The Five Discs

Like many street-corner vocal groups who came from Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy section in the early '50s, the Five Discs had limited chart success ("Never Let You Go" instantly won Murray the K's Record of the Night and Record of the Week contests on WINS and charted at number 28 on the local New York charts, but not nationally). Their career was unfortunately mired by a series of revolving-door personnel changes, poor label promotion of their singles, and bad luck, but they managed to last for four decades and outlive many of their more successful neighborhood contemporaries. In 1954, lead vocalist Mario DeAndrade and Andy Jackson (bass) -- both formerly of the Lovenotes -- joined up with Joe Barsalona (baritone), Paul Albano (first tenor), Tony Basile (second tenor), and Joe Brocco to form a new group, calling themselves the Flames. Albano's brother, Joe, an ambulance driver by profession, became their manager. On Valentine's Day 1956, the Flames appeared on their first show with the local acts the Royaltones and the Paragons, but it wasn't until 1957 that they would cut their first demo. Barsalona then took the demo into Manhattan, going to all the record companies with offices at 1650 and 1674 Broadway (including Hull, Hy Weiss's Old Town, and George Goldner's Gone), each of whom ultimately turned down an offer to release the recording. A songwriter named Billy Martin eventually heard the demo and recommended they re-cut it. He played their new version for Gene Schwartz, who later offered them a contract for the Emge label. At the suggestion of Albano's sister, they changed their name from the Flames to the Five Discs. In early 1958, the group recorded "I Remember" for a third time. The single on Emge was debuted on WMGM and ultimately climbed up to number 28 on the New...