It was mentioned to us a little while ago that we did not have this gem by the late great Johnny Maestro and The Crests on our channel. We are taking this opportunity to put that right. We love this song and we can't wait for the day when we follow the instructions and say "I DO".

The Classic Sounds of The Crests

(Johnny Maestro & The Crests - Molly Mae) Doo Wop Music Oldies year 50 & 60.

I Thank The Moon ~ The Crests (1959) Coed # CO-515
The flip side of, The Angels Listened In
Words & Music by: Billy Dawn Smith

The Crests - Paper Crown

TOMMY MARA'S CRESTS - "TROUBLE IN PARADISE"

The band was founded by J. T. Carter and included Talmoudge Gough, Harold Torres, and Patricia Van Dross (older sister of R&B great Luther Vandross). Carter selected vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (later just Johnny Maestro) to perform as lead vocalist for the group. Maestro's vocal style on the group's recordings became instantly recognizable and a juke box favorite of the national teen audiences. Maestro's quality vocals, great song selections, and recordings with dance-easy beats made the winning combination for charted hits. The group had several Top 40 hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s on Coed Records, including "16 Candles", "Six Nights a Week", "The Angels Listened In", "A Year Ago Tonight", "Step By Step" and "Trouble In Paradise". They also charted with "Sweetest One" (Joyce label) in 1957. The Crests appeared and performed several times on national teen dance television shows in the late 1950s.

Van Dross left The Crests in 1958 after recording two singles for Joyce Records. Maestro left for a solo career in 1961. He would later join The Del Satins, which would merge with The Rhythm Method to become Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge. They had a Top 5 hit with "The Worst That Could Happen" in 1969. His place in The Crests was taken by new lead James Ancrum. The group recorded a new single, "Little Miracles". It was the first single not to chart in the Top 100. They also recorded "Guilty" (Selma label). Gough quit the group after the single, and was replaced by Gary Lewis (not to be confused with Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis & the Playboys fame). The group failed to find success throughout the decade.

Torres would also be gone by the late 1960s. The group continued as a trio of Carter, Ancrum, and Lewis. This lineup continued until 1978, when the group split. Carter went on to sing with Charlie Thomas' Drifters.

Carter then reformed the group in 1980. He auditioned over 200 singers, finally settling on lead Bill Damon, Greg Sereck, and Dennis Ray and New York drummer Jon Ihle. Carter continued the group well into the 1990s. He sold the trademarks to The Crests name to Tommy Mara in the late 1990s. Mara was Carter's lead vocalist at the time, and now continues the group without Carter. Carter now performs as part of the three person group Starz. Lewis is now singing with The Cadillacs.

The 1984 John Hughes teen film, Sixteen Candles, took its title from The Crests' song, which was re-recorded by The Stray Cats for the Sixteen Candles soundtrack.

In 1987, Maestro, Carter, Torres and Gough reunited as The Crests for a reunion concert in Peekskill, New York.

Patricia Van Dross died in 1993 of complications from diabetes. Hal Torres is deceased, and Tommy Gough is living in Flint, Michigan.

Johnny Maestro, died Wednesday, March 24, 2010, at his home in Cape Coral, Florida. He was 70 and had lived in Islip, New York, until 2003.

In April 2010, the Los Angeles-based rights-management firm Beach Road Music, LLC, acquired the Coed Records catalog, subsequently re-releasing the Maestro song "The Great Physician" on the 2011 compilation album From The Vault: The Coed Records Lost Master Tapes, Volume 1. "The Great Physician" was originally released in 1960 as Coed 527, under the pseudonym "Johnny Masters".

It's taking you back to the sunny days and star-filled nights of Southern California summer in the sixties!

The Penguins released this one in October of 1954 and sadly for them was their only top 10 hit ever maybe making them a " One Hit Wonder", but the simple fact is they actually had quite a career after that, but the version I heard first was this one by Johnny & The Crests and you know how that goes, first heard, first loved, as it stands to date, enjoy, Dave :)

Minus Johnny.

