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Groupe Doo Wop
US, les Harptones sont originaires de New York et comprenaient: Willie Winfield,
Claude "Nicky" Clark, William "Dempsey" James, William '"Dicey" Galloway, Bill
Brown et Raul Cita. Ils ont débuté en 1953 chez Bruce Records, le label de Morty Graft, puis ils sont passés chez Paradise, Rama, Gee, Warwick, Coed, Companion et Cub Records.
Despite their
failure to achieve the commercial success of rivals like
the Drifters,
the Flamingos, or
the Clovers, the Harptones demand consideration in any serious discussion of
the truly immortal acts of the doo wop era. Although none of their singles
cracked the Top 40, efforts like "A Sunday Kind of Love," "Life Is But a Dream,"
and "Memories of You" remain classics of the genre, distinguished by their rich
harmonies and sophisticated, jazz-inspired arrangements. the Harptones' origins
date to 1951 and the grounds of Harlem's Wadleigh Junior High School, where
classmates William Dempsey, Curtis Cherebin, and Freddy Taylor began harmonizing
as the Skylarks. Following the additions of Eugene "Sonny" Cooke and a classmate
remembered only by the nickname "Skillum," the fledgling group made its
professional debut via the Apollo Theatre's famed Amateur Talent Contest,
performing a rendition of "My Dear Dearest Darling" that ended in the audience
literally booing them off the stage. After a series of lineup shuffles, the
Skylarks welcomed William "Dicey" Galloway, who concurrently served as a member
of another fledgling Harlem doo wop unit, the Winfield Brothers. In early 1953,
alumni of both groups combined as the Harps. Comprising tenor Dempsey, baritone
Galloway, lead tenor Willie Winfield, first tenor Claudie "Nicky" Clark, bass
Billy Brown, and pianist/arranger Raoul Cita, the Harps returned to the Apollo
in November 1953 and earned top honors with their soulful rendition of the
Louis Prima composition "A Sunday Kind of Love." Even more significantly, at
the end of the evening an MGM Records executive in the audience invited the
group to audition at the label's 1650 Broadway studio.
When the Harps arrived at MGM's offices the following week, the exec in question
was not available. To pass the time, the group practiced its harmonies while
waiting in the hallway, attracting the attention of Bruce Records co-owners
Morty Craft and Leo Rogers, who occupied an office just a few doors down. Craft
and Rogers immediately extended a contract offer, and after altering the
sextet's name to the Harptones (to avoid conflict with the Savoy act Little
David Baughn & the Harps), Bruce issued "A Sunday Kind of Love" just days prior
to Christmas 1953. Buoyed by Whitfield's crushed-velvet lead and Cita's
otherworldly organ intro, the record proved a major hit throughout much of the
East Coast, but spotty distribution effectively destroyed its chances of
breaking nationally. The Cita-penned "Memories of You" followed in early 1954,
and it too proved such a local smash that the Harptones were invited to appear
at DJ Alan Freed's historic "Moondog Coronation Ball" alongside
the Clovers and Charles Brown. Again Bruce's limited distribution network
crippled the single's momentum, however, no doubt prompting the group to
question the wisdom of passing up its shot with MGM. Clark assumed lead duties
for the Harptones' third release, "I Depended on You." Whitfield reclaimed the
reins for the 1954 effort "Why Should I Love You," copied virtually note for
note by the Four Lads and placed on the B-side of their hit "Skokiaan,"
effectively obliterating the Harptones' original.
