Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#624 (Week of 7/25/09 - 7/31/09)

"Come To Me Darling"/"Squeeze Me Baby"
by The Crystals
on Luna 5001
released in 1954


    
[Above clipping courtesy of Galen Gart.]

Above: August 1954 clipping of The Crystals, who consisted of Earl Wade (baritone), Martin Brown (2nd tenor), Johnny Hopson (1st tenor), and Teddy Williams (bass). They became The Opals upon realizing there was already a Crystals group (on the DeLuxe label). Later, Wade joined The Cadillacs. Earlier, Williams had been with The Vocaleers.


Above: Label image of Luna 5001 recorded on 5/13/54 and originally released in May 1954. Later Luna pressings, after becoming a subsidiary of Apollo Records, show the group as "The Opals." Disco-File shows The Crystals on Luna 101 and The Opals on Luna 5001, but here it's The Crystals on Luna 5001. The Opals had one more release, on Apollo, completing their short career. These were two sides done at the first, and only, Luna recording session.

Trade Magazine Clipping: July 1954—Bess Berman of Apollo.... her newest affiliation, Luna Records' "Squeeze Me Baby" and "Come to Me Darling" by the Crystals. The platter has already stirred up some noise in Baltimore and the West Coast. (Ray Santos and Charles Lopez, who started Luna, are now affiliated with Apollo.)

Trade Magazine Clipping: August 1954—Luna Records, label distributed by Apollo here, hit the jackpot with its first release, "Come To Me Darling," an r.&b. item that was started on the road upwards with a big push by Jim Warren, Central Records, LA., where it first broke, and then by United Distributors in Chicago. The success has spread to Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Newark.
Another unusual aspect of the first release-first hit disk is that it was issued as recorded by the Crystals, who in the midst of their success, have changed their name to the Opals.

Listen to this week's selections by The Crystals on Luna 5001 from 1954:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          Come To Me Darling
          Squeeze Me Baby
 
          BOTH played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          Come To Me Darling
          Squeeze Me Baby 
     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          Come To Me Darling
          Squeeze Me Baby

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


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