Paragons

Groupe Doo Wop originaire de Brooklyn, les Paragons étaient composés de Julius McMichael (25 November 1935, d. June 1981), Ben Frazier, Donald Travis, Ricky Jackson et Al Brown.

Founded in Brooklyn, NY, the Paragons were a black Vocals harmony quintet signed to the New York-based Winley label, which was also home to the Jesters ("The Wind"). Julius McMichael (lead), Ben Frazier (first tenor), Donald Travis (second tenor), Ricky Jackson (baritone), and Al Brown (bass) had a distinctive sound with McMichael's high tenor voice as the lead, very much defining this distinctly New York-centered doo wop sound. They began their recording career for Winley with the single "Florence" b/w "Hey Little School Girl," which was released in early 1957 and was a regional hit.
Julius McMichael lasted through three more notable singles, "Let's Start," "Twilight," and "So You Will Know," all of which did well without ever charting nationally, before he exited the lineup to become a member of the Olympics. His replacement in the Paragons' lineup was Bill Witt. The Paragons endured into the early '60s with more lineup changes and label changes as well, to Musicraft and then to Tap. They lucked out with Tap right out of the starting gate when their first single for the new label, "If," charted, which prompted Winley, their original label, to release more material that it was holding on the quintet. The group's success on the charts in the early '60s seemed to presage their subsequent history -- the Paragons remained active throughout the 1960s, right into the rock & roll revival, where new audiences, consisting both of old fans of '50s music and new appreciators of harmony Vocals groups, discovered the work of this fine, enduring group and boosted their listenership. In more recent years, the group have recorded new versions of their classic material, and continue to play to audiences at rock & roll revival shows.

Talents : Julius McMichael : Lead - Ben Frazier : First Tenor - Donald Travis : Second Tenor - Ricky Jackson : Baritone - Al Brown : Bass

Style musical : Doo Wop

https://youtu.be/M4vNafS33Ow

Florence (1957)

Hey Little School Girl (1957)

Let's Start All Over Again (1957)

Stick With Me Baby (1957)

Twilight (1958)

Years in activity :

1910

2000

DISCOGRAPHY

Singles

03/1957	SP WINLEY 215 (US)	Florence / Hey Little School Girl
07/1957	SP WINLEY 220 (US)	Let's Start All Over Again / Stick With Me Baby
03/1958	SP WINLEY 227 (US)	The Vows Of Love / Twilight
1960	SP WINLEY WIN 250 (US)	The Paragons featuring Mack Starr - Kneel And Pray / Just A Memory
1961	SP TAP T 500 (US)	Hey Baby / If
09/1963	SP Music Clef MC 3001 (US)	Time After Time / (Come On) Baby Take My Hand
196?	SP Musictone MX 1142 (US)	Please Don't Ask Me To Be Lonely (DUBS) / Gee I'm In Love (PARAGONS)
1972	SP VIRGO VO 6010 (US)	Florence (PARAGONS) / Please Let Me Love You (Jesters)
1973	SP VIRGO VO 6030 (US)	Let's Start All Over Again / The Vows Of Love
1977 ?	SP HI-OLDIES 473 (US)	Florence / Let's Start All Over Again
1977 ?	SP HI-OLDIES 474 (US)	Vows Of Love / Hey Little School Girl
197?	SP Musicor Startime Series MU-1948 (US)	Party Doll (Buddy Knox) / Wedding Bells (PARAGONS)
1986	SP STARLIGHT SR-45-46 (US)	Danny Boy / Hey Little School Girl
198?	SP LOST-NITE 160 (US)	So You Will Know / Don't Cry Baby
198?	SP COLLECTABLES COL-1031 (US)	The Vows Of Love / Stick With Me Baby
198?	SP COLLECTABLES COL-1280 (US)	Blue Velvet / Wedding Bells
19??	SP Good Old Gold GOG 330 (US)	Happy Happy Birthday Baby (Tune Weavers) / Florence (PARAGONS)
19??	SP LOST-NITE LN-121 (US)	The Vows Of Love / Stick With Me Baby
19??	SP LOST-NITE LN-125 (US)	Let's Start All Over Again / Stick With Me Baby
19??	SP LOST-NITE LN-128 (US)	Florence / Hey Little School Girl
19??	SP LOST-NITE LN-130 (US)	Two Hearts Are Better Then One / Give Me Love
19??	SP LOST-NITE LN-133 (US)	Twilight / Stick With Me Baby

