Flamingos

Groupe Doo Wop US originaire de Chicago (Illinois). Les Flamingos ont été formé en 1952 par Jake et Zeke Carey avec Johnny Carter, Paul Wilson et Sollie Mc Elroy. Ils font un premier enregistrement en 1953 chez Chance Records puis ils passent chez Parrot et Chess Records. En 1956, Mc Elroy fut remplacé par Nate Nelson. Après différents changements au sein du groupe et le passage dans plusieurs labels (Decca (57), End (58), Chess (64), Checker, Philips, Ronze, Julman et Polydor Records, les "Flamingos" se sont séparés au début des années soixante-dix.

Universally hailed as one of the finest and most influential Vocals groups in pop music history, the Flamingos defined doo wop at its most elegant and sophisticated, their matchless harmonies profoundly impacting the Motown Sound of the 1960s and the Philly soul of the following decade. The roots of the Flamingos lie in Baltimore, where cousins Jake and Zeke Carey grew up in the same neighborhood occupied by the Orioles' Sonny Til. In 1950, the cousins relocated to Chicago, where they joined the choir of the Jewish Church of God and Saints of Christ Congregation on the city's south side. Through the choir the Careys met Paul Wilson and Johnny Carter, and together they began performing as a quartet, performing in the same neighborhoods as another future soul legend, Sam Cooke. With the addition of lead Earl Lewis, the fledgling group's lineup was complete, with Carter and Zeke Carey installed as tenors, Wilson as baritone, and Jake Carey as bass. At first they called themselves the Swallows, but about six months later learned of a rival group with the same name back in Baltimore. Carter suggested el Flamingos, which was quickly modified to the Five Flamingos and finally just the Flamingos.
While performing at a picnic in the autumn of 1952, the Flamingos befriended one Fletcher Witherspoon, Jr., who landed them a recurring gig at his friend's club Martin's Corner. There they were discovered by King Booking Agency head Ralph Leon, who signed on as their manager. At Leon's urging, the Flamingos replaced the increasingly unreliable Lewis with lead Sollie McElroy. While Lewis later signed on with the Five Echoes, the new-look Flamingos in late 1952 cut their first demo session for Chicago's famed United Records. The label passed, claiming the group's flawless harmonies were in fact too clean and precise. In early 1953, the Flamingos instead signed to the Chance imprint, issuing their debut single, "Someday, Someway," in March. The record generated solid airplay throughout much of the Midwest, and that summer Chance released the quintet's sophomore effort, a ballad-styled update of Sammy Kaye's 1947 hit "That's My Desire." The Carter original "Golden Teardrops" was selected for the Flamingos' third single and first unqualified masterpiece. A breathtakingly gorgeous ballad spotlighting their silken harmonies behind McElroy's poignant lead turn, the record was a commercial failure but became a cult classic, and according to many fans remains their creative apex.
As their touring commitments expanded to count opening appearances for jazz legends including Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton as well as legendary venues like Harlem's Apollo Theatre, the Flamingos not only developed a series of razor-sharp choreographed dance routines later emulated by the Temptations and other Vocals groups, but as the years went by they also honed their skills as instrumentalists, in the process becoming one of the first self-contained R&B outfits. Still, Chance consistently proved unable to properly promote the quintet's records, and in the wake of their sixth single, "Blues in a Letter," the Flamingos exited the label in late 1954, landing at Chicago DJ Al Benson's Parrot label to release the ballad "Dream of a Lifetime" early the following year. McElroy left the lineup soon after, resurfacing in the Moroccos. The remaining foursome tapped former Velvetones lead Nate Nelson as his replacement, and he and Carter shared lead Vocals duties on the Flamingos' Parrot swan song, "Ko Ko Mo." Following Ralph Leon's death, the group negotiated a deal with the Chess label's Checker subsidiary, releasing "When" in the spring of 1955. The gossamer ballad "Please Come Back Home" closed out the year, but failed to deliver the breakthrough chart hit they so desperately sought.
