#724 (Week of 9/10/11 - 9/16/11)
"Harmony In Harlem"/"Honey Bunny Boo"
by The Quintones
Orchestra Under Direction Of Buck Ram
on Vocalion 5596
[Above photo provided by Marv Goldberg.]
Above: Photo of The Quintones from the 1940's. The group consisted of Patti Davis, Irving Deutsch, Murray Deutsch, Lloyd Hundling, and Al Lane. The Deutsch's were twins. At least at one point in 1938, there were two women and three men in the group (See still shots below).
From The Billboard 2/28/42: "Charlie Barnet Band... Al Lane, formerly one of the Quintones, handles the romantic ballads well, in the bary range...."
From The Billboard 3/21/42: "Murray Deutsch, former member of the Quintones and now in the army, is directing shows at Camp Croft, S.C. ...."
From The Billboard 12/26/42: "Irving Deutsch, former member of the Quintones and now a plugger for Leeds Music Company, was put into 4F by the army after his twin brother, Murray, had been accepted...."
There is evidence that this group still existed in 1946. From The Billboard 2/2/46, "Orin Tucker and his 20-piece crew... makes appearance... with the Quintones, four guys and a gal, contributing to the chirping side...."
Above Left: Buck Ram was a composer, arranger, publisher, talent manager, orchestra leader, and musician (clarinet, sax and piano).
Above Right: (Top: Billboard 10/27/51; Bottom: Billboard 8/5/54)
One small correction regarding "first time".... Buck Ram was fronting a band for The Quintones in 1939/40. Also, per column in The Billboard 8/5/44, Ram directed a 10-piece all-star band cutting four sides for Savoy Records. The all-stars included Teddy Wilson, Red Norvo, Earl Bostic, Don Byas, Remo Palmieri, Frankie Newton, and Slam Stewart.
[Jet Magazine 2/4/91]
(Above: Altoona Tribune 3/12/40; Right: Gettysburg Times 8/30/40)
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 23, 1938: The bandbox opens next Tuesday evening... The singing five of Radio fame, the Quintones... headline...
Washington Afro-American, July 15, 1939: Cab Now A Quintone—Cab Calloway and Chu Berry, Cab's sax star, with a jive gang from the band, signed up this week as the Quintones, to make records for Vocalion.
Bradford Daily Record, February 22, 1940: ...Featured with Jan Savitt and his Top Hatters orchestra are the Five Quintones, Bon Bon and Savett's Big Revue...
New York Age, May 24, 1941: One of Charley Barnett's better attractions is the sensational singing of the "Quintones," who are featured regularly in his NBC broadcasts from Chicago.
Long Island Daily Press, June 23, 1941: ...Patti Morgan, of the Quintones, and Bob Carroll, Charley Barnet's vocalist, don't seem to care who knows it...
Morning News (Hershey, PA), July 10, 1941: ...Charlie Barnett has surrounded himself with America's foremost dance musicians and specialists, including Bob Carroll, soloist, and "The Quintones," recently heard with Jan Savett's orchestra and guest stars on such radio shows as "Hobby Lobby," "The Magic Key," "We The People," and the "Fitch Bandwagon," with Kate Smith, Benny Goodman, Bing and Bob Crosby, and Alec Templeton...
Buffalo Courier Express, September 18, 1949: ...In another melodically suave waxing, Russ Case and his orchestra, for MGM, play a smooth waltz, I Know, I Know, I Know with the Quintones vocalizing...
(NOTE: Is this the same or a different Quintones group?)
EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):
Above are still shots from the 1938 musical short "Readin' Ritin' And Rhythm," where The Quintones sing "Jamboree Joe."
See the full video at YouTube, thanks to Ray Faiola.
Listen to audio of "Jamboree Joe" - The Quintones - 1938.
Above: Label image of Vocalion 5596 recorded on February 2, 1940 and released in June 1940. This is The Quintones' last of five records on Vocalion (1939-40). Buck Ram is co-composer on the flip side.
Listen to this week's selections by The Quintones on Vocalion 5596 from 1940:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
A. Stream RealAudio...
1. Harmony In Harlem
2. Honey Bunny Boo
BOTH played in sequence
B. Download RealAudio...
C. Stream/Download Media Player...
[To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]
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