Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#898 (11/18/17)

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CLOVERS   
(Including Audio For Twelve Of Their Sides)    

"Wonder Where My Baby's Gone"/
"Ting-A-Ling"
The Clovers
on Atlantic 969
released in 1952

"I Played The Fool"/
"Hey, Miss Fannie"
The Clovers
on Atlantic 977
released in 1952

"Blue Velvet"/
"If You Love Me"
The Clovers
on Atlantic 1052
released in 1954

"Love Bug"/
"In The Morning Time"
The Clovers
on Atlantic 1060
released in 1955

"Here Comes Romance"/
"You Good Looking Woman"
The Clovers
on Atlantic 1129
released in 1957


[The above photo provided by Paul Ressler, restoration by Tony Fournier.]

Above: The Clovers from 1951: (L-R) Harold Lucas (tenor/baritone), Harold Winley (bass), Bill Harris (guitarist), Buddy Bailey (lead tenor), and Matthew McQuater (tenor). In early 1953, Charlie White (tenor), who had been with The Dominoes and Checkers, joined The Clovers. White left in November 1953 and was replaced by Billy Mitchell (tenor).

Click HERE for an article about The Clovers by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)

THE BILLBOARD, February 17, 1951: ....Atlantic Records last week inked its first pop quartet, the Clovers. Group, which previously sliced a couple of sides for the Rainbow diskery, also inked a pact with Shaw Artists Corporation and has been booked to play an initial date for the agency at the Apollo Theater, New York, February 15 week....

THE BILLBOARD, March 14, 1953: REALLY IN CLOVER NOW—Trio's "Crawlin'" Walks Off With One More Smash
NEW YORK, March 14—The Clovers, the sizzling hot rhythm and blues vocal group who turn out wax for Atlantic Records, continued their unbroken string this week when their latest slicing, "Crawlin'," hit The Billboard Best Selling r.&b. charts. This marks the sixth time in a row that the group has made the charts with their disks. This record, a rare one in a field where artists much too often find it tough to follow up one hit, is even more imposing when it is noted that three of the Clovers' waxings to date have been hits on both sides rather than one.

The strength of the Clovers in the r.&b. marts is pointed up by the fact that every cutting by the group to date has sold more than 175,000 apiece, and a number of their hits have sold well over 200,000 platters, a record that would be solid even in the pop field. Their present disk, "Crawlin'," has hit close to 100,000 since it was released three weeks ago. In addition, nearly half a dozen of the tunes waxed by the Clovers have been recorded by pop artists or bands after the vocal combo made the tunes hits in the r.&b. market.

Here is a list of the tunes waxed by the Clovers that have made the best-selling charts of The Billboard: "Don't You Know I Love You?," "Fool, Fool, Fool" (which was also cut by Kay Starr), "One Mint Julep" (waxed by Buddy Morrow) [also Louis Prima Orchestra] and "In The Middle Of The Night," "Ting-A-Ling" and "Wonder Where My Baby's Gone," "Hey Miss Fannie" and "I Played The Fool" (the latter was cut by Bill Darnell) [also Cathy Ryan; Art Mooney Orchestra] and their latest effort, "Crawlin'."

The Clovers, who hail from Washington, D.C., made it from their first release on the label, "Don't You Know I Love You?" The waxing was released in early 1951 and was so strong that no Clovers' record was released by Atlantic until nine months later when "Fool, Fool, Fool" was issued.

THE BILLBOARD, June 5, 1954: UNDER THE STARS—August Dance By The Light Of Moon Dog
NEW YORK, May 29—Alan (Moondog) Freed, WJW, Cleveland r.&b. jockey who has attracted crowds ranging from 3,000 to 25,000 at his monthly "Moondog" dances, has given up on holding dances in armories. For his next affair "The Moondog Jubilee Of Stars Under The Stars," which will be held here in August, he has hired Ebbets Field, the 30,000-seat home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The date will be set within the next week. The nut for the show will run about $25,000 with about $15,000 laid out for talent. Talent being set for the show includes the Clovers, the Dominoes, the Orioles, the Count Basie and the Buddy Johnson orks and six combos, including Muddy Waters, Fats Domino and Little Walter.

