Formed in New York City, USA, in 1956, the Crests soon became one of the most successful of the ‘integrated’ doo-wop groups of the period, after being discovered by Al Browne. Headed by the lead tenor of Johnny Mastro (Johnny Mastrangelo, 7 May 1930, USA), the rest of the band comprised Harold Torres, Talmadge Gough, J.T. Carter and Patricia Van Dross. By 1957 they were recording for Joyce Records and achieved their first minor pop hit with ‘Sweetest One’. Moving to the new Coed label, the Crests (without Van Dross) recorded their signature tune and one of doo-wop’s enduring classics, ‘16 Candles’, a heartfelt and beautifully orchestrated ballad. It became a national pop hit at number 2 in the Billboard charts, paving the way for further R&B and pop successes such as ‘Six Nights A Week’, ‘The Angels Listened In’ and ‘Step By Step’. At this time the band was almost permanently on the road. Following ‘Trouble In Paradise’ in 1960, the band’s final two chart singles would be credited to The Crests featuring Johnny Mastro. However, this was evidently not enough to satisfy their label, Coed, whose priority now was to launch the singer as a solo artist. Mastro’s decision to go solo in 1960 (subsequently calling himself Johnny Maestro) weakened the band, although they did continue with James Ancrum in his stead. Their former vocalist made the charts with ‘Model Girl’, still for Coed, in the following year, before re-emerging as leader of Brooklyn Bridge, an 11-piece doo-wop group who are best remembered for their 1968 single ‘The Worst That Could Happen’. After ‘Little Miracles’ failed to break the Billboard Top 100 (the first such failure for the Crests in 10 singles), Gough moved to Detroit and a job with General Motors. He was replaced by Gary Lewis. However, the Crests were now entangled in legal disputes with Coed over the ownership of their name. They eventually moved to Selma, although the songs made available to the group were now of significantly inferior quality, including ‘You Blew Out The Candles’, a blatant attempt to revisit the success of ‘16 Candles’. The band continued to tour throughout the 60s, though Torres had left to become a jeweller, leaving a core of Carter, Lewis and Ancrum. Later line-ups were organized by Carter for lounge sessions (although there are no recordings from this period), and in June 1987 the original line-up (minus Van Dross) was re-formed for a show in Peepskill, New York.

Coed ‎– CO-506 B (Nov 1958)
The Crests (Manhattan, New York)
Personnel :
Johnny Maestro（Lead）
Talmadge Gough（Tenor）
Patricia Van Dross（Tenor）
Harold Torres（Baritone）
J.T. Carter（Baritone/Bass）

The Crests (Manhattan, New York)

Personnel:
Johnny Maestro（Lead）
Talmadge Gough（Tenor）
Patricia Van Dross（Tenor）
Harold Torres（Baritone）
J.T. Carter（Baritone/Bass）


Biography:
0ne of the most popular of the late '50s groups, the Crests were often thought to have been an all-black group. 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. Talmadge (Tommy) Gough (first tenor), Harold Torres (second tenor), and Patricia Van Dross (tenor) were all from the Alfred E. Smith housing projects in Chinatown on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In 1955, while students at P. S. 160 Junior High, they teamed up with Jay (J. T.) Carter (bass) of Delancey Street to forma singing group.

In 1956, Mulberry Street resident John Mastrangelo met the group at the Henry Street Settlement House. John's previous group had also been integrated, and reportedly included a young Tony Orlando. Mastrangelo's strong voice and natural feel for R&B made him an instant asset to the group and they joined forces. J. T. Carter came up with the name the Crests (a good many years before the toothpaste). The group found the New York subway system to be an excellent place to polish their sound. On one occasion they boarded the Lexington IRT at the Brooklyn Bridge and took the opportunity to practice.

To their astonishment, as the train pulled into the next stop, a woman got up, walked over, handed them a business card, and left the train without even mentioning her name. The card read "Al Browne and Orchestra," Mr. Browne being the well-known arranger who backed up THE HEARTBEATS and other acts. The group scrambled to call him, set up an audition, and by June 1957 were recording two original Mastrangelo compositions. The mysterious lady on the train turned out to be Mrs. Al Browne.

