The Vogues
Encyclopedia
The Vogues are an American
vocal group from Turtle Creek
, Pennsylvania
, a suburb of Pittsburgh
. The original group consisted of Bill Burkette (lead baritone
), Don Miller (baritone), Hugh Geyer (first tenor
) and Chuck Blasko (second tenor).
as The Val-Airs was "Launie, My Love". first released by local record label
Willett Records (owned by the group's manager
, Elmer Willett), then distributed nationally on Coral Records
. Soon after the song's release, the group adopted the name The Vogues, derived from Vogue Terrace, a popular teenage dance hall (which also housed Willett Records) in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, near the group's hometown. They soon signed a recording contract
with a small Pittsburgh-based label, Co & Ce Records, run by Herb Cohen and Nick Cenci. The group broke nationally in September 1965 with a #4 cover of Petula Clark's "You're The One
", followed nine weeks later by the #4 hit "Five O'Clock World
". Two further singles, "Magic Town" and "The Land of Milk and Honey", did not reach the same heights, but still made Billboard's
Top 40 in 1966.
The group's fortunes dwindled until a move in 1968 to Reprise Records
and a revival on the charts with a string of remakes that began with the million-selling #7 covers of Glen Campbell's "Turn Around, Look at Me
" and Bobby Helms
' "My Special Angel
". The group lost favor in the 1970s, but various groupings used the name The Vogues into the 2000s. Subsequent business moves allowed the new owner of their trademark
name to later assign it to another group of all-new artists
. Original member Chuck Blasko, performing with other singers as Chuck Blasko's Five O'clock World Reunion, subsequently lobbied Congress to make changes in trademark laws to prevent others from misrepresenting themselves as the original Vogues.
As of March 2007, original member Hugh Geyer, who had briefly toured with Blasko's group, was touring the country with another version of The Vogues. Blasko continues to perform as Chuck Blasko & The Vogues in 14 Western Pennsylvania
counties that were awarded to him by the courts.
As of May 2008 original lead vocalist Burkette has joined Geyer touring the country with the 'trademark' Vogues. Current members include vocalists Burkette, Geyer, Jim Campagna, Stan Elich, and Troy Elich, Tom Lamb (guitar and musical director), Artie Delonardis (drums), Dean Mastrangelo (keyboards) and Rich Gooch (bass). The Vogues trademark owner, Stan Elich, passed away in December, 2010, and his son, Troy, now owns the trademark. Vocalist Jim Campagna no longer tours because of health problems. Bill Burkette, Hugh Geyer and Troy Elich continue to tour as The Vogues.
The original group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vocal group from Turtle Creek
Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania
Turtle Creek is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,349 at the 2010 census. George Westinghouse gave life to the place by constructing a manufacturing plant nearby. Turtle Creek takes its name from a small stream that flows into the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, a suburb of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. The original group consisted of Bill Burkette (lead baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
), Don Miller (baritone), Hugh Geyer (first tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
) and Chuck Blasko (second tenor).
Career
Originally, the group was called The Val-Airs. Their high school principal helped them make their first demo. Their first and only recordGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
as The Val-Airs was "Launie, My Love". first released by local record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Willett Records (owned by the group's manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, Elmer Willett), then distributed nationally on Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
. Soon after the song's release, the group adopted the name The Vogues, derived from Vogue Terrace, a popular teenage dance hall (which also housed Willett Records) in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, near the group's hometown. They soon signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with a small Pittsburgh-based label, Co & Ce Records, run by Herb Cohen and Nick Cenci. The group broke nationally in September 1965 with a #4 cover of Petula Clark's "You're The One
You're the One (Petula Clark song)
"You're the One" is a song by Petula Clark. It was later also included on the 1965 album I Know a Place. Written by Clark with her regular songwriter/ producer Tony Hatch, "You're the One" was a Top 30 UK hit for Clark herself but was most successful as a Top Ten US single release by the Vogues.As...
", followed nine weeks later by the #4 hit "Five O'Clock World
Five O'Clock World
"Five O'Clock World" is the title of a song written by Allen Reynolds and recorded by American vocal group The Vogues. It reached #1 in Canada on the RPM singles chart on 10 January 1966 and peaked at #4 in the U.S...
". Two further singles, "Magic Town" and "The Land of Milk and Honey", did not reach the same heights, but still made Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top 40 in 1966.
The group's fortunes dwindled until a move in 1968 to Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
and a revival on the charts with a string of remakes that began with the million-selling #7 covers of Glen Campbell's "Turn Around, Look at Me
Turn Around, Look at Me
"Turn Around, Look at Me" is the name of a song written by Jerry Capehart.In 1961, Glen Campbell released his version as a single. This was his first song to chart in the United States, hitting #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.-The Lettermen's version:...
