The Vibrations -

The Vibrations were an American soul group from Los Angeles. They formed in 1955 as The Jayhawks and scored a 1956 doo-wop hit with “Stranded in the Jungle.” Between 1961 and 1965, they landed R&B hits with “The Watusi,” “My Girl Sloopy,” “Misty,” and (as The Marathons) “Peanut Butter.” They linked with Gamble and Huff for three 1969/70 singles on Neptune, followed by the 1972 Mandala release Taking a New Step.

Members: James Johnson (first tenor), Cleo White (first tenor, second tenor, 1955-56), Carl Fisher (second tenor, 1955-73), Richard Owens ([high] tenor, 1956-76), Rene Beard (baritone, 1955-56), Dave Gowan (baritone, 1956-76), Carver Bunkum (bass vocals, 1955-56), Don Bradley (bass vocals, 1956-76)

The Jayhawks

The Vibrations originated in Los Angeles in 1955 as The Jayhawks, a vocal group assembled from Foshay Junior High and Dorsey High School singers. The first documented lineup placed first-tenor James Johnson and baritone Rene Beard from the Dorsey circle with tenor Cleo White, second-tenor Carlton “Carl” Fisher, and bass Carver Bunkum. Fisher had sung with White and baritone Dave Govan in the Heart Thrills, a talent-show group at Foshay Junior High School. Beard was the brother of actor Matthew “Stymie” Beard.

Charlie “Flash” Reynolds heard the unnamed group at the Flash Record Shop on Jefferson and Western, then manager Al Curry named the act the Jayhawks. On October 2, 1955, the group worked with LA studio engineer Ted Brinson on four sides: “Counting My Teardrops,” “The Devil’s Cousin,” “My Only Darling,” and the Johnson original “Stranded In the Jungle.” Flash first issued “Counting My Teardrops” (b/w “The Devil’s Cousin”), followed in May 1956 by “Stranded In the Jungle” (b/w “My Only Darling”). The Jayhawks sang “Stranded In the Jungle” on The Johnny Otis Show and took the song to No. 9 R&B and No. 18 on the pop chart.

Al Curry sent the group across country for a summer East Coast tour that opened at the Apollo Theater on a Dr. Jive bill with the Cadillacs, the Bop Chords, the Sensations, the Schoolboys, the Cookies, LaVern Baker, Billy Bland, and Vicki Nelson. After the tour, Bunkum left The Jayhawks, who hired bass vocalist Don Bradley and high-tenor Richard “Ricky” Owens. Flash issued their September 1956 single “Don’t Mind Dyin’” (b/w “Love Train”). Aladdin then recorded the Jayhawks behind drummer Earl Palmer on “Johnny’s House Party” and issued their 1957 single “Everyone Should Know” (b/w “The Creature”).

Early Vibrations Singles

Under promoter C.E. Tebbets, the group used the Vibes name for Allied singles and the Cleechays/Cleeshays name for Eastman backing vocals behind Danny Tyrell and Sonny Knight. The next Eastman singles restored the Jayhawks credit on “Start The Fire” (b/w “I Wish the World Owed Me a Living”) and “Betty Brown” (b/w “New Love”). Fisher later tied the Vibrations name to stage routines built around flips and splits by Govan and Bradley.

Bet introduced the new name with “So Blue” (b/w “Love Me Like You Should”), and Checker picked up the single after local action in Los Angeles. Checker followed with “Feel So Bad” (b/w “Cave Man”), the withdrawn “Doing The Slop” (b/w “So Little Time”), and “The Watusi” (b/w “Wallflower”). “The Watusi” reached No. 13 R&B and No. 25 pop, and Checker kept the group in dance-record circulation with “Continental” (b/w “The Junkeroo”).

H.B. Barnum then used the group for the Arvee demo “Peanut Butter” (b/w “Talkin’ Trash”), issued under the Marathons name while the Vibrations remained under Chess contract. Chess answered with a re-cut “Peanut Butter” (b/w “Down in New Orleans”) under the billing Vibrations, Named By Others As The Marathons. Checker then gathered the 1960–61 Checker material for Watusi!.

Watusi!

The Vibrations released their debut album, Watusi!, in 1961 on Checker.