The songs "Sweetest One" and "My Juanita" were tremendous first efforts for a new group, especially considering the medieval production work and studio sound. "My Juanita" was an up-tempo rocker with a slow double-chime prelude, a smooth lead from Mastrangelo (now calling himself Johnny Maestro), and a tight background by the Crests. "Sweetest One" was an understated ballad. Its simplicity was classic, but most in the know would have put their money on "Juanita." On July 15, 1957, the tiny Joyce Records (run out of the back room of a Brooklyn record store) bet on "Sweetest One," putting all two minutes and four seconds on the national Top 100 chart peaking at number 86. "My Juanita7 subsequently became a standard rehearsal tune for every street-corner group.

The Crest's next single was "No One to Love," a beautiful ballad with an "Earth Angel" intro followed by wondrous harmony and an original arrangement. Lightning didn't strike twice, but Maestro recalls that each member received a $17.50 royalty for the tune. It probably went to buy the checkered sport jackets and thin black ties they wore at their local gigs (with Pat in her gown, the performers looked like four Bo Diddleys and a prom queen).

After almost a year of shows, the Crests got a break in the form of an introduction by songwriter Billy Dawn Smith to music publisher George Paxton, a veteran of the Brill building. Paxton formed Coed Records and signed the group just as they became a quartet. Pat was forced to leave when her mother refused to let her tour with the older guys (in 1958 the members were 18 to 19 years old). Had Patricia's younger brother been old enough to do more than hang out to hear the group sing, he would have been an interesting vocal addition to the Crests. His name was Luther Van Dross.

A long-overlooked Crests single titled "I Remember" was actually the old FIVE SATINS standard "In the Still of the Night"; done competently by Maestro and company, it was their last Coed single together. Little Miracles" was their next single; it showcased new lead James Ancrum and became the first Crests single in 10 tries that didn't make the top 100 (#102). Gough then quit, moving to Detroit to work for auto giant General Motors. Gary Lewis (not Jerry's son) replaced him. Johnny went solo as long predicted, but what was not predicted was that his records would gain absolutely no acceptance.

A 1964 sequel to "16 Candles" leased by Craft to Coral suffered a similar fate; its prescient title was "You Blew Out the Candles." Kenneth Head filled in for Ancrum on one single for Trans Atlas in 1962, but the songs weren't as good as the ones the Coed Records staff had provided. ( George Paxton was a good publisher, with a knack for finding hits for his acts.)Through the '60s, the Crests toured on their name and signed no further record deals. Maestro went on to form THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE in 1968.

