Mop Top Mike suggested I cover the Majestics, an unknown group who cut this one 45 for MGM in 1965. Hopefully we’ll be able to find some more info on this band.
The A-side is “Smile Through My Tears”, a ballad something in the style of the Beau Brummels, written by Cruz-Columbo. It’s backed with “Love Has Forgotten Me”, which I find less compelling.
Tommy Smalls produced the single independently. Mastered in late 1965, MGM purchased it for release in April, 1966. Tommy Smalls is possibly the same DJ known as “Dr. Jive” who was involved in the payola scandal in 1958. That Tommy Smalls relocated to Los Angeles, where he was an R&B DJ for KADY in 1964 then back to New York at WLIB in 1965. By 1968 he was Vice-President in charge of r&b for Jubilee Records.
The publishing was through Earl Music, BMI, though I can’t find any listing in BMI’s database for either song.
The MGM Labels: 1961-1982 by Michel Ruppli and Ed Novitsky indicates “Smile Through My Tears” and the flip as “purchased titles” and “this group was listed in files as “The Mysterians”.
Other groups called the Majestics
There were many other groups by the name Majestics. I don’t think any are related to this group, but I’ll list some of them here.
The one closest in time to this group recorded the soul classic “(I Love Her So Much) It Hurts Me” b/w “Girl Of My Dreams” on Linda 121, both songs written by Arthur Robles, produced for Faro Productions and released in the fall of 1965. The same songs (minus the horn intro on “It Hurts Me”) had a second release as by David and Ruben on Warner Bros 7316, this time listing production by Eddie Davis. A third release on Rampart in 1969 reused the original Linda stampers. David and Ruben were Art Robles’ brothers. Their group was generally known as ‘Art’s Majestics’.
Interestingly, there was another release by the Majestics on Linda 111, “Strange World” / “Everything Is Going to Be All Right” (by Chick Carlton, produced by Bobby Gross), but this is on the blue Linda label, distributed by Scepter, NY in 1963. Supposedly, this was another band entirely, black, not Hispanic.
Other Majestics include: a doo-wop group from Detroit who recorded for Contour, Chex and V.I.P.; a Miami, Florida group who cut “Cave Man Rock” on Marlin; a vocal group from Massachusetts who recorded for 20th Century Fox and other labels.
Background on unrelated Majestics groups from Soulsource and Doo-Wop.blogg.org. Thanks to Mike Markesich for the scan and transfers.
…plus the Majestics of “Big Noise From Makaha” (comped on The Surf Creature)… btw: thanks for your ongoin’efforts!
all the best from Italy!
The Majestics your showing is not the same Majestics your talking about doing “Strange World” Chick Carlton and the Majestics recorded for Faro Records in 1959, with “So You Want To Rock” and “Strange World” was recorded by The Atlantics, not the Majestics; with Chick Carlton singing lead and Barry White singing in the background. Although the group was Barry White’s he was not singing lead at the time and let Chick do the lead singing. Now that you have your fact corrected; please do your homework before printing information on old groups.
Barry moved to Las Vegas in the 80’s and Chick moved to Las Vegas in the 90’s. They remained friends until Barry passed.
Sincerly,
Chick Carlton / facebook
I was very clear that these are all different groups. There certainly was a release of “Strange World” as by the Majestics. Here’s the white label promo version, the stock copies were blue:
The question is: why did Faro/Linda call the group the Majestics on the single if it was recorded by you and the Atlantics? Just a mistake or is there a reason for it?
Below is the later single on Linda by Art Robles group:
Eddie Davis President of Faro Records, loved “Names” of groups and would use any artist he felt like to be the group. When he took Strange World by the Atlantics, and put it on the New York cut, he might have had a problem with Barry White and changed the name to my old group The Majestics. The “I Love Her So Much” is just another one of Eddie’s mood swings. I wrote ” So You Want To Rock” and the origial record had Frankie Brown as writer, my wife. Eddie was hard to understand and did things like this all the time. I did not write Turkey Time, Eddie wrote it, but put my name on it with Bobby Gross. I hope this gives you some kind of idea of Eddie’s mind set.