the Flamingos' fortunes changed dramatically with the January 1956 release of the ballad "I'll Be Home." Written by radio personality Fats Washington and featuring a tender Nelson Vocals, the single reached number five on the Billboard R&B chart, although crooner Pat Boone's vanilla remake effectively crippled its chances at crossing over to pop radio. the Flamingos returned that spring with the superb "A Kiss from Your Lips," this time ascending as far as number 12 R&B. They also made their film debut that year in Alan Freed's Rock, Rock, Rock, and appeared on the first racially integrated rock & roll package tour alongside Bill Haley & the Comets and the Platters. But after releasing "Would I Be Crying" in late 1956, Zeke Carey and Johnny Carter will-called up for military duty, forcing the remaining trio of Jake Carey, Paul Wilson, and Nate Nelson to recruit former Five Echoes member Tommy Hunt and erstwhile Whispers lead Terry Johnson, who grew up with the Careys in Baltimore. This lineup recorded 1957's "The Ladder of Love" for Decca, but contractual obligations to Checker rendered the record stillborn, and the Flamingos were in limbo until Carey completed his service tenure in late summer of 1958. Carter chose not to return, however, instead signing on with the Dells and remaining with them for close to half a century.
After wriggling out of their deal with Checker, the Flamingos relocated to New York City and signed to George Goldner's End label in late 1958, with the doo wop classic "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" reaching number 25 on the R&B charts and number 52 on the pop countdown the next spring. But despite the record's success, Goldner insisted the group shy away from its original repertoire in favor of traditional material. Although follow-ups including "But Not for Me" attracted little attention, the Flamingos' reading of the 1934 Eddy Duchin love song "I Only Have Eyes for You" would prove their biggest hit and a landmark of the doo wop era, with its celestial harmonies and Nelson's crushed-velvet lead propelling the song to number three on R&B charts and number 11 on the pop charts. The group soon after appeared in another Freed film vehicle, Go Johnny Go!, before inaugurating their most prolific period of recording with "Love Walked In," which limped to number 88 pop in the summer of 1959. "I Was Such a Fool" reached number 71 pop, and the year wound down with the release of Flamingo Serenade, an exquisite collection of pop standards from the pens of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and others.
In 1960 the Flamingos released no fewer than six singles on End, highlighted by the R&B Top 40 hit "Mio Amore" and "Your Other Love," which reached the middle rungs of the pop Hot 100. At the beginning of 1961, Hunt left the lineup to mount a solo career. After signing to Scepter, he cut a handful of minor chart hits, most notably "Human." The remaining quintet returned to the charts at mid-year with "Time Was," but Hunt's defection triggered significant tension within the Flamingos' ranks. The Carey cousins began accusing Terry Johnson (for some time the group's de facto producer and arranger) of harboring his own solo aspirations, and coupled with the diminishing commercial returns of singles like 1962's "For All We Know" and "Flame of Love," Johnson indeed did exit the ranks at year's end, soon followed by Nate Nelson. Together they formed a new group to tour as the Modern Flamingos, while the remaining trio forged on with a rotating cast of secondary players, exiting End and resurfacing briefly on Roulette with the one-off release "Ol' Man River." When the Modern Flamingos signed to Atco, the label insisted they change their name to the Starglows, but with Johnson and Nelson sharing Vocals duties, their 1964 single "Let's Be Lovers" sounded exactly like the Flamingos anyway. George Goldner cried foul, forcing Atco to halt promotion of the single and terminate the Starglows' contract.
In 1964 Paul Wilson split from the original Flamingos, leaving only Jake and Zeke Carey from the founding lineup. In the meantime Johnson and Nelson continued touring as the Modern Flamingos, even after the former accepted a writing and producing position with Motown. Nelson later caught on with the Platters -- he died in 1984 -- while the remaining Flamingos signed to Phillips in 1965, scoring a left-field hit with "The Boogaloo Party" in 1966. Subsequent efforts like "Itty Bitty Baby" and "Koo Koo" went nowhere in a music industry dominated by psychedelia and deep soul, however, and in 1970 the group charted for the final time with the up-tempo "Buffalo Soldier." the Flamingos nevertheless continued recording for their own Ronze label, finally halting their studio efforts with the 1976 single "Love Keeps the Doctor Away." They remained a fixture of the casino circuit, however, and for close to a quarter century both the Carey cousins and Terry Johnson led competing Flamingos lineups to considerable box-office success. Wilson died in 1998. When Jake Carey died in 1996, his son J.C. took his place, and when Zeke Carey passed away five years later, prodigal son Tommy Hunt returned to the fold. When the Flamingos were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, Hunt, Terry Johnson, and Johnny Carter all performed at the ceremony.

