"The Calvanes" To Perform on a West Coast Doo Wop Cruise

May 21, 2008 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES, CA –  Grant Williams CEO of Memory Lane Concert Cruises today announced. The prestigious Calvanes will be among the twelve groups appearing on the legendary West Coast Doo Wop Cruise. “The Calvanes were one of the sweetest sounding of all the Los Angeles harmony groups they were silky smooth and so cool.’ said Williams  

The Calvanes original members attended Manual Arts High School in South-Central Los Angeles in 1954. They were Lorenzo "Bobby" Adams, Sterling Meade, Stewart Crunk and Jack Harris. One day Carlyle Dundee aka Robert Mosely overheard heard the than "wannabes" singing.  Dundee told them that he had contacts in the music industry and wanted to form a group to record the two songs he had written. Dundee asked them to join him.  

Producer Lee Silver recorded the two songs, "Never" and "Evil One” as Carlyle Dundee and the Dundee’s.  Shortly afterwards Dundee himself left the group. The remaining four background singers stayed with Silver long enough to record two more songs, with "Bobby" Adams as lead under the name The Wonders. Shortly afterward, the quartet broke up.

What the group never realized when they recorded "Never" in 1954. The song with the nonsense syllables "doo-wop” in the background. Was responsible in coining the music we came to love as "Doo Wop". Even thought the East Coast also takes credit for coining it with The Turbans' 1955 hit “When You Dance".  "Never” was on a label almost a year earlier.

In the late spring of 1955, Crunk and Adams decided to get back together. After recruiting Jack Harris, they found Joe Hampton and than Herman Pruitt, who had a smooth, soulful way with ballads. They called themselves The Calvanes, an odd name that Crunk came up with because, as he said at the time, "It just sounded good." They signed with Dootone and recorded several original songs. Their first single was the ballad, "Don't Take Your Love (From Me)," backed by an up-tempo number, "Crazy Over You,” Pruitt sang lead on both sides. The record did great around California and landed them on a couple of TV shows, including Hunter Hancock's "Rhythm & Bluesville.  

In 1996, United in Group Harmony Association (UGHA) voted the “Calvanes" their Group of the Year and invited them back east to receive the prestigious award and they performed in New Jersey and Pittsburgh. The group has returned to the area on several occasions, and showed outstanding performances to their many fans. Today the Calvanes are one of the most beloved and revered of all Los Angeles groups.  

On April 19 2009, the Calvanes will perform on Carnival cruise lines newest and most innovative ship in the world the Splendor. Sailing from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera on a 7-day cruise. There has never been a Doo Wop event this spectacular on the West Coast in over fifty years. Featuring recording artists who were popular from 1952 to 1963.  

http://www.mlccruises.com

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Memory Lane Concert Cruises is musical theme cruise operator. Offering world-class concerts of performing artists in an array of music styles aboard luxury liners.

http://www.mlccruises.com