The Dubs

The Dubs had an extended career, through the past due ’50s through the ’80s, but are best remembered for his or her enduring Top 40 doo wop classic “Could This End up being Magic,” one of the most memorable songs of 1957. Through the early ’50s, the group created out of two short-lived vocal serves: the Five Wings as well as the Scale-Tones. The Harlem-based Five Wings (originally “the Five Superstars”) had been Jackie Rue (lead), Frank Edwards (initial tenor), Billy Carlisle (second tenor), Melvin Overflow (baritone), and Tommy Grate (bass). The group documented several singles — including two posthumous tributes in early 1955 to Johnny Ace — for Ruler Records. Three from the Five Wings (Edwards, Overflow, and Rue — the last mentioned going to become the business lead of Jackie as well as the Starlites of “Valerie” popularity) quit the group, prompting Carlisle and Grate to become listed on up with Kenny “Butch” Hamilton (previously from the R&B group, the Sonics, who documented for Groove) and shortly added support vocalist Billy Nelson. Immediately after their preliminary November 1955 program, Carlisle’s cousin Richard Blandon became a member of the group after departing the Air Drive. Today the four had been five. In Feb 1956, they released the one “Walk Along.” The Five Wings shortly fulfilled up with another Harlem-based group, the Scale-Tones, (who acquired just documented their first in support of one for Joe Davis’ Jay Dee label). The Scale-Tones had been Cleveland Still (business lead), Adam Montgomery (tenor), Jake Miller (aka Adam Miller, baritone), and Thomas Gardner (bass). After some prompting by Blandon (who wished to sing business lead), a fresh group surfaced from both. This lineup presented Richard Blandon (business lead), Billy Carlisle (second tenor), Cleveland Still (1st tenor), Jake Miller (baritone), and Thomas Gardner (bass). The Five Wings’ supervisor, Hiram Johnson (sibling of famous musician and bandleader Friend Johnson), wanted to manage the brand new group. On the other hand, the remaining associates of the group became a member of various other serves: Grate became a member of the Vocaltones (Apollo), while Butch Hamilton became a member of the Bop Chords (Vacation). The Blandon-led group — initially contacting themselves the Marvels (never to end up being confused using the Mar-Vells) — had been inspired by various other well-known doo wop sets of the day, like the Harptones, the Wanderers, as well as the Spaniels. These were agreed upon to ABC Paramount Information past due in 1956 and released their initial one in November. Supervisor Johnson later made a decision to type his very own label, Johnson Information, and in early 1957, the Marvels transformed their name towards the Dubs. Their initial one under this moniker — the Blandon-penned “Don’t Talk to Me to become Depressed” — premiered in March. Radio jumped over the one instantly and Johnson shortly discovered himself with an area hit that needed a nationwide distributor, therefore he fulfilled with George Goldner (of Gee/Eliminated/Tico popularity) as well as the Dubs shortly discovered themselves on Goldner’s Eliminated label. On July 15, some five a few months after its preliminary release, “Don’t Question Me” finally produced its way to the nationwide pop graphs, peaking at amount 74, though it had been TOP on many regional East Coastline radio station research at its high stage. In August, right before the quintet came back towards the studio room, bassman Thomas Gardner still left and was changed by previous Five Wings bassman Tommy Grate. Next up was Blandon’s “Could This End up being Magic” and by the first week of November, the Dubs got their second nationwide pop Best 40 tune of the entire year. It would eventually become their biggest strike, rising to quantity 23. Remarkably, “Could This Become Magic” (nor the additional Dubs singles for example) ever got around the R&B graphs. The Dubs continuing to tour thoroughly in the U.S. and Canada. Following singles from your group didn’t connect, nevertheless. In November 1958, following the group’s “Chapel of Dreams” premiered to little response, the Dubs, disappointed on the meager income in their selected career, made a decision to contact it each day. In July 1959, some eight a few months after its preliminary discharge, “Chapel of Dreams” was reissued by their label and by this time around, Cleveland Still had been working being a delivery clerk when he noticed the tune on the air. The one quickly jumped in to the Best 100 on August 24th, increasing to amount 74 after six weeks, and became the Dubs’ last charting one (even following the group got given up documenting jointly). He still couldn’t believe what he was hearing and continuing to work, nonetheless it didn’t move unnoticed by all of those other group. The various other Dubs — considering they were becoming given another chance — arrived together again, changing Still with Cordell Dark brown, plus they re-signed with ABC Paramount, the same label these were with 3 years before as the Marvels. Though all five of their second influx of ABC singles had been good recordings, their two 12 months operate — from November 1959 to November 1961 — yielded no outcomes. Still eventually came back for one last ABC-Paramount solitary, “Down Down Down I Proceed.” In early 1962, these were heading back to Goldner for just one End launch, one Gone launch, and one for Wilshire. In 1963, Cordell was backup in the lineup, changing Still for the next time, as well as the Dubs authorized with Josie to record for just one side of the album, known as The Dubs Meet up with the Shells, (in the custom from the Paragons Meet up with the Jesters). With the ’70s, the Dubs had been still clinging alive, now being a trio offering Blandon, Still, and Kirk Harris (tenor). This brand-new Dubs trio documented an LP of previously documented Dubs tracks for the Candlelite label. David Shelly (baritone) became a member of in 1973 for just two more singles, however the Dubs’ well-known chart successes had been clearly in it. In 1973, four unreleased edges from the first 1957 Hiram Johnson program arrived on his Johnson Information and had been probably purchased by enthusiasts just. All total, the Dubs (at least the organizations offering business lead vocalist Richard Blandon) documented for ten record brands, from your ’50s through the middle-’70s, but by no means enjoyed much in the form of achievement or produced any headway outside doo wop circles. In the ’80s, Cleveland Still came back with his very own Dubs oldies group, whose lineup highlighted Bernard Jones (of Doc Green’s Drifters), Steve Dark brown and John Truesdale (from the Graphs), and Leslie Anderson.