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{{short description|American doo-wop vocal group}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2014}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Turbans | image = | caption = | origin = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, United States | genre = [[Doo-wop]], R&B | occupation = Vocal group | years_active = 1953β1962 | label = [[Herald Records|Herald]], [[Red Top Records|Red Top]], [[Roulette Records|Roulette]], [[Cameo-Parkway Records|Parkway]] | background = group_or_band | associated_acts = | past_members = {{Plainlist| * Al Banks * Matthew Platt * Charlie Williams * Andrew "Chet" Jones *Earl Worsham *John Christian *Reggie "Tootie" Price *James Oscar "Cisco" Williams *William "Sonny" Gordon }} | alias = | website = }} '''The Turbans''' were an American [[doo-wop]] vocal group that formed in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania in 1953. The original members were: Al Banks (lead tenor), Matthew Platt (second tenor), Charlie Williams (baritone), and Andrew "Chet" Jones (bass). They came from Downtown Philadelphia (around Bainbridge and South Street). Around Christmas of 1954, they won first prize in a talent contest singing their rendition of "[[White Christmas (song)|White Christmas]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks β The Turbans |url=https://www.uncamarvy.com/Turbans/turbans.html |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=www.uncamarvy.com}}</ref> This created interest among the local record companies, and in the late spring of 1955, they cut a demo record. Herman Gillespie, the group's first manager, took the demo record to Al Silver at [[Herald Records]] in New York City. They signed a contract in July 1955, and gained a new manager, Allen Best. Best worked for Shaw Artists Corporation. =="When You Dance"== During July 1955, the Turbans had their first Herald recording session, and later that month their first record, pairing "Let Me Show You (Around My Heart)" as the "A" side with "[[When You Dance (song)|When You Dance]]" as the flip side, was released. Although "Let Me Show You" became a regional hit in [[Atlanta]], [[Cleveland]] [[Pittsburgh]], Detroit, [[Boston]], and [[New Orleans]], interest began to grow in "When You Dance".{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} At first it started to break in New York City, [[Philadelphia]], Washington D.C. and [[Baltimore]], until finally, in November, it hit the national R&B and Pop charts.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} "When You Dance" reached No. 3 on the R&B chart, and remained there for about two months.{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} It only rose to No. 33 on the pop chart, but stayed there for about five months, so it was counted as a significant hit.{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} ==Late 1955βearly 1956== In December 1955, Herald Records released "Sister Sooky/Iβll Always Watch Over You" as a follow-up record, but this failed to chart. With one national hit, however, in late January 1956, they went on a tour, joining [[Irvin Feld]]βs "Super Attractions Tour".{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} Then in March 1956, they joined another tour, which featured [[Roy Gaines]], [[Guitar Slim]], [[Margie Day]], and [[Lloyd Lambert]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} They then became part of the "Rhythm And Blues Show Of 1956" and in April 1956, "Iβm Nobodyβs"/"B-I-N-G-O" was released,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/h1242&rc= |title=The Turbans β B-I-N-G-O (Bingo) / I'm Nobody's β Herald β USA β H-478 |publisher=45cat |date= |accessdate=2014-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L4ghJfL5iBIC | title = Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups | page = 580 | first=Mitch |last=Rosalsky | publisher = Scarecrow Press | year = 2002 | isbn = 9780810845923 }}</ref><ref name="marv">{{cite web|url=http://home.att.net/~marvy42/Turbans/turbans.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060612220045/http://home.att.net/~marvy42/Turbans/turbans.html |archivedate=2006-06-12 |url-status=dead |title=The Turbans |last=Goldberg |first=Marv |work=Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks |year=2000 }}</ref> but this did not make the national charts. By July, they were touring the [[Midwest]] with [[Sonny Boy Williamson II|Sonny Boy Williamson]]βs orchestra. In August 1956, "It Was A Night Like This"/"All Of My Love" was released, but this record also failed to make the national charts. Finally, on October 21, they played the [[Circle Theater (Cleveland, Ohio)|Circle Theater]] in [[Cleveland]], with [[Don Rello]], [[the Quails]] and Ralph Wilson's orchestra.