Top Hit Club of America Inc. - Old York/Shady DellChapter, Vol. 4: In the Wee Wee Hours (Of the Nite) Whisper (Softly) You're Mine, Oh Baby Doll

Hi, I'm Debbie the Dellette...

a teenager of the 50s dancing at the Dell.

I am also president of the Old York - Shady Dell

chapter of the Top Hit Club of America!

 Today my friends and I will make  

 you regret the day you were born! 

What do I mean by that? When you hear the records my fellow Dell rats

play at today's meeting, you will wish you had been a teenager in York, PA,
in the 1950s and 60s and a regular at Shady Dell during those golden years.

Spoiler alert! Seven songs will be played at today's meeting.

They are all gems of the genre and were local or regional hits.

Yet, incredibly, only one of these songs made the national

chart... and that includes the Bubbling Under chart!

Remember, as these original rats spin their songs:

"Don't just listen with your ears - listen with your heart."

The rats are restless and eager to get started, and I second that emotion.
The meeting of the Old York - Shady Dell chapter of the
Top Hit Club of America will hereby come to order!

As I review the minutes of our last meeting,
I am reminded that in volume 3, original

Dell rat Ron Shearer teamed up with  
Dell rat Tom Anderson, and the
veteran vermin took turns
playing Dell classics.

Today it's our good friend Jerre Slaybaugh's
turn to play dueling turntables with Tom.

Jerre was sworn in as a Dell rat in 1959

and ran with the pack through the mid 60s.
Jerre sent us a list of the memorable tunes
played in the Dell dance hall during the years
he hung out there, and I am proud to play
them for Jerre's entertainment and yours.

 THE LAFAYETTES 

Jerre's first play of the day is a mid-Atlantic

regional biggie, a sizzler from the summer

of 1962, and the only song you'll hear at

 today's meeting that registered on the

national chart. It's a neat doo-wop sound

by The Lafayettes, a pop rock 'n' roll band

from Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of

D.C. As you listen to the record, take note

of the clave rhythm that seems inspired by

The Gladiolas'/Diamonds' hit "Little Darlin'

and vocals that might remind you of the early

60s lineup of The Drifters" with Rudy Lewis

on lead replacing Ben E. King. Here are

The Layafettes with their best known

song-- "Life's Too Short!"

 "Life's Too Short" - The Lafayettes 

 (July/Aug. 1962, highest chart pos.

 #78 Cash Box/#87 Hot 100) 

 JAMES BROWN AND 

 THE FAMOUS FLAMES 

Jerre digs the sound James Brown was puttin' down

early in his career, and he wants you to hear a song

from JB's important but vastly underrated album

James Brown and His Famous Flames Tour the

U.S.A. Released on the first day of January in

1962. the long-play was the first by Brown to

place a significant amount of emphasis on

heavy rhythm and uptempo numbers, giving

listeners a preview of what would become his

trademark style in the decades that followed.

Listen now to James Brown And The Famous

Flames-- "In the Wee Wee Hours (Of the Nite)."

 "In the Wee Wee Hours (Of the Nite)" 

 - James Brown And The Famous Flames 

 (from Jan.1962 album James Brown and 

 His Famous Flames Tour the U.S.A.) 

 THE CHANTELS 

The Harlem-based Bobbettes were the first

black girl group to have nationwide success.

The Bronx-based Chantels were the second.

With Arlene Smith on lead, The Chantels

enjoyed a string of crossover R&B - pop

hits from the late 50s through early 60s.

The sensational ballad you are about to

hear, released at the start of summer in

1959, was not one of them. Incredibly,

it didn't make the pop chart, didn't

make the R&B chart, didn't even

Bubble Under. Here now are

The Chantels to sing-

"Goodbye To Love."

 "Goodbye To Love" - The Chantels 

 (June 1959) 

 THE AVONS 

Jerre's last play of the day is another glorious

ballad, this one by The Avons, a five member

doo-wop group from Englewood, New Jersey.

They originally called themselves The Robins,

but needed to change their name to avoid being

confused with a Robins group in Los Angeles.

Two members of that LA-based Robins group

later signed with Atlantic Records and formed

the highly successful novelty rock & roll act

The Coasters. The Jersey Robins changed

their name to The Avons and released

singles on New York's Hull label.

Taking us back to the fall of 1961,

here now are The Avons and--

"Whisper (Softly)." 

 "Whisper (Softly)" - The Avons 

 (fall 1961) 

Thanks for the music

and memories, Jerre!