HISTORY es una marca registrada de LD RECORDS Digital Company quien rinde tributo a estos grandes artistas y su musica formando recopilaciones, remasterizandolas y editandolas para que las antiguas y nuevas generaciones puedan disfrutarlas.

Soon we will be together again in the still of the night.

Excellent song performed very well by this group, matter of fact I've never heard this by any other, and I'd say that's a great place to be, Beside You... Enjoy, Dave :)

Founded by J.T. Carter, the group included Talmadge "Tommy" Gough (1939-2014), Harold "Chico" Torres (deceased) and Patricia Van Dross (1943-1993) (older sister of R&B singer Luther Vandross). Carter selected vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (1939-2010) (shortened to Johnny Mastro and later to Johnny Maestro) as lead vocalist.

The Crests were discovered in 1956 while singing in the New York City Subway by the wife of orchestra leader Al Browne. Browne connected the group with Joyce Records where they recorded their first two songs, "My Juanita" and "Sweetest One".

In 1957, they charted with their first release, "Sweetest One", on Joyce Records.

After recording two more singles for Joyce Records, Patricia Van Dross left The Crests in 1958 to finish her education.

Their next single after "16 Candles" on COED Records was "Six Nights A Week" which hit #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts and #17 on the R&B. Their next release "Flower Of Love" was bland compared to other Crests cuts and attained only a six-week run-up to #79.

From 1958 to 1960 the group was almost always on the road. In the late 1950s, The Crests performed on several national teen dance television shows, including American Bandstand and The Dick Clark Show. They appeared seven times on the latter.

In 1961, The Crests recorded a new single, "Little Miracles", with Tony Middleton, lead singer of The Willows, singing lead; it was their first single not to chart in the Top 100. Gough quit the group after the single, moving to Detroit, to work for auto giant General Motors, and was replaced by Gary "Kit" Lewis (not to be confused with Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis & the Playboys fame).

Maestro recorded with other backup singers under the name "Johnny Maestro & The Crests", producing a single for United Artists in 1962, two singles for Cameo Records in 1963-64, a single for APT Records in 1965, a single for Scepter Records in 1965, and three singles for the Parkway label in 1966.

James Ancrum then took over the lead, recording "Guilty" in January 1962 and charting only to #123. The group went back to touring when their 1963 Selma side "Did I Remember?" flopped. A 1964 sequel to "16 Candles", "You Blew Out The Candles", also was not successful.

One of the most popular of the late '50s groups, the Crests were often thought to been all black aggregation. In fact, they were about as integrated as a group could get, with four men (two blacks, a Puerto Rican, and an Italian), and one black female.

MOLLY MAE, The Crests, (Coed #511) 1959
Flipside: FLOWER OF LOVE - Here is another really great unknown ballad from my music collection. The Crests had 10 songs charted nationally on Billboard. Their biggest and considered their signature song was “16 CANDLES” (Coed #506). It charted February 1959 for 21 weeks and reached #2, staying #2 for 2 weeks. It was a giant hit for Johnny Maestro & The Crests!

Billie Dawn Smith (from Brooklyn, New York), co-owner of Hull records (1955) and Coed Records (1958), was also a singer/songwriter and arranger.

He had over 700 songs to his credit, including “STEP BY STEP” which he co-wrote. Other Crests’ songs he has credits for: “THE ANGELS LISTENED IN” & “TROUBLE IN PARADISE”. Some notable artists who recorded Billie Dawn Smith’s songs were Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Aretha Franklin, The Heartbeats, The Passions, The Avons, The Platters and Percy Sledge.

The late Johnny Maestro was a dear friend, and I had the privilege of producing him and The Brooklyn Bridge many times in my 40 plus years in the music business. I was the first promoter/producer to bring them to Atlantic City, New Jersey to headline in the Casino showrooms. Some very special memories for me.

“MOLLY MAE” is one of Mrs. Mint’s favorite ballads by Johnny Maestro & The Crests. This upload is dedicated to her. We both have very fond memories of Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge members. Johnny, Fred and Les, you are all sadly missed!

Enjoy this really great unknown ballad “MOLLY MAE” by The Crests with the unmistakable lead voice of the late “GREAT” Johnny Maestro!