About The Velvetones
Hometown
Newark, NJ, United States
Formed
1949
Genre
Pop
Doo wop group the Velvetones formed in Newark, NJ, in 1943. According to the article on Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks website (http://home.att.net/~marvy42/marvart.html), the initial Velvetones were tenor lead Madison Flanagan, second tenor and bassist Walter Dawkins, baritone and guitarist Sam Rucker, and pianist/arranger Enoch Martin, and they spent their formative years touring the Midwest, with a 12-week engagement at Newark's Piccadilly Club in mid-1945 helping land a deal with the Coronet label. The Velvetones' first three singles -- "One Day," "Sweet Lorraine," and "Swing Out, It Don't Cost Nothin'" -- appeared simultaneously on Coronet in March of 1946, followed later that year by "Don't Say You're Sorry Again" and "Singing River." After replacing Dawkins with bassist Pop Willie, the Velvetones signed to the Chicago-based Sonora label to issue "Pittsburgh Joe" and "It Just Ain't Right," respectively their sixth and seventh singles of the year 1946. However, it took nearly a year for the follow-ups, the concurrently issued "Ask Anyone Who Knows" and "Don't Bring Me No News." After exchanging guitarist John Parks for Rucker and bassist Muzzy George for Pop Willie, the Velvetones recorded "Roberta, Get Out of That Bed," released on the Super Disc label in April of 1948; three months later, the group resurfaced with "It's Wonderful," issued on AFRS Jubilee and recorded for Armed Forces Radio. After one last single, the 1949 Manor release "Fine Like Wine" -- credited to the Velveteers -- they dissolved. ~ Jason Ankeny
Members of The Velvetones include, or have included, John Parks and Walter Dawkins.
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