While looking through the Classic Urban Harmony Archives this week to pick records to spin at the TNT North Jersey R&B and Doo Wop Party (South Hackensack, NJ) we came across a long forgotten unreleased metal acetate of historic significance. The record is “Magic Rose” b/w “Come Back To My Heart” by the Valitors, a doo wop group that became Mark Stevens & the Charmers. They would later re-record both sides for the Allison label around 1962. These are very early versions of the songs recorded with much less instrumentation.
The acetate, most likely the only copy in existence, was recorded at Broadway Recording Studios, 1697 Broadway, in NYC. The Valitors are listed on the hand-typed label as Mark Stein, Percy Fair, Ray Block and Larry Morralle.
Mark Stein (Mark Stevens) later formed and led the rock band, Vanillia Fudge, whose interpretation of the Supremes’ hit, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” in 1967 was an important link in the transition between psychedelic rock and heavy metal.
Mark Stein and his first group, the Valitors/Charmers were from Bayonne, NJ. In an interview posted on www.mark-stein.com, Mark reflects on the group, Mark Steven & the Charmers. “Back in High School I started. I was really into [singing in vocal groups]. I was always singing. I put together a bunch of groups through high school. Through my association with Neil [Bogart], we kind of got together and got a record deal, we went and cut a single and I remember vaguely we were supposed to go on a couple of Rock’n’Roll shows, you know Cousin Brucie, he was a real big-time DJ back then. Anyway, I remember we were supposed to go on, and a couple of the guys that were singing in the group got in a car accident and got killed.”
The acetate (and corresponding commercial release on Allison) is probably the first record produced by Neil Bogart. Bogart went on to form Casablanca Records, the label that gave us Donna Summer, KISS, the Village People, Parliament-Funkadelic and many more artists.
We’ll be playing the acetate at the TNT Doo Wop R&B Party, PL Lounge, 51 Louis St., South Hackensack, NJ on July 8. Doors open at 7 PM. All are welcomed. See our Events page for details.
Update: This from our friend Ray Block (of Vintage, the Ad Libs, etc. and now of the Vic Donna Group): “Charlie I am on that record both the acetate and the Allison label .The members were Mark Stein Ray Block Larry Morreale and Percy Fair who died in an auto crash in 1962 The band on the Allison Label was The Darts and the director was Neil Bogart who went on to, I believe, Casablanca records. The Valitors also recorded under Mark Stevens and the Charmers. The early recordings done by Mark Stevens and the Charmers with the personnel being Mark Stein, Ray Block, Walter Thompson and Nat Schenker were done at The Broadway Recording Studios under the direction of Al Griner who produced the first record called ‘Maxine’. ‘Portrait of Love’ and ‘Danny Boy’ were also recorded by Mark Stevens and the Charmers with the personnel being Mark Stein Ray Block Walter Thompson and Nat Schenker.”
