The Gems

The Gems — never to be confused with the lady band of the same name through the same city, who had been signed to Chess Information — were a quintet formed in Chicago in 1952, with Ray Pettis on lead, Bob Robinson and David Taylor as tenors, William Adam as baritone, and Rip Reed as bass. After a year or two of singing across the Windy Town, they were agreed upon to Drexel Information in the springtime of 1954, and their “Let’s DISCUSS the elements” b/w “Deed I REALLY DO” became the business’s first to push out a few weeks afterwards. It did sufficiently locally so the group was also in the label’s second one A-side, “Since I Fell for you personally,” even though the B-side was presented with to some other Drexel musician, Dorothy Logan. These were also symbolized on the business’s third one, “Kitty from NEW YORK” b/w “I Idea You’d Treatment,” as well as the 4th, an R&B rendition of “Aged Man River” supported with “You’re Sick and tired of Like.” Their documenting activity slackened significantly after 1955, using their one “One Girl Man” b/w “The Darkest Evening” obtaining some regional and local airplay. Drexel was still plugging them a year or two afterwards when it released their final solitary, “Monkey Encounter Baby” b/w “Right up until your day I Die.” The group evidently split up after 1957, closing an excellent five-year operate. Their recordings maintain a serious pursuing among tranquility vocal and doo wop fanatics, and devotees of Chicago’s music background in those styles.