With their distinctive style of music—perhaps best described as power doo-wop—The Four Seasons have enjoyed a long and extremely successful career in popular music. Coming together in the mid-1950s, they had their first major hit "Sherry" in 1962. It was followed by a string of other hit songs including "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," and "Let's Hang On to What We've Got." Along with The Beach Boys, The Four Seasons were the only American group to survive the "British Invasion" of the pop charts in the mid-1960s. Their hit songs have become pop standards and their concert tours continue to attract enthusiastic audiences made up of longtime fans and younger people whose acquaintance with the group comes from "oldies" format radio stations.

The Four Seasons have undergone numerous personnel changes over the years but the essence of the group has remained with lead vocalist Frankie Valli and songwriter/manager Bob Gaudio. Valli and Gaudio own the master tapes of all the group's recordings, the right to use the musical group name "The Four Seasons," and also own the rights to the music and lyrics of all the Four Seasons' songs. These properties have generated millions of dollars in revenue for Valli and Gaudio's joint enterprise, called the Four Seasons Partnership.

The roots of the Four Seasons can be traced to the working class neighborhoods of Newark, New Jersey in the mid-1950s when Frankie Valli (born Francis Stephen Castelluccio) joined the Variety Trio, avocai group made up of Hank Majewski, and brothers Nick and Tommy Devito. The addition of a fourth member made the trio a quartet and so the group's name was changed to the Variatones. Though still a teenager, Valli was an experienced singer. In 1953, under the name Frankie Valley, he had recorded a few songs for Corona Records. The son of a barber, Valli had decided to be a singer at age seven. "I was always singing, as far back as I can remember. In those days, big bands would come and play in theaters like the Paramount (in New York) or the Adams Theater in Newark. My mom used to take me once a week to the Adams, so I saw every major big band at the tail end of that era," Valli recalled to Steve North of the TwoRiver Times. Receiving no formal vocal training, Valli honed his voice by listening to records of favorite performers, such as the Four Freshmen, the Hi-Lo's and the Modemaires. He sharpened his falsetto by imitating female singers including Dinah Washington and Rose Murphy.

The Variatones played at clubs in New Jersey and the surrounding area. In 1956, they were signed by RCA records and renamed the Four Lovers. Their RCA recording of "Apple of My Eye" was a minor hit which earned them three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. Despite this notoriety, the group had trouble garnering many fans. "When we went out of town, we used to lie and tell everybody we were playing at the big resorts. Only we were really performing in a bowling alley in Philly, " Valli told John Anderson of SmartMoney. Changes came to the Four Lovers in 1960 when Hank Majewski left the group and was replaced by Nick Massi. In the same year, the Four Lovers were taken under the wing of Bob Crewe, a New York-based record producer. In 1961, Nick Devito resigned from the group and Bob Gaudio joined it. In addition to being a keyboard player and vocalist, Gaudio was a talented songwriter able to supply the group with original material. As member of the Royal Teens, Gaudio had written and recorded the novelty hit "Short Shorts" in 1958. After retitling themselves The Four Seasons, taking the name from a bowling alley lounge which had refused to give them a booking, the group was set with the moniker and personnel—Valli, Gaudio, Massi, and Tommy Devito—that would take them to the top.

It was at this point, just before stardom, that Valli, who had day job as barber, and Gaudio, who worked at a printing plant, decided to form a partnership. The deal was made while they sat in Valli's parents's apartment in a low-income housing project in Newark. "We said, 'Neither of us know where we're going to wind up, but maybe we should hedge our bets. You get 50 percent of me, and I get 50 percent of you,'" Gaudio recalled to Charles P. Alexander of Time. The deal, which has never been based on anything more official than a handshake, has endured. Despite ups and downs in their relationship over the decades, neither Valli nor Gaudio has seriously considered breaking the arrangement. "That would be like telling your brother that he couldn't come todinner anymore. We're family," Gaudio explained to Alexander.

Major success came to the Four Seasons in September of 1962, when their recording "Sherry" for Vee-Jay Records went to the top of the charts. Originally called "Terry," the song had been written by Gaudio in 15 minutes. The lyrics were concocted merely as a way for Gaudio to remember the tune but producer Crewe and the other group members thought they should be retained. Only change was the girl's name in the title. "Sherry was a non-existent person.... It was just a song and the name made it easier to sing, "Sherrrrry Sherry Baby." It was impossible to do that with the name Linda or Laurie. See, we were creating a sound," Valli told Tim Ryan of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

The success of "Sherry" was quickly followed by another number one hit, "Big Girls Don't Cry," another Gaudio composition. The title phrase was taken from an old movie in which the leading man (sometimes identified as Clark Gable, sometimes as John Payne), slaps the leading lady, then taunts her by saying "Big girls don't cry." Over the next five years, The Four Seasons enjoyed a string of top ten hits, most written by Gaudio. Combining simple lyrics about young romance with a driving, infectious beat, Four Seasons material appealed to that part of the audience which continued to be drawn to the East Coast street corner harmonies of the 1950s and early 1960s. Their hits include "Walk Like a Man," "Candy Girl," "Dawn," "Ronnie," "Rag Doll," "Save It for Me," "Let's Hang On," "Working My Way," "Tell It to the Rain," and "C'Mon Marianne." One non-Gaudio hit was a version of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin," which Valli told Ryan was "the most sophisticated song we ever recorded." In 1965, the Four Seasons, billing themselves as The Wonder Who?, released a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright," with Valli singing in his highest pitched falsetto. The song went to number 12 on the Billboard chart. Valli abandoned the falsetto in favor of a rich baritone on his solo recording of the romantic ballad "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," which was a hit in the summer of 1967.

