The Electras (doo-wop group)
| The Electras | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Doo Wop |
| founding | 1961 |
| resolution | 1966 |
| Members | |
singing |
Chester Pipkin |
singing |
Gary Pipkin |
singing |
Warren Joyner |
singing |
Billy Mann |
singing |
Billy Storm |
singing |
Brice Coefield |
singing |
Rip Spencer |
The Electras , which also released as The Ring A Dings , The Del Mars , The Freedoms , The Citations and The Captions , were an American doo-wop group that released some singles on California record labels in the 1960s. The Electras were closely linked to the Valiants and Untouchables .
Career
The band was founded on the initiative of doo-wop tenor Chester Pipkin. Pipkin had sung with various ensembles from Los Angeles since 1954, first with the Squires , then with the Valiants and finally with the Untouchables , whose personnel had largely emerged from the Valiants. The Untouchables were only moderately successful, so that Pipkin strived for a new formation, for which he nevertheless resorted to various singers with whom he had already worked.
The core group consisted of Pipkin, his cousin Gary "Hart" Pipkin , Warren Joyner of the Brentwoods and Billy Mann. In addition, depending on availability, Valiants colleagues Rip Spencer and Billy Storm as well as Alonzo Willis, who had sung with Joyner for the Brentwoods, joined the recordings. The band was closely tied to songwriter, producer, publisher, A&R manager and label owner John Marascalco , who had known the Valiants since 1957 when they recorded his song Good Golly Miss Molly , which was designed for Little Richard .
The releases span a period from 1961 to 1966. First three singles appeared on Infinity Records , where Marascalco was A&R manager, including an adaptation of the Dorsey Burnette classic Bertha Lou , which the Electras under the name "The Ring A Dings" to Snacky Poo fashioned. Then Marascalco brought the band to his own newly founded label Lola Records , where three singles were also released by 1965. Marascalcos tried again and again to place his songs and recordings on different labels, so there were several new editions and sublicensing of individual titles. For example, You Know has been published at least three times. The producer also owned the labels Cee-Jam Records and Ruby-Doo Records and saw releases from the Electras, including a cover version of Little Girl of Mine by the Cleftones . As “The Captions”, the conglomerate finally said goodbye to the single production with the involvement of the fourth Valiants colleague Brice Coefield. The singers stayed connected in formations like Africa and The Brothers and Sisters of Los Angeles .
Discography
| year | title | Label # | Label scans | annotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | A: Ten Steps to Love B: You song |
Infinity INX-012 |
 
|
also on Constellation 105 |
| 1961 | A: Snacky Poo B: Snacky Poo Part Two |
Infinity INX-014 |
 
|
as "The Ring A Dings", also on Mercury 72244 |
| 1962 | A: Boo Babe B: The Stomp |
Infinity INX-016 |
 
|
|
| 1962 | A: You Know B: Can't You See It in My Eyes |
Lola 100 |
 
|
|
| 1963 | A: You Know B: Don't Tell Me |
Cee Jam 100 |
 
|
B-side from the Surgeons |
| 1963 | A: That's My Desire B: You Know |
ABC Paramount 10426 |
 
|
as "The Del Mars" |
| 1963 | A: You song B: Ten Steps to Love |
Constellation 105 |
 
|
as "The Freedoms" |
| 1964 | A: Boo Babe B: Can't You See It in My Eyes |
Lola 100 |
 
|
also on Challenge 59243 |
| 1964 | A: Boo Babe B: Can't You See It in My Eyes |
Challenge 59243 |
 
|
|
| 1964 | A: Chicago B: The Stomp |
Mercury 722386 |
 
|
as "The Citations" |
| 1964 | A: Snacky Poo B: Snacky Poo Part Two |
Mercury 72244 |
 
|
as "The Del-Mars" |
| 1965 | A: Huff and Puff B: Mary Mary |
Lola # 001 |
 
|
|
| 1966 | A: Little Girl of Mine B: Mary Mary |
Ruby-Doo # 2 |
 
|
|
| 1966 | A: Hanky Panky B: Mary Mary |
Trend 001 |
 
|
as "The Captions" |
literature
- Steve Propes, Galen Gart: LA R&B Vocal Groups 1945–1965 . 1st edition. Nickel Publications, Milford 2001, ISBN 0-936433-18-3 , pp. 51 (American English).