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I was just listing to the "Suddenly, It's the HI-LO's," the debut LP album of the rather jazzy male quartet who also did some work backing up Rosemary Clooney. In fact, Rosey's husband, Jose Ferrer, has written the humous back cover notes, which exlpain who sings LO, high-LO, low-HI, and HI in the group. The album can hardly be considered dated when some contemporary jazz vocal groups, like Take Six, are still emulating the horn-section-like harmonies the HI-LOs let loose.
Pondering this album, however, has gotten me thinking about vocal groups, trios and larger, that didn't work only solo, but also backed up vocalists, if not on record, at least recurrently for a small stretch on radio or TV. And also, it reminded me of solo vocalists, who came out of vocal groups. This has been happening for a long time. We could say, for example that Bing came out of the Rhythm Boys, and John Denver came out of the (Chad) Mitchel Trio. But if we confine ourselves to the period between when Bing went solo and his death, WHAT BACKUP VOCAL GROUPS, AND VOCAL GROUPS WHO GAVE US A VOCALIST, SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN?
This is a good topic for people who don't post very often on the forum to help out with by posting about their about favorite backup vocal groups or ones they realize others here are leaving out. Do share backgroud about the groups and singers involved for the benefit of other forum members and readers of the forum who may not know as much about them as you do.
Last edited by Steve Fay (28/10/2013 7:05 pm)
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Andy Williams.
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Mel Torme used to be a part of the Mel-Tones, although I think that in his case, he was in many ways the leader of that vocal group that was featured with the Artie Shaw band, with whom they made some fine recordings.
Also, Jo Stafford was a member of the Pied Pipers, who sang with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra. June Hutton also was at some point a member of the Pipers, and she also had a solo career of her own. However, Hutton was never as great a vocalist as G.I. Jo, in my opinion.
And I guess that Connee Boswell also had a remarkable solo career besides her work with the Boswell Sisters. These are three examples that come to mind off the top of my head.
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Patty Andrews.
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Ron Field wrote:
Andy Williams.
Ron, perhaps you could share some of your recollections of The Williams Brothers for younger forum readers who might not recall them. And didn't they sing with Bing at some point?
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The Williams Brothers backed Bing on 'Swinging On A Star'.
I don't know anything else about them, sorry to say.
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The Williams Brothers also sang with Kay Thompson ('Hello, hello') and with her and Bing ('Jubilee') on Philco Radio Time 12 Nov. 1947
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Somewhere, I have read about Andy's recollections about singing with Bing on SOAStar Perhaps I can find that.
Let's not forget other groups who sang with Bing on radio and record: Music Maids, Ken Darby Singers, Jud Conlon's Rhythmairs, the Charioteers. The Charioteers had their own career in gospel music, etc. We also mentioned Jack Halloran's singers on a sing-along album. Halloran also led a group on one of the Christmas albums and on "How the West Was Won." He had various ensembles, mens only, mixed, and I think of varying sizes. He's responsible for choral groups on several Disney movies and LPs, but rarely credited on them. What else should we know about some of these groups, their careers, and people who might have gone solo from them?
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