For the Record . . .
Members in the 1960s include Tommy Devito (born June 19, 1935), vocals, guitar; Bob Gaudio (born November 17, 1942 in Bronx, NY), vocals, keyboard, and principal songwriter; Nick Massi (born September 19, 1935), vocals, bass; Frankie Valli, (born May 3, 1937 in Newark, NJ), lead vocals. Earlier members included Nick Devito and Hank Majewski. Later members include Don Ciccone, bass; John Pavia, guitar; Gerry Polci, vocals, drums; Lee Shapiro, keyboard.

Began as the Variatones in early 1950s; became the Four Lovers and signed with RCA records in 1956. Recorded a minor hit, "Apple of My Eye," for RCA in 1956. Appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show; teamed with independent record producer Bob Crewe in 1960; songwriter and keyboardist Bob Gaudio joined in 1961; The Four Seasons, had first major hit with the Gaudio composition "Sherry," for Vee-Jay Records in 1962; other hits for Vee-Jay include "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," and "Candy Girl;" signed with Philips Records, 1964; released "Dawn," "Ronnie," "Rag Doll," "Save It for Me," "Let's Hang On!," "Working My Way Back to You," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "C'Mon Marianne;" as the Wonder Who?; had a hit with "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" in 1965; signed with Motown and released unsuccess ful album Chameleon in 1972; signed with Warner-Curb Records, 1975; released "Who Loves You?" and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night);" rereleased "December, 1963," 1994. Frankie Valli solo hits include "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," 1967; "My Eyes Adored You" and "Swearin' to God," 1975, and "Grease,"1978. Popular nightclub and touring act in the 1980s and 1990s.

Awards: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995.

Addresses: Management company—International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

It took some time for success to sink into the minds of the Four Seasons. Valli, for example, continued living with his parents in a Newark housing project. "I don't think I really believed the success until about 1964. I drove an old car until that year; I was afraid to buy a new one.... Ithought someone would pinch me and I'd wake up from this wonderful dream I was having," Valli told North.

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Though the Four Seasons had withstood the British Invasion of American pop music led by the Beatles in 1964, by the late 1960s their popularity began to wane. In response to this drop in public favor, the group made some false moves, most notably a socially conscious concept album called The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette. Released in 1968, the album featured an eight-page newspaper insert. The experimental album received a good deal of publicity but sold poorly. By the early 1970s, the Four Seasons were at a low ebb with Valli as the only original member still performing with the group. Gaudio, who had taken over management of the group in the late 1960s, stopped performing in 1971. Gaudio's retreat from the stage annoyed Valli. "Frankie felt like I'd deserted him. It was our toughest time," Gaudio told Anderson. In 1972, the Four Seasons signed with Motown Records' California-based subsidiary MoWest and released the album Chameleon which drew little attention.

In 1975, their contract with MoWest having expired, Valli and Gaudio took Valli's solo recording of the song "My Eyes Adored You," to Private Stock Records. Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, the low key romantic tune put Valli back at the top of the charts. It was quickly followed by another Valli solo hit, the disco-influenced "Swearin' to God." Meanwhile, Gaudio recruited new personnel for the Four Seasons, including John Pavia, Lee Shapiro, Don Ciccone, and Gerry Polci, and signed a contract with Warner-Curb Records. In the autumn of 1975, the revised group had a major hit with "Who Loves You?" In the spring of 1976, the Four Seasons enjoyed an even bigger success with "December '63 (Oh, What a Night)." Written by Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker, the song was a bouncy coming of age ditty that played on the nostalgic view many people in the 1970s had developed towards the 1950s and early 1960s. In an unusual turn, lead vocals on the recording were done by Gerry Polci, instead of Valli.

As a solo artist, Valli had the biggest hit of his career with the title song from the movie Grease in 1978. Written by Barry Gibb of Bee Gees fame, the disco-style song detracted from the early 1960s setting of the film and was not a part of the stage musical on which the film was based. Nevertheless, the Grease title song was a tremendous success in the summer of 1978, as was the movie itself. Although Gaudio had nothing to do with the Grease recording, Valli kept to their agreement and split the profits from the song with him. Similarly, Gaudio shared his earnings from outside projects with Valli.

Notable among Gaudio's other projects is the soundtrack to Neil Diamond's movie The Jazz Singer in 1981.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons are a popular attraction in nightclubs and other live entertainment venues. Though he likes the challenge of new material, Valli understands that audiences come out to hear the hits. "If I went to see someone I had admired all my life, I'd feel disappointed if I didn't hear certain songs ... a lot of people come to our shows to forget about what's going on. It's kind of like therapy," Valli told Winnie Bonelli of the Passaic Herald & News. Reissues of Four Seasons recordings enjoy steady sales with many purchases being made by people who weren't alive during the group's heyday.

Albums:
4 Seasons Greetings, 1962.
Sherry & 11 Others, Curb, 1962.
Ain't That a Shame and 11 Other Hits, Curb, 1963.
Big Girls Don't Cry and Twelve Others..., Curb, 1963.
Born to Wander, 1964.
Dawn (Go Away) and 11 Other Great Songs, Curb, 1964.
Rag Doll, Curb 1964.
4 Seasons Entertain You, 1965.
4 Seasons Sing Big Hits by Burt Bacharach...Hal David...Bob Dylan, Rhino, 1965.
Let's Hang On and More Great New Hits, Curb, 1966.
Live on Stage, Vee-Jay, 1966.
Working My Way Back to You and More Great New Hits, Rhino, 1966.
Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, Rhino, 1969.
Half & Half, Ace, 1970.
Chameleon, 1972.
Who Loves You, Curb, 1975.
Helicon, Warner Bros., 1977.
Reunited Live, Collectors' Choice Music, 1981.
Streetfighter, Curb/MCA, 1985.
Hope + Glory, Curb, 1992.

