It’s been a long time since I put together a “jukebox Saturday Night” mix, so I’m woriking on the next. Meanwhile, I came across this old, favorite 45 in the process and thougth it was time for a throwdown here. The Avons were a talented doo wop group from Englewood, NJ, that formed in high school in 1954. Until they caught wind of a Los Angeles-based group with the same name, they were the Robins, and they then renamed themselves the Avons after a river in England. The original lineup consisted of Bob, Bill, and Wendell Lea; Curtis Norris, and Ervin Watson. The quintet woodsheded until confident enough to perform local gigs. By 1955, they were the hottest group in the area. A local businessman became their manager and arranged an audition with Bea Caslon, the owner of Hull Records. Caslon signed them on the spot to her fledging label, where they joined the Heartbeats of ‘A Thousand Miles Away’ and later ‘Daddy’s Home,’ of Shep & the Limelites fame. Unfortunately, the Avons never achieved the success the Heartbeats did, but managed to carve a spot in doo wop heaven with the recordings ‘Our Love Will Never Die’ (1956), ‘Baby’ (1957), and ‘You’re So Close to Me’ (1958). Prior to their second release, (‘Baby’) Uncle Sam began snatching Avons for military duty, first drafting Norris (bass), who was replaced by Franklin Cole, who was himself drafted and replaced by George Coleman. Then Sunny Harley replaced drafted baritone Bill Lea. The Avons’ final recording, ‘A Girl to Call My Own’ (1962), featured Harley. From 1955 to 1962, Hull released seven singles by them and not one hit or charted. Their changing lineup didn’t help and promo pictures were always out of date. Avid radio listeners who resided outside of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania during 1957 to 1962 missed the Avons entirely since they didn’t venture outside those four states — where their records were played — to gig. Decades later, via doo wop books, magazines, and CD reissues, the Avons are finally receiving the love and acclaim they sought when young and starry-eyed.

This is one of my favorite doo wops, and, along with the Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You”, transcends the style of the moment and provides a glimpse into the so-called Northern Soul style that would become so popular a decade or so later. Hull records was notorious for its inability to distribute the great records they produced, so several groups who had hits had their records distributed by larger labels of the time. The Heartbeats’ familiar track was picked up by George Goldner’s Rama imprint in 1956 and was reissued ad infinitum there. The record virtually called to me with the word ‘Fuzzy’ written across the label…

This wasn’t entirely accidental, I have to admit. Watching the DNC last night, the back up singers for Stevie Wonder reminded me of this record. So when i spotted it in the stacks this morning, I immediately pulled it out.

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[audio:http://www.paulcollegio.net/juke/juke0503/doowop.mp3]

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