The Rainbows

Among Washington, D.C.’s pioneering vocal organizations, the Rainbows documented three singles entitled after women’s titles: “Mary Lee,” “Shirley,” and “Minnie.” “Mary Lee” premiered on Morgan “Bobby” Robinson’s Reddish Robin label in 1955; the Rainbows on that record contains lead vocalist Ronald “Posie” Kilometers, John Berry, along with other unfamiliar members who remaining after the launch ran its training course. Crimson Robin leased “Mary Lee” to Pilgrim Information, who marketed it right into a little regional hit. Because of its follow-up, “Shirley” (1956), Berry recruited Chester Simmons and Don Covay to create the lineup most from the group. Copies of “Shirley” are available on three different brands — Pilgrim, Argyle, and Crimson Robin — but non-e achieved it any justice. D.C. disk jockey Jay Ferry performed the Rainbows locally, but DJs in various other metropolitan areas weren’t as adoring. “Minnie” on Rama Information in 1957 became their swan melody, and despite reputation in Washington, the product sales were disappointing as well as the group disbanded. A minimum of four monitors — “Baraboo,” “Honey Hush,” “Jelly Bean,” and “The Insect” — remain rotting in Crimson Robin’s vaults. Covay became a single act and have scored with “Possess Mercy” and “Find Noticed”; he was more lucrative as a article writer and supplied materials to many performers. John Berry also had taken to songwriting, cranking out a lot more than 125 game titles signed up with BMI; his most effective, “Pony Period,” became popular for Chubby Checker. Simmons and fill-ins Marvin Gaye, Adam Nolan, and Reese Palmer produced the Marquees.