Billy & The Essentials

about

Lead singer Billy Carlucci began harmonizing at Bartrum High School in Philly , joining voices with , among others, Patti La Belle. As he was learning phrasing and timing from some of the older black singers of the school, he was lucky to run into Jamie staff producer John Madara who also wrote and produced Danny and the Juniors. Carluccci pulled together a group consisting of Pete Torres (falsetto), Phil D'Antonio (baritone) , Johnny caulfield (second tenor), and Mike Lenihan (first tenor) dubbing them Little Billy & the Essentials. They cut some demos and traveled to New York City making the rounds of the record companies the same way hundreds of groups before them and after them would. Eventually, Landa records, a division of Jamie / Guyden ( although that was unknown to the group at the time)…said yes and signed the boys to a contract. Carlucci picks up the story from there, "I picked :The Dance is Over" for our first tune. It was an obscure flip from a Shirelles record which I always enjoyed. We got re-aquainted Madara at the Gold record Shop over on 60th street near Market and since they were affiliated with Landa they drove us and Maureen Gray up to New York City to record". The session at Bell Sound failed to produce anything commercial and the group was put on the back burner. Enter one Danny Driscoll. Formerly employed by RCA, he jumped over to Jamie/Guyden as national promotions director and contacted the group. The first day Billy recalls he comes to us and sa

top songs

albums

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Greatest Hits

The Extended Play Collection

Let's Go Together

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The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll: Special "Bubbling Under" Edition

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Pop Treasures

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The Platters & The Doo Wop Sound

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Jukebox Legends

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Philly Doo Wop

Maybe You'll Be There

Ill Do My Crying Tomorrow

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Remember Me Baby: Cameo Parkway Vocal Groups Vol. 1

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Anniversary Album 55

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