The Mello Kings
The Mello-Kings were a doo-wop singing group that had a hit with Tonite, Tonite in 1957 . Although the record did not make it into the top positions in the US charts , it is considered one of the most influential recordings of its genre .
The group was formed in 1956 as "The Mellotones" at a high school in Mount Vernon , New York . Members were the brothers Jerry and Bob Scholl as well as Eddie Quinn, Neil Arena and Larry Esposito. Their manager was the pianist Dick Levister. They got a record deal with the label Herald Records. Since there was already another group of the same name, their name was changed to "The Mello-Kings".
Tonite, Tonite was written by Billy Myles , Herald Records' resident composer. The record came out in 1957 and was a regional hit, reaching number 77 on the US charts and recording it for 10 weeks. A re-release in 1961 was able to briefly rank 95 again. It would remain the group's only hit to be re-released on numerous compilations.
Remarks
- ↑ US catalog number: Herald 502; Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Ltd., 1994, p. 399
literature
- Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 254f