Emersons (vocal group)
Encyclopedia
The Emersons, originally The Demens, were a mid-20th-century American
doo-wop
vocal group.
The original members, Jimmy Caines (first tenor), brothers Thomas Cook (second tenor, lead) and Frankie Cook (baritone), Tommy Outlaw (bass), and Outlaw's cousin Douggy Williams (second tenor), formed in 1957 in Manhattan
and began singing on street corners around 61st Street and Columbus Avenue. They became a quartet later that year when Outlaw and Williams left the group and tenor Eddie "California" Jones joined as lead singer.
The Demens issued their first single
, "Take Me As I Am" / "You Broke My Heart" on Teenage Records in August 1957, followed by "The Greatest of Them All" / "Hey Young Girl." Teenage disappeared soon after that, and the group renamed themselves the Emersons in order to sign with Newport Records for "Hungry" / "Joannie, Joannie," issued in 1958. Although it was the group's most highly acclaimed record, Newport went bust after its release. (Another version of "Hungry" was recorded by Billy Guy
of the Coasters in 1963.)
The Emersons kept going for a couple of years more, but disbanded after a 1961 release from United Artists
went no further than any of their previous records.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
vocal group.
The original members, Jimmy Caines (first tenor), brothers Thomas Cook (second tenor, lead) and Frankie Cook (baritone), Tommy Outlaw (bass), and Outlaw's cousin Douggy Williams (second tenor), formed in 1957 in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and began singing on street corners around 61st Street and Columbus Avenue. They became a quartet later that year when Outlaw and Williams left the group and tenor Eddie "California" Jones joined as lead singer.
The Demens issued their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Take Me As I Am" / "You Broke My Heart" on Teenage Records in August 1957, followed by "The Greatest of Them All" / "Hey Young Girl." Teenage disappeared soon after that, and the group renamed themselves the Emersons in order to sign with Newport Records for "Hungry" / "Joannie, Joannie," issued in 1958. Although it was the group's most highly acclaimed record, Newport went bust after its release. (Another version of "Hungry" was recorded by Billy Guy
Billy Guy
-Biography:Billy Guy is best known as a member of The Coasters, singing lead on such hits as "Searchin'," "Little Egypt," "Run Red Run," "Wait A Minute," among others. Before Guy joined The Coasters in 1955, he was part of a comedy singing duo called "Bip and Bop." One single called "Ding Ding...
of the Coasters in 1963.)
The Emersons kept going for a couple of years more, but disbanded after a 1961 release from United Artists
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
went no further than any of their previous records.
Recordings
- Teenage Records (The Demens)
- 1006 "Take Me As I Am" / "You Broke My Heart" — August 1957
- 1008 "The Greatest of Them All" / "Hey Young Girl" — 1957
- Newport Records (The Emersons)
- 7004 "Hungry" / "Joannie, Joannie" — October 1958
- Cub Records (The Emersons)
- 9027 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" / "The Hokey Pokey" — March 1959
- United Artists RecordsUnited Artists RecordsUnited Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
(The Emersons)- 379 "Down in the Valley" / "Loneliness" — November 1961
- Kairay Records (The Demons)
- 1003 "The Greatest of Them All" (Eddie Jones & Demons) / "Long Tall Texan" (Jim Mann & Demons)