Source: Mary Kalfatovic

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

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Initially a British folk-rock combo called Tyrannosaurus Rex, T. Rex was the primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Marc Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock & roll that was proud of its own disposability. T. Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early '70s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of "T. Rextacy" among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit -- the Top Ten "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" -- before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T. Rex's popularity in the U.K. didn't begin to waver until 1975, yet they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan's death in 1977. Over the next two decades, Bolan emerged as a cult figure and the music of T. Rex has proven quite influential on hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock.

Following a career as a teenage model, Marc Bolan began performing music professionally in 1965, releasing his first single, "The Wizard," on Decca Records. Bolan joined the psychedelic folk-rock combo John's Children in 1967, appearing on three unsuccessful singles before the group disbanded later that year. Following the breakup, he formed the folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took. The duo landed a record deal with a subsidiary of EMI in February 1968, recording their debut album with producer Tony Visconti. "Debora," the group's first single, peaked at number 34 in May of that year, and their debut album, My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brow, reached number 15 shortly afterward. The duo released their second album, Prophets, Seers & Sages, the Angels of the Ages, in November of 1968.

By this time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was building a sizable underground following, which helped Bolan's book of poetry, - The Warlock of Love, enter the British best-seller charts. In the summer of 1969, the duo released their third album, Unicorn, as well as the single "King of the Rumbling Spires," the first Tyrannosaurus Rex song to feature an electric guitar. Following an unsuccessful American tour that fall, Took left the band and was replaced by Mickey Finn. The new duo's first single did not chart, yet their first album, 1970's A Beard of Stars, reached number 21.

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The turning point in Bolan's career came in October of 1970, when he shortened the group's name to T. Rex and released "Ride a White Swan," a fuzz-drenched single driven by a rolling backbeat. "Ride a White Swan" became a major hit in the U.K., climbing all the way to number two. The band's next album, T. Rex, peaked at number 13 and stayed on the charts for six months. Encouraged by the results, Bolan expanded T. Rex to a full band, adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend (born Bill Fifield). The new lineup recorded "Hot Love," which spent six weeks at number one in early 1971. That summer, T. Rex released "Get It On" (retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" in the U.S.), which became their second straight U.K. number one; the single would go on to be their biggest international hit, reaching number ten in the U.S. in 1972. Electric Warrior, the first album recorded by the full band, was released in the fall of 1971; it was number one for six weeks in Britain and cracked America's Top 40.

By now, "T. Rextacy" was in full swing in England, as the band had captured the imaginations of both teenagers and the media with its sequined, heavily made-up appearance; the image of Marc Bolan in a top hat, feather boa, and platform shoes, performing "Get It On" on the BBC became as famous as his music. At the beginning of 1972, T. Rex signed with EMI, setting up a distribution deal for Bolan's own T.Rex Wax Co. record label. "Telegram Sam," the group's first EMI single, became their third number one single.

"Metal Guru" also hit number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart. The Slider, released in the summer of 1972, shot to number one upon its release, allegedly selling 100,000 copies in four days; the album was also T. Rex's most successful American release, reaching number 17. Appearing in the spring of 1973, Tanx was another Top Five hit for T. Rex; the singles "20th Century Boy" and "The Groover" soon followed it to the upper ranks of the charts. However, those singles would prove to be the band's last two Top Ten hits. In the summer of 1973, rhythm guitarist Jack Green joined the band, as did three backup vocalists, including the American soul singer Gloria Jones; Jones would soon become Bolan's girlfriend. At the beginning of 1974, drummer Bill Legend left the group and was replaced by Davy Lutton, as Jones became the group's keyboardist.

In early 1974, the single "Teenage Dream" was the first record to be released under the name Marc Bolan and T. Rex. The following album, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, was the last Bolan recorded with Tony Visconti. Throughout the year, T. Rex's popularity rapidly declined -- by the time "Zip Gun Boogie" was released in November, it could only reach number 41. Finn and Green left the group at the end of the year, while keyboardist Dino Dins joined. The decline of T. Rex's popularity was confirmed when 1975's Bolan's Zip Gun failed to chart. Bolan took the rest of the year off, returning in the spring of 1976 with Futuristic Dragon, which peaked at number 50. Released in the summer of 1976, "I Love to Boogie," a disco-flavored three-chord thumper, became Bolan's last Top 20 hit.

Bolan released Dandy in the Underworld in the spring of 1977; it was a modest hit, peaking at number 26. While "The Soul of My Suit" reached number 42 on the charts, T. Rex's next two singles failed to chart. Sensing it was time for a change of direction, Bolan began expanding his horizons in August. In addition to contributing a weekly column for Record Mirror, he hosted his own variety television show, Marc. Featuring guest appearances by artists like David Bowie and Generation X, Marc helped restore Bolan's hip image. Signing with RCA Records, the guitarist formed a new band with bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Tony Newman, yet he never was able to record with the group. While driving home from a London club with Bolan, Gloria Jones lost control of her car, smashing into a tree. Marc Bolan, riding in the passenger's seat of the car, was killed instantly.

While T. Rex's music was intended to be disposable, it has proven surprisingly influential over the years. Hard rock and heavy metal bands borrowed the group's image, as well as the pounding insistence of their guitars. Punk bands may have discarded the high heels, feather boas, and top hats, yet they adhered to the simple three-chord structures and pop aesthetics that made the band popular. ~  All Music Guide 

Members include Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld, (according to most sources] September 30, 1947, in London, England; married Gloria Jones [second wife; a singer]; died in an automobile accident, September 16, 1977), vocals, guitar; Steve Currie (bandmember c. 1971-72; died in 1981), bass; and Steve Peregrine Took (born July 28, 1949, in London; replaced by Micky Finn [born June 3, 1947], 1970; died in 1980), percussion.

