased by Jubilee. The recording, formerly waxed on the SLS label, was reported making a great deal of noise on the East coast. It was also known that several major record companies were bidding for the master. But the number was finally given to Blaine. In addition to "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight", Blaine took over the distribution of the SLS label and a rhythm and blues item by the Houserockers called "Now Here This" which is also reported stirring up some noise. Several other recordings of "Sweetheart" are scheduled for the very near future. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight" - Gloria Mann With The Carter Rays - Jubilee 5142 - 1954. 2. "Love-Me-Boy" - Gloria Mann With The Carter Rays - Jubilee 5142 - 1954. 3. "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" - The Eddie Carter Quartet - M-G-M 11405-A - 1953. 4. "Eat 'Em Up" - The Eddie Carter Quartet - M-G-M 11405-B - 1953. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

THE ORIGINAL "GOODNITE SWEETHEART, GOODNITE"

Above Left: Label image of Vee-Jay VJ-107, released in December 1953. The composers of the song are Calvin Carter and James "Pookie" Hudson. Calvin Carter, who was the brother of Vee-Jay co-owner Vivian Carter, was an A&R man for the company. Above Right: Photo of The Spaniels, who were from Gary, Indiana. Vee-Jay Records started its operation in Gary in 1953, then moved to Chicago soon after. In this 1955 photo, (Back L-R) Willie C. Jackson (tenor), Gerald Gregory (bass), Ernest Warren (tenor), Pookie Hudson (lead tenor), and (Front) Jerome Henderson (guitarist). These are the group members on the "Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite" record, except include Opal Courtney, Jr. (baritone) instead of Henderson. Artists, other than The Spaniels and Gloria Mann/Carter Rays, to have records of this song in 1954 are The McGuire Sisters (Coral), Sunny Gale (RCA Victor), Johnny And Jack (RCA Victor), and Ella Mae Morse (Capitol). At Direct Right: VEE-JAY CLIPPING, September 1955. NOTE: The Spaniels here are (Top) Gerald Gregory, (Center L-R) Calvin Carter, Pookie Hudson, Ernest Warren, and (Bottom) Willie C. Jackson. Click HERE for an article about The Spaniels by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window) Cash Box Review (3/27/54): THE SPANIELS — Vee-Jay 107 Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite (B+) Group gets together on a slow pretty ballad with good listening the result. (NOTE: A rating of B+ was considered as "excellent".) CASH BOX, May 8, 1954: ....The Spaniels skedded to open the Apollo Theatre, New York City, where their "Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite" is in fifth spot. This disk, though slow in taking off, has really hit big.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite" - The Spaniels - Vee-Jay VJ-107 - 1953.

THE ORIGINAL "DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME"

At Far Left: Label image of Claude 1A, released in 1947. Ray Reynolds sings the tenor lead. Note that "Carter" is credited as composer, along with two other names. Neither BMI or ASCAP list this song. While The Park Avenue Jesters were mainly a comedic vocal and instrumental group, this side is done in a serious Ink Spots style. At Direct Left: DAILY JOURNAL (NJ), May 29, 1947. (The Park Avenue Jesters) They had records released on 20th Century (1947), Claude (1947), Deluxe (1948), Click (1948), Oscar (1952), and Arcade (1954). The Arcade record is instrumental and straight boogie/jump. Eddie Carter, The Carter Rays, The Park Avenue Jesters, Claude, 20th Century, Click, Oscar, and Arcade were all from Philadelphia. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" - The Park Avenue Jesters - Claude 1A - 1947.