Watusi! contains twelve vocal-group sides keyed to the title hit and the group’s 1960 Checker singles. Johnson and Temple account for eight titles, including “The Watusi,” “Wallflower,” “Doing the Slop,” and “I Had a Dream.” “Serenade of the Bells,” “So Blue,” “So Little Time,” and “Sweet Slumber” bring outside material into the program. The credited vocal lineup consists of Carlton Fisher, David Govan, Don Bradley, James Johnson, and Richard “Ricky” Owens.

Musically, Watusi! favors short lead phrases, close-set background answers, clipped shouts, and handclap-ready accents. “The Watusi” and “Doing the Slop” place dance-command text over brisk vocal exchanges. The ballad material slows the pulse and gives the lead voice more space against sustained group chords.

A1. “The Watusi” (2:31) – Hall–Temple–Johnson; the title comes from a dance originated by the Tutsi people of Rwanda and Burundi. In America, the dance gained popularity through the 1959 adventure film Watusi. Multiple songs capitalized on the craze, including the 1962 Orlons hit “The Wah-Watusi,” sung by Rosetta Hightower.
A2. “Serenade of the Bells” (2:04) – Goodhart–Twomey–Urbano
A3. “Wallflower” (2:07) – Temple–Johnson
A4. “Time After Time” (2:27) – Temple–Johnson
A5. “So Blue” (1:56) – Brown–DeSylva–Henderson
A6. “Doing the Slop” (2:44) – Temple–Johnson

B1. “People Say” (2:17) – Temple–Johnson
B2. “Cave Man” (2:27) – Temple–Johnson
B3. “So Little Time” (2:00) – W. Clayton
B4. “Sweet Slumber” (2:15) – Millinder–Woode–Neiberg
B5. “Love Me Like You Should” (2:10) – J. Johnson
B6. “I Had a Dream” (2:15) – Johnson–Temple

Checker Producing Corp. manufactured the mono LP. No producer, studio, engineer, or session-date credit appears on the examined issue.

The cover shows a dancing girl and boy against a black field, with the Checker catalog number above the title. The back cover carries liner notes, the song list, and a staged group photo.

Checker issued “So Blue” in May 1960 (b/w “Love Me Like You Should”), which reached No. 110 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart. “Feel So Bad” followed in September 1960 (b/w “Cave Man”). Checker assigned catalog 967 to “Doing the Slop” (b/w “So Little Time”) in November 1960 before the number passed to a Neptunes release. “The Watusi” appeared in December 1960 (b/w “Wallflower”) and reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 13 R&B.

1962–64 Activity

After Watusi!, Checker kept the group on a singles path that revisited the Jayhawks hit with “Don’t Say Goodbye” (b/w “Stranded In the Jungle”). During the next eighteen months, the label issued “Stop Right Now” (b/w “All My Love Belongs to You”), “Let’s Pony Again” (b/w “What Made You Change Your Mind”), “Oh Cindy” (b/w “Over the Rainbow”), “Anytime” (b/w “The New Hully Gully”), “Hamburger on a Bun” (b/w “If He Don’t”), and “May The Best Man Win” (b/w “Since I Fell for You”).

Independent producers Bert Berns and Wes Farrell then cut material with the group and placed the masters with Atlantic. Atlantic issued “Between Hello and Goodbye” (b/w “Lonesome Little Lonely Girl”) and “My Girl Sloopy” (b/w “Daddy Woo-Woo”), with Checker inserting “Dancing Danny” between the two Atlantic singles. “My Girl Sloopy” reached No. 26 pop and No. 10 R&B; the McCoys later retitled the song “Hang On Sloopy” for their hit version.

By autumn 1964, Columbia’s Okeh label had signed the Vibrations. Okeh opened the account with “Sloop Dance” (b/w “Watusi Time”), then followed with “Hello Happiness” (b/w “Keep On Keeping On”) and “End Up Crying” (b/w “Ain’t Love That Way”). Those releases took the group to the July 1965 Okeh album Shout!.

Shout!

The Vibrations released Shout! in 1965 on Okeh.

Shout! collects ten Okeh sides from the group’s 1964–65 run, including “Watusi Time,” “Sloop Dance,” “Keep On Keeping On,” “Hello Happiness,” “Ain’t Love That Way,” “End Up Crying,” “Misty,” and “Finding Out the Hard Way.” Dell Sharh and Roscoe Johnson account for most of the group-linked material, while “Misty” and the side-two medley place outside repertory inside the album program.