Now I'm gonna hand the

mic to Dell Rat Tom who

 brought a few of his own

favorites to the meeting.

Take it away, Tommy boy!

 THE SENTIMENTALS 

Thanks, Debbie. It's always a pleasure to

get together with you and the guys here at

our Top Hit Club tree house headquarters.

 By the way, I love it when you call me

"Tommy boy." 😍😍😍

It's a well known fact that Dell Rat Jerre

likes doo-wop group ballads of the 1950s

 and early 60s. By and large,  I prefer

beats over ballads, and I can't wait to

play the three up tempo killers that

I brought to the turntable.

 Like The Robins mentioned in the intro to Jerre's last song, there were

at least three different groups recording in the late 50s and early 60s

using the name The Sentimentals. The group that I'm featuring was

from Coney Island, New York, and featured Sylvester Jackson

on lead vocals. This record was released in April 1962 on the

B side of  "Danny Boy." I say it should have been pushed

as the A side because it's a knock out. Here now are

The Sentimentals on New York's Mint label

rocking the block with "You're Mine!"

 "You're Mine" - The Sentimentals 

 (rec. 1958, rel. Apr. 1962, B side of "Danny Boy") 

 THE DANLEERS 

My second spin is by The Danleers, the Brooklyn,

New York, doo-wop R&B group best remembered

for their 1958 top 10/top 5 (pop chart/R&B chart)

hit single "One Summer Night." I found a terrific

song of theirs released around Christmas that

same year that should have been another hit

for the act. Instead, it came and went on the

B side of a poor selling single. Here are

The Danleers with-- "A Picture Of You!"

 "A Picture of You" - The Danleers 

 (Dec. 1958, B side of "Prelude To Love") 

 BOB AND EARL 

To finish my set, I've got one of the coolest

sounds around. It's a record by the soul duo

Bob And Earl released during the Christmas

season in 1962. "Bob" was Bobby Byrd, who

went by the name Bobby Day on the 1958

hit "Rockin' Robin." "Earl" was Earl Nelson,

who used the name Jackie Lee to record

"The Duck" and other R&B hits of the 60s.

Both talented men had been members of

the popular Los Angeles-based doo-wop

group The Hollywood Flames.

 

As Bob And Earl, the talented men are best remembered for their

early 1964 hit "Harlem Shuffle." This one made waves a year earlier

at the start of '63. Here are Bob And Earl with-- "Oh Baby Doll!"

 "Oh Baby Doll" - Bob And Earl 

 (Dec. 1962) 

Many thanks to Dell rats Jerry Slaybaugh and Tom Anderson

for sharing their Shady Dell music and memories with us.

I hope you had a good time eavesdropping on this meeting of the

Old York - Shady Dell Chapter of the Top Hit Club of America. 

Stay tuned for more golden greats of the 50s and 60s spun by

Dell rats Jerre Slaybaugh, Ron Shearer and Tom Anderson

 coming up in future volumes. This is Debbie the Dellette

saying bye-bye for now and see you next time!

Top Hit Club of America Inc. - Old York/Shady Dell Chapter Volume 3: ...a Ron... a Ronnie... and a Rainbow!

Hi, I'm Debbie the Dellette...

a teenager of the 1950s

 dancing at the Shady Dell.

I am also president of the Old York -

 Shady Dell chapter of the

Top Hit Club of America!

 Today my friends and I will make  

 you regret the day you were born! 

What do I mean by that? When you hear the records my fellow Dell rats

play at today's meeting, you will wish you had been a teenager in York, PA,
in the 1950s and 60s and a regular at Shady Dell during those golden years.

Remember, as these original

Dell rats spin their songs:

"Don't just listen with your ears -

listen with your heart."

The rats are restless and eager to get started. I second that emotion.
(Debbie bangs the gavel.) The meeting of the Old York - Shady Dell

chapter of the Top Hit Club of America will hereby come to order!

As I review the minutes of our last

meeting, I recall that in volume 2,

original Dell rat Jerre Slaybaugh

joined Dell rat Tom Anderson,

and the veteran vermin took

turns playing Dell classics.

Today our good friend Dell rat

Ron Shearer returns to play

dueling banjos turntables

with Tom. Rat Ron...

the floor is yours!

 THE TEMPTATIONS 

Sup, Debbie? The Dell jukebox was home to many
records by The Temptations including their first pop
chart hit, "The Way You Do The Things You Do."
 I wonder how many people remember the B side
of that single. Most Dell rats do, and we have the
Del-chords, York's great doo-wop soul group, to
thank for that. The Del-chords were influenced
by The Temptations, covered their songs and
always made sure we knew all of the Temps'
early recordings, even most of the B-sides.
It was like a personal triumph for so many

of us when "The Way You Do the Things
You Do" hit both nationally and in the
Dell jukebox, and the B-side I am

about to play, "Just Let Me Know,"
also received heavy airplay.

