Cat. No. VV 1222: THE DOMINOES. VOL. 1. ~ 14 HITS. KING - 5005X.

USED VINYL RECORD. PART OF A COLLECTION NOW UP FOR SALE.

BILLY WARD AND HIS DOMINOES WERE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL R&B GROUPS OF THE EARLY 1950s AND INTO THE EARLY 1960s. THE DOMINOES HELPED TO LAUNCH THE SINGING CAREERS OF OF TWO NOTABLE MEMBERS, CLYDE McPHATTER AND JACKIE WILSON.

BILLY WARD GREW UP IN PHILADELPHIA AND WAS A CHILD MUSICAL PRODIGY, WINNING AN AWARD FOR A PIANO COMPOSITION AT THE AGE OF 14. FOLLOWING MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE COAST GUARD ARTILLERY CHOIR, HE STUDIED MUSIC IN CHICAGO, AND AT THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN NEW YORK, A RARE ACHIEVEMENT FOR BLACK MUSICIANS AT THE TIME. WHILE WORKING AS A VOCAL COACH AND PART-TIME ARRANGER ON BROADWAY, HE MET TALENT AGENT ROSE MARKS, WHO BECAME HIS BUSINESS AND SONGWRITING PARTNER.

THE PAIR FORMED A VOCAL GROUP FROM THE RANKS OF HIS STUDENTS, HOPING TO CASH IN ON THE NEW TREND OF VOCAL GROUPS IN R&B. THE GROUP WAS FIRST CALLED THE QUES, COMPOSED OF CLYDE McPHATTER (LEAD TENOR), CHARLIE WHITE (TENOR), JOE LAMONT (BARITONE) AND BILL BROWN (BASS). AFTER APPEARANCES ON THE ARTHUR GODFREY SHOW IN 1950, THE GROUP WAS RECOMMENDED TO RALPH BASS OF FEDERAL RECORDS, A SUBSIDIARY OF KING WHERE THEY WERE SIGNED TO A RECORDING CONTRACT AND RENAMED THEMSELVES THE DOMINOES.

THEIR FIRST SINGLE RELEASE, "DO SOMETHING FOR ME" WITH CLYDE McPHATTER'S LEAD VOCAL, REACHED THE R&B CHARTS IN EARLY 1951, CLIMBING TO NUMBER 6. THEIR FOLLOW-UP WAS LESS SUCCESSFUL AND THEN THE GROUP RELEASED "SIXTY MINUTE MAN", ON WHICH BILL BROWN SANG LEAD. THE SONG REACHED NUMBER 1 ON THE R&B CHART IN MAY 1951 AND STAYED THERE FOR 14 WEEKS, AND CROSSED OVER TO THE POP CHARTS REACHING NUMBER 17 AND VOTED "SONG OF THE YEAR" OF 1951 AND THE DOMINOES WERE ON THERE WAY. 

THIS ALBUM IS VOLUME 1 OF A FOUR PART SERIES RELEASED IN 1977 IN AMERICA ON THE KING LABEL AND FEATURES ALL THE GROUP'S HITS FOR THE LABEL FROM 1951-1965. THE SLEEVE IS MADE OF HEAVY DUTY CARDBOARD AND IS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION WITH ALMOST NO SIGN OF WEAR. THE RECORD IS ALSO GRADED AS NEAR MINT.

TRACK LISTING: Side 1 - Sixty Minute Man / I Am With You / That's What You're Doing To Me / Have Mercy Baby / I'd Be Satisfied / The Bells / Pedal Pushin' Pappa. Side 2 - These Foolish Things / Can't Do Sixty No More / Rags To Riches / Ringing In A Brand New Year / Over The Rainbow / O Holy Night / What Are You Doing New Year's Eve. 

12" VINYL RECORD