CAMEO-PARKWAY RECORDS: The Vocal Groups, Vol. 5

Cameo Records was founded in December 1956 in Philadelphia by Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann (it has no connection to a 1920s record label also called Cameo Records). Parkway, initially a subsidiary label, was formed in 1958...
...Mann and Lowe had been a successful songwriting team prior to the start of label, with Mann writing lyrics and Lowe the music; their biggest hit prior to starting the label was Elvis Presley's "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear". Dave Appell joined the label from its inception as A&R director, and the three worked together as a production team on many early Cameo releases. Mann and Lowe wrote many of the label's early singles, while Mann and Appell also became a successful songwriting team that was responsible for many of the label's hits, particularly after Lowe cut back on his songwriting (c.1961/62) to attend to the business of running the label. In addition, Appel's group The Applejacks functioned as the de facto Cameo house band for the first few years of the company's existence, serving as backing musicians for the label's vocalists as well as issuing a handful of instrumental singles on their own. Lowe, also a musician, played piano on many early tracks.
The first hit for Cameo was "Butterfly" by Charlie Gracie, which reached #1 nationally in early 1957; it was also Cameo-Parkway's first of five chart toppers. Throughout the remainder of the decade Cameo continued to have hits by groups like the R&B group the Rays, who had a #3 hit with "Silhouettes" later that year. In 1958 the label had further hits with "Dinner With Drac", a novelty record by John Zacherle in the top 10, and "Mexican Hat Rock", an instrumental by The Applejacks, in the top 20.
A major factor in Cameo-Parkway's success was its relationship with the Philadelphia-based TV program American Bandstand. Being located in the same city where this popular nationally-broadcast music show was produced meant that Cameo-Parkway artists were always available to perform on the show—especially in the event any other act should cancel. Bandstand host and producer Dick Clark has spoken of the "warm relationship" the program had with Cameo-Parkway, and the of the label's willingness to ensure that quality musical acts were always available to the program on short notice. The label benefited tremendously from the arrangement, as the exposure many Cameo-Parkway artists received on American Bandstand helped propel them to stardom.
Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo-Parkway_Records
Read more about this legendary label here:
http://aln2.albumlinernotes.com/Cameo_Parkway_1957-1967.html
trax:
1. A Thousand Stars - The Chants 2. I'll Stay Home - The Jaynells 3. Night Time - Pete Antell 4. Two Happy People - Candy & The Kisses 5. I Can See Me Dancing With You - The Boys Next Door 6. At The Hop - Chubby Checker 7. Just One Chance - The Sparkletones 8. Merry Christmas - The Cameos (Aka Quadrells) 9. I Laughed So Hard - The Defenders 10. The Conqueror - Tootie & The Bouquets 11. Over The Weekend - Johnny Maestro & The Masters 12. Baby That's Me - The Fashions 13. Remember Then - Bobby Rydell & The Masters 14. Oh This Is Why - The Dream Girls 15. Golden Rings - The Turbans 16. Afternoon Slow Dance - Dina Raye 17. I'll Just Close My Eyes - The Skyliners 18. Looking Back - Lee Andrews & The Hearts 19. Three Rows Over - Neil Brian 20. Mama, Let The Bell Ring - Little Cheryl 21. Hey Good Lookin' - Billy Abbott & The Jewels 22. Jimmy's Girl - Matt Stevens 23. Don't You Just Know It - Jimmy Jones & Little Eva 24. John Brown - Pookie Hudson & The Spaniels 25. To Be Young - The Sequins 26. Sweet Sweet - Tony Orlando 27. That Lonely Night - George Jackson 28. It's The Talk Of The Town - Bobby Ellis 29. Marlene - Billy Barnette
...originally served by Gyro1966...