"Just Let Me Know" - The Temptations

(Mar./Apr. 1964, B side of "The Way You Do The Things You Do")

 MARCY JOE 

Shady, years ago on your old blog, Shady Dell Music & Memories, you posted

"Lover's Medley: The More I See You; When I Fall In Love"... a beautiful duet

recorded by Pittsburgh songstress Marcy Jo and Hazleton's Eddie Rambeau.

I've got another great one, a solo record by Marcy Joe aka Marcy Jo, this

time backed by a group called Lugee & the Lions which consisted of

Lou Christie, his older sister Amy, Kay Chick and Bill Fabec.

Here's Marcy Joe with her 1961 regional hit (and I like

the name of the song)-- "Ronnie."

"Ronnie" - Marcy Joe aka Marcy Jo

(June 1961, highest chart position

#64 Cash Box/#81 Hot 100)

Thanks for that "Ronnie"

song, Ronny... and that

killer B by The Temps.

 Now let's hear from

Dell rat Tom who's

standing by with his

first play of the day.

 THE SIX TEENS 

 FEAT. TRUDY WILLIAMS 

Thanks, Debbie. The first song I'm going to

spin today was recorded by a Los Angeles

based vocal group called The Six Teens.

 In 1956, when they began making

records, The Six Teens were all

teenagers or younger. The group's

youngest member was their twelve

year old lead singer Trudy Williams.

 Did... did you

say Trudy?

 My wife's name

was Trudy.

In 1957, 25 years before the English new wave band

ABC scored a U.S. hit with "Poison Arrow," little

Trudy Williams and The Six Teens made a dent

 in Billboard's pop chart with "Arrow Of Love."

"Arrow Of Love" - The Six Teens

featuring Trudy Williams (Aug. 1957,

highest chart position #80 Hot 100)

Thank you, Tommy boy!
Now let's turn the table
and the mic back over
to Dell Rat Ron and
listen to a couple
more of his faves.

 JAMES BROWN AND 
 HIS FAMOUS FLAMES 

Earlier I played a record by The Temptations.

The Motown men were heavy hitters at the

Shady Dell, and so was this R&B titan dubbed

The Hardest Working Man in Show Business -

James Brown. In 1962 Brown released his

5th studio album Good, Good, Twistin' which

contains the hit single "Shout and Shimmy"

along with two other JB gems, "I Don't Mind"

and "Good, Good, Lovin'." I'm going to play

another song from the album. It was released

on the B side of Brown's 1964 single "So Long,"

a great ballad from his 1963 Prisoner Of Love

album that sold poorly as a single and merely

Bubbled Under at #132. Here's that obscure

flip side-- James Brown And His Famous

Flames doing "Dancin' Little Thing!"

"Dancin' Little Thing" - James Brown And His Famous Flames

(June/July 1964, B side of "So Long," from
 1962 album Good, Good, Twistin')

 MAJOR LANCE 

Now here's one of my favorite songs that

our hometown heroes The Delchords liked

to cover. It was written by Curtis Mayfield

 and recorded by Major Lance, the man

who hit big with "The Monkey Time."

I think Major Lance did just as good

a job on his record as the Delchords

 did in their live sets. Is Major backed

by The Impressions or by Billy Butler

and The Enchanters? It was a topic

that often came up when Dave, Buddy,

Ike and the other Chords  discussed

records that involved Curtis Mayfield. 

"It Ain't No Use" - Major Lance

(July 1964, highest chart pos.

#68 Hot 100 & R&B) 

Thank you, Ron.

Now, it's back to

you, Dell Rat Tom,

to bring today's club

meeting to an end. 

 MONICA ROCHA 

To wrap up today's club meeting, I've got a

double dose of a sensational young Latina

singer from SoCal's Inland Empire region.

 Described as "a young voice from an old

soul"... Monica Rocha covers R&B and

soul songs of the 1960s and 70s, sounds

Dell rats love, and she makes them her

own... turning them into new classics

that will surely stand the test of time. 

You just heard Dell rat Ron play "It Ain't No Use," a song written by

Curtis Mayfield and recorded by Chicago R&B singer Major Lance.

