Cleve Duncan, Lead Singer Of The Penguins Who Cut Original Recording Of "Earth Angel," R.I.P.

Cleve Duncan, lead singer and co-founder of The Penguins, a Los Angeles-based rhythm-and-blues vocal group best remembered for their 1954 recording of the classic crossover hit "Earth Angel," passed away this week at the age of 77.

No further details on Mr. Duncan's passing were made available at the time of this posting.

The original Penguins were formed late in 1953 in Los Angeles when Mr. Duncan was singing in a talent show and was approached by songwriter and ex-Hollywood Flames singer Curtis Williams.  The twosome agreed to form a new group.  The other original members were Dexter Tisby from Cleve's Fremont High School and Bruce Tate from Jefferson High, where Mr. Williams attended.

They took the group's name from the cartoon penguin depicted in advertisements for Kool cigarettes.

"Earth Angel," a song that Curtis Williams co-authored with Jesse Belvin, was the 'B' side of the group's second Dootone Records release.  Nevertheless, that song would receive considerable airplay on many radio stations that played rhythm and blues music, rather than "Hey Senorita," the original 'A' side.

"Earth Angel" climbed up to #1 on Billboard's R&B charts while climbing up to #8 on the pop charts in early 1955 despite heavy competition from The Crew Cuts on Mercury Records, who, after the Penguins' disc became a big hit, became interested in buying the boys' contract from Dootone.

Buck Ram, the group's manager, would only agree to letting Mercury sign them if the label would also sign another group he managed---the Platters.

The Platters would go on to become the best-selling vocal group of the remaining of the 1950s while the Penguins never had another major chart hit.

The original group broke up in the late 1950s, but Cleve would revive the group, becoming lead singer throughout various re-incarnations of the Penguins.

Here's the classic, original 1954 recording on Dootone records out of Los Angeles of "Earth Angel" by the Penguins.



Rest in peace, Cleve.

Time For The Fat Man!

Here's Fats Domino with his first hit recording, "The Fat Man," recorded in New Orleans in December, 1949 and released on Imperial Records in early 1950.  This was intended to be the "B" side to "Detroit City Blues."  The "A" side did not chart, but the flip side would hit the top ten on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues chart.  It would be the first of many hits for Fats, who co-wrote the song with his longtime collaborator, bandleader Dave Bartholomew.

Enjoy!

Sylvia Robinson, Female Half Of R&B Duo Best Remembered For "Love Is Strange," Record Producer, R. I. P.

Sylvia Robinson, a singer, songwriter, and record producer best remembered by aficionados of early rock 'n' roll music as the female half of the rhythm and blues duo Mickey and Sylvia, who had a big hit in 1957, "Love Is Strange," passed away on Thursday at the New Jersey Institute of Neuroscience at Edison from congestive heart failure at age 75.


Born Sylvia Vanderpool in New York City, she and singer-guitarist Mickey Baker had a series of successful R & B recordings, with the big success being "Love Is Strange," which climbed to #1 on the R & B charts and crossed over into the pop charts as well.


The duo broke up in 1962 when Mr. Baker (who's still with us today; he'll be 86 years old in October) moved to Paris.


Rest in peace, Sylvia.

Parmaley "Carl" Rainge, R. I. P.

On and off for some 20 years, starting in 1956, Parmaley "Carl" Rainge was a member of the rhythm-and-blues/doo-wop vocal group The Spaniels.  After he joined the group, they enjoyed success with recordings such as "Everybody's Talking," "You're Gonna Cry," and "Peace Of Mind."


Mr. Rainge passed away this past Sunday in Columbus, Tennessee after a long illness at age 74.

Ol'Man River

Here are the Ravens, with Jimmy Ricks on the lead vocal, with their 1947 recording of "ol' Man River," released on the National Records label.

Time For The Moonglows!

From 1957, here are The Moonglows with their recording of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Someone To Love" on Chess Records.

Heaven and Paradise

Here are Don Julian and The Meadowlarks with their 1955 Dootone Records recording of Heaven and Paradise.

Time For The Flamingos

Here's a 78 RPM record of the original version of "I'll Be Home" by the Flamingos on Checker Records, which was a sister label of Chess Records of Chicago.

Time For "Louie Louie"

Here is the original version, from 1957 by the song's composer Richard Berry.  It was released on Flip Records, the Los Angeles-based label that is also best remembered for a handful of hit recordings from the Six Teens.  This was also the label that brought legal action against Sam Phillips which forced the owner of Sun Records to shutter his Memphis-based same-named country-oriented label.

Time For The Nutmegs!

From 1955, here are the Nutmegs with their Herald Records recording, "Ship of Love," which made that year's Billboard rhythm and blues charts.

No, Not THOSE Diamonds

From around 1953, on Atlantic Records, here are the Diamonds (not to be confused with the same-named vocal group from Canada who had a series of hit recordings for Mercury in the mid-late 1950s) with "A Beggar For Your Kisses."  THESE were the Diamonds who were a rhythm-and-blues vocal group who recorded for Atlantic in the early 1950s.

Time For A Song From Billy The Kid

Billy "The Kid" Emerson, that is.  This is his original 1955 recording of "Red Hot" released by Sun Records.

Time For Another Tune!

Here's Dee Clark with his 1958 recording of "Nobody But You," released on Abner Records, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Vee Jay Records.

Enjoy!

It's Iceman Time, Folks!

From 1958, here's Jerry Butler and the Impressions with a classic rhythm and blues ballad "For Your Precious Love."  The song was released on Vee Jay subsidiary Falcon Records. 




Having found out that there had already been a Falcon Records label in existance, the parent company changed the label's name to Abner Records, after Ewart Abner, who was at the time the general manager at Vee Jay.

Time For Junior

Recorded on the Sun Records label in November , 1953 in Memphis, here's Junior Parker with "Mystery Train."

Time For Old Time Rhythm And Blues

Here are The "5" Royales with a big R & B hit from 1953, "Help Me Somebody," which was released on Apollo Records.  The record spent five weeks atop Billboard magazine's Rhythm and Blues charts.

Time For An R&B Classic

Here is a classic rhythm and blues recording from 1951 as the Dominoes, which included Clyde McPhatter, sing "Sixty Minute Man."  It was recorded on Federal Records, which was a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based King Records.

Enjoy!

TIme For Something Different!

From 1955, here are the Nutmegs with "Story Untold."

 

Orders From Mr. Blues

Put It Back!

 
Here's Wynonie Harris singing "Put It Back" as recorded in 1950.

Time For Another Tune!

From 1952, here are Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers with "Going Back To New Orleans."