When Dicey Galloway was drafted into military duty in the autumn of 1954, Cita
handled baritone duties on the Harptones' fifth Bruce release, "Since I Fell for
You." Another Tri-State region smash, it earned the group a spot on Freed's
landmark first New York City showcase, 1955's "Rock and Roll Jubilee," alongside
the Drifters,
the Clovers,
the Moonglows, and
Fats Domino. But while Bruce's poor distribution again conspired to halt the
single's chances at charting nationally, the Harptones remained under contract
to the label, and after recruiting onetime Skylark Freddy Taylor, in March they
issued a bluesy cover of Ivory Joe Hunter's "I Almost Lost My Mind." Two months
later, however, Bruce finally collapsed, with Leo Rogers acquiring control of
the company's assets. He shopped the Harptones to Old Town Records, with owner
Hy Weiss agreeing to launch a new subsidiary, Paradise, to accommodate their
arrival. After replacing Taylor with Bernard "Jimmy" Beckum, the Harptones cut
their Paradise debut, the gorgeous Cita original "Life Is But a Dream." With its
gossamer harmonies and jazzlike structure, the single ascended to the Top Five
in New York, but Weiss spent little money on promotion outside of the East Coast
and the record met the same grim commercial fate as its predecessors. The ballad
"My Success (It All Depends on You)" closed out the year, coinciding with the
Harptones' weeklong stint at the Apollo. It also marked the end of their
Paradise tenure, and in the spring of 1956 the sextet resurfaced on Rogers' new
Andrea imprint with the pop-inspired "What Is Your Decision."
After recording three songs for the feature film Rockin' the Blues, the
Harptones finally cut ties with Rogers, signing with George Goldner's Rama label
to release "Three Wishes." Their first effort to feature new addition Harriet "Toni"
Williams, it also heralded the return of Dicey Galloway. "On Sunday Morning"
followed by year's end, and in early 1957 the group issued its third and final
Rama single, "The Shrine of Saint Cecilia." An additional session was planned,
but the night prior to entering the studio, 20-year-old Billy Brown died of a
drug overdose. The session was canceled, but because the Harptones were
contractually obligated to perform a date at Philadelphia's Uptown Theater, only
Williams could attend Brown's funeral. His replacement was Skylarks co-founder
Curtis Cherebin, whose arrival coincided with another week at the Apollo. After
Rama dissolved, Goldner shifted the Harptones to his Gee imprint to issue the
gritty ballad "Cry Like I Cried," their lone release for the label. Galloway
exited the lineup soon after, and while the Harptones briefly forged on with
erstwhile Solitaires lead Milton Love, the group split a few months later. But
in early 1959 former Bruce exec Morty Craft came calling, convincing the group
to reunite and sign to his fledgling Warwick label. This incarnation of the
Harptones (Willie Winfield, William Dempsey, Nicky Clark, Curtis Cherebin, and
Raoul Cita) cut "Laughing on the Outside" to little attention, returning that
summer with "Love Me Completely." Their third and final Warwick effort, "No
Greater Miracle," did not appear until May of 1960. By the time of its release,
Clark had again exited, and was replaced by Hank Jernigan.
In the fall of 1960 songwriter Billy Dawn Smith signed the Harptones to the Coed
label for "Rain Down Kisses." When Smith assumed the helm of Coed's subsidiary
Companion, he brought the group with him, releasing "All in Your Mind" (a
riposte to Maxine Brown's hit "All in My Mind") in early 1961. With their second
Companion single, "What Will I Tell My Heart," the Harptones scored their first
and only national chart hit, squeaking to the number 96 spot on the Billboard
pop countdown. But despite their brush with success, the group exited Companion,
finally landing with MGM via its Cub subsidiary: the
Otis Blackwell-penned "Devil in Velvet" marked the return of Jimmy Beckum,
who replaced the outgoing Jernigan, but the record went nowhere and the
Harptones did not resurface on record until early 1964, releasing the lovely
ballad "Sunset" on the tiny KT imprint. When the single fell on deaf ears, a
frustrated Willie Winfield finally threw in the towel. The remaining Harptones
renamed themselves the Soothers long enough to cut a cover of the Johnnie Ray
hit "The Little White Cloud That Cried" for the Port label before calling it
quits by year's end. In 1970 Raoul Cita accepted an invitation to re-form the
Harptones to play Rock Magazine's First Original Rock and Roll Revival show,
recruiting Winfield, William Dempsey, Curtis Cherbin, and Jimmy Beckum to
complete the lineup. The group continued to play doo wop revival events
throughout the decade, and in late 1981 the current lineup (Winfield, Cita, ex-Fi-Tones
member Lowe Murray, and Linda Champion) cut a new LP, Love Needs a Heart. Two
years later, they backed longtime fan Paul Simon on his Hearts and Bones
project. More than a half century following their debut recording, the Harptones
remain on tour, with Winfield and Cita still charting the group's career.
