Cleve
Duncan Tribute
Lead of the Penguins
1935 - November 6, 2012
Cleveland "Cleve" Duncan, lead singer of the R&B group,
the Penguins, and one of the most recognizable voices of the 1950's for his
recording of "Earth Angel" died Tuesday, November 6, 2012. He was 77.
Some reports say that Cleve died suddenly either while waiting in line to
vote, or having just voted, in the Presidential election. We have yet
to confirm that but we do know that Cleve's "Earth Angel" remains one of the
most remembered songs of the 20th Century.
"Earth Angel" is but one of scores of great records
recorded by the Penguins, but it is the song that will forever come to mind
when one thinks of the group. The origin of the song "Earth Angel"
occurred long before there was even a Penguins group. Los Angeles in
the early 1950's was a hotbed for group harmony. One of the most
prolific songwriters and singers of the area was Jesse Belvin. Belvin
mentored many Los Angeles singers, often teaching them harmony and sharing
his compositions with them. There are many stories of how "Earth
Angel" came about, but one of the most believable is that Jesse Belvin began
writing "Earth Angel" and shared it with his friends Curtis Williams and
Gaynel Hodge who were singing and recording with the Hollywood Flames at the
time. When Belvin was drafted, Williams and Hodge added their own
input to the song. The Hollywood Flames rehearsed it but never
recorded it. Gaynel Hodge soon left the Hollywood Flames to become an
original member of the Platters and Curtis Williams left to form the
Penguins with Cleveland Duncan, Dexter Tisby and Bruce Tate. With
Cleve Duncan on lead, the Penguins signed with Dootsie William's Dootone
label in 1954 after Dootsie heard the group at a talent show. The
Penguins began rehearsing "Earth Angel" themselves. The name
"Penguins" came from "Willie The Penguin" on the packs of Kool cigarettes.
(Left photo, Jesse Belvin. Right photo, Gaynell
Hodge with Pam Horner)
After an unsuccessful release of "Ain't No News Today,"
the Penguins thought about recording "Earth Angel". Dootsie Williams
was recording the group in Ted Brinson's garage studio. Brinson was a
former bass player with Jimmie Lunsford's Orchestra and was a distant
relative of Cleve Duncan. Brinson's studio was crude by today's
standards and it's been reported the the recording session had to be stopped
on a couple occasions by the dog barking next door. The "A" side of
the next release was supposed to be "Hey Senorita" but radio disk jockeys
started flipping the record over and "Earth Angel" became a huge cross over
hit.
The Penguins: Clockwise from top, Curtis
Williams, Bruce Tate,
Dexter Tisby, Cleveland Duncan.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Sales of "Earth Angel" took off so quickly that Dootone
began pressing it on whatever paper they had. This led to the record
coming out on several different color Dootone labels, including shiny red
(first press), maroon, black and blue labels.
First press of "Earth Angel" on shiny red
label.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
"Earth Angel" on blue label
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Original sheet music to "Earth Angel"
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
Released sometime later on the Power label
with a picture sleeve,
this take of "Earth Angel" has a longer piano introduction.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
The Penguins' next Dootone release was "Love Will Make Your
Mind Go Wild" backed with "Ookey Ook," (a dance based on a penguin walk).
"Earth Angel" took off first in Los Angeles. The Penguins were soon in
demand on the West Coast, performing on Johnny Otis' stage shows as well as
many others.
The Penguins with Johnny Otis (center)
(Autographed photo from the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
By the Fall of 1954, "Earth Angel" was a nationwide hit.
A cover version by the white group, the Crew Cuts, began cutting into the
Penguins' record sales. Eventually the Crew Cuts version made #3 on
the Pop Charts with the Penguins version reaching #8. The Penguins
"Earth Angel" however was #1 on the R&B Charts. By early 1955, the
Penguins began performing on the East Coast.
The Penguins: From left, Curtis
Williams, Cleveland Duncan,
Dexter Tisby and Bruce Tate.
(Photo from the cover of Dootone/Dooto EP-101)
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
By early 1955, the Penguins left Dootone and
signed with Buck Ram, manager of the Platters. Buck Ram took the
Penguins to Mercury Records, insisting that Mercury also sign his other
group, the Platters, in order to get the Penguins. The Penguins were
now hot, appearing on Alan Freed's Easter Show at the Brooklyn Paramount.
(From the Classic Urban Harmony Archives)
From the Cool Cool Penguins EP
1958 Penguins: From left, Randy Jones, Cleve Duncan,
Teddy Harper, Dexter Tisby
Recording for Mercury, the Penguins continued turning out
great recordings, like "Be Mine Or Be A Fool," "Devil That I See," "A
Christmas Prayer," and "My Troubles Are Not At End". They even
re-recorded "Earth Angel" for Mercury.
Meanwhile, lawsuits started flying regarding the ownership
of "Earth Angel," a matter that would not be settled until some years later.
The Penguins would eventually return to Dooto as well as
record for Atlantic, Eldo, Sun State and Original Sound. Their last
"hit" came in 1963, when Cleve Duncan sang "Memories Of El Monte" backed by
a Penguins group of which he was the only original.
Cleve Duncan continued on the Oldies Circuit, in constant
demand to sing "Earth Angel". He died on November 6, 2012.
Copyright © Classic Urban Harmony LLC, 2008
- 2012. All
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