The Tune Weavers - Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour - December, 1956
Вставка
- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1956, the Tune Weavers were originally established as a brother-and-sister jazz and pop music duo consisting of 22-year-old Gilbert Lopez, and his 20-year-old sister, Margo. They soon evolved into a quartet with the addition of Gilbert and Margo’s cousin, Charlotte Davis, and Margo’s husband, John Sylvia. Initially, they adopted the name Tone Weavers but before they began singing professionally, either by suggestion or a mistake, the moniker was changed to Tune Weavers. The quartet continued performing pop and show tunes while gradually adding rhythm and blues to their repertoire.
In December of 1956, the Tune Weavers traveled to New York to appear on the popular television program, the Original Amateur Hour, hosted by Ted Mack. The program had begun on radio, and became a television staple in 1948, eventually appearing on all four of the major networks at various points in its history. The show continued until 1970 with the support of a longtime sponsor, Geritol.
The date of this broadcast is believed to be Sunday evening, December 30, 1956, when the show was appearing on ABC-TV between 7:30 and 8:30 PM on the East Coast. Early in the program, a rock’n’roll ensemble from Philadelphia called the Jesters performed a rendition of the Treniers’ “Rockin’ Is Our Business”. Several other variety acts were also featured, with the order of appearance based on the luck of the draw.
For their selection, the Tune Weavers chose “This Can’t Be Love”, originally written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1938 musical, The Boys From Syracuse. Eddie Albert and Marcy Westcott sang it in the musical, and Larry Cotton, singing with Horace Heidt’s Orchestra, and the Benny Goodman Orchestra, with Martha Tilton singing, enjoyed hit versions of the song in the late 1930s. In the mid-1950s, Nat “King” Cole, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald all recorded versions of “This Can’t Be Love”. Ted Mack erroneously introduces the group as “The Weavers”, the name of a very popular folk group at the time, and discusses the familial ties within the quartet. The Tune Weavers are only backed by piano accompaniment. A predecessor of the modern-day Star Search and American Idol television programs, Mack’s Original Amateur Hour offered viewers a chance to telephone or submit a postcard to cast their vote and determine the winner of the contest. The winner would subsequently be announced on the following week’s program.
Back home in Massachusetts, the Tune Weavers subsequently met Frank Paul, owner of the local Casa Grande Records, while performing at a Boston-area club. Their initial release, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”, written and led by Margo, earned some airplay in Philadelphia and the disc was subsequently picked up for distribution by Chess Records’ Checker subsidiary, becoming a national hit. The group continued into the early 1960s before disbanding.
Margo returned to recording and performing in the late 1980s (“Merry, Merry Christmas, Baby”) and remained active until her death in 1991. Her brother, Gilbert Lopez, died in 1998. John and Charlotte reorganized the group in 2003 and they performed frequently in to the late 2010s. John Sylvia died in April of 2023 at age 87.
Beginning in the early 1970s, Boston-area disc jockey, concert host and producer, historian and enthusiast, Little Walter DeVenne began documenting the pioneers of vocal group harmony, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll using Super 8 movie film, reel to reel tape recorders, and whatever means were available to him. Sadly, Walter died in 2021, and the films were feared lost or destroyed. Through the efforts of Walter’s friend and longtime disc jockey, Mike Bollea, many of these recordings have been preserved. Through Mike’s generosity and a desire to see Walter’s historic films shared with fans and devotees of this music, we present the Little Walter’s Time Machine Official Archives series, remixed and synched by Todd Baptista, from the original source material.
Walter was a longtime friend of Margo Sylvia and Charlotte (Davis) Rose, and worked with the Tune Weavers on concert and television stages until his death. This rare and unseen kinescope of the Tune Weavers on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour program was discovered in his private archives. Copying, reuploading, distributing, selling, or any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
For the best in “oldies but goodies” from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, listen to Mike Bollea on MIXCLOUD and follow his discjockeymike page to hear new shows. To leave comments or connect with Mike, send him a friend request and visit his Facebook page Michael Bollea (Not Just Another DJ) and the Mike Bollea’s Radio Friends Group or e-mail him at discjockeymike@verizon.net
Aw, this gives me the feels. This is my family. Margo and John are my grandparents. Old Man River is one of my favorites too. ❤ Thank you for sharing this! ❤
They sound beautiful, what a great memory
You should be proud. They look beautiful also.
Margo and group sang very beautiful. I like a lot," I remender dear" and this =can"t be love= I'm from Brazil. Who singers were the influence to Margo and Gilbert ?
Oh my god that's very wonderful! I have no photos of 3 of my grandparents and did not know them. Imagine.....watching your grandmother and father singing, moving as young people. How very grand; you are rich in love for this.
Hi Cousin!!!! Johnny and Margo are my grand Uncle and Aunt!!! My Grandpa Orus’ is Johnny’s brother!!! John Baptista Silva Sr is my great Grandpa!!! He actually raised my dad til he was 11!!
That’s awesome 😎
Wonderful vintage clip of Margo & the gang. Thanks to those who made it possible.
This was surprising. As a few folk have mentioned- Ole Man River is a killer version. I have a later 45 by the too- a Cover version of Ral Donner-You're Skies of Blue. What a record, and killer harmonies and harmonica.
Greetings from Scotland...
Hari
1 years later they singing in happy birthday baby
Wow❤
Margo (and all) is sooooooooooooo beautiful!!!!!!
My vote goes to the tune weavers.
I loved this show soooo much!
Beautiful and talented family!
Fantastic
I love Margo Sylvia. She was capable of singing anything. I wish she could’ve been a bigger, more memorable singer. She definitely could have had more hits but I guess back then, if you had one hit, that’s all a singer would be known for. But Happy Happy Birthday Baby is a classic. Better to have one hit that became a classic, then none at all.
Great performance
The original flip side of "Happy, Happy, Birthday Baby" was the best version of "Old Man River" I've ever heard and was becoming very popular in NY. All pressings after the initial one had a different throwaway flip and supposedly "River" was going to be released as an "A" side. I don''t know if that ever did happen.
Yes for the same reason that Atlantic/Cat changed the flip side of “Sh-Boom” by the Chords. The record company did not own the publishing on the flip side (Ol Man River and For the Chords, it was Cross Over The Bridge). By changing the flip side to something they published through their own company , they collected the publishing royalties on BOTH sides of the single. It wasn’t about artistic merit it was about maximizing profit.
Ol man River with Sam Cooke was great too.
Wow!! Happy Happy birthday Baby , old man river ❤ had it on Chess Records
I like a lot Tune Weavers. I never saw them singing. Thanks. What year was this performance? 1956? I'm happy for it. The studio recording of that song is 1960. On this tv show was before the big hits. Happy birthday baby. After 1957 they did shows with paul Anka and Everly Bros . I'm from Brazil. Thanks.
Both groups performed well here, but it was easily apparent that The (Tune) Weavers were potentially something special. Their big hit, "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby", was covered by a number of other artists, including country singer Ronnie Milsap, who had a major hit with it.
Holy SHIT!!!!😮
It's possible that they were originally called the Weavers, then when they became aware of the earlier Weavers group they changed their name.
They were originally called the “Tone Weavers” until someone announced their name as the “Tune Weavers”. They liked it and the name stuck!!
Great doo wap group
There probably all gone by now 2024. Hmm.
Charlotte Is still alive and well in 2024.
God bless Ted Mack for putting them on TV when the country was SO racially segregated.
Yes, he also put on The Chessmen in 1964, a vocal group that were racially integrated. Good man.