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Groupe Doo Wop US fondé en 1959 à Odessa (Texas). Les Velvets étaient composés de Virgil Johnson, Clarence Rigsby, Robert Thursby, William Solomon et Mark Prince.
The Odessa, TX-based Velvets are best remembered for their violin-enriched 1961 Top 40 hit "Tonight (Could Be the Night)," during which the group chanted "doo-wop" behind lead singer Virgil Johnson. It was one of the first uses of the phrase in a song (the Turbans' use of the phrase on the 1955 "When You Dance" predates it by a few years). Johnson was a high school English teacher who recruited four of his students -- Clarence Rigsby (lead tenor), Robert Thursby (tenor), William Solomon (baritone), and Mark Prince (bass) -- to form the Velvets in 1960. They were soon spotted by Roy Orbison, who helped get them signed to the Nashville-based Monument label (he later cut "Lana" a song of theirs, while at the label).
The Velvets' recording career started with a catchy revival of "That Lucky Old Sun," but despite the presence of Nashville's finest session players on their releases, only the up-tempo "Tonight (Could Be the Night)," which was penned by Johnson, would score a U.S. Top 40 hit (number 26 pop, May 1961). This song tells of a guy trying to get his nerve up to ask his girl to marry him. Their next release, the spirited Roy Orbison/Joe Melson-penned "Laugh," became their last chart entry. The group released another six singles before going back to teaching and studying.
Talents : Virgil Johnson : Lead - Clarence Rigsby : Lead Tenor - Robert Thursby : Tenor - William Solomon : Baritone - Mark Prince : Bass
Style musical : Doo Wop, Rhythm 'n' Blues
That Lucky Old
Sun (1961)
Tonight (Could Be The Night) (1961) LAUGH (1961) Lana (1961) Let The Good Times Roll (1962) |
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Years in activity :
1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 |
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles & EP
02/1961 | SP MONUMENT 45-435 (US) | . |
The Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - That Lucky Old Sun / Time And Again |
05/1961 | SP MONUMENT 45-441 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever |
08/1961 | SP MONUMENT 45-448 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Laugh / Lana |
09/1961 | EP LONDON RE 10094 (F) | Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever / That Lucky Old Sun / Time And Again | |
10/1961 | EP LONDON RE-U 1297 (UK) |
That Lucky Old Sun / Time And Again / Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever |
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1961 | EP LONDON LES 564 (POR) |
Super 45 - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever / Laugh / Lana |
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04/1962 | SP MONUMENT 45-458 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - The Love Express / Don't Let Him Take My Baby |
07/1962 | SP MONUMENT 45-464 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Let The Good Times Roll / The Lights Go On, The Lights Go Off |
03/1963 | SP MONUMENT 45-810 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Crying In The Chapel / Dawn |
09/1963 | SP LONDON HIT-200 (JAP) | ||
02/1964 | SP LONDON HIT-289 (JAP) |
Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever |
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03/1964 | SP MONUMENT 45-836 (US) | . |
THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Here Comes That Song Again / Nightmare |
10/1964 | SP MONUMENT 45-861 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - If / Let The Fool Kiss You |
1964 | SP LONDON HIT-344 (JAP) |
That Lucky Old Sun / Time And Again |
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1964 | SP LONDON HIT-399 (JAP) |
My Love / Hey Bird Dog |
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1965 | SP LONDON HIT-429 (JAP) | Let The Fool Kiss You / If | |
1965 | EP 33 t. LONDON 17M-96 (JAP) | マイ・ラヴ - My Love - My Love / Let The Fool Kiss You / Lana / Tonight (Could Be The Night) | |
08/1966 | SP MONUMENT 45-961 (US) | . |
THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Baby The Magic Is Gone / Let The Fool Kiss You (But Don't Let The Kiss Fool You) |
