Post by rooster on Apr 11, 2018 23:49:00 GMT -5
Lewis Lymon is not to be confused Frankie Lymon (of The Teenagers) who was Lewis' older brother. The Teenchords were formed in 1956 in the Washington Heights section of NYC. The group consisted of five friends as follows:
Lewis Lymon - Lead Tenor
Ralph Vaughn - 1st Tenor
Rosilio Rocca - 2nd Tenor
Lyndon Harold - Baritone
David Little - Bass
The Teenchords break came when they chose to go see Lewis' brother, Frankie Lymon and his group The Teenagers at The Apollo Theater. They were out behind the Apollo when Ralph Vaughn's friend Charles Sampson (who was a member of The Velvets that recorded for the Red Robin label owned by Bobby Robinson) happened by. Sampson told The Teenchords that Robinson was looking for new groups to record and manage. Bobby Robinson ran his record labels from his record store which was a couple of blocks away from the theater. The group met and auditioned for Robinson who signed the group.
Fury #1000
Lydia/I'm So Happy (Tra-La-La-La-La-La); 1956
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(Robinson took the group into the studio for a session, but took nearly six months to release any records. When this record was released and The Teenchords were officially a professional group, Robinson immediately got them a booking at The Apollo Theater.)
Fury #1003
Honey, Honey (You Don't Know)/Please Tell The Angels; 1957
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(The group returned to the studio in early 1957 and recorded these two songs. The Teenchords were continuing to play shows during the month between the recording of the these sides and their release. They played The Empire Theater in Brooklyn NY and the Apollo a second time.)
Fury #1006
I'm Not Too Young To Fall In Love/Falling In Love; 1957
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(In addition to all of the personal appearances during this time, including an Allen Freed show at the Paramount Theater they also filmed an appearance in the low budget Rock And Roll film, "Jamboree". Around this time, David Little and Lyndon Harold got into trouble with the law. Do to this, David Little left the group. Lyndon Harold, who was a minor, apparently got out of his legal troubles as he remained a member of the group).
End #1003
Too Young/Your Last Chance; 1957
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(These two tracks were cut for Bobby Robinson. Bobby Robinson sold The Teenchords contract to George Goldner, former owner of the Gee, Rama, Tico Andrea other labels. Goldner had formed a new label, End, on which he placed The Teenchords. Goldner owned labels had previously released Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers output. The Teenchords did a ten day tour of the British West Indies. When they returned they needed to replace David Little at Bass. They brought in Owen Hightower. Additionally, Lyndon Harold decided to leave the group at this time. He was replaced by Baritone, Eddie Pellegrino. )
End #1007
I Found Out Why/Tell Me Love; 1957
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
("I Found Out Why" is the answer song to brother, Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". After this release Rosillio Rocca and Ralph Vaughn left the group they were replaced by the former lead singer of the group, The Juniors, Jimmy Castor. Owen Hightower likewise left shortly thereafter. Hightower was replaced by Johnny Pruitt.)
Juanita #101
Dance Girl/Them There Eyes; 1958
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(Two more cuts made For The Fury Label, but released by George Goldner, this time, on an End subsidiary).
The Teenchords break up the group in 1959 due to a lack of sales. After three years with a fair amount of local success, but nothing in the way of a national hit, the members decide to end their career in music.
PJ #1340/1341
That's All I'll Ever Need/I Can't Go; 1963
The Townsmen
(Credited to the Townsmen, a group Lewis Lymon joined [circa 1962] {this group of Townsmen are not to be confused with the like named groups on the Columbia, Herald and Joey labels} Cat. no. on "A" side: 1340; Cat. no. on "B" side: 1341. This was the Townsmen's only release.)
A little later in the 1960's, Lewis Lymon joined the US Navy. In the early 1970's, Lymon Reformed The Teenchords to play a few oldies shows.
Starlight #21
I Want You To Be My Girl/Please Tell The Angels; 1984
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(These tracks were re-recorded, A Capella, by Lewis Lymon with a new group of Teenchords. "I Want You To Be My Girl" is a cover of the 1956 Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers" song).
Starlight #25
Dance Girl/Honey, Honey; 1985
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(These tracks were re-recorded, A Capella, by Lewis Lymon with a new group of Teenchords).
Park Avenue #9
Never Let You Go/I Found Out Why; 1992
Lewis Lymon And The Teenchords
(These tracks were cut for the End Label. The "A" side was previously unreleased. The "B" side is an alternate take of the song originally released in 1957).