Albums

1959	LP 12" Jubilee JGM 1098 (US)	THE PARAGONS Meet THE JESTERS - Florence (PARAGONS) / Please Let Me Love You (JESTERS) / So Strange (JESTERS) / Let's Start All Over Again (PARAGONS) / Now That You're Gone (JESTERS) / The Vows Of Love (PARAGONS) / Hey Little School Girl (PARAGONS) / I'm Falling In Love (JESTERS) / Love No One But You (JESTERS) / Stick With Me Baby (PARAGONS) / I Laughed (JESTERS) / Twilight (PARAGONS)
1959	LP 12" Paul Winley Productions ‎LP-102 (US)	THE PARAGONS Meet THE JESTERS - Florence (PARAGONS) / Please Let Me Love You (JESTERS) / So Strange (JESTERS) / Let's Start All Over Again (PARAGONS) / Now That You're Gone (JESTERS) / The Vows Of Love (PARAGONS) / Hey Little School Girl (PARAGONS) / I'm Falling In Love (JESTERS) / Love No One But You (JESTERS) / Stick With Me Baby (PARAGONS) / I Laughed (JESTERS) / Twilight (PARAGONS)
1960?	LP 12" WINLEY LP-6001 (US)	Everybody Digs The Boss Record Hop! - The Paragons / THE JESTERS / The Collegians / The Quinns - The Wind (JESTERS) / Sally Green (JESTERS) / The Plea (JESTERS) / Oh Baby (JESTERS) / Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (COLLEGIANS) / Let's Go For A Ride (COLLEGIANS) / Don't Cry Baby (PARAGONS) / So You Will Know (PARAGONS) / Doll Baby (PARAGONS) / Two Hearts Are Better Than One (PARAGONS) / Hong Kong (QUINNS) / Oh, Starlight (QUINNS)
1960	LP 12" WINLEY LP-6003 (US)	WAR ! - THE JESTERS Vs. The Paragons - The Wind (JESTERS) / Sally Green (JESTERS) / Come Let Me Show You (JESTERS) / Down In Uncle Henry's Basement (JESTERS) / Tutti Frutti (JESTERS) / That's How It Goes (JESTERS) / Kneel And Pray (PARAGONS) / Just A Memory (PARAGONS) / Florence Don't Leave Me (PARAGONS) / Don't Cry Baby (PARAGONS) / So You Will Know (PARAGONS) / Two Hearts Are Better Than One (PARAGONS)
197?	LP 12" Pickwick K-431 (US)	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 10" LOST-NITE LLP-4 (US) (limited edition, red vinyl)	The Best Of The Paragons - Florence / The Vows Of Love / Hey Little Schoolgirl / So You Will Know / Twilight / Two Hearts Are Better Than One / Kneel & Pray / Let's Start All Over Again
1983	LP 12" Curcio ‎GSR - 98 (I)	La Grande Storia Del Rock - 98 - The Paragons / The Crystals / The Dixie Cups - Diamonds And Pearls (PARAGONS) / Florence (PARAGONS) / Weddiing Bells (PARAGONS) / Let´s Start All Over Again (PARAGONS) / Blue Velvet (PARAGONS) / If (PARAGONS) / He´s A Rebel (Crystals) / Da Doo Ron Ron (Crystals) / Then He Kissed Me (Crystals) / Iko Iko (Dixie Cups) / Chapel Of Love (Dixie Cups) / People Say (Dixie Cups)
07/1991	CD Relic 7006 (US)	THE PARAGONS Meet THE JESTERS - Florence (PARAGONS) / Please Let Me Love You (JESTERS) / So Strange (JESTERS) / Let's Start All Over Again (PARAGONS) / Now That You're Gone (JESTERS) / The Vows Of Love (PARAGONS) / Hey Little School Girl (PARAGONS) / I'm Falling In Love (JESTERS) / Love No One But You (JESTERS) / Stick With Me Baby (PARAGONS) / I Laughed (JESTERS) / Twilight (JESTERS) / The Wind (PARAGONS) / Two Hearts Are Better Than One (PARAGONS) / Oh Baby (JESTERS) / Vows Of Love (PARAGONS) / The Plea (PARAGONS) / Twilight (PARAGONS)
09/1993	LP 12" COLLECTABLES ‎COL LP-5035 (US)	The Best Of The Paragons - Florence / Blue Velvet / The Vows Of Love / Stick With Me Baby / Two Hearts Are Better Than One / Just A Memory / Kneel And Pray / Let's Start All Over Again / Hey Little Schoolgirl / Twilight / Doll Baby / Give Me Love / So You Will Know / If