Albums:

As Tyrannosaurus Rex:

My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows, Regal Zonophone, 1968.

Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages, Regal Zonophone, 1968.

Unicorn, Regal Zonophone, 1969.

A Beard of Stars, Regal Zonophone, 1970.

As T. Rex:

T. Rex, Fly Records/Reprise, 1970.

Electric Warrior, Electric Warrior, 1971.

The Slider, EMI/Reprise, 1972.

Tanx, EMI/Reprise, 1973.

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, EMI, 1974.

Light of Love, Casablanca, 1974.

Bolan's Zip Gun, EMI, 1975.

Futuristic Dragon, EMI, 1976.

Dandy in the Underworld, EMI, 1977.

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

Source: Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of pop/rock and R&B -- especially doo wop and smooth uptown soul -- that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Even if the Shirelles were not technically the first of their kind, their success was unprecedented, paving the way for legions of imitators; their inviting musical blueprint had an enduring influence not just on their immediate followers, but on future generations of female pop singers, who often updated the style with a more modern sensibility. What was more, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy. 

The Shirelles were originally formed in 1958 in Passaic, NJ, by four high school friends: Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris, Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston), and Beverly Lee. Christening themselves the Poquellos, the girls wrote a song called "I Met Him on a Sunday" and entered their school talent show with it. A school friend had them audition for her mother, Florence Greenberg, who ran a small record label; she was impressed enough to become the group's manager, and changed their name to the Shirelles by combining frequent lead singer Owens' first name with doo woppers the Chantels. The Shirelles' recording of "I Met Him on a Sunday" was licensed by Decca and climbed into the national Top 50 in 1958. Two more singles flopped, however, and Decca passed on further releases. Greenberg instead signed them to her new label, Scepter Records, and brought in producer Luther Dixon, whose imaginative, sometimes string-heavy arrangements would help shape the group's signature sound. 

"Dedicated to the One I Love" (1959) and "Tonight's the Night" (1960) both failed to make much of an impact on the pop charts, although the latter was a Top 20 R&B hit. However, they broke big time with the Goffin-King composition "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"; released in late 1960, it went all the way to number one pop, making them the first all-female group of the rock era to accomplish that feat; it also peaked at number two R&B. Its success helped send a re-release of "Dedicated to the One I Love" into the Top Five on both the pop and R&B charts in 1961, and "Mama Said" did the same; a more R&B-flavored outing, "Big John," also went to number two that year. 1962 continued their run of success, most notably with "Soldier Boy," a Luther Dixon/Florence Greenberg tune that became their second pop number one; they also had a Top Ten pop and R&B hit with "Baby It's You." Unfortunately, Dixon subsequently left the label; the Shirelles managed to score one more pop/R&B Top Ten with 1963's "Foolish Little Girl," but found it difficult to maintain their previous level of success. 

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The group went on to record material for the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, headlined the first integrated concert show in Alabama, and helped a young Dionne Warwick get some of her first exposure (subbing for Owens and Coley when each took a leave of absence to get married). A money dispute with Scepter tied up their recording schedule for a while in 1964, and although it was eventually settled, the Shirelles were still bound to a label where their run was essentially over. Of course, this was also because of the British Invasion, whose bands were among the first to cover their songs; not only their hits, but lesser-known items like "Boys" (the Beatles) and "Sha La La" (a hit for Manfred Mann). The Shirelles scraped the lower reaches of the charts a few more times, making their last appearance, ironically, with 1967's "Last Minute Miracle."Doris Kenner left the group the following year to concentrate on raising her family, and the remaining Shirelles continued as a trio, cutting singles for Bell, United Artists, and RCA through 1971. The group continued to tour the oldies circuit, however, and appeared in the 1973 documentary Let the Good Times Roll. Shirley Alston left for a solo career in 1975, upon which point Doris Kenner-Jackson returned.  Micki Harris died of a heart attack during a performance in Atlanta on June 10, 1982, upon which point the group went into what turned out to be a temporary retirement; the three remaining charter members recorded together for the last time on a 1983 Dionne Warwick record. Different  Shirelles  lineups toured the oldies circuit in the '90s, though Beverly Lee eventually secured the official trademark. They were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Doris Kenner-Jackson passed away after a bout with breast cancer in Sacramento on February 4, 2000.

For The Record
Members include Shirley Alston (born June 10, 1941); Addle "MBcId" Harris (born January 22, 1940; died of a heart attack, June 10, 1982, in Los Angeles); Doris Kenner (born August 2, 1941); and Beverly Lee (born August 3, 1941).

Group formed as the Poquellos for school talent shows, Passaic, NJ; "discovered" by Florence Greenberg and signed with her Tiara label, 1958; recorded "I Met Him on a Sunday"; signed with Greenberg's Scepter Records, 1959, and recorded "Dedicated to the One 1 Love" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" ; scored last chart entry, 1967; recorded and toured on nostalgia circuit; surviving members formed and led separate versions of the Shirelles.

Awards: Three gold records; awards from performance rights society Broadcast Music Inc., U.S.O., Vietnam Veterans of America, and U.S. Army; named best female group in Billboard and Cash Box for five consecutive years; citation in Congressional Record, 1983, in honor of the group's 25th anniversary.

Addresses: Management—Bevi Corp., P.O. Box 100, Clifton, NJ 07011-0100.

In 1968, Kenner left the group, and Alston, Lee, and Harris carried on as a trio, occasionally making new recordings and performing their old hits on the nostalgia circuit. Then, in the mid-1970s, Kenner returned and the group toured again as a quartet, until Harris's untimely death from a heart attack—suffered during a performance—in June of 1982. But even the loss of one of the original members did not bring an end to the Shirelles; by 1990 there were three separate groups touring under the name, each led by one of the surviving members.

