Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#598 (Week of 1/3/09 - 1/9/09)


SPOTLIGHT ON THE CHORDS - PART ONE

"Sh-Boom"/"Cross Over The Bridge"/"Little Maiden"
by The Chords
on Cat 104
released in 1954


Above: Photo of The Chords [Top L-R] Claude Feaster (baritone), William "Ricky" Edwards (bass) [in back], Carl Feaster (tenor), Jimmy Keyes (tenor), Floyd "Buddy" McRae (tenor), [Bottom] Rupert Branker (pianist).

Trade Magazine Clipping: Krefetz to Manage Chords

NEW YORK, July 3, 1954—Lou Krefetz, manager of the Clovers, now is in charge of two vocal groups. He has taken over the personal management of the Chords, the hot new vocal group on the Cat label, new Atlantic subsidiary.
 
Krefetz has wasted no time in getting the boys started. He has placed them with the Associated Booking Corporation, and the group has already been set for a num­ber of dates on the West Coast starting next month. He is buying a new car for the group and sending them off in style. They should be anyway, since this week the Chords' record of "Sh-Boom" on Cat has hit both the pop and the r.&b. best-selling charts.

Click HERE to view an article about The Chords by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)



[Above clipping courtesy of Galen Gart.]
Above: Clipping from May 1954.


[Above clipping courtesy of Galen Gart.]
Above: Clipping from June 1954.

Trade Magazine Clipping: CAT REPLACES COUPLING ON "SH-BOOM"

NEW YORK, June 1954—Atlantic Records this week announced it was replacing the coupling of its current national hit on the Cat label, "Sh-Boom" by the Chords, with "Little Maiden." The new tune was also written by the Chords, as was "Sh-Boom." The item taken off the release was "Cross Over the Bridge," currently one of the nation's pop hits. The switch was arranged in line with Cat's drive on pop deejays and pop juke box locations. The etching is going both ways and looks like another "Gee" in national pop sales....



Above: Label image of Cat 104 recorded on 3/15/54, released in April 1954 and re-released with a new flip-side in June 1954.

Trade Magazine Clipping: Hill & Range Acquires 'Sh-Boom'

NEW YORK, June 19, 1954—The r.&b. ditty "Sh-Boom" was bought by Hill & Range Music this week from Progressive Music for a substantial sum of money. The tune started via the Chords' slicing on the Cat label, and it has moved out in both the r.&b. and pop fields. It has also been cut by the Crewcuts on the Mercury label.
 
Cat Records is the subsidiary label of Atlantic Records, and Progressive Music is Atlantic's publishing firm. Progressive will continue to have a participating interest in the song. Brenner Music, owned by Hill & Range, will publish "Sh-Boom."

Listen to this week's selections by The Chords on Cat 104 from 1954:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

      A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
           Sh-Boom
           Cross Over The Bridge
           Little Maiden
 
           ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence

      B. Download RealAudio...
 
           Sh-Boom
           Cross Over The Bridge
           Little Maiden
 
      C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
           Sh-Boom
           Cross Over The Bridge
           Little Maiden


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


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