CAMEO-PARKWAY RECORDS: The Vocal Groups, Vol. 7

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. Baby, Baby You - The Love Notes 2. Bill Is A Boy - The Smith Sisters 3. So Much In Love - Bobby Rydell 4. A Lover's Promise - The Parkways 5. I'm A Walkin' - Henry Lumpkin 6. Guitar Man - The Orlons 7. Your Kisses Won't Do - The Hearts 8. Dearly Beloved - The Carroll Brothers 9. Get A Hold Of Yourself - The Persians 10. I Will Follow Her - Bobby Rydell 11. Tell Her - The Destinations 12. Melodie D'Amour - The Ribbons 13. Why Do Fools Fall In Love - The Dovells 14. Tonight I Am King - Blue Eyed Soul 15. Let's Surf Again - Chubby Checker 16. Over The Weekend - The Playboys 17. Tell Me You Care - The Pipetones 18. Down By The Ocean Side - Dee Dee Sharp 19. Two Brothers - Billy Barnette 20. Young Love - Rod And Carolyn 21. Temptation - The Temptations 22. Steel Pier - Bobby Rydell 23. Two Weeks With Pat - Georgie Young & The Rockin' Bocs 24. Florida Time - Bob Seger & The Last Heard 25. Up On The Roof - The Tymes 26. Missing Out On The Fun - The GTO's 27. Sweet Smell Of Success - The Improvisions 28. Rollin' Dynamite - Scotty McKay 29. A Touch Of Velvet - Jimmy Velvet
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