Talents : Willie Winfield : Lead, Claude "Nicky" Clark : Tenor,William "Dempsey" James : Tenor,William '"Dicey" Galloway : Baritone,Bill Brown :Bass,Raul Cita : Piano
Style musical : Doo Wop, Rhythm 'n' Blues
A SUNDAY
KIND OF LOVE
(1953)
Oobidee Oobidee Oom
(1954)
MY
MEMORIES OF YOU (1956)
The Shrine Of St. Cecilia
(1956)
FOOLISH ME
(1961)
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Years in activity :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 |
DISCOGRAPHY
78 t., Singles & EP
| 12/1953 | 78 t. & SP BRUCE 101 (US) |
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A Sunday Kind Of Love
/ I'll Never Tell |
| 02/1954 | 78 t. & SP BRUCE 102 (US) | . | My Memories Of You / It Was Just For Laughs |
| 05/1954 | 78 t. & SP BRUCE 104 (US) | . | I Depended On You / Mambo Boogie |
| 07/1954 | 78 t. & SP BRUCE 109 (US) | . | Why Should I Love You / Forever Mine |
| 10/1954 | 78 t. & SP BRUCE 113 (US) | . | Since I Fell For You /
Oobidee Oobidee Oom
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| 03/1955 | 78 t. & SP BRUCE 128 (US) | . | I Almost Lost My Mind / Ou Wee Baby |
| 08/1954 | 78 t. & SP ESSEX 364 (US) | . | Bunny PAUL with The HARPTONES - I'll Never Tell / Honey Love |
| 06/1955 | SP PARADISE 101 (US) | . | Life Is But A Dream / You Know You're Doin' Me Wrong |
| 10/1955 | SP PARADISE 103 (US) | . | My Success (It All Depends Of You) / I've Got A Notion |
| 1955 | SP PARADISE 103 (US) | . | My Success (It All Depends Of You) / Guitar Suffle |
| 1955 | EP BRUCE BEP-201 (US) |
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The Sensational
Harptones -
A Sunday Kind Of Love
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| 04/1956 | SP ANDREA 100 (US) | . | What Is Your Decision / Gimme Some |
| 1956 | SP LOST-NITE LN-403 (US) | . | Since I Fell For You / Oobidee-Oobidee |
| 1956 | SP LOST-NITE LN-407 (US) | . | What Is Your Decision / Gimme Some |
| 1956 | SP LOST-NITE LN-409 (US) | . | Loving A Girl Like You / High Flyin Baby |
| 08/1956 | SP RAMA 203 (US) | . | Three Wishes / That's The Way It Goes |
| 1956 | SP OLD TOWN 1030 (US) | . |
Ruth McFadden
with The Harptones -
United We Stand /
School Boy
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| 09/1956 | SP TIP TOP 401 (US) | . |
My Memories Of You
/ High Flyin' Baby |
| 11/1956 | SP RAMA 214 (US) | . | On Sunday Afternoon / The Masquerade Is Over |
| 1956 | SP GEE 1029 (US) | . | Carol Blades & The Harptones - When Will I Know / What Did I Do Wrong |
| 1956 | SP GEE 1031 (US) | . | Three Wishes / Why You Do Me Like You Do (The CLEFTONES) |
| 1956 | SP RAMA 221 (US) | . |
The Shrine Of St. Cecilia
/ Ou Wee Baby |
| 11/1957 | SP GEE 1045 (US) | . | Cry Like I Cried / So Good So Fine |
| 03/1959 | SP WARWICK M 500 (US) | . | Laughing On The Outside / I Remember |
| 07/1959 | SP WARWICK M 512 (US) | . | Love Me Completely / Her Teenager |
| 05/1960 | SP WARWICK M 551 (US) | . | No Greater Miracle / What Kind Of Fool |
| 11/1960 | SP COED 540 (US) | . | Rain Down Kisses / Answer Me My Love |
| 02/1961 | SP COMPANION CP-102 (US) | . | All In Your Mind / Last Dance |
| 04/1961 | SP COMPANION CP-103 (US) | . |
Foolish Me
/ What I Tell My Heart |
| 07/1961 | SP RAVEN 8001 (US) | . |
A Sunday Kind Of Love
/ Mambo Boogie |
| 1961 | SP CUB 9097 (US) | . | Devil In Velvet / Your Love Is A Good Love |
| 1962 | SP BRUCE 123 (US) | . | Loving A Girl Like You / High Flyin' Baby |
| 1964 | SP KT 201 (US) | . | Sunset / I Gotta Have Your Love |
| 07/1964 | EP BRUCE VEP-202 (US) |
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My Memories Of You / Mambo Boogie / I'll Never Tell / High Flyin' Baby |
