Larry Chance and the Earls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Earls | |
|---|---|
| Origin | The Bronx, New York |
| Genre(s) | Doo Wop |
| Years active | 1961 – Present |
| Label(s) | Rome Records Old Town Records |
| Website | [http://www.larrychanceandtheearls.com |
| Members | |
| Larry Chance Bobby Tribuzzio T. J.Butch Barbella |
|
| Former members | |
| Jack Wray Eddie Harder Bobby Del-Din Larry Palumbo (↑-1959) Ronnie Calabrese Art Loria Bobby Coleman Chris Cassone Chuck Merizo George Tuzzeo |
|
Larry Chance and the Earls were a moderately popular recording group from the 1960s formed in The Bronx, New York. In 1962, their single "Remember Then" was a hit, and "Life Is But a Dream," "Never" and "I Believe" also charted. As the oldies revival scene started a strong run in the early 1970s and 1980s, the Earls became one of the most requested groups in the Doo Wop genre. They are still actively performing and remain very popular in the oldies circuit.
Other recordings include: "Looking For My Baby" and "Kissing." Albums include Remember Me Baby, The Earls: Today, The Earls - LIVE, Earl Change, and Streets of the Bronx.
[edit] Biography
The Earls are one of the great New York City doo-wop success stories. Formed out of the Bronx, and discovered singing on the street corner in front of subway station, the Earls took the original black doo-wop street corner harmony sound, and refined and expanded it for new audiences.
Larry Chance was the driving force behind the group's formation and success. Larry grew up in Philadelphia and attended high school with the likes of Chubby Checker, Frankie Avalon, and Danny Rapp of Danny and the Juniors. But it wasn't until 1957 that he moved with his parents to the Bronx after high school that Larry's career in doo-wop took off.
Larry formed a group at the Tecumsa Social Club known as the Hi-Hatters. The group was Larry, Bob Del Din, Eddie Harder, Larry Palumbo and John Wray. In the fall of 1959 they were singing in front of a subway station when Johnny Powers, who had a fledging record label by the name of Rome, heard them. Powers took them into the studio in the fall of 1959. The Earls paid their own money to cut four tracks as the Hi-Hatters.
About this same time, Larry took the name the Earls at random out of a dictionary. Later, in 1960, the Earls lost their original member Larry Palumbo in an army skydiving accident.
In 1961, Rome released the Earls' first record – Life is But a Dream (Rome 101 – 1961) b/w Lost Love (and later released with Whoever You Are as the B side - the first version is a collectors' item, now worth around $150) with Larry doing some great lead work. The group then found itself in the big time performing with Murray the K and on Dick Clark's American Bandstand show. They released another record that year - Looking For My Baby (Rome 102) b/w Cross My Heart – another great uptempo boppin number. The Earls were starting to break new ground for doo-wop taking the black doo-wop roots and transforming them into a newer sound. This is very evident on these two records.
In 1962, the group hooked up with Stan Vincent and recorded the record they are most remembered for, Remember Then for Old Town Records (Old Town 1130) b/w Let's Waddle – this was a hit, #24 on the Billboard Pop Music charts by early ’63. Larry co-wrote the group’s next record Never b/w I Keep A-Tellin You (Old Town 1133 – 1963). The group scored another hit in 1963 on Old Town with Eyes b/w Look My Way (Old Town 1141 – 1963). Later, a demo cut called I Believe was released (Old Town 1149 – 1963) b/w Don’t Forget without the grouping knowing about it ahead of time.
Larry Chance later went on for a brief solo stint recording a record for Barry called Let Them Talk. Larry went back with the Earls who at the time had two new members – Bob Moricco and Ronnie Calabrese. The group actually started playing their own instruments and in 1967 recorded If I Could Do It Over b/w Papa for Mr. G Records (Mr. G 801 – 1967) and a track for ABC Records called Its Been a Long Time Coming b/w Mr. Lonely (ABC 11109 – 1967).
The group continued performing into the 70’s and in 1977 they released the track Tonight. In 1983, the group’s personnel were Larry Chance, Ronnie Calabrese, Colon Rello, Bobby Tribuzio and Butch Barbella and they recorded Larry Chance and the Earls – Today.
