The Castells
Encyclopedia
The Castells were a male
vocal quartet from Santa Rosa
, California
best remembered for their hits "Sacred" (#20 in 1961) and "So This Is Love" (#21 in 1962), both released on Era Records
.
Their sound blended light rock
with elements of collegiate harmony
singing and jazz
, and proved popular with teenagers as well as adults. The Castells was formed at Santa Rosa, CA High School, circa 1959. They were booked for a performance at a local teenage "canteen". They did not have a name, and their pianist, Jeff Bush, suggested the name. It had no meaning other than they thought that it sounded good, and the intent was to be more thoughtful and change it later. They obviously never did. Through a local Santa Rosa KJAX disc-jockey who went by the name of Dan Dillon, they got some Hollywood contacts. Girard's mother financed a demo for $100., which was recorded in a San Francisco studio. They took their demo and went door-to-door in Hollywood, first to Crystalette Records,which seemed to be defunct, Alladin records, and then Era Records. They were excited that Alladin seemed interested, as they considered themselves to be R&B, but eventually it was Era who signed them. Their first release "Little Sad Eyes", went to "Bubbling Under" on the Billboard chart, then came "Sacred", which charted for them. "Make Believe Wedding" went "Bubbling Under", then "So This Is Love" again charted. They played shows for a few years, and were privileged to share the stage with many of their idols, among them Jackie Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Vee, and Brenda Lee.
They never again charted, but did continue to record for a few years, first for Warner Brothers Records, and then lastly, Decca Records. They disbanded around 1964.Their original 1959 LP fetches as much as $150 in near mint condition.
Member Chuck Girard
later joined the surf rock group The Hondells
, and in the 1970s became a popular and pioneering CCM artist
.
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
vocal quartet from Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
best remembered for their hits "Sacred" (#20 in 1961) and "So This Is Love" (#21 in 1962), both released on Era Records
Era Records
Era Records was an independent American record label located in Hollywood, California. It was founded by Herb Newman and Lou Bedell in 1955 as a pop, country and western and jazz label. Era had a #1 hit in 1956 with Gogi Grant's "The Wayward Wind", written by Newman. In 1959 Bedell sold his...
.
Their sound blended light rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
with elements of collegiate harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
singing and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and proved popular with teenagers as well as adults. The Castells was formed at Santa Rosa, CA High School, circa 1959. They were booked for a performance at a local teenage "canteen". They did not have a name, and their pianist, Jeff Bush, suggested the name. It had no meaning other than they thought that it sounded good, and the intent was to be more thoughtful and change it later. They obviously never did. Through a local Santa Rosa KJAX disc-jockey who went by the name of Dan Dillon, they got some Hollywood contacts. Girard's mother financed a demo for $100., which was recorded in a San Francisco studio. They took their demo and went door-to-door in Hollywood, first to Crystalette Records,which seemed to be defunct, Alladin records, and then Era Records. They were excited that Alladin seemed interested, as they considered themselves to be R&B, but eventually it was Era who signed them. Their first release "Little Sad Eyes", went to "Bubbling Under" on the Billboard chart, then came "Sacred", which charted for them. "Make Believe Wedding" went "Bubbling Under", then "So This Is Love" again charted. They played shows for a few years, and were privileged to share the stage with many of their idols, among them Jackie Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Vee, and Brenda Lee.
They never again charted, but did continue to record for a few years, first for Warner Brothers Records, and then lastly, Decca Records. They disbanded around 1964.Their original 1959 LP fetches as much as $150 in near mint condition.
Member Chuck Girard
Chuck Girard
Chuck Girard is a pioneer of Contemporary Christian music. He was born August 27, 1943 in Los Angeles, California, and moved to Santa Rosa, California in his young teens...
later joined the surf rock group The Hondells
The Hondells
The Hondells were an American surf rock band who hit the Top 10 with the 1964 single "Little Honda"."Little Honda", written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love of The Beach Boys, was inspired by the popularity of Honda motor bikes in Southern California during the early 1960s. The band recorded the song...
, and in the 1970s became a popular and pioneering CCM artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.