Groupe Doo Wop US originaires de Brooklyn (New York), composé de Nathaniel "Little Nate" Bouknight, Bobby Nurse, Randy Shade Alston, Gus Geter et Danny Small.

The Shells -- led by Nate Bouknight (aka "Little Nat") -- scored with a Top 30 hit with "Baby Oh Baby," charting for the tiny Johnson label in 1957. The group -- Bouknight, Randy "Shade Alston, Bobby Nurse, Danny Small, and Gus Geter -- continued to wax impressive 45s into the early '60s without much commercial interest, including 1958's "Sippin' Soda" and 1959's "She Wasn't Meant for Me."
In 1960, "Baby Oh Baby" was given a rare second chance when record collector archivists/reissue producers Donn Fileti and Wayne Stierle reissued the track to give it a second chance, hitting the pop charts on its second time around, charting at number 21. The Shells then made a hasty comeback, recording a mix of soul and pop standards as well as straight-ahead doo wop, such as "Be Sure My Love" and "So Fine." 1961 brought another fine effort, "Explain It to Me," and in 1962, the quintet cut the popular "Happy Holiday" with Ray Jones (aka Ray Lamont Jones) taking over lead vocals. In 1963, the Josie label paired the group together with the Dubs for half an LP, The Dubs Meet the Shells, a battle of the bands album in the tradition of The Paragons Meet the Jesters).

Talents : Nathaniel "Little Nate" Bouknight : Lead - Bobby Nurse : First Tenor - Randy Shade Alston : Second Tenor - Gus Geter : Baritone - Danny Small : Bass

Style musical : Doo Wop, Rhythm 'n' Blues

Baby Oh Baby (1957)

Pleading No More (1958)

Slippin' Soda (1958)

Pretty Little Girl (1958)

Explain It To Me (1961)

Years in activity :

1910 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2000 10 20

DISCOGRAPHY

78 t. & Singles

08/1957 78 t. & SP JOHNSON 104 (US) Baby Oh Baby / Angel Eyes
1958 78 t. & SP JOHNSON 106 (US)

Don't Say Goodbye / Pleading No More

05/1958 SP END E-1022 (US)

Slippin' Soda / Pretty Little Girl 
1959 SP END E-1050 (US)

Whispering Wings / Shooma Dom Dom
05/1959 SP ROULETTE 4156 (US)

She Wasn't Meant For Me / The Thief
1960 SP JOHNSON 104 (US)

Baby Oh Baby / What's In An Angel's Eyes 
1960 SP SWIRL 101 (US)

Roy jones & The Shells - Satisfied / made for lovers
02/1961 SP JOHNSON 107 (US)

Explain It To Me / An Island Unknown
04/1961 SP JOHNSON 109 (US)

Better Forget Him / Can't Take It
06/1961 SP JOHNSON 110 (US)

O-Mi Yum-Mi Yum-Mi / In The Dim Light Of The Dark
09/1961 SP JOHNSON 112 (US)

Sweetest One / Baby Walk On In
1961 SP GONE 5103 (US) Slippin' Soda / Pretty Little Girl 
11/1962 SP JOHNSON 119 (US)

Deep In My Heart / (It's A) Happy Holiday
02/1963 SP JOHNSON 120 (US)

The Drive / A Toast To Your Birthday
1963 SP JOHNSON 125 (US)

Gene Holiday (with The SHELLS) - My heart runneth over / Scratch my name off the mail box
1963 SP JOHNSON 127 (US)

On My Honor / My Royal Love
08/1963 SP JOSIE 45-912 (US)

Our wedding day / Deep in my heart
1965 ? SP ROULETTE Golden Goodies Hits Series GG-59 (US)

Sippin' Soda (SHELLS) / Schoolhouse Rock (Nicky & The Nobles)
1970 SP Boardwalk 17 (US)

Oh What a night (SHELLS) / Where or when (Groups In Choir) / Accappella In A Light Rain (Groups In Choir)
1973 SP JOHNSON 099 (US) My Cherie / Explain To Me
1975 SP Monogram M-108 (US)

