The Beltones, "Oof Goof" c/w "I Talk To My Echo," Hull 45-H-721 (rel. 2/1957)

 

We travel today to the cloud-cuckoo-land of New York doo-wop: that exotic musical fauna that thrived in the hothouse cluster of the vibrant city and its deep pool of talent. The Beltones' story is, even by researcher Marv Goldberg's standards, "a convoluted history." They have ties to 1960s hitmakers The Exciters; this group's bass singer, Herb Rooney, was an item with the dynamic lead vocalist Brenda Reid; with another Beltone, Andrew Pope, Rooney penned much soul material in that decade.
    As Goldberg's head-spinning account relates, the members of this group were part of three groups, with The Exciters a spin-off of their final iteration as The Masters. (The co-ed Exciters were first called The Masterettes; I'm glad they changed their name.)
    All this was in the future when this quintet, who grew up in the South Jamaica housing projects New York, made their first recordings for Billy Dawn Smith's Hull Records. Smith, a recording artist and songwriter, made Hull a lush selection of local Black musical talent; its discography teems with doo-wop and vocal group sides. This single, recorded in the summer of 1956 and released in early '57, demonstrates the subtle difference of these two styles, which almost overlap 100%.
    1956 was a consequential year for Black music in America. It began its slow entrance into the (white) mainstream with rockers such as Little Richard, Larry Williams, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley being heard and seen by teenagers, via appearances on television, in movies and their constant presence on radio. Our nation's difficult progression, which was stalled in place in 1957, made this infiltration significant. It offended many white Americans and thrilled the younger generation; their enthusiasm forced the issue and may have been a small step towards integration.
    Black musicians received cruelty and contempt from record labels--including those run by Black entrepreneurs. Smith's indifference towards today's single is a case in point. Why did he sit on this for many months? These two sides, which embody the vivid experimentation of 1956, may have felt out of place in 1957, by which time rhythm and blues had so merged with rock 'n' roll the the songs' delicacy and wild abandon may have felt old-fashioned. 
    This single is quite rare; it went through a couple of pressings, each with quirks unique to its labels, but didn't break into the national charts nor get airplay outside the Northeast. I knew of it, but had considered it out of my league until a clean copy appeared in a record store's new stock for 20 dollars. I listened to enough of each side to assure it was good, condition-wise and plunked down a portrait of Andrew Jackson without hesitation.
    As promised, here is a demonstration of what makes doo-wop different from the vocal group sound. "Oof Goof" embraces the doo-wop aesthetic to a T (or D): nonsense title, fast tempo with prominent guitar, whacked-out lyrics, rapid interplay of lead singer and the other singers and a simple arrangement that feels dense due to studio reverb and the busy nature of the voices.
    At a medium trot, this side retains the feel of earlier doo-wop and vocal-group sides; it reminds me of "Gee" by The Crows--itself a prime example of the modern jazz influence in early r&b. That song's guitar solo is flat-out bebop which feels at home within the simple, fast-paced world of that hit song. 
    These are vocalists who honed their skill singing without accompaniment in hallways, alleys, street corners and restrooms (with all that tile, they made an excellent ad hoc reverb chamber). They're young singers, still a bit raw, and that is a major ingredient in the excitement of "Oof Goof." This is a prime specimen of 1956 doo-wop. This side was recorded at a lower-than-normal level but its dynamics are such that I couldn't raise the volume without distortion.

Cash Box was still pro-teen music in early 1957, when its commercial potential and appeal had yet to be exhausted or replicated by professional arrangers and thus hijacked .

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hw19nibfbqktkjjmcvgoy/2148a.mp3?rlkey=hdqtm3ugizkmk3q2233kd9p61&st=pw0w6eea&dl=0

"I Talk to My Echo" is in the vocal group style--introspective, mellow, dreamy and haunting. This yearning song hews to a rule I've discovered. If a Black record of this period has "Echo" in its title, it's going to be unusual. The Beltones deliver the goods on this windswept romantic epic embellished by the titular effect on key phrases.
    Here the group sings as a whole to fine effect; lead voice Andrew Pope, who composed both sides, is in fine form. His rough but expressive voice I find captivating. Future Exciter Herb Rooney is off-microphone as he delivers solo phrases in his bass voice. This adds to the seductive vibe of this brooding beauty which compares well to "The Wind" by Nolan Strong and The Diablos and one of my seminal records, "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" by Johnnie and Joe. 
    There aren't enough records like "I Talk to My Echo" and I treasure any I encounter in my travels. I'll zip my lip and let you immerse your ears in this eccentric, heartfelt gem.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6g1wvwo7d4zs6spm79yy5/2148b.mp3?rlkey=j8gx05a8z6f9kyotgzs6zxpts&st=sguc02lp&dl=0

    This was The Beltones' lone release. Billy Dawn Smith lost interest in the group. Though they'd signed a contract, they ignored it and recorded for nearby Old Town Records as The Symbols. The six sides they taped in 1958 were never issued. Not until 1961 were some members of this group heard as The Masters, in a single for End Records and a final release on Le Sage in 1962. Herb Rooney joined The Masterettes, and they became The Exciters--a group lucky enough to have one major hit in "Tell Him," with a few minor chart items over an eight-year recording career.

Tomorrow: Memphis garage rock by The Scepters, with a frat-rock friendly A side and a Beatle-adjacent B on a rare 1965 MOC Records release. It was sold to me as a girl-group record by a seller who didn't listen to it!