| The Diamonds spanned the transition between Pop and Rock & Roll, evolving at the moment when wine, women and song were morphing into sex, drugs and rock & roll. The four of us met by chance in a hallway at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, November 1953. We wanted to swing like The Mills Brothers and croon like The Inkspots. Rock& Roll was still a couple years off. We worked a year and a half rehearsing standards, spirituals and barbershop. Stalwart material for our early night club appearances. August 1st, 1955, we won Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. February, 1956, we met Cleveland's genius DJ, Dr. Bill Randle, who placed us with Mercury Records in Chicago, and chose material for both sides of our first four releases. They all charted. It was a new music and a new singing style for us.
"Here's a stand of seventeen that didn't make the Billboard charts. Nevertheless, in my biased opinion, they still deserve a listen. Each arrangement has a foot planted firmly in either our early repertoire or Rock & Roll. Give ear!" - Dave Somerville
This collection is dedicated to the memory of original Diamond Bill Reed, who left us too soon, to sing bass with the heavenly choir.
Compilation Produced by Dave Somerville
Remastered and enhanced by W. Michael Lewis at Wombat Music, West Hollywood, CA
Cover photo by Marilyn Bond (1958)
1994 Photo by Henry Niedzwiecki
Art Direction: Denise Biron, W. Michael Lewis |
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