Groupe Doo Wop US originaire de Los Angeles (Californie). Les "Penguins" ont enregistré au milieu des années cinquante pour Dootone Records. Puis ils passeront chez Mercury, Atlantic, Dooto,
Eldo, Sun State et Original Sound Records.
Le groupe était composé de Curtis Williams, Cleveland Duncan, Dexter Tisby et
Bruce Tate.
Best known for their
hit single "Earth Angel," the doo wop quartet the Penguins were never able to
replicate the success of their only Top 40 hit, but the song nevertheless became
a rock & roll classic. The Penguins formed in 1954, when the group's members --
Cleveland Duncan, Curtis Williams, Dexter Tisby, and Bruce Tate -- were all
attending Fremont High School in Los Angeles, CA.
Although he wasn't the lead singer, Williams was the leader of the group. He
learned "Earth Angel" from vocalist
Jesse Belvin -- some sources claim that Williams wrote the song alone,
others say he co-wrote the song with
Belvin, while others claim Gaynell Hodge, a member of the doo wop group the
Turks, wrote the song with the duo (in fact, Hodge won a lawsuit filed in 1956
that gave him a co-writing credit) -- and had the Penguins sing the song.
Around 1954, the Penguins signed with the local Los Angeles independent label
Dootone Records. The group's first single was going to be the uptempo "Hey
Sinorita," and the ballad "Earth Angel" was going to be the B-side. Upon the
release of the single in the latter half of 1954, Los Angeles radio stations
were receiving more requests for "Earth Angel" than "Hey Sinorita," and the song
soon became the record's A-side. By the beginning of 1955, the single had scaled
the national charts, spending three weeks at the top of the R&B charts and
peaking at number eight on the pop charts.
For the next few years, the Penguins continued to record singles for Dootone
Records. Shortly after the success of "Earth Angel," Tate left the group and
Randolph Jones became their baritone vocalist. Around 1956, the Penguins left
Dootone Records and signed with Mercury Records. After cutting some sides for
Mercury, the group moved to Atlantic Records, where they had their second and
final hit, "Pledge of Love," which climbed to number 15 on the R&B charts in the
summer of 1957. That same year, the group released its only album, The Cool,
Cool Penguins.
By 1959, the Penguins had returned to their hometown of Los Angeles; shortly
after their relocation, they broke up. Over the next four decades, Cleveland
Duncan led various incarnations of the Penguins through reunion tours and re-recordings
of their hits. In 1963, Duncan, Tisby, and two new members recorded "Memories of
El Monte," a song future Mothers of Invention members Frank Zappa and Ray
Collins wrote specifically for the group; the single failed to make any impact.
Duncan went back to leading new incarnations of the Penguins, while Tisby
briefly joined the Coasters.
Talents : Curtis Williams : Baritone, Bass - Cleveland Duncan : Tenor - Dexter Tisby : Tenor - Bruce Tate : Baritone
Style musical : Doo Wop
EARTH ANGEL 
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Années en activité :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 |
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles & EP
| 1954 | SP DOOTONE 345 (US) | . | No There Ain't No News Today / When I Am Gone |
| 1954 | SP DOOTONE 348 (US) | . | Earth Angel / Hey Senorita |
| 1954 | SP DOOTONE 353 (US) | . | Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / Ookey Ook |
| 1955 | SP DOOTONE 362 (US) | . | Kiss A Fool Goodbye / Baby Let's Make Some Love |
| 1955 | EP DOOTONE EP 201 (US) |
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Earth Angel / I Ain't Gonna Cry No More / Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / Baby Let's Make Some Love |
| 1955 | SP MERCURY 70610 (US) | . | Be Mine Or Be A Fool / Don't Do It |
| 1955 | SP MERCURY 70654 (US) | . | It Only Happens With You / Walkin' Down Broadway |
| 1955 | SP MERCURY 70703 (US) | . | Devil That I See / Promises, Promises, Promises |
| 1955 | SP MERCURY 70762 (US) | . | A Christmas Prayer / Jingle Jangle |
| 1956 | SP MERCURY 70799 (US) | . | My Troubles Are Not At An End / She's Gone, Gone |
| 1956 | SP WING 90076 (US) | . | Dealer Of Dreams / Peace Of Mind |
| 1956 | SP MERCURY 70943 (US) | . | Earth Angel / Ice |
| 1957 | SP MERCURY 71033 (US) | . | Will You Be Mine / Cool Baby Cool |
| 1957 | SP ATLANTIC 1132 (US) | . | Pledge Of Love / I Knew I'd Fall In Love |
| 1957 | SP DOOTO 348 (US) | . | Earth Angel / Hey Senorita |
