The Shells (1961/62)

[Roburt]

I'm chasing down (if poss) the date of a big show staged at the 2300 capacity Brevoort Theatre in Brooklyn in 1961 or 1962.

To assist me in my task, I plucked out the name of one of the 'lesser' acts on that bill to search the web for info.

Came up with quite a bit of info on this group, Brooklyn based doo-wop outfit, the Shells.

This (what later became) R&B vocal group was formed in 1956. They were noted for their typical New York doo-wop stylings. The group cut their first record, "Baby Oh Baby", in 1957 and this did OK on its release on the local Johnson label. The Shells broke up, but the following year, lead Nathaniel ‘Little Nate’ Bouknight formed a new ensemble, bringing in Bobby Nurse (first tenor), Shade Randy Alston (second tenor), Gus Geter (baritone), and Danny Small (bass). Subsequent records did nothing. Then in 1960, with the help of Time Square based record shop owner Irving Rose, the 45 was re-released. "Baby Oh Baby" in 1960 made it as a Top 20 hit on the national pop charts (it went to number 11 on Cash Box’s R&B chart). The group re-formed and they started cutting some new sides. Two are now viewed as being excellent ones, both featuring new lead Ray Jones -- "Happy Holiday" (1962) and "Deep In My Heart" (1962). However, these later Shells cuts failed to reach the charts and they again broke up. In 1966, the group came back together for one last a cappella session using the four remaining members, without a lead.

However, after "Baby Oh Baby" had made the charts, the group toured for almost two years on the back of the track. The reissued 45 escaped in late September 1960 and was on the charts by December. The group 'hit the road' in April 1961 and kept going through till around early 1963. I'm after info on when their gig at the Brooklyn theatre would have taken place. It must have been sometime between May 61 and about July 62 I would say. Anyone know much about the group & it's activities back then (a doo-wop fan such as Robb maybe).

Edited January 1, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

The story behind the reissue of the Shells (& other) 45's in 1960 ....

[Roburt]

The rejuvenation of the Shells even resulted in them enjoying releases overseas (in the UK for instance) .......

They enjoyed about 4 'extra releases' due to the reactivation of their old 1957 single .....

..... seems they never really gave up on their doo-wop style though ....

I wonder what would have happened to them if they had changed over to more of a 1962 'Drifters style' sound.

[Roburt]

Seems that there were numerous theatres around New York that hosted live R&B shows in the late 50's & through the 1960's.

We only ever seem to get info on the Apollo and although that was a major soul venue throughout the 60's / 70's, it's shadow seems to put all the other venues totally in the shade. Coz of this , it is hard to track down a lot of info on the other places that staged decent live shows.

For instance, most of the big Murray the K live presentations in New York were hosted at the Fox Theatre in Brooklyn. So all the top acts in 1962/63/64, etc appeared there ... that included many of the Brit invasion groups + the Motown acts & other soul outfits.

As well as the Fox, the Paramount, Brevoort & the Bushwick Theatres also staged numerous live shows. The Brevoort even had room for a bigger audience than the Apollo (2300 seated + some standing). It sold out shows even though they would last 7 days and would be on 3 times on weekdays & 4 times on weekends (with a midnight show being added.

So, if a presentation at the Brevoort was really popular (the Motown Revue for instance), then around 50,000 people would get in to see it over it's week long run .... not a bad turn out at all ............

...... BUT even though these shows were major events that attracted many 1000's of soul fans, little seems to have been documented about them.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Another act for whom the Brevoort Theatre figured large (in their early years) was Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles .....

“I Sold My Heart to the Junkman” was performed by Patti La Belle & the Bluebelles on their 1st nationally telecast TV show 'American Bandstand' in June 1962. After the group lip-synched The Starlets’ version of “Junkman” on live TV, they became known as the faces and names behind the song. But suits were immediately filed against the group and their record label by Chicago's Starlets (the actual singers on the track), so Patti’s group had to shoot into the studio to record their 'cover' of “Junkman.” After the Bandstand performance “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman” became a Top 20 hit and the Bluebelles' ticket to the 'chitlin’ circuit' theatres. The group made its stage debut at the Brevoort Theater in Brooklyn, eventually moving up to perform at the Apollo in Harlem plus the Royal (Baltimore), Howard (DC) & Uptown (Philadelphia).

Sometime later, Patti & the group were on once again on at the Brevoort, this time Jackie Wilson was topping the bill. Just before the show, Jackie & one of his friends caught Patti (18 years old) as she was heading from her dressing room in the direction of the stage. They took her off to a quiet part of the theatre's backstage area. Here, the two men set about trying to rape her (according to Patti's account of the incident at least). She screamed so loud, as they tried to overpower her, that they had to let her go and she escaped to the rescuing arms of the other ladies in her group.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Roburt