EXTRA RECORDS — EDDIE CARTER

Above Left: Label image of Grand 107, released in February 1954. The "Take Everything..." side includes a talking bass recitation á la The Ink Spots. Above Right: Label image of Sound 104-A, released in November 1954. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Take Everything But You" - The Eddie Carter Quartette - Grand 107 - 1954. 2. "Cool Wailin Papa" - The Eddie Carter Quartette - Grand 107 - 1954. 3. "Kiss Me Goodnite" - Eddie Carter And The Carter Rays - Sound 104-A - 1954. 4. "Ooh Baby" - Eddie Carter And Lionel Robinson - Sound 104-B - 1954. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

THE HEARTBEATS

Above Left: Label image of Jubilee 5202, released in May 1955. Disco-File names the members of The Heartbeats as Tony Grochowski, Al Rosenberg, Frankie Stropoli, and Joseph Sucemele. This is The Heartbeats' only record. They were from Brooklyn, NY, a different group than The Heartbeats on Hull, Rama, etc. BMI.com credits Alfred and Ben Weisman with thirteen work titles, including both sides of this record. The other song of note by them is "Over And Over Again", done by The Moonglows on Chess in 1956. Ben, collaborating with others, but not Alfred, has credit for "Let Me Go Lover" (The Counts), "My Lips Are Sealed" (Jim Reeves), "Robe Of Calvary" (The Orioles), "Craw Fever" (Elvis Presley), and "I Don't Believe In Tomorrow" (Savannah Churchill And The Four Tunes), Above Right: CASH BOX, June 18, 1955. NOTE: Della Reese is included in Part Five of this article. At Direct Right: CASH BOX, June 4, 1955. Cash Box Review (5/28/55): THE HEARTBEATS — Jubilee 5202 Finally (B) A new group tagged the Heartbeats, debuts on Jubilee with a pretty tune shuffle ballad. Boys have a commercial sound that could catch. Could break. Boil And Bubble (C+) A rock and roller is belted across on this end. Group has a rough sound here. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) The Billboard Review (5/28/55): THE HEARTBEATS — Jubilee 5202 Finally (79) The Heartbeats, an unsophisticated group, have a generous amount of the spirit that sells In today's market. They create an identifiable sound In this shuffle-beat rendition of a pretty ballad. Side could pull some action. Boil And Bubble (65) Brisk rhythm opus is chanted with tough enthusiasm. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 60-69 considered as "satisfactory" and 70-79 as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Finally" - The Heartbeats - Jubilee 5202 - 1955. 2. "Boil And Bubble" - The Heartbeats - Jubilee 5202 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORDS — THE THREE FRIENDS

Above: Photo of The Three Friends, (L-R) Frankie Stropoli (tenor), Joey Villa (lead tenor), and Tony Grochowski (tenor). There was no baritone or bass in this group. Their inspiration was Teddy Randazzo And The Three Chuckles, who had hits on RCA Victor's subsidiary "X" label. Stropoli and Grochowski had been members of The Heartbeats on Jubilee.

