| | Otis Williams Charms You Aboard 2012 Doo Wop Cruise | | Otis Williams & the Charms landed a number-one R&B hit for almost ten weeks in 1954 with "Hearts of Stone," a song that remains among the most enduring Doo Wop anthems. | | Posted on : NetForce Press (28 Sept., 2011) | | | |
New York, NY, August 29, 2011 -- Grant Williams CEO of Memory Lane Concert Cruises today announced. The prestigious Otis Williams and the Charms will be among the many groups appearing on its historic Oldies But Goodies Doo Wop Cruise. “The Charms landed a number-one R&B hit for almost ten weeks in 1954 with "Hearts of Stone," a song that remains among the most enduring Doo Wop anthems.” said Williams
The Charms were from the Cincinnati area and consisted of Ron Bradley and Donald Peak both tenors, Joe Penn - baritone, Richard Parker - bass and lead singer Otis Williams. In August of 1953 the first notice was served on the public by an announcement in the trade press of a new record release on the Rockin' label of "Heaven Only Knows" and "Lovin' Baby." The record got some air play especially in the Midwest, and sold slowly at first. Soon numbers were enough so the record moved to the DeLuxe label. Sid Nathan the head of King Records bought the catalog of New Jersey based DeLuxe label. The year before and now with The Charms record, the label was back in business and "Heaven Only Knows" was rereleased as the first of the new DeLuxe label’. Later in the year their second record was released. This time the songs were "Happy Are We" and "What Do You Know About That". Nothing much happened with that record and soon they tried again. After the New Year “Bye Bye Baby" and "Please Believe Me" disappear without a trace. In early April "Quiet Please" and "Fifty Five Seconds" also barely made a ripple, and that made four in a row that missed the mark in making The Charms a noted R & B vocal group on the scene. In July of that year the group had their first sign of success with the release of "Come To Me Baby" and "My Baby Dearest Darling". The 'A' side of "Come To Me Baby" was a good seller in Miami and Atlanta. While the flip side was the preferred tune in the Midwest as it sold well in their hometown of Cincinnati and in Louisville, Kentucky. The Charms seemed on the verge of a breakout hit.
In September of 1954 "Hearts Of Stone" was released. The 'A' side was a cover of the Jewels tune. This rarity of an R & B cover by another R & B act soon began to sell in big numbers, especially in the Southeast. Except for the West coast and the Northeast, The Charms version of the tune was a big seller. It became the first record to chart for the DeLuxe label in over two years and justified the faith that King Records had in the group by sticking with them during more than a year without a hit record. Later in the year The Charms version was selling well in the pop field as it went against competition by The Fontaine Sisters pop version. The Charms record of the tune got into the top fifteen sellers on the pop music charts, an unprecedented accomplishment for an R & B vocal group. In the fall of 1954.The group was finally a hot commodity in the growing field of Rhythm & Blues music and they were soon booked for The Top Ten R & B Show which went out on tour in January of 1955. At the end of the year DeLuxe released "Mambo-Sh-Mambo" and "Crazy Crazy Love”. This record got swallowed up in the continued popularity of "Hearts Of Stone". Because of that failure, the group was quickly back in the studios for DeLuxe and went back to their winning formula of covering other R&B acts.
The Charms also recorded their version of "Ling Ting Tong", a Capitol hit for The Five Keys, and "Bazoom I Need Your Loving", another cover of a Capitol hit, this one by The Cheers. The Charms outperformed The Keys record on both the R & B and pop music charts, and charted with the flip side. Six weeks later The Charms had another two-sided cover record. "Kokomo" a hit for Gene & Eunice on Combo and "Whaddya Want", a Spark Records hit by The Robins. This time the formula was not successful, as many savvy listeners became aware of the practice of covering records and many new converts to this style of music searched out the originals. This last possibility was the case in New York and the surrounding areas. Alan Freed's refusal to play covers records at the time (directed at White pop covers); nonetheless they caused shutting out The Charms. Until this time I had never heard of the group and their versions of their hit records were unknown in the New York area.
Contact:
Grant Williams
Memory Lane Concert Cruises, LLC
Los Angeles, CA
541-879-6298
mlccruises@gmail.com
http://www.mlccruises.com |
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| Author Contact Information | Grant Williams
Memory Lane Concert Cruises, LLC
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles
CA
USA - 90046
Phone: 541-879-6298
Email: Click here to send email
Website: www.mlccruises.com
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