Discography

 Baby It's You, Scepter, 1962, reissued, Sundazed, 1993.
 (With Curtis "King Curtis" Ousley) The Shirelles & King Curtis Give a Twist Party, Scepter, 1962,  reissued, Sundazed, 1993.
 Anthology, 1959-1965, Rhino, 1986.
 Greatest Hits, Impact, 1987.
 Lost and Found, Impact, 1987.
 Greatest Hits, Special, 1991.
 Dedicated to You, Pair, 1991.
 Golden Classics, Collectables, 1992.
 The Scepter Records Story, Capricorn, 1992.
 Million Sellers, Laurie, 1993.
 Foolish Little Girl, reissued, Sundazed, 1993.
 Sing to Trumpets and Strings, Sundazed, 1993.

They weren't British, they weren't brothers, and their real names weren't Walker, but Californians Scott Engel, John Maus, and Gary Leeds were briefly huge stars in England (and small ones in their native land) at the peak of the British Invasion. Engel and Maus were playing together in Hollywood when drummer Leeds suggested they form a trio and try to make it in England. And they did -- with surprising swiftness, they hit the top of the British charts with "Make It Easy on Yourself" in 1965. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" repeated the feat the following year, and the group also had U.K. hits with "My Ship Is Coming In," "(Baby) You Don't Have to Tell Me," "Another Tear Falls," and others. For a few months they experienced frenzied adulation almost on the level of the Beatles and the Stones, though in the U.S. (where they rarely performed) only "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" entered the Top 20.

While the Walkers looked the part of British Invaders with their shaggy mop-top hairstyles, they were far more pop than rock. Nor did they play on most of their records. With producer Johnny Franz and veteran British arrangers like Ivor Raymonde (who also worked with Dusty Springfield) and Reg Guest, they favored orchestrated ballads that were a studied attempt to emulate the success of another brother act who weren't really brothers: the Righteous Brothers. Not as soulful as the Righteous Brothers, lead singer Scott Walker's deep croon betrayed strong debts to non-rock vocalists like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. While their biggest hits were covers of songs by American pop songwriting teams like Bacharach-David and Mann-Weil, Scott (and occasionally John Walker) could write brooding originals in a more personal, less overblown style when given the chance. 

In the intensely competitive days of 1967, the Walkers' brand of pop suddenly become passé, and the group disbanded in the face of diminishing success and Scott's increasingly fruitful solo career. Scott ran off a series of Top Ten British solo albums in the late '60s, which have attracted a sizable cult with their idiosyncratic marriage of Scott's brooding, insular songs and ornate orchestral arrangements. Gary Walker released a few singles and an album with his group the Rain in a much harder-rocking guitar-oriented format. The Walkers reunited for a while in the mid-'70s, which produced a final British hit ("No Regrets"). Much of the Walkers' story is retold in the biography -Scott Walker: A Deep Shade of Blue, published only in Britain.

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Albums: 

Source: Richie Unterberger

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Singer Tammi Terrell joined forces with the immortal Marvin Gaye to create some of the greatest love songs ever to emerge from the Motown hit factory; sadly, their series of classic duets - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "You're All I Need to Get By" among them - came to an abrupt and tragic halt with her premature death.

Terrell was born Thomasina Montgomery in Philadelphia on April 29, 1945; after winning a number of local talent contests, by the age of 13 she was regularly opening club dates for acts including Gary “U.S.” Bonds and Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.

In 1961, she was discovered by producer Luther Dixon and signed to Scepter. Credited as Tammy Montgomery, she made her debut with the single "If You See Bill," followed early the next year by "The Voice of Experience." After James Brown caught Terrell's live act, she was signed to his Try Me label, issuing "I Cried" in 1963 and also touring with his live revue.

"If I Would Marry You" appeared on Checker a year later, during which time she also studied pre-med at the University of Pennsylvania. While performing with Jerry Butler in Detroit in 1965, Terrell was spotted by Motown chief Berry Gordy, Jr., making her label debut with "I Can't Believe You Love Me."

When subsequent outings "Come On and See Me," "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," and "Hold Me Oh My Darling" earned little notice, she was paired with Gaye, who previously recorded duets with Mary Wells and Kim Weston. His chemistry with Terrell was immediate and in 1967, they entered the pop Top 20 with the magnificent "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," the first in a series of lush, sensual hits authored by the husband-and-wife team of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson.

"Your Precious Love" cracked the Top Five a few months later and in 1968, the twosome topped the R&B charts with both "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By." The success of these later hits was nevertheless tempered by Terrell's off-stage travails - after an extended period of severe migraine headaches, in 1967 she collapsed in Gaye's arms while in concert at Virginia's Hampton-Sydney College, and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

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Although the tumour forced Terrell to retire from performing live, she continued to record with Gaye even as her health deteriorated; however, as time went on, Valerie Simpson herself assumed un-credited vocal duties on a number of hits, including 1969's "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" and "What You Gave Me." (For several other tracks, Gaye's vocals were added to pre-existing Terrell solo recordings.)

In all, Terrell endured eight operations, ultimately resulting in loss of memory and partial paralysis; she finally died in Philadelphia on March 16, 1970. Gaye was so devastated by her decline and eventual passing that he retired from the road for three years; her loss also contributed greatly to the spiritual turmoil which informed his 1971 masterpiece What's Going On.

At the time of her death, Tammi Terrell was just 24 years old.

Albums:

The Early Show, 1967.

Irresistible, 1969.

The Essential Collection, 2001.

Come On and See Me: The Complete Solo Collection, 2010.

~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Source: http://www.artistdirect.com/

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

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The southern American mega-group, The Allman Brothers boast over 40 years in the music industry and are considered a classic rock staple with a mix of blues, rock and a unique approach to jamming.