Above Left: Label image of Lido 500, released in September 1956. The labels for both sides of Lido 500 state "Conducted and Arranged by TEDDY RANDAZZO". Matrix numbers are (AS-2007) and (AS-2008). The composers of "Blanche" are The Three Friends and Nick Cutrone, an accordionist. "Starpoli" is Stropoli, who also went by the name Frankie Starro. "Francilla" is Joe Francavilla aka Joey Villa. The flip-side, "Baby I'll Cry", was written by Nick Cutrone and The Three Friends, but only Cutrone's name appears on the label. Above Right: Label image of Lido 502, recorded in 1956 and released in 1957. Note the matrix number, AS-(2001), is lower than for Lido 500. This specific copy of the record has the same matrix number, AS-(2001), on the labels for both sides. Disco-File shows the matrix number for "I'm Only A Boy" should be AS-2000. Both sides of this record were composed by Jay Fishman and Bernard Trester, who were prolific songwriters, together and individually. Cash Box Review (10/20/56): THE THREE FRIENDS — Lido 500 Blanche (B+) The Three Friends debut on the Lido label with a brilliant new romantic story that could become a tremendous smash. Wonderful melody wed to a torching love lyric. The kids’ll go wild over it. A sleeper that could break wide open. Wonderful harmony. Keep a tab on this record. Baby I'll Cry (C) The trio picks up the beat on this end and shuffles thru a rhythm romancer. (NOTE: A rating of C was considered as "satisfactory" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (10/27/56): THE THREE FRIENDS — Lido 500 Blanche (78) A tender love story, in the teen-age groove. The reading by the Three Friends has solid backing which measurably aids in the effect. Baby I'll Cry (69) Side has a swingy quality. but this particular disk has a fuzzy sound. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 60-69 considered as "satisfactory" and 70-79 as "good".) CASH BOX, October 27, 1956: ....Around New York, a left-fielder, titled "Blanche", by the Three Friends, on the Lido label, is shaping up as a nice seller.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Blanche" - The 3 Friends - Lido 500 - 1956. 2. "Baby I'll Cry" - The 3 Friends - Lido 500 - 1956. 3. "I'm Only A Boy" - The 3 Friends - Lido 502- 1957. 4. "Jinx" - The 3 Friends - Lido 502- 1957. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above: The Three Friends, (L-R Front) Frankie Stropoli, Joey Villa, and Tony Grochowski. CASH BOX, December 8, 1956: ....Lido Records reports that "Blanche" by the Three Friends is selling briskly in pop in the New York area and is getting enthusiastic plays from deejays in the city. The Three Friends have been booked into the State Theatre, Hartford, Conn., Alan Freed’s "Rock ’n Roll Christmas Show", and a run of one nighters.... CASH BOX, December 29, 1956: ....Joe Kolsky reports "A Thousand Miles Away" by The Heartbeats on Rama, and "Blanche" by The Three Friends on Lido are breaking to national pop as well as r&b hits.... (NOTE: Joe Kolsky and George Goldner were co-owners of Gee and Rama Records at this time.) CASH BOX, December 29, 1956: ....Another record to break was "Blanche" on Lido, by The Three Friends. After selling very big in the New York-Hartford-Boston areas, the record broke this week in Baltimore, Md., and Seattle, Washington....

JUBILEE RECORDS - PART ONE FEATURES THE ORIOLES, THE BALLADEERS, CLIFF AYERS, THE MELLO-MOODS, THE MASTER KEYS, VIOLA WATKINS, AND RALPH WILLIS. ALSO INCLUDED IS A SECTION ON JERRY BLAINE, OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF JUBILEE RECORDS. JUBILEE RECORDS - PART TWO FEATURES THE SULTANS, THE ENCHANTERS, THE SUGAR TONES, THE DELLTONES, EDNA McGRIFF, THE MARYLANDERS, SONNY TIL, LITTLE SYLVIA, ANDREW WIDEMAN, THE BEY SISTERS, THE FIVE SHARPS, AND ANOTHER SECTION ON JERRY BLAINE. ALSO INCLUDED ARE SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "DON'T BE ANGRY" AND "THE RING". JUBILEE RECORDS - PART THREE FEATURES THE DREAMERS, BETTE McLAURIN, LITTLE SYLVIA (RE-VISITED), DOLLY DAWN AND THE C-NOTES, AND THE RAY-O-VACS. ALSO INCLUDED ARE SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "I MAY HATE MYSELF IN THE MORNING", "I WENT TO YOUR WEDDING", AND "BE ANYTHING, BUT BE MINE". JUBILEE RECORDS - PART FIVE FEATURES THE TOPPERS, THE HURRICANES, THE RAVENS, DELLA REESE, AND ETHEL WATERS. FOR JUBILEE'S SUBSIDIARY LABEL, JOSIE, THE STARLINGS, THE CADILLACS, THE FOUR BARS, PATTI JEROME, THE 5 NOTES, THE KANSAS CITY TOMCATS, AND THE CHARIOTEERS. ALSO INCLUDED IS A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SONG "BYE BYE BABY BLUES" BY THE RAVENS.

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