The Wrens

The Wrens were one of the better of the a large number of R&B vocal groups who recorded within the mid- to past due ’50s for George Goldner, signed to his Rama and Gee brands within the wake of his success with “Gee” from the Crows. Lead vocalist Bobby Mansfield, George Magnezid (tenor), Francis “Frenchie” Concepcion (tenor), and Wayne “Archie” Archer (bass) 1st started singing collectively in 1954 in a community middle within the Bronx, NY. There these were noticed by Fred Johnson, a promoter who structured local talent displays, and he wanted to manage the quartet. The Wrens had been known best for his or her smooth, elegant tranquility singing, which raised both their ballads and their leap numbers above a lot of your competition. They sang R&B, nonetheless it tended even more toward mature ballads and severe jump songs, instead of teenager novelties. Johnson got the group an audition with George Goldner’s Rama Information and a saving contract followed past due in 1954, using the group’s 1st session occurring on November 21 of this 12 months. Fred Johnson performed piano in it on that program and Goldner created; in later on recordings, famous saxman Jimmy Wright led the music group that supported them up. The group’s 1st released solitary was “Love’s Something Designed for Two” b/w “Beggin’ for Like,” offering Mansfield and Concepcion, respectively. It had been their second solitary, “KEEP COMING BACK My Like,” nevertheless, that accomplished some local recognition in NY early in 1955 and place the Wrens around the map for R&B vocal followers. At their finest, the Wrens sounded nearly the same as the Moonglows — Mansfield’s performing sometimes bore a dazzling resemblance to Harvey Fuqua from the last mentioned group, and both clothes had been at their finest doing mid-tempo leap amounts and ballads, although Wrens’ information also had a difficult advantage from Wright’s sax as well as the vibrant sound from the Rama home music group under his command. Goldner issued a complete of six singles with the Wrens, however they under no circumstances enjoyed a larger strike than “KEEP COMING BACK My Appreciate,” which became their personal tune despite competition from a cover edition completed by the Cardinals on Atlantic that same season. By 1956, nevertheless, Bobby Mansfield experienced split faraway from the group to get a solo career, where he produced some information for Goldner using the Supremes (the man R&B vocal group, not really the Motown trio) support him. The Wrens vanished in to the mists of R&B vocal group background, while Mansfield continued to be active in to the 1990s, also recording with a fresh band of “Wrens” in the center of the decade. The initial Wrens all resided long enough to find out themselves inducted in to the United Group Tranquility Association’s Hall of Popularity in 1998. Collectables Information issued a assortment of the Wrens’ recordings in the first ’90s and England’s Westside label implemented this up in 2000 with Firmly for the Wild birds, compiling the Wrens’ as well as the Crows’ materials on one Compact disc.