#744 (Week of 2/11/12 - 2/17/12)

---

IN MEMORY OF JOHNNY OTIS
(WHO LEFT US ON JANUARY 17, 2012)
PART ONE

THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS PROVIDED BY ANDREW BOHAN

"Have A Heart"/"My Darling"
by The Premiers
on Dig 113
released in 1956

Above: Photo of Johnny Otis. He started his Dig label, including a small recording studio, in his home in Los Angeles in late 1955. He shut down the label in 1957 when his Johnny Otis Show signed a contract with Capitol Records. In the interim, he released 42 singles and 4 LPs, including such talent as Arthur Lee Maye And The Crowns, Tony Allen And The Night Owls, Mel Williams And The Jayos, The Premiers, and the Johnny Otis Orchestra.

Above: Photo of The Premiers, who consisted of Sammy Yates (lead singer), Daniel Fields (baritone), Donald Fierson (tenor) and Charles Taggart (bass). Yates (as Sammy Hagan), Fields and Fierson (with Kenneth Head replacing Taggart) had three releases on Capitol (1957-58) as Sammy Hagan And The Viscounts.

Above: Another photo of The Premiers.

Above: Label image of Dig 113. This is the second of two The Premiers had on the Dig label (1956). They also backed Julie Stevens on Dig 115 (1956) and Julie Stephens [sic] without label credit on Dig 129 (1957).

Listen to this week's selections by The Premiers on Dig 113 from 1956:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. Have A Heart           2. My Darling             BOTH played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. Have A Heart           2. My Darling      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. Have A Heart           2. My Darling

Review of Their First Record The Billboard 4/7/56

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

This site is non-commercial. All information displayed is provided to further the general public's knowledge of RnB vocal group harmony.