The Five Discs

Biography

Like many street-corner vocal groups who originated from Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy section in the first ’50s, the Five Discs had limited chart success (“Hardly ever ENABLE YOU TO Go” instantly gained Murray the K’s Record of the night time and Record from the Week contests on WINS and charted at amount 28 on the neighborhood NY charts, however, not nationally). Their profession was however mired by way of a group of revolving-door workers adjustments, poor label advertising of the singles, and misfortune, but they were able to last for four years and outlive a lot of their more lucrative community contemporaries. In 1954, business lead vocalist Mario DeAndrade and Andy Jackson (bass) — both previously from the Lovenotes — became a member of up with Joe Barsalona (baritone), Paul Albano (initial tenor), Tony Basile (second tenor), and Joe Brocco to create a fresh group, contacting themselves the Flames. Albano’s sibling, Joe, an ambulance drivers by career, became their supervisor. On ROMANTIC DAYS CELEBRATION 1956, the Flames made an appearance on their 1st show with the neighborhood works the Royaltones as well as the Paragons, nonetheless it wasn’t until 1957 that they might lower their 1st demo. Barsalona after that took the demonstration into Manhattan, likely to all of the record businesses with offices at 1650 and 1674 Broadway (including Hull, Hy Weiss’s Aged City, and George Goldner’s Eliminated), each of whom eventually rejected an offer release a the documenting. A songwriter called Billy Martin ultimately heard the demonstration and suggested they re-cut it. He performed their fresh edition for Gene Schwartz, who later on provided them a agreement for the Emge label. In the recommendation of Albano’s sister, they transformed their name from the Flames towards the Five Discs. In early 1958, the group documented “I RECALL” to get a third period. The solitary on Emge was debuted on WMGM and eventually climbed as much as quantity 28 on the brand new York graphs and number 2 in Boston. Quickly afterwards, Schwartz released his Laurie Information, scoring an instantaneous strike with Dion & the Belmonts’ “I Wonder Why.” Because he was occupied with its advertising, the Five Discs solitary failed to obtain promoted. In the insistence of the group, Schwartz leased it to RCA’s Vik label, but that label soon thereafter proceeded to go bankrupt as well as the solitary didn’t connect. (In 1961, Corrosion Information — a subsidiary of Laurie — released the record to get a third period.) Ultimately, they provided back-up vocal work with other Emge serves, but received no label credit for either. In 1959, Martin, lawyer Jack port Astor, and Jack port Levinthal (a soda pop salesman), produced Dwain Information. Levinthal’s son resided a few homes down from Joe Barsalona, who raved to his dad in regards to the group’s abilities. Eager to move ahead, the Five Discs agreed upon with the brand new label and trim two sides. Because of a poor mixing up job, nevertheless, the group was compelled to re-do the music once again. (The flawed first discharge using the orange label was instantly pulled from flow and changed with Dwain 803, which acquired a green label. This makes up about the severe rarity from the initial Dwain discharge which today instructions just as much as 1000 dollars over the collector’s marketplace.) However, neither edition received any airplay. By 1960, DeAndrade was wedded and made a decision to keep the group, as do his friend, Andy Jackson; Lenny Hutter (who was simply in the Bushwick portion of Brooklyn and previously from the Chalets) and regional vocalist John Russell arrived aboard as their substitutes. They changed administration and authorized with a fresh label, Yale Information. The Five Discs released many singles, none which linked them with a more substantial viewers. By 1961, John Carbone got changed Hutter and another label became thinking about the group: Andy Leonetti’s Touch Information, releasing an individual for the Calo subsidiary. It, as well, didn’t sell. Quickly, Russell was out and Charlie DiBella — originally using the DelVons through the East NY portion of Brooklyn — is at. The recently configured Five Discs documented an individual for Cheer Information, but quickly Carbone was departing the group. His alternative was Eddie Pardocchi, (a previous person in the DelVons as well as the Darcels. This one, “Never ENABLE YOU TO Go,” gained Murray the K’s Record of the night time and Record from the Week contests on WINS in NEW YORK. By the next week, it had been amount 28 on the neighborhood graphs. In 1963, with Supplement Kessler now performing as their supervisor, the Five Discs agreed upon with Kapp Information and documented three tracks. Once more, with a fresh label and brand-new manager, emerged a name transformation, this time towards the Boyfriends, but once more, they didn’t connect. In 1964, two of the initial associates — Paul Albano and Tony Basile — along with a third, more-recent member, Charlie DiBella, made a decision to contact it quits. All of those other Boyfriends re-formed with lead vocalist Eddie Pardocchi (lead), initial tenor Donnie LaRuffa (in the Darcels), and second tenor Frank Arrione. By 1968, these were putting your signature on with Rust Information, but each one of the fresh lineup’s recordings didn’t find its viewers. In 1972, the Five Discs had been again with Pardocchi, Barsalona, Arnone, Albano, and DiBella, but immediately after their 1st show, Albano lowered out (once again) and LaRuffa changed him (once again). Quickly DiBella was departing as well, changed by Mike Strippoli. Once more, they authorized with Laurie, issuing a small number of singles before eventually phoning it quits once and for all. For a while, Eddie Pardocchi performed using the Impalas before he rejoined his aged DelVons performing partner Vito Balsamo in Vito & the Salutations. Around 1980, the Five Discs reunited with Pardocchi, Barsalona, Albano, Strippoli, and Shelly Buchansky. This group produced numerous looks, but split up in 1982. In 1990, Pardocchi came back having a lineup that presented Albano, Barsalona, Strippoli, and newcomer Jack port Scandura (second tenor, who experienced sung with Ricky as well as the Hallmarks on Amy Information and with the Uniques on Roulette Information). In the 1970s and 1980s, Pardocchi sang with two a cappella organizations, the Blendaires as well as the Blue Celebrities. Joe Barcelona passed on in 1994 soon after his last appearance onstage in a UGHA concert.

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