Freed this week set the talent for his portion of "Star Night," the massive three-city, one-nighter package set by promoter Bud Arvev of Chicago, which will play Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit on June 23, 24 and 25. Freed will emsee the part of the show which will star Ruth Brown, the Clovers and the Tiny Bradshaw ork.



Above: The Clovers from 1956: (TOP, L-R) Buddy Bailey, Billy Mitchell (tenor), Matthew McQuater, Harold Lucas, Bill Harris (with guitar), and (BOTTOM) Harold Winley (with hand on floor).


Above: The Clovers from 1951: (TOP, L-R) Harold Winley, Bill Harris (with guitar), Harold Lucas, Matthew McQuater, and (BOTTOM, R) Buddy Bailey.


Above: The Clovers in front of the Apollo Theater from the cover of The Cash Box magazine dated 11/17/51. (L-R) Harold Winley, Matthew McQuater, Bill Harris, Harold Lucas, and Buddy Bailey.

Caption With Picture: The Clovers, sensational new harmony team, who scored with their first disk, "Don't You Know I Love You" on the Atlantic label, are shown in front of the Apollo Theater in New York where they headlined the show. The group, which was completely unknown a year ago, hit the winning trail under the guidance of manager Lou Krefetz. Following their initial smash disk, the boys have come up with another one which is also running wild in rhythm and blues locations, "Fool, Fool, Fool."



Above: The Clovers from The Cash Box Magazine dated 4/5/52:

TOASTING A JULEP NEW YORK—The Clovers, sensational Atlantic recording artists, whose new disk, "One Mint Julep," is taking off to the hit bracket, drink a julepy mint julep toast to the tune. Shown here with arranger Jesse Stone during a recent rehearsal, the Clovers, within their first professional year have waxed three record hits: "Don't You Know I Love You," "Fool, Fool, Fool," and the current smash, "One Mint Julep." The group opened at New York's Apollo last Friday.



Above: The Clovers from The Cash Box Magazine dated 10/3/53:

DOUBLE AWARD NEW YORK—The Clovers, Atlantic's hot vocal group, are tickled pink about receiving a double award while appearing at the Apollo Theater last week. The scroll to the left represents the boys' success in tying as The Most Programmed R&B Vocal Group according to The Cash Box Annual Disk Jockey Poll. The gold record is Atlantic's award for the sale of the 3,000,000th Clovers record. Surrounding the Clovers from L. to R. are: Marty Ostrow, The Cash Box; Jerry Wexler, Atlantic; Tom Dowd, Atlantic; Lou Krefetz, mgr. of the Clovers; Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic; and Norman Orleck, The Cash Box.



Above: The Clovers from The Cash Box Magazine dated 3/3/54:

BEST RHYTHM 'N BLUES ARTIST NEW YORK—The recent Cash Box poll of the Juke Box Operators of America resulted in the selection of Atlantic Records' vocal group, The Clovers, as "Best Rhythm 'N Blues Artist of 1953." Above from left to right: Martin Ostrow, The Cash Box; The Clovers holding the award; and Norman Orleck, The Cash Box.




(The Billboard dated 11/14/53)

(The Billboard dated 7/5/52)


(The Billboard dated 2/28/53)

(The Billboard dated 2/5/55)




(May 1951)

(May 1955) [Note that there is no mention of The Clovers.]

[The above two clippings are courtesy of Galen Gart.]


CLIPPINGS: [FROM CLEVELAND CALL AND POST NEWSPAPER]

    SELECT:

    AT GLEASON'S
    (June 1951)

    AT CIRCLE THEATRE
    (September 1951)

    AT CIRCLE THEATRE
    (January 1952)

    AT PARADISE
    (November 1952)

    AT EBONY
    (November 1952)

    AT GLEASON'S
    (November 1953)

[The Cleveland clippings were provided by Richard Koloda.]


EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

At Left: Label image of Rainbow 11122 released in November 1950.

This is The Clovers's first record and the only one they had on the Rainbow label. Group members on these two sides are Buddy Bailey, Harold Lucas, Matthew McQuater, and Harold Winley. Bailey and Winley share the lead on both sides.

The Billboard Review (12/2/50): THE CLOVERS — RAINBOW 11122....
Yes, Sir, That's My Baby
(65) Oldie is sung in a slow tempo, in what sounds like an attempt to be different. It is, but not enough.
When You Come Back To Me (73) Quartet with Ink Spots voicing does a good job with a new ballad that has a commercial sound.

(NOTE: A ratings range of 40-69 was considered "satisfactory" and 70-79 "good.")

The Cash Box Review (1/6/51): THE CLOVERS — RAINBOW 11122.... When You Come Back To Me/Yes, Sir, That's My Baby
A couple of slow numbers are turned out here by the Clovers. Featuring some good harmonizing, the boys do both of these ballads in easy style which sounds very familiar. This disk needs the proper spots to go but for the ops who have it, it's worth a spin.

(NOTE: The title of the song as shown on the 78-rpm label is "Yes Sir That's My Baby" ...with no commas.)

Listen to "Yes Sir That's My Baby" - The Clovers - Rainbow 11122 - 1950.
Listen to "When You Come Back To Me" - The Clovers - Rainbow 11122 - 1950.
BOTH played in sequence.





(The Cash Box dated 12/6/52)

(The Cash Box dated 10/25/52)





Above Left: Clipping from October 1952.

Above Right: Label image of Atlantic 977 recorded on March 18, 1952 (flip side on August 7, 1952) and released in October 1952. Buddy Bailey is lead singer on both sides.

The Billboard Review (10/18/52):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 977....
Hey! Miss Fannie
(85) The Clovers probably have another winner here, with this bright, infectious novelty item. The boys sell it in powerful style, backed forcefully by the rhythm group. This should be a real coin-grabber. and another healthy seller for the group.
I Played The Fool (75) An appealing blues ballad receives a good reading from the Clovers, who sing it most attractively, with close support from the combo.

(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good" and 80-89 "excellent.")

The Cash Box Award O' The Week (10/18/52):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 977.... Hey, Miss Fannie/I Played The Fool
The Clovers cover the market with their fifth Atlantic release, and indications are that the boys are still batting 1000. "Hey Miss Fannie" is a fast beat rocker, chanted with enthusiasm and fire as the group tells of Miss Fannie's charms. The reverse deck, "I Played The Fool," is a slow blues ballad beautifully harmonized and colorfully treated by the smooth performing group with the resulting effort a tremendous side. This is a two-sided hit release that will find its place in the "hot" charts in short order. It is a natural to follow their "Ting-A-Ling" and "Wonder Where My Baby's Gone."


Above Left: Label image of Atlantic 969 recorded on March 18, 1952 and released in June 1952. Buddy Bailey is lead singer on both sides.

Above Right: Label image of Atlantic 1052 recorded on December 16, 1954 released in December 1954. Again, Buddy Bailey is lead singer on both sides. The full title of the flip side song, as shown on the label, is "If You Love Me (Why Don't You Tell Me So)".

The Cash Box Award O' The Week (6/28/52):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 969.... Wonder Where My Baby's Gone/Ting-A-Ling
The Clovers, whose great style has proven to be a winning one, come up with a two-sided release that will surely follow their recent successes still riding high on the "Hot" charts all over the country. The top lid, "Wonder Where My Baby's Gone," is a slow blues with a set of sentimental lyrics that The Clovers sell with a feelingful and dramatic reading that portrays the mood of the music. The effective blend of voices is softly backed by the musical aggregation. The under siding is another blues of moderate tempo that the boys bounce through with a happy interpretation. Again, as on the upper deck, the inspired blending of voices is top flight, and the quartet has a sure fire pair of hits back to back.

