TOUR NOTES BIOGRAPHIES
The G-Clefs
Consisting of 4 brothers and a friend from Roxbury, the G-Clefs hit the national charts in the summer of 1956 with their hit song, "Ka-Ding-Dong".
The four Scott Brothers, Teddy, Chris, Tim and Arnold were raised in Roxbury and their close friend Ray Gibson, lived next door. Another friend, Robert "Joe" Jordan, initially joined the group with Teddy, Chris, Timmy and Ray and soon called themselves The G Clefs.
Upon meeting producer Jack Gold, the G Clefs cut a rough demo called "Mary Lee" at Ace Recording Studios where they received local radio play. Once Jack Gold was appointed to Pilgrim Records, The G Clefs went with him. The result of their first Pilgrim session was "Ka-Ding-Dong" and became an immediate hit! The song peaked at #24 on the best sellers list and enjoyed a 13 week run! The song also moved to #9 on Billboard’s R&B list. The G Clefs were soon booked into the Apollo Theatre in Harlem and played Alan Freed’s Christmas Show in 1956.
Their next single "Cause You’re Mine" didn’t make much of a dent on the charts After the tune failed to dent any charts, the group joined Jack Gold at his new Paris label in late December (1956). Their first Paris single was "Symbol of Love," with Teddy Scott and Joe Jordan alternating leads. The song went Top 10 in Boston and was a Billboard Spotlight pick in 1957. The tune was backed by another great up-tempo mover, "Love Her in the Mornin'," featuring Jordan's powerful voice. It's probably that Jack Gold, who also produced the Four Esquires and Rosemary June, took an all-too-cautious, markedly conservative approach with the G-Clefs, pitching them more at the burgeoning pop crossover market and unjustly neglecting their strong R&B; roots. The next Paris release, "Zing Zang Zoo" backed by "Is This the Way?" were released in July 1957, and are great doo-wop tunes. Joe Smith debuted the disc as his "Record Of The Week" during the summer of 1957. Gold continued Paris for several years but the 'Clefs stopped recording when Joe Jordan was drafted. Arnold Scott replaced Jordan as the fifth member of the group.
The G-Clefs continued to release various hits with "I Understand", the standard "Auld Lang Syne", and "A Girl Has to Know". The G Clefs rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" went #1 in South Africa, and #2 in Germany and England. The group appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand seven times in their career!
The G-Clefs still perform with all the original members and are known for their impressive stage act, sharp outfits and great choreography.
Read more on The G Clefs at: www.colorradio.com/gclefs.htm
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