The Swallows
| The Swallows | |
|---|---|
| Founding: | 1946 as The Oakaleers |
| Resolution: | 1958 |
| Genre: | Doo Wop , Rhythm and Blues |
| Founding members | |
| Tenor singing : | Lawrence Coxson (until 1948) |
| Tenor singing / baritone singing / bass : | Irving Turner (until 1948, 1953–1956) |
| Tenor singing / bongos : | Earl Hurley (until 1957) |
| Bass vocals / guitar / piano / drums : | Norris Mack (until 1953) |
| Tenor singing : | Gavin? (until 1948) |
| Other former members | |
| Tenor singing / baritone singing : | Junior Denby (1948–1952) |
| Vocals / bass : | Herman Williams (1952-1953) |
| Bass : | Al France (1953-1954) |
| Tenor singing : | Dee Ernie Bailey (1954-1956) |
| Tenor singing : | Bobby Hendricks (1956) |
| Last occupation | |
| Lead vocals : | Calvin Rowlette (from 1957) |
| Tenor singing : | Eddie Rich (1948–1956, from 1957) |
| Tenor singing : | Earl Hurley (from 1957) |
| Tenor singing : | Buddy Bailey (from 1957) |
| Baritone singing / guitar : | Frederick Johnson (1948–1957, from 1957) |
| Bass vocals : | Buddy Crawford (1954–1957, from 1957) |
The Swallows were a black doo-wop band that had a few hits, especially in the 1950s.
Band history
The band was formed in 1946 as The Oakaleers in Baltimore . Lawrence Coxson was the lead singer at the time, along with Irving Turner, Earl Hurley, Norris "Bunky" Mack, and another tenor named Gavin. In 1948 Eddie Rich and Frederick "Money Guitar" Johnson joined them to replace Coxson and the unknown tenor. A little later, Herman "Junior" Denby joined the Oakaleers and Turner left them. In 1949 it was renamed The Swallows. The band chose their name after the Ink Spots song When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano .
The Swallows initially only appeared in the Baltimore area until they got a record deal with King Records in Cincinnati in 1951 . The first single Dearest made it to number 9 in the R&B charts. The band then toured with Count Basie and Earl Williams . Except for the B-side It Ain't the Meat (It's the Motion) , which was a hit in the southern states, the follow-up singles of this year couldn't even begin to repeat the success of Dearest . 1952 Denby had to join the Navy and was replaced by Herman Williams. Beside You was released in April and became an R&B # 8. Over the next few months the Swallows toured the United States. In early 1953, Turner returned to the Swallows, replacing Williams. At the end of the year the band left King Records.
In the same year Mack left the Swallows and was replaced by Al France, the following year Dee Ernie Bailey was added. In the summer of 1954 the band got a new record deal with the rather insignificant label After Hours. At the end of the year France got out when Edward "Buddy" Crawford joined the team. In early 1956 there were further line-up changes when Turner once again turned his back on the Swallows and had to be replaced by Bobby Hendricks. In the meantime, however, the Swallows had lost a lot of their popularity, so Hendricks and Rich got out a few months later to start their own band. Bailey also left the band and made a trio out of the Swallows. Since the three singers no longer saw any point in continuing to make music, they finally separated.
But at the end of 1957 the band reunited with Rich, Hurley, Johnson, Crawford, Calvin Rowlette and Buddy Bailey (not to be confused with the lead singer of the Clovers ). At the beginning of 1958 the Swallows got a second contract with King and have now made recordings again on his sub-label Federal . But there were no notable successes, so the band separated again. In the following decades there were a number of neglected reunions in various occupations.
Discography (singles)
- Dearest / Will You Be Mine (May 1951 on King)
- Since You've Been Away / Wishing for You (August 1951 on King)
- Eternally / It Ain't the Meat (December 1951 on King)
- Tell Me Why / Roll, Roll, Pretty Baby (December 1951 on King)
- Beside You / You Left Me (April 1952)
- I Only Have Eyes for You / You Walked In (May 1952)
- Where Do I Go from Here / Please Baby Please (November 1952 on King)
- Our Love Is Dying / Laugh (Though You Want to Cry) (March 1953 on King)
- Nobody's Lovin 'Me / Bicycle Tillie (May 1953 on King)
- Trust Me / Pleading Blues (September 1953 on King)
- I'll Be Waiting / It Feels So Good (November 1953 on King)
- My Baby / Good Time Girls (July 1954 on After Hours)
- Angel Baby / Oh Lonsesome Me (February 1958 on Federal)
- Rock-a-Bye Baby Rock / We Want to Rock (May 1958 on Federal)
- Beside You / Laughing Boy (June 1958 on Federal)
- Who Knows, Do You / Itchy Twitchy Feeling (July 1958 on Federal)
literature
- Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 302f