The Billboard Review (7/5/52):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 969....
Wonder Where My Baby's Gone
(84) The Clovers have a solid waxing here, one that should be a healthy follow-up to their smash "One Mint Julep." It's a blues weeper and the boys give it a warm, heart-felt reading, over an exciting ork backing. Item looks like a coin-grabber.
Ting-A-Ling (81) An attractive, fast-tempo novelty item, with a fine beat, receives a rousing reading from the Clovers. Ditty explains why the gals make the guy's hearts go ting-a-ling. This side too could catch loot.

(NOTE: A ratings range of 80-89 was considered "excellent.")

The Cash Box Review Spotlight (2/5/55):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 1052.... Blue Velvet/If You Love Me
The Clovers pull a style-switch on the lovely oldie "Blue Velvet," and warble it with a lush, smooth vocal touch that should pull spins from jocks and jukes. The flip, "If You Love Me," is a fast, bouncy rhythm tune, with the boys turning in their usual solid performance, and the backing furnishing a catchy beat.


Above Left: Label image of Atlantic 1060 recorded on December 16, 1954 (flip side on April 16, 1954) and released in April 1955. Buddy Bailey is lead singer on the shown side and Billy Mitchell is lead on the flip.

Above Right: Label image of Atlantic 1129 recorded on December 20, 1956 and released in March 1957. Buddy Bailey is lead singer on both sides.

The Clovers had one release on Rainbow (1950) and twenty-two on Atlantic (1951-1958).

The Cash Box R&B Sleeper Of The Week (4/30/55):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 1060.... Love Bug/In The Morning Time
The Clovers come up with a hard hitting, rocking piece of material, "Love Bug," in which the fellows give a polished and peppery performance. It's a jumping tune with a cute set of lyrics. Should bring in the sales. The under portion is another rhythm number of a slower tempo. "In The Morning Time" is the story of the drinking gal. The lead, with a sensuous slur of the key line, lends the side the gimmick that might make the difference. Two ok sides that should make it.

The Billboard Review Spotlight (5/7/55):

THE CLOVERS — ATLANTIC 1060.... Love Bug
The Clovers have an appealing side in this rockin' blues, which has cute lyrics and a wonderful beat. The boys warble the rhythm-novelty with their usual charm and humor. The disk should click big with jukes and jocks. Flip is "In The Morning Time."

NOTE: A very special thanks again to Joe Marchesani for his contributions to this Record of the Week.

NOTE: Most discographical information provided at this website is from Ferdie Gonzalez' Disco-File.


Listen to this week's selections featuring The Clovers on Atlantic from 1952-1957:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. Wonder Where My Baby's Gone
          2. Ting-A-Ling
          3. I Played The Fool
          4. Hey Miss Fannie
          5. Blue Velvet
          6. If You Love Me
          7. Love Bug
          8. In The Morning Time
          9. Here Comes Romance
          10. You Good Looking Woman
 
          ALL TEN played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. Wonder Where My Baby's Gone
          2. Ting-A-Ling
          3. I Played The Fool
          4. Hey Miss Fannie
          5. Blue Velvet
          6. If You Love Me
          7. Love Bug
          8. In The Morning Time
          9. Here Comes Romance
          10. You Good Looking Woman

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. Wonder Where My Baby's Gone
          2. Ting-A-Ling
          3. I Played The Fool
          4. Hey Miss Fannie
          5. Blue Velvet
          6. If You Love Me
          7. Love Bug
          8. In The Morning Time
          9. Here Comes Romance
          10. You Good Looking Woman
 
          ALL TEN played in sequence



(The Clovers)

Note that both of the 1953 and 1956 clippings
at right show the same picture of them.


(Cleveland Call And Post Clipping 7/20/53)

(Billboard Clipping 6/9/56)

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


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