“Misty” slows around Richard Owens’ lead. “Watusi Time” holds a slow body-shake pattern. “Sloop Dance” fixes the live set to dance-floor action. “Medley: What’d I Say/Shout” climaxes through crowd-facing calls and live applause.

A1. “Talkin’ Bout Love” (2:11) – Sharh–Johnson
A2. “Misty” (3:16) – Burke–Garner
A3. “End Up Crying” (2:20) – Johnson–Castel–Sharh
A4. “Watusi Time” (2:18) – Johnson–Sharh
A5. “Ain’t Love That Way” (2:12) – Sharh
A6. “Finding Out the Hard Way” (2:05) – Sharh

B1. “What I Say / Shout” (4:28) – Charles; Isley–Isley–Isley
B2. “Sloop Dance” (2:38) – Farrell–Russell
B3. “Keep On Keeping On” (1:55) – Johnson–Sharh
B4. “Hello Happiness” (2:18) – Castel–Sharh

Carl Davis produced Shout! for Okeh. “Keep On Keeping On” also carries a Curtis Mayfield production credit and a Riley Hampton arrangement credit. No studio, engineer, or session-date detail appears on the examined issue.

The cover shows the group in a stage-performance photograph against a black field. The back cover carries the song list, liner notes, and label copy.

Okeh issued “Watusi Time” in September 1964 (b/w “Sloop Dance”). “Keep On Keeping On” followed on January 11, 1965 (b/w “Hello Happiness”) and reached No. 118 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart. Okeh issued “Ain’t Love That Way” on April 19, 1965 (b/w “End Up Crying”); the B-side reached No. 130 on the Bubbling Under chart. In September 1965, “Misty” appeared as an Okeh single (b/w “Finding Out the Hard Way”) and reached No. 63 on the Hot 100 and No. 26 on the R&B chart.

New Vibrations

The Vibrations released New Vibrations in August 1966 on Okeh.

New Vibrations contains ten titles, with two group-linked entries beside eight covers and standard repertory selections. The album opens with “Everybody Loves a Lover” and includes “And I Love Her,” “Secret Love,” “For Your Love,” “Canadian Sunset,” “One Mint Julep,” “Our Day Will Come,” and “Gonna Get Along Without You Now.” “Soul A Go-Go” and “Forgive And Forget” carry Castel–Sharh–Johnson family credits inside the outside-song program.

Musically, New Vibrations places a smoother lead-vocal surface over measured tempos and close background responses. “Soul A Go-Go” gives the set its main uptempo title, with clipped group accents and a firmer backbeat. “Our Day Will Come” and “Forgive And Forget” slow the cadence and draw more weight from sustained harmony.

A1. “Everybody Loves a Lover” (2:14) – Adler–Allen
A2. “And I Love Her” (2:15) – Lennon–McCartney
A3. “Secret Love” (2:31) – Webster–Fain
A4. “For Your Love” (2:46) – Townsend
A5. “Soul A Go-Go” (2:13) – Castel–Sharh–Johnson

B1. “Canadian Sunset” (2:50) – Gimbel–Heywood
B2. “One Mint Julep” (2:12) – Toombs
B3. “Our Day Will Come” (3:06) – Garson–Hilliard
B4. “Forgive And Forget” (3:08) – Castel–Johnson
B5. “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” (2:13) – Kellem

Carl Davis produced New Vibrations for Okeh. The album appeared during Okeh’s 1966 LP sequence after Davis had left the label’s A&R structure.

New Vibrations features photography by Frank Lerner. The cover shows the five members in tuxedos beneath enlarged title lettering.

Okeh issued “Canadian Sunset” in March 1966 (b/w “The Story of a Starry Night”). “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” followed in May 1966 (b/w “Forgive And Forget”). Okeh pressed an August 1966 promo with “And I Love Her” on both sides, then issued “Soul A Go-Go” in September 1966 (b/w “And I Love Her”). “And I Love Her” reached No. 118 on the pop chart and No. 47 on the R&B chart.