Will you miss me / I'm in the doghouse
1976 SP Clifton 00 (US)

If you were gone for me / Misty
1977 SP Clifton45-21 (US)

Will you miss me (Shells) / Someone up there (Little Nate & The Shells)
1977 SP Clifton 45-22 (US)

On my honor / In the light of the dark
1978 SP GOLDISC G 3043 (US)

You Were Mine (FIREFLIES) / Baby Oh Baby (SHELLS)
197? SP Good Old Gold ‎022 (US)

Agent Double-O-Soul (Edwin STARR) / Baby Oh Baby (SHELLS)
1980 ? SP GRECO 615 (US)

Baby Oh Baby / What's In An Angel's Eyes
???? SP COLLECTABLES COL 0162 (US)

Sippin' Soda / Pretty Little Girl 
???? SP COLLECTABLES C1188 (US)

Baby Oh Baby / What's In An Angel's Eyes

???? SP COLLECTABLES COL-04063 (US)

Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (CASINOS) / Baby Oh Baby (SHELLS)












Unreleased

19??

Conlo 879 (US)

When I'm Blue / Whiplash

Albums

1962 LP 12" JOSIE JSS-4001 (US)

THE DUBS MEET THE SHELLS - DUBS : Could This Be Magic / Wisdom Of A Fool / Please Don't Ask Me To Be Lonely / Blue Velvet / Your Very First Love / This I Swear / SHELLS : Baby Oh Baby / Our Wedding Day / What's In An Angel's Eyes / Baby Walk On In / Sweetest One / Deep In My Heart
1966 LP 12" Candlelite LP 1000 (US)

Acappela Session with the Shells - Baby oh baby / Baby walk on in / Happy holiday / The way you do the things you do / The closer you are / Bad girl / I'm a happy man / Be sure my love / So fine / Outside looking in / Dream / If you were gone from me / Oh what a dream / Fine little girl / Life is but a dream / Oooo baby baby
08/1993 CD Juke Box Treasures 00411 (US)

Badder Than Badd - So Fine / Be Sure My Love / The Closer You Are / If You Were Gone From Me / Life Is But A Dream / Ooh, Baby Baby / I'm A Happy Man / Dream / Fine Little Girl / I'm On The Outside Looking In / Happy Holiday / Bad Girl / Oh What A Dream / Misty / Fine Little Girl / Baby, Walk On In / Session Studio Talk / Oh What A Night / Baby Oh Baby / The Way You Do The Things You Do
10/1993 CD COLLECTABLES COL CD 5077 (US)

Golden Classics - Baby Oh Baby / On My Honor / A Toast To Your Birthday / Baby, Walk On In / Pleading No More / Deep In My Heart / Happy Holiday / What's In My Angels Eyes / My Cherie / Explain It To Me / Don't Say Goodbye / Better Forget Him / Sipping Soda / An Island Unknown / In The Dim Light Of The Dark / Pretty Little Girl / Sweetest One / My Royal Love
09/1994 CD Juke Box Treasures JBT-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)
07/1995 CD Juke Box Treasures JBT-6032 (US)

Golden Hits - Baby Oh Baby / Deep In My Heart / Baby, Walk On In / An Island Unknown / What's In An Angel's Eyes / My Royal Love / My Cherie / Explain It To Me / Pleading No More / Baby Oh Baby (acapella version) / Rehearsal Session Talk / Can't Take It / O-Mi-Yummi-Yummi / Better Forget Him / In The Doghouse Now / Cry Baby Cry / Explain It To Me (previously unreleased, 1957 version) / The Drive / If You Were Gone From Me (previously unreleased) / A Toast To Your Birthday / Love You Never Knew (previously unreleased) / In The Dim Light Of The Dark / Happy Holiday  / Don't Say Goodbye / Oh What A Dream (previously unreleased) / If You Were Gone From Me (acapella version) / Studio Session Talk / Do You Love Me (previously unreleased) / Someone Up There / There's Always Tomorrow (previously unreleased) / Fine Little Girl / Will You Miss Me / Sweetest One / On My Honor

© Rocky Productions 12/07/2018