Talents : Sollie McElroy : Lead Tenor - Johnny Carter : Lead Tenor - Zeke Carey : Tenor - Paul Willson : Baritone - Jake Carey : Bass

1910

2000

78 t. & Singles

1953	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1131 (US)	.	September Song / Vooit Vooit
03/1953	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1133 (US)	.	I Can't Have You / Someday, Someway
06/1953	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1140 (US)	.	That's My Desire / Hurry Home Baby
09/1953	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1145 (US)	.	Golden Teardrop / Carried Away
1953	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1149 (US)	.	Plan For Love / You Ain't Ready
1954	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1154 (US)	.	Listen To My Plea / Cross Over The Bridge
1954	SP & 78 t. CHANCE CH-1162 (US)	.	Blues in a letter / Jump children
08/1954	SP & 78 t. PARROT 808 (US)	.	Dream Of A Lifetime / On My Merry Way
1955	SP & 78 t. PARROT 811 (US)	.	I Really Don't Want To Know / Get With It
1955	SP & 78 t. PARROT 812 (US)	.	I'm Yours / Ko Ko Mo
04/1955	SP & 78 t. CHECKER 815 (US)	.	That's My Baby (Chick-A-Boom) / When
07/1955	SP & 78 t. CHECKER 821 (US)	.	Please Come Back Home / I Want To Love You
01/1956	SP & 78 t. CHECKER 830 (US)	.	Need Your Love / I'll Be Home
05/1956	SP & 78 t. CHECKER 837 (US)	.	A Kiss From Your Lips / Get With It
10/1956	SP & 78 t. CHECKER 846 (US)	.	Shilly Dilly / The Vow
12/1956	SP & 78 t. CHECKER 853 (US)	.	Would I Be Crying / Just For A Kick
06/1957	SP DECCA 30335 (US)	.	Let's Make Up / The Ladder Of Love
10/1957	SP DECCA 30454 (US)	.	Helpless / My Faith In You
1958	SP DECCA 30687 (US)	.	Where Mary Goes / Rock And Roll March
10/1958	SP END E-1035 (US)	.	Lovers Never Say Goodbye / That Love Is You
1959	SP CHECKER 915 (US)	.	Dream Of A Lifetime / Whispering Stars
1959	SP CHECKER 930 (US)	.	I'll Be Home / Need Your Love
02/1959	SP END E-1040 (US)	.	But Not For Me / I Shed A Tear At Your
1959	SP END E-1044 (US)	.	Love walked in / At the prom
05/1959	SP END E-1046 (US)	.	I Only Have Eyes For You / Goodnight Sweetheart
05/1959	SP END END 1046 (US)	.	I Only Have Eyes For You / At The Prom
1959	SP DECCA 30880 (US)	.	Kiss a me / Ever since I met you
07/1959	SP DECCA 30948 (US)	.	Jerry Lee / Hey Now
08/1959	SP END E-1055 (US)	.	Love Walked In / Yours
12/1959	SP END E-1062 (US)	.	Heavenly Angel / I Was Such A Fool
1960	SP END E-1065 (US)	.	Mio amour / You, me and the sea
02/1960	SP END END 1068 (US)	.	Nobody Loves Me Like You / You Me And The Sea
02/1960	SP END E-1068 (US)	.	Nobody Loves Me Like You / Besame Mucho
1960	SP END E-1070 (US)	.	Besame mucho / You, me and the sea
05/1960	SP END E-1073 (US)	.	At Night / Mio Amore
10/1960	SP END E-1079 (US)	.	Beside You / When I Fall In Love