The founding members were Gregg Allman and Duane Allman with original supporting members in the form of Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson. The band has been awarded eleven gold and 5 platinum albums between the years of 1971 and 2005.

The band’s first self-titled album was a critical success but with the southern rock genre being such an underground phenomenon, it didn’t reach mainstream attention. The opposite was true for its second album Idlewild South in 1970 which produced an Allman Brother’s classic, Midnight Rider which was more radio-friendly and remains so to this day.

In 1971, the band released the recording of its performance at the Fillmore East. It highlighted the bands’ finesse at improvisation and Gregg’s coarse vocals on songs like the 23 minute version of Whipping Post and 13 minute In the Memory of Elizabeth Reed. It was a massive success.

Tragedy struck the band when Duane was killed in a motorcycle accident shortly after this legendary Fillmore performance. The group decided to carry on and Betts filled Duane’s role while recording their third album, Eat a Peach. 

Ironically, another member, Oakley, died due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle injury. This happened shortly before the band finished its fourth album, Brothers and Sisters. This became another one of must-have Allman Brothers albums with tracks, Ramblin’ Man and Jessica.

By 1973, The Allman Brothers could claim to be one of the best loved festival and concert acts. Their success led to other southern acts, like Lynyrd Skynrd, rising through the charts.

Like many successful rock acts, drug use, personal conflicts and differing musical directions produced cracks in the group. 1975’s album, Win, Lose or Draw didn’t feature all the members of the band.

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By 1979, The Allman Brothers were all but non-existent in the charts but still had a committed following. The band officially broke up in 1982 when Gregg formed the uniquely titled Gregg Allman Band. Other dominant member, Betts joined forces with Trucks and other latter Allman additions David Goldflies and Chuck Leavell to form the short-lived and equally novel band named, Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks. Both fledging bands toured small venues. 

During the next few years, Gregg and Betts moved in a parallel fashion, releasing solo material and performing one-off reunions. Gregg’s solo success prompted an official reunion with Betts, Jaimoe and Trucks. They added Warren Haynes, Johnny Neel and Allen Woody to the line up.

The band was signed to Epic Records and released three new albums. In 1995, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the cusp of the new century, more line up transformations ensued including the addition of the young but insanely talented guitar player, Derek Trucks (the nephew of Butch Trucks). Betts was painfully forced out of the band for “personal and professional reasons”. This was indicative of the tenuous relationship that Betts and Gregg experienced in the past. The Allman Brothers continue to perform live. 

Group has included Howard Duane Allman, born November 20,1946, Nashville, TN, died in a motorcycle accident October 29, 1971; Gregg Allman, born December 8, 1947, Nashville; Duane and Gregg's mother's name was Géraldine Allman; Dicky Betts (guitar); Warren Heynes (guitar); Jai Johanny Johanson (drums); Chuck Leavell (piano); Johnny Neel (harmonica and keyboards); Berry Oakley (bass), deceased, 1972; Dan Toller (guitar); Butch Trucks (drums); Lamar Williams (bass); Allen Woody (bass).

Band formed c. 1968.

Addresses: Record company—Epic (Sony Music Distribution), Sony Music Entertainment, P.O. Box 4450, New York, NY 10101.

"Duane was the father of the band," said Gregg in Guitar Player. "He had a lot to do with the spontaneity of the whole thing. He was like the mother ship. Somehow he had this real magic about him that would lock us all in, and we'd take off." Although he is hardly ever mentioned in the same breath as his contemporaries, Duane was as equally inventive and skillful as Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, or Jimmy Page. His work on Clapton's Layla LP prodded the Englishman to new heights and created one of the finest rock albums of all time.

The Allman Brothers band took a devastating blow on October 29,1971 when Duane was killed in a motorcycle crash at the age of 24. A tight-knit family, the Allman Brothers band continued on without replacing Duane and issued Eat a Peach in 1972. One half of the LP consisted of live cuts from their Fillmore dates and the studio side included the hit "Melissa." Betts took control of the band's direction and continued in his instrumental vein with "Jessica" on their next album, Brothers and Sisters. They had their biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man," but were also struck again by tragedy when Berry Oakley died just 13 months after Duane in an eerily similar accident.

Albums:

The Allman Brothers Band, Atco, 1969.

Idlewild South, Atco, 1970.

Live at the Fillmore East, Capricorn, 1971.

Eat a Peach, Capricorn, 1972.

Brothers and Sisters, Capricorn, 1973.

Win, Lose or Draw, Capricorn, 1975.

The Road Goes on Forever, Capricorn, 1975.

Wipe The Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas, Capricorn, 1976.

Enlightened Rogues, Capricorn, 1979.

Reach for the Sky, Arista, 1980.

Brothers of the Road.

Dreams (retrospective box set), Polydor, 1989.

Seven Turns, Epic, 1990.

Live At Ludlow Garage, Polygram, 1990.

Shades of Two Worlds, Epic, 1991.

An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: First Set, Epic, 1992.

Where It All Begins, Sony, 1994.

An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set, Epic, 1995.

Peakin' at the Beacon, Epic, 2000.

Hittin' the Note, Sanctuary, 2003.

Sources: Juanita Appleby; Calen D. Stone

HAVE A LOOK AT THIS GREAT THE ALLMAN BROTHERS MERCHANDISE HERE

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During the 1970s, the baby boomer generation were seeking a new kind of music that didn’t reach either ends of the popular music spectrum of heavy rock or the lounge singers of their parents. What resulted was a king of Adult Contemporary and one of the foremost acts to produce this crowd-pleasing genre was The Carpenters. 

