Groupe Doo
Wop US, les "Jacks" ont été formé en 1955 à Los
Angeles (Californie). Suivant la nécessité, la formation prend indifféremment le nom de
"Cadets" ou "Jacks". Le groupe comprenait : Aaron Collins, Willie Davis, Ted Taylor, Lloyd McGraw et Will
"Dub" Jones, remplaçant Bobby Nunn en avril 1958. Ils ont enregistré chez
RPM (55-57) Modern (57), Kent Records (60).
The Los
Angeles-based Jacks were so good at covering popular hits of the day that their
versions were often equal to (if not better than) the original versions. They
were versatile in R&B, jump tunes, ballads, calypso songs, and recorded some of
the greatest early rock & roll songs ever, including "Stranded in the Jungle" (released
in June of 1956, and charting at number four R&B/number 15 pop). Mostly, though,
the Jacks are remembered for recording under two names simultaneously: as the
Jacks (for Modern) and the Cadets (for RPM).
Each group had its own hits and each with a slightly different sound and musical
direction.
The Jacks/Cadets began as a gospel group
during the late '40s in Los Angeles, under the guidance of former Dixie
Hummingbirds' baritone Lloyd McGraw. In 1954, McGraw joined up with first tenor
Austin "Ted" Taylor, lead and second tenor Aaron Collins (brother of Betty and
Rosie Collins, who recorded as the Teen Queens), tenor Willie Davis, and Will
"Dub" Jones (lead and bass), who possessed a stratospheric falsetto. The band on
most of the group's sessions was lead by tenor saxophonist Maxwell Davis.
It was Modern's Joe Bihari who came up with the idea of having one group with a
split personality, envisioning the Jacks as a ballad harmony group utilizing the
writing talents of Aaron Collins and the
Cadets as an up-tempo and novelty song quintet who mostly covered other acts'
material. As a rule, either Dub Jones or Aaron Collins sang lead on the Cadets
recordings, while tenor Willie Davis fronted the Jacks.
In late 1954, the quintet — as the Cadets
— recorded a version of Nappy Brown's "Don't Be Angry" and a calypso-flavored
cover of "Rolling Stone," which outsold the original by Excello's Marigolds.
Later, the Cadets issued their third single, "I Cried," backed up singer Dolly
Cooper on "My Man," Young Jessie on "Mary Lou," and Richard Berry on "Jelly
Roll" and "God Gave Me You."
By the summer of 1955, the Cadets had
released "Annie Met Henry," a single that fell in line with the whole "Annie"
craze created in the aftermath of Hank
Ballard & the Midnighters' big hit "Work With Me Annie," which had been
released some 16 months earlier and was still going strong. The public was
quickly tiring of the whole "Annie" phenom, however, so DJs flipped over the 45
and gave the B-side, "So Will I," the push instead.
The Cadets' next Modern release was "Do
You Wanna Rock," an exciting up-tempo revision of
the Drifters' big R&B hit (number two) "Whatcha
Gonna Do." The song also had a big impact on
Hank Ballard and provided the format for
Chubby Checker's "The Twist." It was
the Cadets' next single, the buoyant "How
Soon," that scored the regional airplay and sales.
In early 1956, Prentice Moreland replaced Ted Taylor (although he only recorded
with the group on three early songs, he didn't usually perform with them), who
had left the group for a solo career as a solo blues vocalist. By February, the
Cadets had moved on to new cover material, including
Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" and
the Willows' "Church Bells May Ring."
Around this time, Aaron Collins brought his two little sisters, Rosie and Betty,
to Joe Bihari with an original song called "Eddie My Love." By the spring,
the Teen Queens had the number two R&B
record in America with "Eddie," which also charted number 14 on the pop chart.
One day, Bihari and arranger Maxwell Davis handed the group a beautiful ballad
titled "Why Don't You Write Me?," the original of which — by the Feathers — was
soon to be issued on the Showtime label. They quickly did a cover; the Feathers'
original came out in the fourth week of April 1955 and the Jacks' copy came out
one week later (on the Modern affiliate RPM). The flipside, Charlie Calhoun's
"Smack Dab in the Middle," was actually cut as being by the Cadets and wound up
on their first LP. Even though it was recorded by the same group, it was listed
as being by the Cadets in keeping with the "two groups in one" philosophy.
The Jacks' "Why Don't You Write Me?" hit the R&B charts on August 6th, and
jumped up to number three R&B by September; it even managed to cross over to the
pop charts to reach number 82, charting before
the Cadets charted with their outlandish cover of "Stranded in the Jungle."
When the ballad side began to break big in the pop field, Bihari immediately
bumped the B-side and a second pressing was hastily issued with a ballad on the
flipside, "My Darling."