09/1994	CD Juke Box Treasures BT-6020 (US)	The Paragons and THE JESTERS Meet the Shells and THE Dubs - Florence (PARAGONS) / So Strange (JESTERS) / Let's Start All Over Again (PARAGONS) / The Wind (JESTERS) / The Vows Of Love (PARAGONS) / Love No One But You (JESTERS) / Twilight (PARAGONS) / Kneel And Pray (PARAGONS) / Please Let Me Love You (JESTERS) / Two Hearts Are Better Than One (PARAGONS) / Florence (PARAGONS) / So You Will Know (PARAGONS) / Baby Oh Baby (Shells) / Darling (Dubs) / What's In An Angel's Eyes (Shells) / I Won't Have You Breaking My Heart (Dubs) / Deep In My Heart (Shells) / Connie (Dubs) / Be Sure My Love (Shells) / You're Welcome (Dubs) / On My Honor (Shells) / The Wind (JESTERS) / Fine Little Girl (Shells) / Lost In The Wilderness (Dubs) / Baby, Walk On In (Shells)
1997	CD STRING MUSIC S-8235 (CZ)	WAR - THE PARAGONS VS THE JESTERS - A Classic 1950's "Battle Of The Groups" - Florence Don't Leave Me (PARAGONS) / Sally Green (JESTERS) / Kneel And Pray (PARAGONS) / Come Let Me Show You (JESTERS) / Just A Memory (PARAGONS) / Down In Uncle Henry's Basement (JESTERS) / Don't Cry Baby (PARAGONS) / Tutti Frutti (JESTERS) / So You Will Know (PARAGONS) / That's How It Goes (JESTERS) / Two Hearts Are Better Than One (PARAGONS) / The Wind [recorded live] (JESTERS) / Begin The Beguine (PARAGONS) / I Laughed [recorded live] (JESTERS) / In The Midst Of The Night (PARAGONS) / Down On My Knees [recorded live] (JESTERS) / Danny Boy (PARAGONS) / What Now My Love [acapella] (JESTERS) / Blue Velvet (PARAGONS) / The Beating Of My Heart [acapella] (JESTERS) / Wedding Bells (PARAGONS) / Time After Time (PARAGONS) / Hey Baby (PARAGONS) / Baby Take My Hand (PARAGONS) / If (PARAGONS)
09/2011	CD Paul Winley / Phase One Communications WR 30682 (US) (deluxe edition)	THE PARAGONS Meet THE JESTERS - Florence (PARAGONS) / Please Let Me Love You (JESTERS) / So Strange (JESTERS) / Let's Start All Over Again (PARAGONS) / Now That You're Gone (JESTERS) / The Vows Of Love (PARAGONS) / Hey Little School Girl (PARAGONS) / I'm Falling in Love (JESTERS) / Love No One But You (JESTERS) / Stick With Me Baby (PARAGONS) / I Laughed (JESTERS) / Twilight (JESTERS) / The Wind (JESTERS) / Kneel And Pray (Mack Starr & The PARAGONS) / Just A Memory (Mack Starr & The PARAGONS) / So You Will Know (PARAGONS) / Doll Baby (PARAGONS) / Sally Green (JESTERS) / Uncle Henry's Basement (JESTERS) / That's How It Goes (JESTERS) / Tutti Frutti (JESTERS) / Don't Cry Baby (PARAGONS) / Darling, I Love You (PARAGONS) / Give Me Love (PARAGONS) / Two Hearts Are Better Than One (PARAGONS) / Oh Baby (JESTERS) / The Plea (JESTERS) / Come Let Me Show You (JESTERS) / Florence, Dont Leave Me (PARAGONS) / The Vows Of Love [alternate version] (PARAGONS) / Twilight [alternate version] (JESTERS)
????	CD PARAGON PAR 101 (US)	Blue Velvet - Blue Velvet / In The Midst Of The Night / Kneel And Pray / Begin The Beguine / Danny Boy / Baby Take My Hand / Darlin' I Love You / Wedding Bells / So You Will know / Just A Memory / Hey Baby / If You Love Me / Give Me Love / Thinking Of You / Two Hearts Are Better Than One / Don't Cry Baby / If / Time After Time / Diamonds And Pearls / Hey Little School Girl / If You Love Me / Florence / Florence Don't Leave Me / Doll Baby / Let's Start All Over Again / The Things I Love / Danny Boy