Young Love - The Crests

One of the classic vocal groups from the first generation of rock’n’roll, the Crests were formed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the mid-1950s. Originally, the group consisted of two African-American teenagers (J. T. Carter and Tommy Gough), one member of Puerto Rican descent (Harold Torres), a black female (Patricia Vandross), and an Italian-American (John Mastrangelo). The group’s first release, “My Juanita”, issued on the small Joyce label, became a national hit. In 1958, the group signed on with Coed Records. Pat ultimately had to drop out when her mother refused to let her tour with the group to promote their releases.
Featuring Maestro’s dynamic lead voice, the Crests scored ten national hits in a row including “16 Candles”, “Six Nights A Week”, “The Angels Listened In”, “Step By Step”, “Trouble In Paradise”, and “Isn’t It Amazing”, before Johnny left to embark on a solo career. The reorganized Crests and Maestro recorded with limited success until Johnny and the Del Satins formed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1968 and hit with “The Worst That Could Happen”, “Welcome Me Love”, and “Blessed Is The Rain”. J. T. Carter was the mainstay of the Crests and kept the group active as a trio, performing with James Ancrum, who had replaced Maestro as lead singer in 1961, and Gary K. Lewis, who would later work with Charlie Thomas’ Drifters and the Cadillacs. This trio continued on until 1978. A popular and long-running series of revival concerts held at the Academy of Music in New York brought dozens of pioneering artists back to the stage, beginning in 1970. The producers first persuaded Johnny Maestro and J. T. Carter’s Crests to perform together in November of 1971. No less than six additional reunion shows followed over the next few years at the Academy of Music. At least one other took place in Boston in 1972. For the record, the four original male members of the group performed one special reunion show in Peekskill, New York, in 1987. Throughout this entire span, Johnny also led the Brooklyn Bridge as they performed across the country.
Beginning in the early 1970s, Boston-area disc jockey, concert host and producer, historian and enthusiast, Little Walter DeVenne began documenting the pioneers of vocal group harmony, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll using Super 8 movie film, reel to reel tape recorders, and whatever means were available to him. Concerts in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and other locations were preserved. Sadly, Walter died in 2021, and the films were feared lost or destroyed. Through the efforts of Walter’s friend and longtime disc jockey, Mike Bollea, many of these recordings have been preserved.
Through Mike’s generosity and a desire to see Walter’s historic films shared with fans and devotees of this music, we present the Little Walter’s Time Machine Official Archives series, remixed and synched by Todd Baptista, from the original source material.
At the 17th Original Rock& Roll Show, held at the Academy of Music on East 14th Street in New York City on June 22, 1974, Johnny Maestro and the Crests shared the bill with the Flamingos, Monotones, Dubs, Mystics, Diamonds, Cleftones, Larry Chance and the Earls, and Dee Clark. Walter’s color film of the Crests' performance is approximately 15 minutes in total and contains complete performances of “Trouble In Paradise”, “Six Nights A Week”, “The Angels Listened In”, “16 Candles”, and “Step By Step”. Johnny Maestro is joined by J. T. Carter, James Ancrum (the original lead of the Crests' "Little Miracles"), and Gary K. Lewis. Bobby Jay is also briefly shown at the end as emcee. Copying, reuploading, distributing, selling, or any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

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One of These Nights (2018 Remaster) · Eagles

One of These Nights

℗ 2018, 1975 Asylum Records.

Engineer: Allan Blazek
Guitar: Bernie Leadon
Backing Vocals: Bernie Leadon
Mixing Engineer: Bill Szymczyk
Producer: Bill Szymczyk
Lead Guitar: Don Felder
Backing Vocals: Don Felder
Drums: Don Henley
Lead Vocals: Don Henley
Backing Vocals: Don Henley
Engineer: Don Wood
Engineer: Ed Mashal
Guitar, Keyboards: Glenn Frey
Backing Vocals: Glenn Frey
Engineer: Michael Braunstein
Engineer: Michael Verdick
Bass Guitar: Randy Meisner
Backing Vocals: Randy Meisner
Writer: Don Henley
Writer: Glenn Frey

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Take It Easy · Eagles

Take It Easy / Get You in the Mood

℗ 1972 Asylum Records.

Digital Remasterer: Bernie Grundman
Banjo: Bernie Leadon
Lead Guitar: Bernie Leadon
Backing Vocals: Bernie Leadon
Drums: Don Henley
Backing Vocals: Don Henley
Acoustic Guitar: Glenn Frey
Slide Guitar: Glenn Frey
Lead Vocals: Glenn Frey
Engineer, Producer: Glyn Johns
Bass Guitar: Randy Meisner
Backing Vocals: Randy Meisner
Writer: Glenn Frey
Writer: Jackson Browne

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Desperado (2013 Remaster) · Eagles

Legacy

℗ 1973 Asylum Records

Remastering Engineer: Bernie Grundman
Banjo, Dobro, Guitar, Mandolin: Bernie Leadon
Acoustic Guitar: Bernie Leadon
Electric Guitar: Bernie Leadon
Drums: Don Henley
Acoustic Guitar: Don Henley
Lead Vocals: Don Henley
Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals: Glenn Frey
Acoustic Guitar: Glenn Frey
Electric Guitar: Glenn Frey
Engineer, Producer: Glyn Johns
Assistant Engineer: Howard Kilgour
String Arranger: Jim Ed Norman
Bass Guitar: Randy Meisner
Vocals: Randy Meisner
Writer: Don Henley
Writer: Glenn Frey

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