In 1966 The Tropics won The International Battle of the Bands held at the famous McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The Band took first place over more than 1000 bands, which included names as Chicago and Tommy James & The Shondells. Out of that came a recording contract with Columbia Records and the single "Take the Time," produced by Teo Macero, which made it to the top of the charts and got a "92" on Dick Clark's American Bandstand!
The Four Seasons (since 1967, known off and on as Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons - although not shown that way on any of their hit records), is an American pop and rock group from Newark, NJ. They also had a sound somewhat reminiscent of doo-wop, although they were not thought of as a doo wop quartet. By the mid 1960s, The Four Seasons had become an internationally famous rock and roll group. In 1960, the group known as The Four Lovers evolved into The Four Seasons...
The Missing Links were an Australian R&B group from the mid-1960s who were renowned for their (for the time) outrageously long hair and especially for their adventurous musical style, which influenced many later Australian groups, including The Saints. The second incarnation of The Missing Links is also notable for launching the careers of New Zealand-born singer-actor Andy Anderson and guitarist and songwriter Doug Ford, who later became the lead guitarist in The Masters Apprentices.
Ben E. King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson in September 28, 1938 in Henderson, North Carolina) is an American soul and pop singer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand By Me", a top ten hit in both 1961 and 1986. In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959).
More than one band have used this name, including: 1.) A garage band formed in Danville, IL in the mid-1960's. The members were only 12 or 13 years old when they recorded their sole single, 1966's "Try"/"Goodbye," issued on the Milky Way label (most famous as the home of rockabilly garage wildman Dean Carter). Both sides of the single were written by Cobras guitarist Eric Welsch, and considering the age of the performers, it wasn't bad.