| 1964 | SP PORT 70041 (US) | . | The SOOTHERS (The Harptones sans Willie Winfield) - The Little White Cloud That Cried / I Believe In You |
| 1964 | SP OLDIES 45 100 (US) | . | I Almost Lost My Mind / I Wanna Go Home (The DELLS) |
| 1965 | SP OLDIES 45 155 (US) | . | The Shrine Of St. Cecilia / I Wanna Go Home (The DELLS) |
| 07/1973 | SP RELIC 1022 (US) | . |
A Sunday Kind Of Love
/ I'll Never Tell |
| 1973 | SP RELIC 1023 (US) | . | My Memories Of You / Just For Laughs |
| 1974 | SP RAMA 197 (US) | . | Marie / That's The Way It Goes |
| ???? | SP OLD SOUND 1003 (US) | Desire (CHARTS) / Since I Fell For You (HARPTONES) |
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Unissued Tracks
| 1955 | OLD TOWN unissued |
You're Going To Need My Help Someday |
| 1955 | OLD TOWN unissued |
On Sunday Afternoon |
| 1955 | OLD TOWN unissued |
Mambo Boogie |
| 1955 | OLD TOWN unissued |
Peggy Farmer & The Harptones - I Love You Baby |
| 1955 | OLD TOWN unissued | Peggy Farmer & The Harptones - Dreaming Is No Good For You |
| 1955 | OLD TOWN unissued |
Ruth McFadden & The Harptones - Dreaming Is No Good For You |
| 1956 | RAMA unissued | What Is Your Secret |
| 1957 | GEE unissued | Until The Real Thing Comes Along |
Albums
| 1970 | LP 12" HARLEM HIT PARADE HHP-5006 (US) |
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THE HARPTONES - Forever Mine / What Is Your Decision / Loving A Girl Like You / Since I Fell For You / Sunday Kind Of Love / It Was Just For Laughs / I Depend On You / My Memories Of You / I'll Never Tell / Mambo Boogie | ||
| 1970 | LP 12" EMUS ES-12032 (US) |
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THE HARPTONES - The Masquerade Is Over / The Shrine Of St. Cecilia / So Good, So Fine, You're Mine / Until The Real Thing Comes Along / Cry Like I Cried / Three Wishes / On Sunday Afternoon / That's The Way It Goes / Sunday Kind Of Love / Life Is But A Dream | ||
| 1971 | LP 12" RELIC LP 5001 (US) |
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THE HARPTONES FEATURING WILLIE WINFIELD - Sunday Kind Of Love / Since I Fell For You / Why Should I Love You / What Is Your Decision / I'll Never Tell / It Was Just For Laughs / Ou Wee Baby / My Memories Of You / Forever Mine / Oobidee-Oobidee-Oo / Loving A Girl Like You / I Almost Lost My Mind / The Shrine Of Saint Cecilia / Three Wishes | ||
| 1971 | LP 12" RELIC LP 5003 (US) |
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THE HARPTONES FEATURING WILLIE WINFIELD - VOLUME 2 - Sunset / My Success / I Remember / I Got A Notion / Laughing On The Outside / I Gotta Have Your Love / Mambo Boogie / Life Is But A Dream / What Kind Of Fool / Gimme Some / No Greater Miracle / High Flying Baby / Love Me Completely / I Know You're Doing Me Wrong / Hep Teenager / I Depended On You | ||
| 1972 | 2 LP 12" ROULETTE RE-114 (US) |
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ECHOES OF A ROCK ERA - THE CROWS & THE
HARPTONES :
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| 197? | LP 12" Pickwick K-431 (US) |
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The Great Singing Groups - The PARAGONS / THE JESTERS / The Harptones / The Clovers - Florence (PARAGONS) / Hey Little School Girl (PARAGONS) / Out Here (Clovers) / T.V. Fanatic (Clovers) / Let Me Hold You (Clovers) / Love No One But You (JESTERS) / The Plea (JESTERS) / My Memories Of You (Harptones) / I Was Just A Laugh (Harptones) / I Depend On You (Harptones) | ||
| 1981 | LP 12" ROULETTE RE-114 (US) |