| 1957 | SP DOOTO 428 (US) | . | That's How Much I Need You / Be My Lovin' Baby |
| 1957 | EP MERCURY 14163 (F) |
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Earth Angel
/ Ice / She's Gone Gone / My Troubles Are Not At An End |
| 1958 | SP DOOTO 432 (US) | . | Let Me Make Up Your Mind / Sweet Love |
| 1958 | SP DOOTO 435 (US) | . | Do Not Pretend / If You're Mine |
| 1958 | EP DOOTO EP 241 (US) |
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Money Talks / Lover Or Fool / Butterball / Heart Of A Fool |
| 1958 | EP DOOTO EP 243 (US) |
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Sweet Love / Let Me Make Up Your Mind / Be My Lovin' Baby / That's How Much I Need You |
| 1958 | EP DOOTO EP 244 (US) |
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Do Not Pretend / If You're Mine / Cold Heart / Want Me |
| 1960 | EP DOOTO EP 256 (US) |
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You're An Angel / Mr. Junkman / Give Me The Right (The MEDALLIONS) / She's The One (The MEDALLIONS) |
| 1961 | SP ELDO 119 (US) | . | To Keep Our Love(the RADIANTS) / Universal Twist |
| 1962 | SP SUN STATE 001 (US) | . | Believe Me / Pony Rock |
| 1963 | SP ORIGINAL SOUND 27 (US) | . | Memories Of El Monte / Be Mine |
| 1965 | SP ORIGINAL SOUND 54 (US) | . | Heavenly Angel / Big Bobo's Party |
| 1984 | SP ORIGINAL SOUND OBG 4504 (US) | . | Memories Of El Monte / Heaveny Angel |
Unissued Tracks
| 1957 | Mercury unissued | Ookey Ook |
| 1957 | Mercury unissued | Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild |
| 1957 | Mercury unissued | Hey Senorita |
| 1957 | Mercury unissued | The Sound Of Your Voice |
| 1957 | Atlantic unissued | I'm Guilty Of Love |
| 1957 | Atlantic unissued | Dimpled Doll |
Albums
| 1958 | LP 12" DOOTO DLT 242 (US) |
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THE COOL, COOL - Do Not Pretend / If You're Mine / Cold Heart / Want Me / Sweet Love / Let Me Make Up Your Mind / Money Talks / Lover Or Fool / Butterball / Heart Of A Fool / Be My Lovin' Baby / That's How Much I Need You |
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| 1990 | CD ACE CDCH-249 (UK) |
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EARTH ANGEL - Earth Angel / I Ain't Gonna Cry No More / No There Ain't No News Today / Hey Señorita / Kiss A Fool Goodbye / Ookey Ook / Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / Baby Let's Make Some Love / Lover Or Fool / Do Not Pretend / If You're Mine / Be My Lovin' Baby / Cold Heart / Sweet Love / Let Me Make Up Your Mind / Butterball / Money Talks / Heart Of A Fool / Want Me / That's How Much I Need You / You're An Angel | ||
| 02/1990 | LP 12" COLLECTABLES COL-5045 (US) |
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GOLDEN CLASSICS - Earth Angel / Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / I Ain't Gonna Cry No More / You're An Angel / Lover Or Fool / Baby Let's Make Some Love / No There Ain't No News Today / Hey Señorita / Do Not Pretend / Heart Of A Fool / Kiss A Fool Goodbye / Ookey Ook | ||
| 1993 | CD JUKE BOX TREASURES 6009 (US) |
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THE AUTHENTIC GOLDEN HITS OF THE PENGUINS - Earth Angel / Hey Senorita / Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / Ookey Ook / Kiss A Fool Goodbye / There Ain't No News Today / Do Not Pretend / Baby Let's Make Some Love / Let Me Make Up Your Mind / Hey Senorita / Please Mr. Junkman / I Ain't Gonna Cry No More / You're An Angel / Sweet Love / Lover Or Fool / If You're Mine / Heart Of A Fool / Butterball / Want Me / To Keep Our Love / That's How Much I Need You / Money Talks / I'm Betting My Heart / Cold Heart / Want Me / Be My Lovin' Baby / Ookey Ook [original version] / Earth Angel | ||
| 07/1996 | CD MERCURY 532735 (US) |
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THE BEST OF THE PENGUINS - THE MERCURY YEARS - Earth Angel [version #1] / Ookey Ook / Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild / Hey Señorita / Don't Do It / It Only Happens With You / Walkin' Down Broadway / Be Mine Or Be A Fool / My Troubles Are Not At An End / Devil That I See / Promises, Promises, Promises / She's Gone, Gone / Dealer Of Dreams / Ice / Peace Of Mind / Cool Baby Cool / A Christmas Prayer / Jingle Jangle / Will You Be Mine / Earth Angel [version #2] / Sound Of Your Voice | ||
| 11/2011 | 2 CD JASMINE JASCD 176 (UK) |
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EARTH ANGEL - THE COOL SOUNDS OF WEST COAST
DOO WOP 1954-1960 :
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© Rocky Productions 4/03/2012
