lördag 30 april 2016

The Belmonts - Carnival of Hits (Superb R&B/Doo Wop US 1962)


240:- (24-Bit Limited Remaster Edition. Utgiven av ett nytt litet skivbolag i Japan. Mycket liten upplaga av detta album.)

Angelo D'Aleo, Fred Milano, and Carlo Mastrangelo were all friends from the area around Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. They attended Roosevelt High School and hung out together. They began singing together and named themselves The Belmonts after the street  on which Freddy Milano lived.  As a trio, they recorded for the Mohawk label in 1957, making their debut with the song, "Teenage Clementine.” Dion, who lived in the neighborhood, joined the group for the recording, “We Went Away.”  It was cut for Mohawk Records under the direction of conductor/arranger Hugo Montenegro.


The group moved to Laurie Records, newly founded by Bob Schwartz (who had been a part-owner of Mohawk) and his brother Gene and cut their label debut,  "I Wonder Why"  that made it to the top of the charts. It was followed by a pair of hits, "No One Knows" and "Don't Pity Me" that also made it to the top of the charts. "A Teenager in Love" made number five and further hits with "Where or When" and "When You Wish Upon a Star" elevated The Belmonts with Dion to a major worldwide act. Their vocal talent as a singing group was displayed prominently on all the recordings with their collective musical tastes ranging  from rock ’n roll to jazz, to country, to pop and blues. Of note is one particular performance at the Surf Ball Room in Clearlake, Iowa, the night on which Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper lost their lives in a plane crash. 

In 1960, Dion and The Belmonts went their separate ways.  The Belmonts continued to enjoy success on the stage as well as on the charts. The group remained with Laurie Records for one single, "We Belong Together,” and then formed their own label -- originally named Surprise, then Sabrina, and finally christened Sabina Records. The label became active (as Surprise) in March of 1961 with the recording of "Tell Me Why" which rose to the top of the charts nationally. The follow-up record late that summer, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and the next release, "I Need Someone," also became chart hits. 


The Belmonts'  next hit record was their Sabina single, "Come On Little Angel," written by Ernie Maresca.  A major lineup change then occurred when Carlo exited The Belmonts in favor of trying to record solo for Laurie Records. The group replaced him with Frank Lyndon and released their next chart recording, “Diddley Dum,” while continuing to enjoy their busy stage career. 

In 1963 Warren Gradus, a studio musician/song writer, joined The Belmonts. and the group next became visible in the early '70s, amid the oldies boom. They cut an album for Buddah Records, entitled Cigars Acappela Candy, on which they performed several classic oldies tracks and also applied their sound to contemporary hits like "My Sweet Lord" and "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).”  In 1972, The Belmonts reunited with Dion  for a performance at New York's Madison Square Garden, which was not only a sell-out event but was also recorded for posterity in the album entitled Dion and The Belmonts Reunion Live at Madison Square Garden.  Milano, Mastrangelo, D'Aleo, Lyndon, Bank and Gradus were the participants in that performance, which was released on Warner Bros. Records.

01. Come On Little Angel  02:58
02. Don't Get Around Much Anymore  02:00
03. I Don't Know How To Cry  02:25
04. Have You Heard  02:56
05. Searching For A New Love  02:19
06. I Need Someone  02:33
07. Tell Me Why  02:29
08. How About Me  02:40
09. This Love Of Mine  02:24
10. That American Dance  02:46
11. I Confess  02:28
12. Hombre  02:22

+ Bonus Tracks