1972 | SP MONUMENT GOLDEN SERIES 45-961 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day) |
1973 ? | SP MONUMENT UP-458-T (JAP) |
Lana (VELVETS) / Come Back To Me (My Love) (Roy ORBISON) |
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1976 | SP MONUMENT GOLDEN SERIES GS 1918 (US) | . | |
1976 ? | SP MONUMENT GOLDEN SERIES ZS7 8917 (US) | . | Tonight (Could Be The Night) / That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day) |
1981 | SP MONUMENT 07SP 585 (JAP) | ||
11/1982 | SP MONUMENT GOLDEN SERIES WS8 03470 (US) | ||
1986 | SP UNDERGROUND URC 1153 (US) | . | Tonight / Lana |
1990 | SP COLLECTABLES COL 4614 (US | . | Tonight (Could Be The Night) / That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day) |
1992 | SP STARDUST URC 1153 (US) | . | Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Lana |
19?? | SP MONUMENT 45-512 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - That Lucky Old Sun / Time And Again |
19?? | SP MONUMENT 45-515 (US) | . | THE Velvets featuring Virgil Johnson - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever |
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Unissued Tracks
196? | Unissued |
Be Ever Mine |
196? | Unissued |
You Done Me Bad |
196? | Unissued |
Kiss Me |
196? | Unissued |
Alicia |
196? | Unissued |
Bird Dog |
196? | Unissued |
My Love |
196? | Unissued |
Who Has The Right |
196? | Unissued |
I'm Trusting in You |
196? | Unissued | Almost But Not Quite |
196? | Unissued |
Husbands & Wives |
196? | Unissued |
I Can Feel It |
196? | Unissued |
Poison Love |
196? | Unissued |
That's Out of My Line |
Albums
1981 | LP 12" MONUMENT 23AP 2241 (JAP) |
All The Velvets' Recordings - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Spring Fever / Laugh / Lana / Love Express / Don't Let Him Take My Baby / Let The Good Times Roll / The Light Goes On, The Light Goes Off / That Lucky Old Sun / Time And Again / Dawn / Crying In The Chapel / Here Comes That Song Again / Nightmare / If / Let The Fool Kiss You / My Love / Hey Bird Dog / Who Has The Right / Be Evermine / Almost But Not Quite / I'm Trusting In You / Poisoned Love / That's Out Of My Line / Alicia / Husbands And Wives / You Done Me Bad / I Can Feel It / Kiss Me / Baby, The Magic Is Gone |
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1995 | CD SONY AQ 21475 (US) | TONIGHT (COULD BE THE NIGHT) - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / That Lucky Old Sun / Spring Fever / Lana / My Love / Crying In The Chapel / Be Evermine / Laugh / Let The Good Times Roll / Kiss Me / Who Has The Right / Time And Again | |||
03/1996 | CD ACE 625 (UK) | THE COMPLETE VELVETS - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Time And Again / Spring Fever / That Lucky Old Sun / Laugh / Lana / Love Express / Don't Let Him Take My Baby / Let The Good Times Roll / Light Goes On, The Light Goes Off / Crying In The Chapel / Dawn / Here Comes That Song Again / Nightmare / If / Let The Fool Kiss You / Baby The Magic Is Gone / Be Ever Mine / You Done Me Bad / Kiss Me / Alicia / Bird Dog / My Love / Who Has The Right / I'm Trusting in You / Almost But Not Quite / Husbands And Wives / I Can Feel It / Poison Love / That's Out Of My Line | |||
03/1999 | CD COLLECTABLES COL-CD-6055 (US) | TONIGHT COULD BE THE NIGHT - Tonight (Could Be The Night) / That Lucky Old Sun / Spring Fever / Lana / My Love / Crying In The Chapel / Be Ever Mine / Laugh / Let The Good Times Roll / Kiss Me / Who Has The Right / Time And Again / Here Comes That Song Again / If / I'm Trusting In You / Alicia / I Can Feel It / Baby The Magic Is Gone | |||
????? | LP 12" MONUMENT CUL-1032-T (JAP) |
The Best Of The Velvets - Lana / That Lucky Old Sun / If / My Love / Crying In The Chapel / Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Time And Again / Love Express / Let The Fool Kiss You / Spring Fever |
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???? | 2 LP 12" MONUMENT 23 AP 2241 (US) |
Let The Good Times
Roll :
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???? | 2 CD Rocket 7070 (US) |
Let The Good Times Roll :
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© Rocky Productions 2/12/2019