11/1960	SP END E-1081 (US)	.	Your Other Love / Lovers Gotta Cry
02/1961	SP END END 1085 (US)	.	Kokomo/ That's Why I Love You
04/1961	SP END E-1092 (US)	.	Dream Girl / Time Was
04/1961	SP VEE-JAY VJ 384 (US)	.	Golden Teardrops / Carried Away
1961	SP END E-1099 (US)	.	My Memories of you / I Want to love you
1962	SP END E-1111 (US)	.	It must be love / I'm no fool anymore
08/1962	SP END E-1116 (US)	.	Near You/ For All We Know
04/1963	SP END E-1121 (US)	.	I Know Better / Flame Of Love
1963	SP END E-1124 (US)	.	True love / Come on to my party
1963	SP ROULETTE R-4524 (US)	.	Ol Man River Part 1 / Ol Man River Part 2
1964	SP CHECKER 1084 (US)	.	Love Come Back To Me / Your Little Guy
1964	SP CHECKER 1091 (US)	.	Goodnight Sweetheart / Does it really matter
1964	SP Time Square 102 (US)	.	A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / Walking My Baby Back Home
07/1965	SP PHILIPS 40308 (US)	.	Temptation / Call her on the phone
01/1966	SP PHILIPS 40347 (US)	.	The boogaloo party / The names of you
06/1966	SP PHILIPS 40378 (US)	.	Brooklyn boogaloo / Since my baby put me down
11/1966	SP PHILIPS 40413 (US)	.	She shook my world / Litty bitty baby
1966	SP PHILIPS 304 098 BF (NL)		The Boogaloo Party / The Nearness Of You
05/1967	SP PHILIPS 40452 (US)	.	Koo koo / If keeps the doctor away
11/1967	SP PHILIPS 40496 (US)	.	Oh Mary don't you worry / Do it, do it
05/1969	SP PHILIPS BF 1786 (UK)		The Boogaloo Party / The Nearness Of You
07/1969	SP JULMAR 506 (US)	.	Dealin’ (Groovin’ With The Feelin’ / Dealin’ All The Way)
1970	SP POLYDOR 14019 (US)	.	Buffalo Soldier Part 1 / Buffalo Soldier Part 2
1970	SP POLYDOR 14044 (US)	.	Lover come back to me / Straghten it up
1971	SP RONZE RZ-111 (US)	.	Gotta Have All Your Lovin' / Welcome Home
1973	SP GOLDIES 45 D-2525 (US)	.	I Only Have Eyes For You / At The Prom
1974	SP WORLDS 103 (US)	.	Think About Me / Think About Me (instr.)
1975	SP RONZE RZ-115 (US)	.	Heavy Hips / Someone To Watch Over Me
1976	SP RONZE RZ-116 (US)	.	Love Keeps The Doctor Away (long version) / Love Keeps The Doctor Away (short version)
1984	SP CHESS 91009 (US)	.	I'll Be Home / A Kiss From Your Lips
19??	SP COLLECTABLES C-1466 (US)	.	Secret Love (MOONGLOWS) / Golden Teardrops (Flamingos)

1953	CHANCE unissued	September Song
1954	PARROT unissued	I found a new baby
1954	PARROT unissued	If i could love you
1956	CHECKER unissued	Cry
1957	DECCA unissued	That's love is you
1958	END unissued	Whithout a song
1959	END unissued	We Were made for each other
1959	END unissued	River of tears
1960	END unissued	Happy birthday Elise
1960	END unissued	A Kiss from your lips
1960	END unissued	I'll Be Home
1960	END unissued	Jump Children
1961	END unissued	Lover come back
1963	END unissued	Shout it out