If anyone wants to confirm statements about Faro Records, in the old day please feel
free to contact me on facebook or shadowfaces@aol.com – I signed a long term contract with Eddie L. Davis in 1959 and recorded “So You Want To Rock” with one of Eddie’s groups called The Majestics. Eddie was a man that loved to just get in the studio and try new ideas. It was a family type company and it was all fun. Bob Eubanks, Dick Moreland, Emperor Hudson, all the KRLA D.J. from Pasadena were always at The Rainbow Gardens shows. It was the best years of my life and I will always appreciate Eddie L. Davis for letting me write so many songs for his groups. Hector Gonzales is now the CEO of Faro/Rampart and we are very close friends
Chick Carlton -North Las Vegas, Nevada
After 40 years Chick Carlton will be recording a collection of songs at weststudios in Simi Valley. Many of the songs will be released on a world wide
internet site. Hector Gonzales and Del Frankin are scheduled to be on that session. President of weststudios Doug Young and Chick have been friends for ovr 30 years, the reunion will also feature guitarist and partner Tom Hensley. Chick can be contacted on facebook and shadowfaces@aol.com
Majestics and Atlantics:
The Majestics listed for “Strange World” is really just The Atlantics record of the same name. For some reason Eddie Davis the president of Faro/Rampart released “Strange World” as The Majestics, maybe because The Atlantics group broke up when Barry White left to be a solo artist and Chick was known for his “So You Want To Rock” with the Majestics, so Eddie just changed the group name and re-released the song again. Please contact me directly for concerns or questions. Chick Carlton / Facebook /shadowfaces@aol.com youtube 37Chic
Just reading all the replys to The Atlantics and Majestics and had to smile. Eddie L. Davis bless his heart was the best thing that ever happened to me in the music business. He loved my songs and recorded them with many of his artist. Eddie wanted to create a West Coast Motown with artists from East Los Angeles. His plan was working when The Headhunters were the opening act for the Beatles at Dodger’s Statium. The highest part of his career became the lowest…
After the show every thing went down hill as if there was a curse on the company. He lost the Headhunters, he let Barry White leave the company, I left and formed Mesmeriah and recorded “One More Time With Feeling” on Zyzx Records. After Eddie passed he left the company to Hector Gongzalez formerly with The East Side Connection band.
Hector was the perfect person to keep Eddie’s Dream Alive. He restored my faith in the music business in 1998 and published some of my old songs in a few videos. In 2012 after all these years of being retired I called Hector and told him I was recording again. He was pleased and told me to make Eddie proud of you, after all you were one his first rock and roll artist in 1959. Make him happy up in Heaven.
After all these paper trails, finally my first solo album has been completed. We are mixing it now for releasing it. It only took 37 years after the original group broke up…talk about a vacation. If it wasn’t for Hector Gonazalez of Rampart Records this never would have happened. He pushed me back into the business after I had my meltdown and became a recluise. Between him, Tom Hensley, and Doug Young I came back from the ashes. We have now cut a monster album for 118.WestStudios in Simi Valley, CA. Check out the concept at chick carlton facebook. The wait has been worth it. It’s going to be called 90 MILES FROM VEGAS….
The long awaited album has finally been recorded and will be released on
March 12, 2015 on Faro Records via Orchard/Sony through Amazon. com and Youtube. The production is being handled by Hector A. Gonzalez the
President of Rampart Records, my long time friend who has been in my corner my whole musical career. The album is a journey of my life that we call
“90 Miles from Vegas” from a back porch in Kansas to Las Vegas.
Sincerely, Chick Carlton
Was there a 60’s group based out of Bakersfield called “The Majestics?”
Dick Lee
rleekgb@comcast.net
I discovered that this group had their name changed for the release of the 45.
Three songs were recorded at a studio in New York City that survive as an acetate disc. It contains both songs that were issued on MGM and anothertrack. The group is credited on the disc as the Mysterians.
I checked for old articles and there is a mention in the NY Times for the Mysterians playing in the local nightclub scene.