{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} ==1957== As 1957 dawned, with no more hit records, the Turbans were running out of work. They were back in the studio in early 1957, but two more sessions failed to produce any hit records. By July 1957, their contract with [[Herald Records]] expired. This lack of success led to personnel changes, some of which were temporary, some of which were permanent. ==Red Top records== In late 1958, the now-reconstructed Turbans signed with [[Red Top Records]]. Matthew Platt and Charlie Williams had been replaced by Earl Worsham (first and second [[tenor]]) and John Christian ([[baritone]]/second tenor), both of whom had sung with the [[Quadrells]]. They released a single called "I Promise You"/"Curfew Time." Again, both sides were led by Banks. This record failed to chart, so the Turbans did no further recording for about two years. Jones left the group for a while, and they continued on as a trio. ==Early 1960s and Roulette records== In 1960, they moved to [[Morris Levy]]βs [[Roulette Records]]. Jones returned, and they recorded "Diamonds And Pearls," backed with "Bad Man". It was a group called the [[Paradons]], though, who had a hit with the song. In January 1961, their second (and final) Roulette release was "Three Friends" (written by [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]]), backed with "Iβm Not Your Fool Anymore". This again failed to chart. ==Parkway records== The next stop for the Turbans was [[Bernie Lowe]]βs and [[Kal Mann]]βs [[Cameo-Parkway Records|Parkway Records]]. By this time, Jones, one of the mainstays of the group, had departed. The group was now Al Banks, Earl Worsham, John Christian, and newly-added bass, Reggie "Tootie" Price. At Parkway, they recorded an updated version of "When You Dance," released in February 1961 to compete with the re-released original Herald version. In the spring of 1960, the original Herald version of "When You Dance" had been included on the second volume of [[Art Laboe]]βs "Oldies But Goodies" album series. It created enough demand for Herald to re-release the original single in February 1961. It was not a big hit the second time around, but it still managed to struggle to No. 114 on the Pop charts. ==Imperial records== Later in 1961, with no chart success at [[Cameo-Parkway Records|Parkway Records]], they signed with [[Imperial Records]]. Price left, and was replaced by James Oscar "Cisco" Williams, (a bass/baritone/tenor){{Citation needed|date=October 2007}}, who had also been with the [[Quadrells]]. The group was now a quintet, with the fifth member being tenor William "Sonny" Gordon, who had been the lead of the Angels in 1954. Their first Imperial release was "Six Questions" (led by Banks), backed with "The Lament Of Silver Gulch". In March 1962, there was a second Imperial release, "This Is My Story"/"Clicky Clicky Clack," both sides featuring Banks. The final Turbansβ record appeared in May 1962: "I Wonder"/"The Damage Is Done," with Sonny Gordon taking the lead on both sides. None of these three releases charted. ==The Turbans break up== After Imperial, the Turbans broke up for good. Worsham went off to [[Billy Byrd]]'s [[Ink Spots]], and then he sang with a [[The Coasters|Coasters]] group based in [[Boca Raton]]. Banks was with [[Charlie Thomas (musician)|Charlie Thomas' Drifters]] in the early 1970s. Andrew "Al" Banks died in July 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks β The Turbans |url=https://www.uncamarvy.com/Turbans/turbans.html |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=www.uncamarvy.com}}</ref> William "Sonny" Gordon died on January 2, 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks β SONNY GORDON & THE ANGELS |url=https://www.uncamarvy.com/SonnyGordonAngels/sonnygordonangels.html |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=www.uncamarvy.com}}</ref> John Christian Died in 1996.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Turbans β "When You Dance" Live -c. 1972 | date=March 21, 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PxSs5GHwWM |access-date=2023-06-26 |language=en}}</ref> Andrew "Chet" Jones died on June 25, 1998<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 1998 β 1999 |url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1998.html |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=thedeadrockstarsclub.com}}</ref> Earl Worsham died on June 20, 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks β The Turbans |url=https://www.uncamarvy.com/Turbans/turbans.html |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=www.uncamarvy.com}}</ref> ==Discography== source:<ref name="marv"/> ; Singles under Herald label * "When You Dance" (1955) * "Sister Sookey" (1955) * "B-I-N-G-O (Bingo)" (1956) β a doo-wop song written by Robert Riley, based on the Bingo (U.S.) game, 1956, also sung by [[Pat Boone]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://swisscharts.com/song/Pat-Boone/B-I-N-G-O-910289 |title=Pat Boone β B-I-N-G-O |publisher=swisscharts.com |date=August 25, 2012 |accessdate=2014-03-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/dep530 |title=Pat Boone β Bingo / Flip Flop And Fly β Dot β USA β DEP 530 |publisher=45cat |date= |accessdate=2014-03-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/h1242 |title=The Turbans β B-I-N-G-O (Bingo) / I'm Nobody's β Herald β USA β H-478 |publisher=45cat |date= |accessdate=2014-03-05}}</ref> * "I'm Nobody's" (1956) * "It was a Nite Like This" (1956) * "Valley of Love" (1957) * "Congratulations" (1957) * "When You Dance" (1961) ; Singles under other labels * "Promise You Love" (Red Top, 1958) * "Diamonds and Pearls" (Roulette, 1960) * "Three Friends" (Roulette, 1961) * "Golden Rings" (Parkway, 1961) * "Six Questions" (Imperial, 1961) * "This Is My Story" (Imperial, 1962) * "I Wonder" (Imperial, 1962) ; Compilation albums ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060612220045/http://home.att.net/~marvy42/Turbans/turbans.html Marv Goldberg's R & B Note Books β The Turbans] * {{Discogs artist|The Turbans}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Turbans, The}} [[Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups]] [[Category:Doo-wop groups]] [[Category:Imperial Records artists]]
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