The Marcels were a doo-wop group known for turning American classical pop songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and signed to Colpix Records, with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. The group was named by Fred Johnson's younger sister Priscilla, after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave. In 1961 many were surprised to hear a new version of the ballad "Blue Moon" that began with the bass singer saying, "bomp-baba-bomp" and "dip-da-dip." The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[1] It is featured in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
The disc went to number one in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,[2] and UK Singles Chart.[3] In the U.S., additional revivals in the same vein as "Blue Moon" – "Heartaches" and "Melancholy Baby" – were less successful, although "Heartaches" peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually sold over one million copies worldwide.
In August 1961, due to problems encountered in the Deep South while touring because of the group being bi-racial, the white members, Knauss and Bricker left and were replaced by Allen Johnson (brother of Fred) and Walt Maddox. Mundy left soon after, leaving the group a quartet.
In 1962, Harp and Allen Johnson left, and were replaced by Richard Harris and William Herndon. There was a brief reunion of the original members in 1973. The group made several recordings in 1975 with Harp back on lead.
Original member Gene Bricker died in 1983. Allen Johnson died in 1995.
By the early 1990s the group included Johnson, Maddox, Harris, Jules Hopson, and Richard Merritt.
The group split around 1995. Fred Johnson formed his own group with new members, while the other four members recruited new bassist Ted Smith. Maddox won a lawsuit against Sunny James Svetnic, the manager of Johnson's group, for trademark infringement in 1996. Johnson reunited with Harp, Mundy, and Knauss in 1999 for the PBS special Doo Wop 50.
The Marcels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.[4]
In Brazil, their greatest hit, "Blue Moon", was the opening theme from the soap opera production O Beijo do Vampiro, from TV Globo network, exhibited between 2002 and 2003.
Contents |
"Flowerpot"
"Friendly Loans"
"Teeter-Totter Love" (1963 version)
The Marcels' popularity in 1961 was so great that they were included in the 1961 Oscar Rudolph film, Twist Around the Clock. Released on December 30, 1961 with the tagline "It's Twist-eriffic! The first full length movie about the Twist!" – the Marcels were joined by fellow artists Chubby Checker, Dion DiMucci, Vicki Spencer and singer-songwriter, TV show compare turned actor, Clay Cole. Allen Johnson, Gene Bricker, Cornelius Harp, Fred Johnson, Richard Knauss and Ronald Mundy of The Marcels were all included, along with speaking parts, in the film. They sing "Merry Twist-Mas" which was released over Christmas 1961, though no chart action ensued.
The Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon movie, about a millionaire who sets out to prove his theory that his pet chimpanzee is as intelligent as the teenagers who hang out on the local beach, where he is intending to build a retirement home, but ends in hilarious results – also included two of the Marcels, Gene Bricker and Cornelius Harp. The two provided backing vocals for two songs, Frankie Avalon's "Gimme Your Love Yeah Yeah Yeah" and Little Stevie Wonder's "(Happy Feelin') Dance And Shout".