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La Grande Storia Del Rock - 100 - Life Is But A Dream (The HARPTONES) / It All Depends On You (The HARPTONES) / I Almost Lost My Mind (The HARPTONES) / I´ll Never Tell (The HARPTONES) / Sunday Kind Of Love (The HARPTONES) / My Memories Of You (The HARPTONES) / What Kind Of Fool (The HARPTONES) / Don´t Drive Me Away (The Impressions) / Say That You Love Me (The Impressions) / Gloria (The CADILLACS) / Speedoo (The CADILLACS) / I Only Want You (The PASSIONS) / This Is My Love (The PASSIONS) / Just To Be With You (The PASSIONS) | ||
| 02/1982 | LP 12" AMBIENT SOUND FZ 37718 (US) |
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LOVE NEEDS - My One And Only Love / Those Wonderful Moments / Love Needs A Heart / It's You / When Your Love Has Said Goodbye / I'm So In Love With You / Gee Whiz / If I Give My Heart To You / I've Never Been In Love / That's What I Need / Our Love (I Am Yours, You Are Mine) / We Are In Love | ||
| 1991 | CD COLLECTABLES COL-CD-5401 (US) |
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GOLDEN CLASSICS - GOLDNER RECORDINGS - 1956-57 - On Sunday Afternoon / That's The Way It Goes / Oo Wee Baby / Three Wishes / The Masquerade Is Over / Until The Real Thing Comes Along / The Shrine Of St. Cecilia / Cry Like I Cried / What Is Your Secret / Is This Really The End / That's The Way It Goes / So Good, So Fine, You're Mine / What Did I Do Wrong / When Will I Know | ||
| 01/1992 | CD RELIC CO 7021 (US) |
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THE HARPTONES FEATURING WILLIE WINFIELD - A SUNDAY KIND OF LOVE - Sunday Kind Of Love / My Memories Of You / Oobidee...Oobdee...Oo / Since I Fell For You / I Depended On You / Mambo Boogie / I'll Never Tell / High Flying Baby / I Almost Lost My Mind / It Was Just For Laughs / Loving A Girl Like You / What Is Your Decision / Forever Mine / Ou Wee Baby / Gimme Some / Why Should I Love You / My Memories of You / High Flying Baby / Oo Wee Baby / Mambo Boogie | ||
| 01/2000 | CD COLLECTABLES 6074 (US) |
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THE Very Best of the Harptones - Life Is But a Dream - Life Is But A Dream / Life Is But A Dream / On Sunday Afternoon / On Sunday Afternoon / Loving A Girl Like You / Loving A Girl Like You / You're Going To Need Me Somebody / I've Got A Notion / I've Got A Notion / It All Depends On You / It All Depends On You / Mambo Boogie / Mambo Boogie / You Know You're Doing Me Wrong / Dreamin's No Good (The Harptones feat: Peggy Farmer) / I Love You Baby (The Harptones feat: Peggy Farmer) / School Boy (The Harptones feat: Ruth McFadden) / Dreamin's No Good (The Harptones feat: Ruth McFadden) | ||
| 08/2000 | CD Preserved Recordings / Hot Productions 8524 (US) |
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The Complete Recordings - Sunday Kind Of Love / My Memories Of You / Oobidee...Oobidee...Oo / Since I Fell For You / I Depended On You / Mambo Boogie / I'll Never Tell / High Flying Baby / I Almost Lost My Mind / It Was Just For Laughs / Loving A Girl Like You / What Is Your Decision / Forever Mine / Oo Wee Baby / Gimme Some / Why Should I Love You / My Memories Of You / Sunday Kind Of Love |
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| 02/2001 | 2 CD COLLECTABLES 95 (US) |
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The Legendary
Group at Their Best :
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| 10/2003 | CD V.I. 450595 (US) |
