Aired on Treasure Island Oldies – Jul 27, 2025
One of the great lines in the music business, which has been credited to Bruce Springsteen (among others), was that it took him ten years to become an overnight success.
When it comes to one hit wonders of the 50s & 60s many of us assume that they were flash in the pans and got their “15 minutes of fame” in a relatively short period of time. But this was not always the case.
Such is the story of one singing group who hung in there almost as long as Springsteen in order to achieve their one hit wonder status. In fact, the group had to come out of retirement to do it.
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In 1954 a Philadelphia group called the “Cavaliers” were signed by ATCO records and given a new name. After three years of ATCO releases, the female-led doo-wop group disbanded, having failed to gain national recognition with their renditions of “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” and “Please Mr. Disk Jockey.”
In 1961 doo-wop began making an amazing resurgence thanks to the success of groups like the “Edsels” (“Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong”), the “Stereos” (“I Really Love You”), and the “Marcels” of “Blue Moon” fame.
Inspired by this, original group member Alphonso Howell coaxed, now married with children, lead singer Yvonne Baker (nee Mills) to come out of retirement and join him, baritone Sam Armstrong, a one-time voice with the Rays and tenor Richard Curtain, an original member of the “Hide-A-Ways.”
Their second release in 1962, a song Yvonne Baker had written, became a national hit, reaching the #4 position on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was quite a sensation and rightly so, since the group’s name was the Sensations. Ironically, it took eight years for them to be recognized as such. All they needed was someone to “Let Me In,” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.
YouTube listing of the song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-bF2jnEnw
This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.
