The 1950’s Fabulous Foursome! This   is   a   fan   site   of   the   original   Diamonds   of   the   1950s. All hailing   from   Canada,   they   made   their   way   to      the   U.   S., and   with   their   songs   and   energy,   endeared   themselves   to their fans forever.

ROCK AND ROLL DIAMONDS: CANADA'S VERY OWN -PAGE 2 By Andy Merey - 2004 (The following article is from Discoveries Magazine by Andy Merey and is presented here by permission) Buddy   Holly:   "How   long   will   rock   and   roll   last   Dave?"   Dave   Somerville:   "Six   months?"   Buddy   Holly:   "I   hope you're wrong Dave. I think rock and roll is good for a year." Come,   let's   stroll:    Chuck   Willis,   known   as   "King   of   The   Stroll",   popularized   the   dance   craze   The   Stroll   in   the   spring   of 1957 with his record, "C.C. Rider". The song was derived from Ma Rainey's 1925 hit, "See See Rider Blues". Towards   the   end   of   that   year,   Clyde   Otis,   the   newly   installed A   &   R   executive   at   the   major   Mercury   Record   Corporation, was   approached   by   The   Diamonds   and   asked   to   write   a   song   revolving   around   the   dance   craze   called   The   Stroll,   which was receiving major exposure on American Bandstand. Clyde   Otis   was   by   then   an   already   established   songwriter   with   such   songs   as   "That's   All   There   Is   To   That"   recorded   by Nat   "King"   Cole.   In   1958,   Cole   would   also   sing   the   fine   classic   "Looking   Back",   co-written   by   Clyde   Otis,   Brook   Benton and   Belford   Hendricks.   There   Is   To   That"   recorded   by   Nat   "King"   Cole.   In   1958,   Cole   would   also   sing   the   fine   classic "Looking   Back",   co-written   by   Clyde   Otis,   Brook   Benton   and   Belford   Hendricks.   That   same   year,   Elvis   Presley   charted with "Dont'cha Think It's Time", another great Clyde Otis composition. Mr.   Otis'   tenure   as   producer   and   Artist   &   Repertoire   director   at   Mercury   between   1958   and   1961,   resulted   in   his navigating   and   bringing   together   an   amazing   number   of   varied   recordings   so   rich   in   their   musical   sound,   that   they   would place   him   right   at   the   top   of   a   list   of   a   select   group   of   rare   talent.   Other   producers   who   had   their   own   unique   artistry   of sound   during   the   1950s   were.   Chet Atkins   at   RCA   Victor,   Owen   Bradley   at   Decca,   Sam   Phillips   at   Sun   and   Norman   Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. It   is   odd   then   that   Charlie   Gillet's   detailed   account   of   the   history   of   rock   and   roll   as   laid   out   in   his   revered   book,   "The Sound   of   the   City",   first   published   in   1970,   makes   no   mention,   not   even   a   passing   glance,   to   the   man   who   teamed   up with   Belford   Hendricks   towards   the   end   of   the   1950s   to   produce   all   those   marvellous   Brook   Benton   records   on   Mercury. Carl   Beltz   in   "The   Story   of   Rock"   also   failed   to   acknowledge   the   greatness   of   Clyde   Otis.   Could   this   then   indicate   a   mere form   of   opinion   held   by   this   writer?   The   vast   scope   and   volume   of   the   recorded   music   that   received   the   touch   of   Clyde Otis' hand surely stands as evidence to the contrary. Many   artists   under   contract   with   Mercury   at   that   time   were   bestowed   with   the   Otis-Hendricks   Midas   touch,   an   identifiable sound   with   particular   emphasis   on   highly   sophisticated,   sometimes   boisterous,   but   tightly   executed,   string   arrangements. Bentons'   full-blown   but   intricate   version   of   "Fools   Rush   In",   complete   with   an   effectively   abrupt,   dramatic   ending   or   Sarah Vaughn's   elaborately   created   "Smooth   Operator";   Damita   Jo's   fast-moving   "Keep Your   Hands   Off   of   Him"   or   both   sides   of a   more   obscure   single   by   Johnny   Oliver   (a   complete   Brook   Benton   ringer)   called   "What   Went   Wrong"   b/w   "If   Ever   a   Man Needed   Someone",   are   some   examples   of   records   that   certified   the   genius   and   artistry   of   Clyde   Otis,   producer   and songwriter.   Subsequently,   after   leaving   Mercury,   he   briefly   joined   Liberty   Records.   this   then   produced   the   remarkable   hit "Hurt" by Timi Yuro, further underscoring his special abilities. Mr.   Otis   wrote   and   produced   "The   Stroll"   for   The   Diamonds.   The   single   became   one   of   the   top   hits   of   1958   and   The Diamonds'   second   million   seller.   