Karen and Richard Carpenter was a brother and sister act hailing from America’s West Coast. Karen is best known for her distinctive, alto singing style and Richard often accompanying her on an electric piano. There a two camps in music history that want to label them as either “squeaky clean” or as major influences that deserve induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Together, they experienced a record-breaking, recording career of worldwide hits and 11 albums. Despite Karen’s death in 1983, they are still considered one of the top selling acts of the US.

In 1964, Richard began writing songs at university and met up with future song writing partner, John Bettis and Karen developed a talent for the drums while in high school. Five years later, this brother and sister were signed to A&M records after previously performing under the names Spectrum and Richard Carpenter Trio.

The debut album by The Carpenters had mediocre success. But its second album had two hit singles in the form of Burt Bacharach’s Close To You and We’ve Only Just Begun. By 1971, the two were selling out performances in America, Europe and Japan.

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During the psychedelic haze of the late '60s, the grimy, noisy and relentlessly bleak rock & roll of The Stooges was conspicuously out of time. Like the Velvet Underground, The Stooges revealed the underside of sex, drugs, and rock & roll, showing all of the grime beneath the myth. The Stooges, however, weren't nearly as cerebral as The Velvets. Taking their cue from the over-amplified pounding of British blues, the primal raunch of American garage rock, and the psychedelic rock (as well as the audience-baiting) of The Doors, The Stooges were raw, immediate, and vulgar. Iggy Pop became notorious for performing smeared in blood or peanut butter and diving into the audience. Ron and Scott Asheton formed a ridiculously primitive rhythm section, pounding out chords with no finesse, in essence, The Stooges were the first rock & roll band completely stripped of the swinging beat that epitomized R&B and early rock & roll. During the late '60s and early '70s, the group was an underground sensation, yet the band was too weird, too dangerous to break into the mainstream. Following three albums, The Stooges disbanded, but the group's legacy grew over the next two decades, as legions of underground bands used their sludgy grind as a foundation for a variety of indie rock styles, and as Iggy Pop became a pop culture icon.

After playing in several local bands in Ann Arbor, MI, including the blues band The Prime Movers and The Iguanas, Iggy Pop (born James Osterberg) formed The Stooges in 1967 after witnessing a Doors concert in Chicago. Adopting the name Iggy Stooge, he rounded up brothers Ron and Scott Asheton (guitar and drums, respectively) and bassist Dave Alexander, and the group debuted at a Halloween concert at the University of Michigan student union in 1967. For the next year, the group played the Midwest relentlessly, earning a reputation for their wild, primitive performances, which were largely reviled. In particular, Iggy gained attention for his bizarre on-stage behavior. Performing shirtless, he would smear steaks and peanut butter on his body, cut himself with glass, and dive into the audience. The Stooges were infamous, not famous, while they had a rabidly devoted core audience, even more people detested their shock tactics. Nevertheless, the group lucked into a major-label record contract in 1968 when an Elektra talent scout went to Detroit to see the MC5 and wound up signing their opening act, The Stooges, as well.

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Produced by John Cale, The Stooges' primitive eponymous debut was released in 1969, and while it generated some attention in the underground press, it barely sold any copies. As the band prepared to record their second album, every member sank deeper into substance abuse, and their excess eventually surfaced in their concerts, not only through Iggy's antics, but also in the fact that the band could barely keep a simple, two-chord riff afloat. Fun House, an atonal barrage of avant-noise, appeared in 1970 and, if it was even noticed, it earned generally negative reviews and sold even fewer copies than the debut. Following the release of Fun House, The Stooges essentially disintegrated, as Iggy sank into heroin addiction. At first, he did try to keep The Stooges afloat. Dave Alexander left the band and after a spell in which Zeke Zettner and then James Recca took his place, Ron Asheton moved to bass as James Williamson joined as guitarist, but this incarnation wasn't able to land a record deal, despite recording a handful of demos. For the next two years, the band was in limbo as Iggy weaned himself off heroin and worked various odd jobs. Early in 1972, Pop happened to run into David Bowie, then at the height of his Ziggy Stardust popularity. Bowie made it his mission to resuscitate Iggy & the Stooges, as the band was now billed. With Bowie's help, The Stooges landed a management deal and a contract with Columbia, and he took control of the production of the group's third album, Raw Power. Released in 1973 to surprisingly strong reviews, Raw Power had a weird, thin mix due to various technical problems. Although this would be the cause of much controversy later on, many purists blamed Bowie for the brittle mix, its razor-thin sound helped kick-start the punk revolution. At the time, however, Raw Power flopped, essentially bringing The Stooges' career to a halt, with the band's disastrous final gig captured on the live album Metallic K.O.

In 1976, Bowie once again came to Iggy's rescue, helping him establish himself as a solo act by producing the albums The Idiot and Lust for Life and playing keyboards in Iggy's road band. In time, Iggy established an international following as one of rock's great renegades, but the other Stooges didn't fare quite as well. Dave Alexander died of pneumonia in 1975, aggravated by an inflamed pancreas. James Williamson returned to Iggy's circle as a songwriter and producer on the albums New Values (1979) and Soldier (1980), but in the 1980s he dropped out of music and began a successful career in electronics. Ron Asheton and Scott Asheton launched a band called the New Order (no relation to the successful British group), but it didn't fare well and soon split up. In 1981, Ron Asheton was recruited to join New Race, a short-lived side project formed by Radio Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek which also featured MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson and Radio Birdman alumni Rob Younger and Warwick Gilbert. However, the group (as intended) split after a single Australian tour and album. After returning to Michigan, Ron gigged periodically with Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival, acted in a handful of low-budget films, and in 1998 he recorded with the ad hoc band Wylde Ratttz, featuring Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, Mark Arm from Mudhoney, and Mike Watt, ex-Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Wylde Ratttz's cover of "TV Eye" appeared on the soundtrack of the film Velvet Goldmine, but the group's album remains unreleased. Following The Stooges breakup, Scott Asheton played with a few local groups in Detroit before joining Sonic's Rendezvous Band in 1974, with Fred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5, Scott Morgan of The Rationals, and Gary Rasmussen of The Up; the band earned a potent reputation as a live act, but record labels were wary and the group slowly faded out by the end of the decade.

