Airdate – December 2010
One thing that there’s no denying is the upbeat nature of many Rock & Roll records – especially those from the early 60s. Things were light and simple, and we had yet to be introduced on a grand scale to the likes of Bob Dylan.
One lesser-known group from the Philadelphia area, who excelled at lifting up the spirits of teenagers, finally hit it big nationally in the summer of 1962 …
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In 1960 a Philadelphia group entered a recording studios as the Premiers and came out known as the Versatiles after recording “I’ll Whisper In Your Ear” and “Lundee Dundee” on the “B” side. This record which was issued on Ro-Cal Records has become a Doo Wop collector’s item.
Two years later in 1962, the five-member group, which was composed of 4 boys and one girl, transformed from an R&B group to a pop group along the lines of the Four Seasons. The transformation also included another name change.
Their first and most successful of their three charted records was released in August of 1962 and went to #22 on the Billboard charts, remaining on the charts for 11 straight weeks.
What is little known about this song is the fact that the high lead voice on the song is not that of female member Idella Morris, but actually that of Ricky Cordo, an unusually high tenor.
The group’s new name was the Majors and fortunately for them they got to live and sing about their “Wonderful Dream.”
YouTube video of this song:
