Monday, January 25, 2016

Music Monday - Church Bells May Ring by The Willows (1956)

"Church Bells May Ring" is an old fashioned doo wop song.  Doo wop was a 1950's style of R&B music featuring vocal harmonies.  This was before my time, but I've discovered doo wop thanks to SiriusXM radio, and I truly love it.  I love a song with strong vocals, and especially with harmonies.

"Church Bells May Ring" was by The Willows.  This group hailed from Harlem, New York.  They started out as The Dovers, and then became The Five Willows.  Eventually they settled on The Willows as a group name.  The vocal group consisted of:  Tony Middleton (lead), Ralph Martin (tenor), Richie Davis (tenor), Joe Martin (baritone), and John Steel (bass).  This song charted at #114 on the Billboard record charts in 1956.

This song is new to me, but I love the energy and the great vocals.  And here's a bit of trivia -- Neil Sedaka plays the bells (chimes) on this record!

Do you like doo wop music and old fashioned 1950's vocals?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.