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Collector's Gold Series - Sunday Kind Of Love / My Memories Of You / Oobidee...Oobidee...Oo / Since I Fell For You / I Depended On You / Mambo Boogie / I'll Never Tell / High Flying Baby / I Almost Lost My Mind / It Was Just For Laughs / Loving A Girl Like You / What Is Your Decision / Forever Mine / Oo Wee Baby / Gimme Some / Why Should I Love You? / My Memories Of You / Sunday Kind Of Love | ||
| 2004 | CD Bcj Productions ? (US) |
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The Harptones and a Variety of Friends - Sky High / Cocaine / Only You And I Know / Promises In The Dark / We Got Love / I Just Want To Know / Embraceable You / Rhonda / I Believe In You / Give It Up / Hard To Say No / Is It Real? / Symptoms Of Love / I Never Heard The Rain / Maybe There's An Avenue / Peace And Harmony | ||
| 07/2005 | CD COLLECTABLES 9917 (US) |
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That's the Way It Goes - That's the Way It Goes / Cry Like I Cried / The Shrine Of Saint Cecilia / Oo Wee Baby / So Good So Fine / Until The Real Thing Comes Along / Three Wishes / On Sunday Afternoon / What Is Your Decision / The Masquerade Is Over | ||
| 11/2006 | CD COLLECTABLES 7846 (US) |
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Love Needs / Here We Go - The HARPTONES - THE JIVE FIVE - My One And Only Love (The HARPTONES) / Those Wonderful Moments (The HARPTONES) / Love Needs A Heart (The HARPTONES) / It's You (The HARPTONES) / When Your Love Has Said Goodbye (The HARPTONES) / I'm So In Love With You (The HARPTONES) / Gee Whiz (The HARPTONES) / If I Give Me Heart To You (The HARPTONES) / I've Never Been In Love (The HARPTONES) / That's What I Need (The HARPTONES) / Our Love (I Am Yours, You Are Mine) (The HARPTONES) / We Are In Love (The HARPTONES) / Here I Am (The JIVE FIVE) / Never, Never Lie (The JIVE FIVE) / Don't Believe Him Donna (The JIVE FIVE) / Hey Nineteen (The JIVE FIVE) / Hey Sam (The JIVE FIVE) / Never, Never Change (The JIVE FIVE) / Chains (The JIVE FIVE) / Magic Maker, Music Maker (The JIVE FIVE) / Oh Baby (The JIVE FIVE) / Say You'll Be There (The JIVE FIVE) / He's Just A Lucky Man (The JIVE FIVE) / Baby, You're My Only Love (The JIVE FIVE) | ||
| 07/2009 | CD COLLECTABLES COLCD 1373 (US) |
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The Harptones Meet the Monotones - That's The Way It Goes (The HARPTONES) / Cry Like I Cried (The HARPTONES) / The Shrine Of Saint Cecilia (The HARPTONES) / Three Wishes (The HARPTONES) / On Sunday Afternoon (The HARPTONES) / Book Of Love (The MONOTONES) / You Never Loved Me (The MONOTONES) / Legend of Sleepy Hollow (The MONOTONES) / Tell It To The Judge (The MONOTONES) / Dreams (The MONOTONES) | ||
| 12/2012 | 2 CD Jasmine JASCD 226 (UK) |
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Life is But a
Dream - The Ultimate Harptones 1953-1961 :
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| 09/2017 | CD Oldays ODR6360 (JAP) |
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A Sunday Kind Of Love - Bruce Records Years 1953-1955 - Sunday Kind Of Love / I'll Never Tell / My Memories Of You / It Was Just For Laughs / I Depended On You / Mambo Boogie / WHy Should I Love You / Forever Mine / Since I Fell For You / Oobidee-Oobiedee--Oo / I Almost Lost My Mind / Ou Wee Baby / Loving A Girl Like You / High Flying Baby / Life Is But A Dream / You Know You're Doing Me Wrong / My Success (It All Depends On You) / I've Got A Notion |
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| 2021 | 2 CD Acrobat ADDCD3374 (UK) |
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The Harptones Collection 1953-61 :
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© Rocky Productions 15/04/2024