1967–71 Activity

After New Vibrations, Okeh continued the group’s Columbia-period run with “Pick Me” (b/w “You Better Beware”), “Together” (b/w “Come To Yourself”), and “Love In Them There Hills” (b/w “Remember The Rain”). “Pick Me” reached the R&B chart, and “Love In Them There Hills” became their final national chart entry. Epic issued “’Cause You’re Mine” (b/w “I Took An Overdose”) in November 1968 after the Okeh run.

During the Okeh period, the Vibrations worked with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. By the time Gamble and Huff launched Neptune, the group had relocated to Philadelphia. Between November 1969 and July 1970, Neptune issued three Vibrations singles: “Expressway To Your Heart” (b/w “Who’s Gonna Help Me Now”), “Smoke Signals” (b/w “Who’s Gonna Help Me Now”), and “Right On, Brother, Right On” (b/w “Surprise Party For Baby”). “Surprise Party For Baby” later entered the Northern soul circuit in Britain under the Vibrating Vibrations credit.

In summer 1971, Owens briefly joined the Temptations after Eddie Kendricks left the Motown group. He returned to the Vibrations after a short trial onstage. In September 1971, the Vibrations signed a United Kingdom RCA agreement tied to Bob Gallo and the forthcoming Mandala label. Mandala issued “Wind Up Toy” (b/w “Ain’t No Greens In Harlem”) and “Man Overboard” (b/w “The Man”) before the album Taking a New Step.

Taking a New Step

The Vibrations released their fourth album, Taking a New Step, in September 1972 on Mandala.

Taking a New Step shifts the group to Mandala, the Long Island label run by Bob Gallo and Vinny Traina with Louis Lafredo. Gallo appears as producer, arranger, conductor, guitarist, and writer on four titles; Traina shares the producer, arranger, and conductor credit. The studio band includes bassist Calvin Bridgette, drummer/percussionist Ron Cangro, guitarists Gallo and Kenneth Jackson, keyboardist/flugelhorn player Mike Mattia, keyboardist Mac McKernan, and trombonist/guitarist Carl Schickler.

“Wind Up Toy” and “Ain’t No Greens in Harlem” share the Mandala single’s mellow treatment and sound effects. “Ain’t No Greens in Harlem” clamps a forceful low-end pattern to clipped string attack. “Take a Step in My Direction” sweetens the set with falsetto-led lines. “The Man” lopes through round group voices and a strident guitar break. “Silver Dollar” rings its message across a fatback jive.

A1. “Man Overboard” (2:36) – Fisher
A2. “The Man” (4:02) – Gallo–Fisher
A3. “Silver Dollar” (2:56) – Fisher
A4. “Whiskey Man” (2:44) – Fisher
A5. “Bolder, Green & Jones” (5:25) – Gallo–Fisher

B1. “Wind Up Toy” (2:37) – Fisher
B2. “Ain’t No Greens In Harlem” (3:22) – Fisher
B3. “Run For Your Lives” (3:31) – Gallo
B4. “Take a Step” (3:51) – Bergio
B5. “Midnight Rider” (2:38) – Allman–Payne
B6. “Kazoo” (2:40) – Gallo–Fisher–Govan–Bradley–Johnson–Owens

The Vibrations recorded Taking a New Step for Mandala with producers, arrangers, and conductors Bob Gallo and Vinny Traina. Mandala operated from Soundview Studios in Kings Park, Long Island, and used Starday-King distribution in the United States.

Taking a New Step features a front-cover photograph of the five members on a wooded path. Bright stacked group lettering appears across the upper image, and the album title spans the lower edge of the sleeve.

Mandala issued “Wind Up Toy” in April 1972 (b/w “Ain’t No Greens In Harlem”). “The Man” followed in 1972 (b/w “Man Overboard”). RCA gathered the four Mandala single sides on a 1972 European EP.

Postlude

After Taking a New Step, North Bay issued “Sneakin’” (b/w “When Will My Turn Come”) from earlier Gamble-Huff masters. Fisher left the Vibrations in 1973 after eighteen years with the group. The remaining quartet continued with Owens, Johnson, Govan, and Bradley. Chess issued the final Vibrations single, “Make It Last” (b/w “Shake It Up”), as a 1974 release. Owens led the A-side; Fisher led the B-side from his final sessions with the group. They continued through 1976 on the nightclub circuit.

Discography: