The penguins

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The penguins
General information
Genre (s) Doo Wop , Rhythm and Blues
founding 1954
resolution 1959
Founding members
Cleveland Duncan
Curtis Williams
Tenor singing
 Bruce Tate (until 1955, † 1973)
Dexter Tisby
Last occupation
Lead vocals
 Cleveland Duncan († 2012)
Tenor singing
 Curtis Williams († 1979)
Baritone singing
 Randolph Jones (from 1955)
Baritone singing
 Dexter Tisby

The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s, best known for the R&B # 1 hit Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) .

history

The band was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 when Duncan, Williams, Tate and Tisby attended Fremont High School together. They are named after the advertising character Willie the Penguin from the Kool cigarette brand . In the same year the Penguins got a recording contract with the indie label Dootone Records and released their first single Hey Senorita at the end of the year - with Earth Angel as the b-side. But it soon became clear that Earth Angel was more popular than Hey Senorita . In early 1955, Earth Angel hit the singles charts, topping the R&B and top 10 pop charts. The song is one of the most successful Doo-Wop titles and was used as film music in Back to the Future , among others .

Shortly after the success of Earth Angel , Tate left the band and was replaced by Randolph Jones. In 1956 the Penguins first moved to Mercury Records and then to Atlantic , where they had their second hit in 1957 with Pledge of Love , which reached number 15 on the R&B charts. They also released their only album, The Cool, Cool Penguins that year . In 1959 the band moved back to Los Angeles and separated a short time later.

From the 1960s onwards, Duncan brought the penguins to reunions, so the band recorded Memories of El Monte in 1963 , which Frank Zappa and Ray Collins had written especially for them. The single flopped, however, whereupon the band separated again. Until the new millennium, the Penguins occasionally appeared together, for example for a PBS television show in 1999. In 2004 they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame . Lead singer Cleveland Duncan died on November 7, 2012 at the age of 77.

Discography

album

  • The Cool, Cool Penguins (1957)

Singles

Chart placements

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US R&B R&B
1954 Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) US8 (15 weeks)
US 		R&B1 (19 weeks)
R&B
Authors: Dootsie Williams, Gaynel Hodge, Jesse L. Belvin
8th place refers to the best sellers in stores charts
1957 Pledge of Love - R&B15 (1 week)
R&B
Author: Ramona Redd

Single releases

  • No There Ain't No News Today (1954, split single with When I Am Gone by Dootsie Williams)
  • Hey Senorita / Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) (1954)
  • Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / Ookey Ook (1954)
  • Baby Let's Make Some Love / Kiss a Fool Goodbye (1955)
  • Be Mine or Be a Fool / Don't Do It (1955)
  • It Only Happens with You / Walkin 'down Broadway (1955)
  • Devil That I See / Promises, Promises, Promises (1955)
  • A Christmas Prayer / Jingle Jangle (1955)
  • She's Gone, Gone / My Troubles Are Not at an End (1956)
  • Dealer of Dreams / Peace of Mind (1956)
  • Earth Angel / Ice (1956)
  • Will You Be Mine / Cool Baby Cool (1957)
  • Pledge of Love / I Knew I'd Fall in Love (1957)
  • That's How Much I Need You / Be My Lovin 'Baby (1957)
  • Sweet Love / Let Me Make Up Your Mind (1958)
  • Do Not Pretend / If You're Mine (1958)
  • Believe Me / The Pony Rock (1962)
  • Memories of El Monte / Never Let You Go (1963)
  • Heavenly Angel / Big Bobo's Party Train (1965)

Awards

literature

  • Lynn Ellis McCutcheon: Rhythm and Blues. An Experience and Adventure in Its Origin and Development . Arlington / Virginia: RW Beatty Ltd, 1971, pp. 199-204.
  • Jay Warner: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 272-275.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Joel Whitburn : Joel Whitburn presents Hot R&B Songs 1942-2010 . Billboard Books, New York 2011, ISBN 0-89820-186-1 .
  2. ^ Obituary in the NY Daily News
  3. ^ Joel Whitburn : Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2006 . Billboard Books, New York 2007, ISBN 0-89820-172-1 .
  4. ↑ repertoire search the GEMA (Song author, publisher, etc.)
  5. ↑ “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” - The Penguins (1954) (PDF), Cary O'Dell, National Recording Preservation Board, accessed November 20, 2019
  6. ↑ The Penguins, 'Earth Angel' in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time , Rolling Stone, April 7, 2011
  7. ↑ Music History Calendar: March 7 , Songfacts, accessed November 20, 2019