It   was   a   tough   rhythm   arrangement   that   was   heard   on   the   record,   much   in   the   vein   of "Rumble"   by   Link   Wray,   though   perhaps   not   as   sinister.   "The   Stroll"   had   high   production   values.   It   is   fitting   then,   to   know of   the   revelation   that   Fats   Domino's   band,   including   Lee   Allen   and   Cornelius   Coleman,   with   special   guest   King   Curtis, were   flown   in   for   the   recording   session!   Mickey   &   Sylvia   were   inspired   to   record   a   spin-off   single   called   "Rock   &   Stroll Room"   (Vik   X4X-0234),   but   clearly   the   other   side   of   that   45,   "Bewildered",   was   much   more   appealing,   especially because of Mickey Baker's predominantly haunting guitar. Who   was   Nancy   Lee?:    Curiously,   on   the   original   "Stroll"   45,   Clyde   Otis   shares   songwriter   credits   with   the   mysterious Nancy   Lee.   Upon   examining   the   original   legal   songwriter   document   for   "The   Stroll",   signed   on   November   17,   1957   by Meridian   Music   Corporation   and   the   other   parties   involved,   it   reveals   that   Nancy   Lee   was   seventeen   at   the   time,   too young to sign the contract on her own, so her mother co-signed as legal guardian. It   seems   strange   and   unlikely   that   an   established   songwriter   of   the   stature   of   Clyde   Otis   would   team   up   with   an underage,   seventeen-year   old   schoolgirl   in   the   big   city   of   New   York   and   collaborate   with   her   in   composing   "The   Stroll".   I asked   David   Somerville   about   Nancy   Lee   and   how   did   she   come   about   co-writing   "The   Stroll".   He   said,   "You   wanna know   something?   She   didn't   write   a   damn   thing.   The   song   belonged   to   Clyde   Otis.   She   was   the   daughter   of   one   of   the executives at the publishing company." The   songwriter   share   was   divided   up   as   follows:   66   2/3%   for   Clyde   Otis   who   solely   wrote   the   song,   and   33   1/3%   for Nancy   Lee,   er,   Meridian   Music   Corporation.   But   such   shenanigans   shouldn't   really   come   as   a   surprise,   for   they   ran rampant within record companies and music publishing firms during the 1950s. In   the   case   of   Nancy   Lee,   the   misfeasance   was   unabashedly   blatant.   The   sheet   music   for   "The   Stroll"   featured   a   photo of   Nancy   Lee,   identified   as   co-writer,   flanked   by   The   Diamonds   in   Stroll   position.   The   British   version   featured   a   similar picture   but   with   Nancy   Lee   in   Stroll   action   as   she   is   being   observed   by   The   Diamonds.   But   this   was   an   imaginative   and cute   idea   just   the   same.   Most   sheet   music   at   the   time   simply   featured   a   picture   of   the   song   artists;   seldom   were   there any action shots. The   uncovering   of   the   truth   behind   songwriter   credits   for   "The   Stroll"   only   solidifies   the   great   natural   talent   of   Clyde   Otis and his capacity for producing and writing classics such as "The Stroll". Twilight    years:    The    Diamonds    continued    to    enjoy    relative    chart    success    towards    the    end    of    the    '50s,    despite replacements   within   the   group,   starting   with   Mike   Douglas   in   mid   1957.   "Walking   Along"   (first   by   The   Solitaires)   was   a nice,   "straight-ahead"   rock   and   roll   record   followed   by   further   chart   activity   with   such   singles   as   "She   Say"   (co-written   by Barry   Mann),   "A   Mother's   Love"   and   "Sneaky   Alligator".   However,   by   the   turn   of   the   decade,   the   writing   on   the   wall indicated   that   the   glory   years   for   The   Diamonds   was   starting   to   wane   and   music   chart   contention   was   beginning   to simmer.   In   the   meantime,   producer   David   Carroll   found   more   success   as   a   recording   artist   in   his   own   right;   with   the   instrumental hit   "The   White   Rose   of   Athens"   (Mercury   71917).   In   1962,   he   also   recorded   an   interesting   instrumental   take   on   Neil Sedaka's   "Oh!   Carol"   (Mercury   71994),   which   The   Diamonds   adequately   "covered"   a   couple   of   years   before   but   failed   to have the song released, except in Australia. One   last   chart   hurray   occurred   with   a   fine   hit   version   of   The   Danleers'   "One   Summer   Night",   the   last   Diamonds   record with    lead    singer    David    Somerville.    His    extraordinary    vocal    talent    can    largely    credit    him    with    the    success    of   The Diamonds, by bridging the gap between white pop and black rhythm and blues. Continued on page 3.