Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#667 (Week of 6/12/10 - 6/18/10)

THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS PROVIDED BY ANDREW BOHAN

"Don't Make Me Cry"/"Love Me Please Love Me"
by Debbie Andrews And The Musketeers
on United U-144
released in 1953


Above: 1953 photo of Debbie Andrews. She was born in Rome, Georgia in 1925 and by 1940, the family had moved to Indianapolis. Duke Ellington discovered her in St. Louis in early 1952; but after signing with him, she was dropped soon after.

JET MAGAZINE, February 21, 1952:
Debbie Andrews Is New Ellington Vocalist
Debbie Andrews, new singing star and Mercury recording artist, joined the Duke Ellington orchestra as featured vocalist. Ellington said the lithesome, 110-pound Miss Andrews has "the type of voice I have been searching for ever since Ivy Anderson retired from show business." In her first appearance with the band, Miss Andrews drew applause for her rendition of Lover, Come Back To Me.

JET MAGAZINE, December 25, 1952:
Debbie Andrews . . . . A Pittsburgh Courier contest winner, she tried out with Duke Ellington in 1951 [sic?] but was dropped after less than a month. She is working as a single today.



    
Above Left: Label image of United U-144 recorded on January 15, 1953 and released in March of that year. This was the first of two releases by Debbie Andrews on Chicago's United label, both in 1953. She had one prior record on Mercury, recorded in 1949, but not released until 1952. Of her three releases, United U-144 is the only one with vocal group backing. NOTE: The correct spelling for the "Vocal Director" shown on the label is "Jack Halloran."

Co-writer for the above shown side, Sax Kari, also composed "Please Wait For Me" for Debbie's second release on the United label. Kari was a band leader who, in addition to composing duties, had some releases on United, mostly with vocals by Gloria Irving. BMI credits Kari with 509 compositions, but does not show that "Vance" was involved with "Don't Make Me Cry." (Could this have been Tony Vance, the a.&r. man mentioned below?) "Parker-Vance" are shown as composers on the flip side.

The Billboard 2/7/53: Lou Simpkins, of United Records, signed three new artists this week, Billy Ford, the Dozier Boys and Debbie Andrews. . . .

The Billboard 12/12/53: A new diskery, Great Lakes Records, has been formed in Detroit. Kenneth C. Campbell is the head of the firm, Tony Vance is in charge of a.&r. for pop and jazz, while Sax Kari is in charge of r.&b. The firm will issue disks in all fields, with Don Sebastion, Jimmie Hamilton, Sonny Johnson, Debbie Andrews, Sax Kari, Gloria Irving and others already pacted by the label. First releases are due next week. . . .

Above Right: 1952 photo of Debbie Andrews.

Listen to this week's selections by Debbie Andrews And The Musketeers on United U-144 from 1953: [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio...
 
          1. Don't Make Me Cry
          2. Love Me Please Love Me
 
          BOTH played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. Don't Make Me Cry
          2. Love Me Please Love Me

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. Don't Make Me Cry
          2. Love Me Please Love Me

     [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]


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