Now you're about to see and hear Monica Rocha perform another

song penned by Mayfield and originally recorded by another

Chitown soul great -- Gene Chandler. In the late winter and

early spring of 1963, "Rainbow," not to be confused with

Russ Hamilton's pop hit of the 50s, brushed the top 10

on the R&B chart and went top 50 pop. A live version

entitled "Rainbow '65 Part 1" recorded by Chandler

at the Regal Theater in Chicago, cracked the top 3

on the Black Singles survey early in 1966. Fast

 forward to March, 2021, when Monica Rocha

laid down this fine cover of the deep soul ballad. 

"Rainbow" - Gene Chandler cover by Monica Rocha

(March 2021) 

 MONICA ROCHA 

 & MALIK MALO 

Finally, Monica is joined by singing partner

Malik Malo on a cover of "Hello Stranger,"

the official theme song of the Shady Dell.

First recorded in 1963 by Barbara Lewis,

a crossover hit for the diva, "Hello Stranger"

was waxed again in 1966 by the R&B group

The Capitols and released as the B side of

their top 10 hit "Cool Jerk." Both songs on

that Capitols 45 were huge hits at the Dell.

In early 2020, Monica and Malik brought

the smooth groove back to life in fine

chicano soul style. 

"Hello Stranger" - Barbara Lewis/Capitols cover

by Monica Rocha & Malik Malo (Feb. 2020) 

I hope you had a good time eavesdropping on this meeting of the

Old York - Shady Dell Chapter of the Top Hit Club of America. 

Stay tuned for more golden greats of the 50s and 60s spun by

Dell rats Ron, Tom and Jerre Slaybaugh coming up in future

volumes.  This is Debbie the Dellette. See you next time!

Top Hit Club of America Inc. - Old York/Shady Dell Chapter Volume 2: The Run For the Rosies!

Hi, I'm Debbie the Dellette...

a teenager of the 1950s

dancing at the Shady Dell.

I am also president of the Old York -

Shady Dell chapter of the

Top Hit Club of America!

 Today my friends and I will make  

 you regret the day you were born! 

What do I mean by that? When you hear the records my fellow Dell rats

play at today's meeting, you will wish you had been a teenager in York, PA,
in the 1950s and 60s and a regular at Shady Dell during those golden years.

Remember, as these original rats spin their songs:

"Don't just listen with your ears -

listen with your heart."

The rats are restless and eager to get started, and I second that emotion.
The meeting of the Old York - Shady Dell chapter of the
Top Hit Club of America will hereby come to order!

In vol. 1 of this series, original

Dell rat Ron Shearer joined

Dell rat Tom Anderson.

The veteran vermin

took turns playing

classic Dell songs

and reminiscing.

Today it's our good friend

Jerre Slaybaugh's turn to play

dueling turntables with Tom.

Jerre was sworn in as a Dell rat

in 1959 and ran with the pack

through the mid 60s. 

Jerre sent in a list of the most memorable tunes played

in the Dell dance hall during the years he hung out

there, and I am proud to play them for

Jerre's entertainment and yours.

 THE FIESTAS 

Jerre would like us to hear a song by The Fiestas,
the R&B group from Newark, New Jersey, led by
Tommy Bullock. The Fiestas are best known for
"So Fine," a single that brushed the top 10 in the
spring of 1959. On the back of "So Fine," Jerre
and other members of the rat pack found this
gold nugget, a sweet ballad entitled--
"Last Night I Dreamed."

"Last Night I Dreamed" - The Fiestas

(Apr./May 1959, B side of "So Fine")

 THE RIVINGTONS 

Here's more proof that Dell rats had a knack for
discovering hidden treasures on the flip sides
of jukebox singles. In 1962 The Rivingtons,
an R&B group from Los Angeles led by

Carl White, had a top 50 minor hit with
the up tempo novelty number "Papa-
Oom-Mow-Mow." Jerre and his
fellow Dell rats took the plunge,
flipped the record and dove into
 the fine B ballad-- "Deep Water."

"Deep Water" - The Rivingtons

(Sept. 1962, B side of "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow")

Hooray for the Rodentia Intelligentsia, Jerre! We already
knew that Dell rats had radar for cool, and you offered
even more evidence of the phenomenon with these
two obscure B sides that turned into slow dance
classics at the Dell.

Alright, Jerre, now it's time for you to take a break
so that we can find out what Dell Rat Tom brought
to the turntable. Tom told me he picked these
tunes with you in mind. Looks like he's set
to spin, so take it away, Tommy boy!