In 2002, Ron Asheton and Scott Asheton joined J Mascis + the Fog for a tour in which they performed a handful of Stooges classics from the group's first two albums. The show's were enthusiastically received, especially in Europe, and word got back to Iggy Pop, who had been talking with Ron Asheton on and off for several years about a possible Stooges reunion. In 2003, Iggy was recording the album Skull Ring, which featured contributions from a number of noteworthy bands, and he decided to add The Stooges to the roster; the Asheton brothers backed Iggy on four cuts (with Ron handling both guitar and bass), and on April 27, 2003, The Stooges played their first concert in 30 years at California's Coachella festival, with Mike Watt sitting in for the late Dave Alexander. The reunited Stooges began hitting the road on a semi-regular basis for the next three years, playing major festivals in Europe and the United States, and in the fall of 2006 the group entered Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago, IL, with engineer Steve Albini to record The Weirdness, an album culled from 22 new songs written by Pop and the Ashetons. The Weirdness was released in March 2007, followed by a major world tour.

Albums:

Source: artistdirect.com

HAVE A LOOK AT THIS GREAT THE STOOGES MERCHANDISE HERE

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Martin Turner and Steve Upton were forming a band in 1970, so legend has it, and they couldn’t choose between Andy Powell and Ted Turner (no relation) on lead guitar. Thus were born the greatest exponents of the glorious and pretty much exclusively Prog Rock phenomenon, twin lead guitars.

If you’re not familiar with this sound you need to download "Blowin’ Free" and you’ll struggle to believe that what seems at first to sound like a clever echo is in fact the two guitars jousting. It’s a staggeringly accomplished track, whether or not in its original electric format, or more Folk-like acoustic, and demonstrates the assurance of a band into its third great album in as many years ("Argus" – 1972). 

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Perhaps understandably, given that it is the closest the band ever got to a concept album, Wishbone Ash are primarily remembered for "Argus". At the time Wishbone Ash seemed quite heavy, in the Deep Purple mode, whose stable they shared, and whose own guitarist, one Ritchie Blackmore, is reputed to have been godfather to the band persuading Deep Purple’s own label to take on Wishbone Ash – ironically Turner’s and Powell’s guitars seemed to have aged more gracefully than the iconic Blackmore’s. Listening to Wishbone Ash today, in our post-Prodigy world, the Folk Rock influences, like their contemporaries such as The Strawbs, shine through. Given that Wishbone Ash abounds with myths, it is fitting that "Argus" conjures medieval visions, and Arthurian allusions, a theme common enough in their other work, and through the great Prog Rock bands generally, but at its most complete in "Argus". "Argus" works very well, and the lead guitars take us on epic Tolkienian journeys ("Time Was", "The King Will Come", "Throw Down The Sword", "The Warrior"), and the understated vocals are unusual in that they are reduced to a support function.

While "Argus" and its standout track "Blowin’ Free" should be regarded as essential, their eponymous debut (1970) and 1971’s outing "Pilgrimage" are in many ways its equal, with some equally outstanding tracks, including the legendary "Phoenix". Wishbone IV (1973) and "There’s The Rub" (1974) refine the Wishbone Ash sound, but Punk Rock was knocking, and despite sterling work since, and excellent live gigs ("Live Dates" is an outstanding album) Wishbone Ash had had their spell on the top table.

The generally accepted wisdom is that Wishbone Ash needed a front man, and Wishbone Ash themselves are rumoured to have agreed, leading to the band's first change of personnel in the mid seventies. Competent vocals, and totally appropriate to their sound, but in a world that wanted more Bolan, Broughton, Bowie, Hammill, Gabriel, Daltry and Plant, and was as ready as it was going to be for the emerging Mercury, they weren’t quite Gillan.

While the band has had its share of Floydian internecine squabbles over the years, it’s still active, and has consistently featured Andy Powell on lead guitar. Wishbone Ash is a great personal favourite, and highly recommended. Everything that’s good about lead guitar – restrained and yet flamboyant – in the best possible taste. The most thoroughly British of bands.

Albums:

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

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The Birds should probably do down in history as being one of the hardest done by, misfortunate acts to come out of the British rock invasion in the 1960s. This five piece consisted of Ali MacKenzie, Ron Wood (later famous for being in The Faces and The Rolling Stones), Tony Munroe, Kim Gardner and Bob Langham (later replaced by Pete McDaniel).

The band formed out of London and were known for their edgy approach to rock and were compared to other successful acts of the time like The Who and The Kinks.

After an appearance in a battle of the bands competition, Decca signed them on the spot and released the first single, You Don’t Love Me. The future looked bright for this raunchy rhythm and blues band.

But in 1965, the LA band, The Byrds, arrived in England with its hit Hey Mr. Tambourine Man. The Birds’ manager attempted legal action but to no avail. This unforeseen circumstance was a major disturbance to the sale of its second release, Leaving Here.

The Birds hired a new manager, switched record labels and even contemplated changing their name. This promising act from West London seemed to be in free fall.

In 1965, they recorded their last single, Say Those Magic Words. In 1966 secured a cameo appearance on a horror film.

By 1967, the band disbanded after only laying down about a dozen tracks.

Motorhead would go on to cover Leaving Here.

Sources: Juanita Appleby

HAVE A LOOK AT THE BIRDS MERCHANDISE HERE

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

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