The G-Clefs

about

The G-Clefs vocal group was a product of Massachusetts in 1955, Roxbury to be exact. The quintet consisted of the four Scott brothers - Teddy, Timmy, Chris, and Arnold, as well as friend Ray Gibson. Originally formed with an eye and ear toward gospel music, the boys saw that the R & B music of the day was a way to become popular especially with the ladies. As they got their musical act together and learned how to hit the harmony they were soon put in contact with Jack Gold who was an A & R man in the region for a Boston based record label run by Cecil Steen called Pilgrim Records. Before long the G-Clefs worked out a fast paced jump tune that seemed to hold promise called "Ka-Ding Dong". It became the 'A' side of the group's first record on Pilgrim #715. As legend has it, the galloping guitar on the song was played by a teenager from the greater Boston area named Fred Picariello who would find rock 'n roll riches under the name Freddie "Boom Boom" Cannon in a couple of years. The flip side was one of the many "girl's name" tunes so common in the fifties called "Darla My Darling". The record hit the radio airwaves and the record stores in early July of 1956 The up tempo side was the choice of listeners and broke big immediately in the Northeast during all of August. By September it had begun to sell in big numbers in the Midwest especially in Kansas City and St. Louis where it was a top five selling record. Sales of the record resulted in the usual number of tepid pop music

top songs

albums

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100 Essential 1960s & 1950s Hits

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Golden Hits forever V5

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The Doo Wop Box, Volume II: 101 More Vocal Group Gems (disc 2)

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The Original Sound Of R&B 1956

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Stateside Presents Doo Wop Classics

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The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll vol.5

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Ka Ding Dong

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The G-Clefs

I Understand

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The Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 5

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ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM Premier Doo-Woop -Vol.1

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Teenage Crush Hits

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