Friday, December 18, 2020

Bronx Doo Wop Groups: From the Street Corners to The Spotlight

Sound of New York.City.- The Bronx Groups

 Part 1 - Bronx, Groups, NY


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                          ⭐ New York City ⭐

5 Separate Boroughs
Hundred of Neighbors
Countless Number of Sounds




Night time over the Bronx, USA - Home of a million "Doo Wop" Groups, each with a million dreams of success. Many dreams would come true, while others would die when the boys would be sent off to fight a war in a south-Eastern country that they never even heard of and couldn't even find it on a bible in their school. 






The Bronx, Late 1950's to early 1960's, an age of innocence in these close knit communities where you felt safe, the children could go play down the street or go to "The Dumps" to watch movie features all.day, or be down the block on E. 183th at the candy store. All the Cadillacs driving up and down and parked near "The Club" - everyone knew who they were and everyone had an uncle who was a Cheech or Skipper that always kept look over their neighborhood, protecting their interests (and I mean their numbers, the vig,  their % in certain business ventures they had, et) But in 100% fairness, they took take of the neighborhood people as well, always making sure the streets were clean, nobody was getting shaken down by any other ethics group, and put a few fazools in some people who were down on their luck. 




I believe the presence of the Goodfellas in these neighborhoods were a good thing, when things were different and there wa respect and honor and even a certain understanding among the heads of both factions.  Weather it be Joe Dente up the block on Arthur Ave having some sort of understanding with Captain "McClusky" in charge of the area) to leave the card games alone and the number parlors go un-noticed was just the way business was conducted back then. The Skippers could run their racks and our "McClusky" would always find an extra dime or two when he picked up his weekly cartoon of cigarettes. Everyone was happy, everyone was making money at least 25 % of NY officers were in the parlors playing dice and roulette anyways....





 (Anyone who Denys that or say, they are men of Law, that would never happen.....To those I say to to you, keep scrolling my story and there's a picture of a bridge i have for sale)

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1959-1963l 
"The Rise of Doo.Woo"
"A sound always imitated, Never Duplicated"

It was the late.50's, early 60's. The decade of Sinatra, Patti Page, R&B groups like the Covers, The Wrens, The People's, The Swallows were comming to an end. A more "Raw" sound was starting to take over the airways. Radio Jocks like Alan Free, Porku Chadcich, and many others were starting to fill the airways replacing songs by the Four.Freshman, by groups like Bill Haley and the Comments, The Flamingos, The Coasters.

Up in the Bronx, NY a unique sound was being created. It meshed great harmonies with up riffs to match. Some groups from the Bronx created the Neo-Italian style of Doo Woo as well. A sound that can only be described as "New York Street Corner Door Wop, we would like to present to you some of the groups that originated in The Bronx, NY and enjoy that very unique sound many have tried to copy but could never duplicate. We habe provided you a sampling of the great sounds that came from the Bronx, NY (1957-1964l with some of the greatest Doors Woo Groups of  All Time. Enjoy

(Ya gotta be from da' Bronx to get that sound ya know whats  Ima saizin)



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The Demensions  "One More Chance" - 1963




The Demensions are an American doo wop group from The BronxNew York. They attended Christopher Columbus High School. Over the years, there have been a number of lineup changes. The group that sang on most of their earlier recordings includes Lenny Dell, Phil Del Giudice, Howie Margolin, and Marisa Martelli.

At the height of their popularity in the early 1960s, The Demensions played often in Palisades Park, New Jersey, as well as on American Bandstand and The Clay Cole Show. They also appeared at the Braniff Space Rover, known as the "Space Ship," at Freedomland U.S.A. in The Bronx. They first scored radio airplay as a result of Cousin Brucie, a disc jockey at New York radio station WINS, who began spinning their version of "Over the Rainbow".[1] The song became a hit, peaking at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.[2] Their only other chart hit was 1962's "My Foolish Heart", which peaked at #95 early in 1963.[2]

In 1992, The Demensions (with an altered lineup) recorded again for the first time since 1963, releasing Beyond the Rainbow

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The Eternals - "Today" 1963





6πŸ‘‚


he Eternals -  With such hits as "Baba lo us Wedding Day" and "Rocking in the Jungle". this group which originated in the South Bronx became a very popular group representing The Bronx with their Latin styles tunes.n

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Earl Lewis & Channels- Gleam in Your Eye 1958



Earl Lewis, without a doubt is one of the finest vocalists to come from the Doo- Woo Era. His other hits like "That's My Desire" and "Gloria" are collectors classics. This is the example of the Bronx/NYC sound!



_🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢 

Dion & Belmonts - Don't Pity Me -1958


Known for their UpTempo Rockets like "I Wonder Why", the boys from Belmont Avenue in the Bronx could harmonize with the beat of the best.....The Belmonts are the inventors of that New York City Streetcorner Harmony
Bronx Style!
(Dion Dimuci, Fred Milano, Carlos Mastrangelo,
Artie Loria, Warren Gradus, Angelo D'Lao)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐πŸ’”


For any questions or remarks:
Dazzle Records
It Doesn't Matter Music
Dgvnz4747@gmail.com


Part 1B - Bronx Groups, NY




Part 2.- Brooklyn Groups following episode)

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