The Echoes

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The Echoes
General information
Genre (s) Doo Wop
founding 1956
resolution 1957
Members
Lead voice
 Mosby Carter
First tenor
 Elmo Jones Junior
Second tenor
 Harold "Miles" Grayson
baritone
 Edward DeVold
singing
 Marzetta Freeman
Lead voice
 Darlene Wright

The Echoes were an American doo-wop group from Los Angeles , California that was one of the few black mixed-gender rhythm and blues singing ensembles to record releases on major record labels. Not to be confused with the white doo-wop group The Echoes ( Baby Blue , Boomerang , Candy etc.)

In 1956, South Central Los Angeles Freemont High School graduates Mosby Carter, Elmo Jones Jr., Harold Grayson and Edward DeVold formed The Echoes. With Marzetta Freeman, a first female voice was integrated before the discovery by the manager Mabel Weathers. Weathers became aware of the quintet through their participation in the talent competition "Rocket to Stardom". With My Little Honey , a first up-tempo doowop rocker was recorded for Combo Records , which has a slightly less furious back with Aye Senorita . Marzetta Freeman was allowed to sing the leading voice on the ballad Take My Hand , but the song was withheld and only released in 1991 on a compilation by Relics Records . The manager Weathers also used the band for the backing vocals on a single Sonny Roberts', which was released on her own label Impala Records .

Mosby Carter was drafted into the army and replaced by a second female voice. In the spring of 1957, Darlene " Darlene Love " Wright sang the lead voice when the title Someone was recorded for Specialty Records alongside the classic Over the Rainbow . The band was also allowed to perform studio work on this important Californian independent label: On Clydie Kings Our Romance with Written on the Wall , in addition to King's teenage voice, the harmonies of three male and two female voices, which were unusual at the time, can be heard.

Since Edward DeVold and Elmo Jones also began their military service, the group broke up. Darlene Wright found a new band with the Blossoms , some Echoes of the original line-up re-formed in 1960 as “The Poets” and played the track Never Let You Go again and coupled it with I'm Falling in Love for John Criner 's Shade Records label . Another new recording, this time Sonny Roberts Honey Chile , was released together with I'm in Love on the sister label Spot Records .

Discography

  • 1956 - My Little Honey / Aye Senorita , Combo 128
  • 1956 - I'll Never Let You Go / Honey Chile , Impala 1001 (as Sonny Roberts and the Echoes)
  • 1957 - Over the Rainbow / Someone , Specialty 601
  • 1957 - Our Romance / Written on the Wall , Specialty 605 (as background choir for Clydie King )
  • 1960 - Never Let You Go / I'm Falling in Love , Shade 1001 (as The Poets)
  • 1960 - Honey Chile / I'm in Love , Spot 107 (as The Poets)

literature

  • Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940–1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 373f.

swell

  1. ^ A b c Steve Propes, Galen Gart: LA R&B Vocal Groups 1945–1965 . 1st edition. Nickel Publications, Milford 2001, ISBN 0-936433-18-3 , The Echoes, pp. 50 (American English).