The instant that Bihari heard the Jay Hawks' "Stranded in the Jungle," a rough
and ragged original that had been waxed first, then heard the version done by
his own act, the Cadets, while in the studio, he knew that his group's was far
superior. He quickly pressed up copies and got them to radio stations in strong
regional markets across the country and into stores in those areas, before the
Jay Hawks' even had a chance to make a move themselves. Released in June of
1956, the song shot up the charts, to number four R&B/number 15 pop.
What would prove to be Prentice Moreland's only
Cadets/Jacks recording session provided
the group with a catch phrase of their own; he delivered the line "Great googly-moogly,
let me outta here," on "Stranded in the Jungle." It was a line he had picked up
from a Cincinnati DJ.
Modern tried to forced Moreland to remain with the group instead of leaving for
his own solo career, but Moreland quit anyway and was replaced by former Flairs
baritone Thomas "Pete" Fox. Moreland later sang with the Colts and went on to
become a single artist for various labels, recording for Edsel in 1959, Del-Fi
Records' subsidiary Donna in 1960, and Challenge in 1962. Lloyd McCraw also left
the group around this time.
Subsequent Jacks/Cadets sides from 1956
failed to generate interest or sales for Modern, however. The Jacks tried again
with a few original ballads and eventually hit with "Love Bandit," their last
record of 1956, which was cut from the same cloth as "Stranded in the Jungle"
and name-checked many of the outlaws and sheriffs of the Old West ("Frank James,
Jesse James, and Billy the Kid....").
The Jacks never again achieved the measure of success that "Stranded" had
achieved. In September of 1956, they tried again as
the Cadets for "Dancin' Dan," a slightly
altered version of the Dominoes big hit "Sixty-Minute Man," which featured "Dub"
Jones on lead vocals. After that, they covered "Johnnie" (Johnnie Louise
Richardson, later a member of the Jaynettes, of "Sally Go Round the Roses" fame)
and "Joe"'s (Joe Rivers) "I'll Be Spinning," a number ten hit on the East Coast
(number one in NY), distributed by Chess Records.
the Cadets' quickly recorded cover version
of "I'll Be Spinning" outsold the original, however, on the West Coast..
In February 1957, Modern issued Rockin' and Reelin',
the Cadets' first LP, one of the very
first R&B group LPs, which collected most of their previously released A and B-sides.
In March, eight months after their last release and 22 months after the release
of their only hit, RPM put out the Jacks' Jumpin' With the Jacks LP, which
contained ten sides of which three ("You Belong To Me," "Do You Wanna Rock," and
"Wiggie Waggie Woo") were released on singles by the
the Cadets. Another single called "Pretty
Evey" was thought to be a Cadets release,
and even listed incorrectly as such when it was issued in May 1957, but was
actually Aaron singing lead with another obscure house group.
By this time, Bihari and Modern had given up on the Jacks part of the equation
and from that point on, the group was exclusively known as the Cadets. Their
last RPM single was "Ring Chimes," issued in December 1957. By the turn of the
new decade, the Cadets had been ready to
call it a career.
Will "Dub" Jones later became the main bass man for the mega-popular group
the Coasters. Davis and Collins soon re-formed
the the Cadets, this time adding Thomas
Miller (baritone) and George Hollis (bass), both previously of the Flares. The
new Cadets signed with the Felsted label, a New York-based label headed by Walt
McGuire. After two singles in 1960, they were ready to call it a career, but in
name only; Randolph Jones later joined the group, substituting for Hollis on
bass, and the quartet became the Peppers. They released one single, "One More
Chance," on Ensign in 1961.
That year, with Hollis back on bass, the group became the Flares (different
spelling this time) on Felsted. Their third single for the label, the energetic
dance record "Foot Stomping, Pt. 1," went to number 25 on the pop Charts (number
20 R&B). The group then signed to Press Records for seven more singles, all of
which went nowhere. A year later (in 1962), Davis and ex-Cadet McCraw teamed to
form the Thorables (Titanic Records); in total, there were six more recordings
by the Flares and none went anywhere. 1964 and the British Invasion pretty much
brought the end of the road for the Jacks/Cadets/Flares
at this point.
In the early '80s, Aaron Collins wrote songs for John Water's Hairspray. He
passed away in 1998. Prentice Moreland and Lloyd McGraw have also passed away.