                THE LAVENDERS 

Thanks, Debbie! The first record I'd like to play for you,

Jerre and the other club members was waxed in 1961
by The Lavenders, a doo-wop group from Camden,
New Jersey, right across the Delaware River from
Philadelphia. The Lavenders included lead singer
Brent Edwards, formerly with Dale and the
Cashmeres, and Leon Huff on piano. Huff,
as you know, went on to fame in the 70s
as one of the architects of The Sound of
Philadelphia through his partnership
with Kenny Gamble. As the story goes
The Lavenders were playing at a club
in West Philly when they were dis-
covered by John Madara of the East
Coast producing team Madara & White.

 With another Philly music legend, Jerry Ross, producing them, The Lavenders

released the up tempo dance craze single "Slide" backed with this dreamy ballad

on the B side.  Here's young Leon Huff playing with The Lavenders on-- "Angel."

"Angel" - The Lavenders

(Oct./Nov. 1961, B side of "Slide")

 THE FASCINATORS 

Like many other doo-wop groups of the 1950s,
The Fascinators emerged from a group of guys
who enjoyed singing harmonies on the street
corners of Brooklyn. With Tony Passalaqua on
lead vocals The Fascinators landed a contract
with Capitol but recorded only three singles
before being dropped by the label. I'm going
to play their third and final release. From the
summer of 1959, backed by Jesse Stone and

his Orchestra, The Fascinators continue my
"Run for the Rosies" with-- "Oh Rose Marie."

"Oh Rose Marie" - The Fascinators

(July/Aug. 1959)

 JIVE FIVE WITH 

 EUGENE PITT 

Thanks, Tommy! Great stuff there, and now you have me curious about the other

songs that go along with your "Run for the Rosies" theme. Before we find out,
let's listen to another platter recommended by Dell Rat Jerre Slaybaugh.

Jerre loves The Jive Five, the Brooklyn based doo-wop group that featured the lead vocals of the late Eugene Pitt. I'm sad

to report that Eugene died in the summer of 2018. In 1961,

The Jive Five struck gold with their first single "My True

Story" which topped the R&B chart and went top 3 pop.

The group followed with a string of excellent doo-wop

records that kept Dell couples locked in warm embrace

night after night, year after year. Strange as it seems,

several of these great sounds missed the R&B chart,

the pop chart, or both. One such mysterious miss is the

1962 release "What Time Is It?"... a modest hit on the

pop side that never showed up on the black chart. Dell

rats paid no attention to the charts. They made their own

hits and left no record unturned - always checking out the

flip sides in search of gems. They found this one on the

back of "What Time Is It?" Listen to this killer B, a song

that might remind you of "My True Story." Credited as

Jive Five With Eugene Pitt, here's "Beggin' You Please!"

"Beggin' You Please" - Jive Five With Eugene Pitt

(September 1962, B side of "What Time Is It?")

That's classic doo-wop, Jerre.

Thank you! Okay, now sit

back, relax and listen as

Dell Rat Tom completes

his highly touted

"Run For the Rosies!"

 ROSIE 

Debbie, I'm sure you and Jerre can tell where I'm
going with this. I already played a song called
"Angel" and another called "Oh Rose Marie."
Now here's Rose "Rosie" Hamlin, lead singer
of Rosie And The Originals, the group best
known for their hit "Angel Baby." In 1961
Rosie released the solo album Lonely Blue
Nights. One of the songs on the LP is the
bluesy number "Maybe I'm Dreamin'."

"Maybe I'm Dreamin'" - Rosie

(from 1961 album Lonely Blue Nights)

 THE 

 MELLO-TONES 

To complete my "Run For the Rosies," here
are the Mello-Tones, a vocal group formed
by a group of boyhood friends from the

same Manhattan neighborhood. Their
influences included the vintage R&B
groups The Orioles, The Cadillacs and
the Five Keys. With tenor Ray Hulbert
on lead vocals and backed by the
Hank Ivory Orchestra, The Mello-
Tones recorded "Rosie Lee," an
up tempo single that cracked the 
top 30 in the spring of 1957.

"Rosie Lee" - The Mello-Tones

(May/June 1957, highest chart pos. #24 Hot 100/#27 Cash Box)

Many thanks to Dell rats Jerry Slaybaugh

and Tom Anderson for sharing their

Shady Dell music and memories with us.

I hope you had a good

time eavesdropping on
today's meeting of the
Old York - Shady Dell

Chapter of the Top Hit

Club of America. Stay

tuned for more doo-

wop classics of the

50s and 60s spun by

original Dell rats Jerre,

Ron and Tom coming

your way soon!