Style musical : Doo Wop, Rhythm 'n' Blues
WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ME
 |
|
Années en activité :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 |
DISCOGRAPHIE
Singles
| 04/1955 | SP RPM 428 (US) |
Why Don't You Write Me
/ Smack In The Middle |
| 1955 | SP RPM 428 (US) |
Why Don't You Write Me
/ My Darling |
| 06/1955 | SP RPM 432 (US) | Love Me Again / + DONNA HIGHTOWER |
| 06/1955 | SP RPM 433 (US) | I'm Confessin' / Since My Baby's Been Gone |
| 09/1955 | SP RPM 439 (US) | Bob-O-Link / + DONNA HIGHTOWER |
| 10/1955 | SP RPM 444 (US) | This Empty Heart / My Clumsy Heart |
| 01/1956 | SP RPM 454 (US) | How Soon / So Wrong |
| 04/1956 | SP RPM 458 (US) | Why Did I Fall In Love / Sugar Baby |
| 07/1956 | SP RPM 467 (US) | Dream A Little Longer / Let's Make Up |
| 1957 | SP RPM 472 (US) | I Confess / + PAUL ANKA |
| 1957 | SP MODERN 1019 (US) | Pretty Every / Rum Jamaica Rum (Aaron COLLINS & The JACKS) |
| 1960 | SP KENT 344 (US) |
Why Don't You Write Me
/ This Empty Heart |
Albums
| 03/1957 | LP 12" RPM LRP-3006 (US) |
 |
JUMPIN' WITH THE JACKS - Why Don't You Write Me / Oo Wee Baby / Let's Make Up / Dream a Little Longer / This Empty Heart / So Wrong / Wiggle Waggie Woo / You Belong To Me / Sugar Baby / Why Did I Fall In Love / Do You Wanna' Rock / My Clumsy Heart |
| 1957 | LP 12" CROWN CLP-5021 (US) |
|
JUMPIN' WITH THE JACKS - Why Don't You Write Me / Oo Wee Baby / Let's Make Up / Dream a Little Longer / This Empty Heart / So Wrong / Wiggle Waggie Woo / You Belong To Me / Sugar Baby / Why Did I Fall In Love / Do You Wanna' Rock / My Clumsy Heart |
| 1963 | LP 12" CROWN CLP-5372 (mono) / CST 372 (stereo) (US) |
|
JUMPIN' WITH THE JACKS - Why Don't You Write Me / Oo Wee Baby / Let's Make Up / Dream a Little Longer / This Empty Heart / So Wrong / Wiggle Waggie Woo / You Belong To Me / Sugar Baby / Why Did I Fall In Love / Do You Wanna' Rock / My Clumsy Heart |
| 197? | LP 12" UNITED US 7797 (US) |
|
THE JACKS : ROCK 'N' ROLL HITS OF THE 50'S 1960'S |
| 1980 | LP 12" RELIC 5023 (US) |
|
THE JACKS GREATEST HITS |
| 1987 | LP 12" ACE CH 196 (UK) |
|
THE CADETS MEET THE JACKS |
| 1988 | CD ROUNDER CD-916 (US) |
|
JACKS ARE WILD - For The Night / I Don't Care / Can You Feel It / Lost On The Way / De-Motivated / Lemme Feel Ya / Mama's Boy / Missing You / Somethin' Funny Goin' On / My Old Neighborhood |
| 1995 | CD P-VINE 4776 (US) |
 |
THE JACKS / CADETS - Stranded In The Jungle / Smack Dab In The Middle / Rolling Stone / Don't Be Angry / Fools Rush In / I Got Loaded / I'll Be Spinning / Hands Across The Table / Pretty Evey / Love Can Do Most Anything / Baby Ya Know / Love Bandit / Church Bells May Ring / Car Crash / Ring Chimes / Heartbreak Hotel / Rum, Jamaica Ram / Don't / Let's Rock & Roll / Dancin' Dan / Annie Met Henry / Away / Dream A Little Longer / Let's Make Up / My Clumsy Heart / Why Did I Fall In Love / Sugar Baby |
| 12/1995 | CD ACE 535 (UK) |
 |
CADETS MEET THE JACKS - WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ME - Why Don't You Write Me / Since My Baby's Been Gone / Heaven Help Me (The CADETS) / Do You Wanna Rock (The CADETS) / Away / How Soon / I Cry (The CADETS) / They Turned The Party Out Down At Bessie's House (Rocketeers) / Dream A Little Longer / Fine Lookin' Baby (The CADETS) / So Wrong / Wiggie Waggie Woo (The CADETS) / I'm Confessin' / Let's Make Up / If It Is Wrong (The CADETS) / Annie Met Henry (The CADETS) / My Reckless Heart (Rocketeers) / Why Did I Fall in Love / I Want You (The CADETS) / You Belong To Me (The CADETS) / Dream a Little Longer / Dancing Dan (The CADETS) / This Empty Heart / So Will I (The CADETS) / My Darling |
| 05/2001 | CD ABM 1262 (US) |
 |
THE JACKS - Why Don't You Write Me / Smack Dab In The Middle / Dream A Little Longer / Since My Baby's Been Gone / I'm Confessin' / My Clumsy Heart / How Soon / Why Did I Fall In Love / My Darlin' / Away / Sugar Baby / So Wrong / Let's Make Up / This Empty Heart |
© Rocky Productions 11/05/2005