" and Bobby Helms
Bobby Helms
Robert Lee Helms , better known as Bobby Helms, was an American country music singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957 with his hit, "Jingle Bell Rock". He was mostly known for the Christmas song...
' "My Special Angel
My Special Angel
"My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.The song became a crossover hit in 1957 for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent four weeks at number one on the US Country music chart...
". The group lost favor in the 1970s, but various groupings used the name The Vogues into the 2000s. Subsequent business moves allowed the new owner of their trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
name to later assign it to another group of all-new artists
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....
. Original member Chuck Blasko, performing with other singers as Chuck Blasko's Five O'clock World Reunion, subsequently lobbied Congress to make changes in trademark laws to prevent others from misrepresenting themselves as the original Vogues.
As of March 2007, original member Hugh Geyer, who had briefly toured with Blasko's group, was touring the country with another version of The Vogues. Blasko continues to perform as Chuck Blasko & The Vogues in 14 Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
counties that were awarded to him by the courts.
As of May 2008 original lead vocalist Burkette has joined Geyer touring the country with the 'trademark' Vogues. Current members include vocalists Burkette, Geyer, Jim Campagna, Stan Elich, and Troy Elich, Tom Lamb (guitar and musical director), Artie Delonardis (drums), Dean Mastrangelo (keyboards) and Rich Gooch (bass). The Vogues trademark owner, Stan Elich, passed away in December, 2010, and his son, Troy, now owns the trademark. Vocalist Jim Campagna no longer tours because of health problems. Bill Burkette, Hugh Geyer and Troy Elich continue to tour as The Vogues.
The original group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 2001.
Studio albums
- Meet the VoguesMeet the VoguesMeet the Vogues was the debut album of The Vogues. It was released on a small Pittsburgh-based label called Co & Ce Records, co-founded by Herb Cohen and Nick Cenci. It featured their first hit single, "You're the One", a cover of a song originally recorded by Petula Clark, plus eleven other...
(1965) - Five O'Clock WorldFive O'Clock World (album)Five O'Clock World was the second album of the Vogues, released by Co & Ce Records in 1966.-Track listing:...
(1966) - Turn Around, Look at MeTurn Around, Look at Me (album)Turn Around, Look at Me was an LP album by The Vogues, released by Reprise Records in 1968, under catalog number RS-6314.The album was reissued, combined with the 1969 Vogues album Till, in compact disc format, by Taragon Records on November 6, 2001....
(1968) - TillTill (album)Till was an LP album by The Vogues, released by Reprise Records in 1969, under catalog number RS 6326.The album was reissued, combined with the 1968 Vogues album Turn Around, Look at Me, in compact disc format, by Taragon Records on November 6, 2001....
(1969) - MemoriesMemories (The Vogues album)Memories was an LP album by The Vogues, released by Reprise Records in 1969, under catalog number RS 6347.The album was reissued, combined with the 1970 Vogues album The Vogues Sing the Good Old Songs, in compact disc format, by Taragon Records on November 6, 2001.-Track listing:-External reference:...
(1969) - The Vogues' Greatest HitsThe Vogues' Greatest HitsThe Vogues' Greatest Hits was an LP album by The Vogues, released by Reprise Records in 1970, under catalog number RS 6371. For this collection arranger Ernie Freeman wrote orchestral parts to overdub the original Co & Ce masters of "You're The One", "Five O'Clock World", and "Magic Town" since...
(1970) - The Vogues Sing the Good Old SongsThe Vogues Sing the Good Old SongsThe Vogues Sing the Good Old Songs and Other Hits was the final album by The Vogues with the original members.-Track listing:† Medley includes bits of "Donna" , "Since I Fell for You" , "I Miss You So" , "So This Is Love" and "Goodnight My Love" -References:...
(1970)
Singles
| Year | A Side A-side and B-side A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or... |
B Side A-side and B-side A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or... |
Record Catalog Number | Notes | US POP | US AC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | "Launie, My Love" | "Which One Will It Be?" | Willett 114 | as The VALAIRES | - | - |
| 1960 | "Launie, My Love" | "Which One Will It Be" | Coral 62177 | Re-release, as The VAL-AIRES | - | - |
| 1965 | "You're the One You're the One (Petula Clark song) "You're the One" is a song by Petula Clark. It was later also included on the 1965 album I Know a Place. Written by Clark with her regular songwriter/ producer Tony Hatch, "You're the One" was a Top 30 UK hit for Clark herself but was most successful as a Top Ten US single release by the Vogues.As... " |
"Some Words" | Blue Star B-229 | - | - | |
| 1965 | "You're The One" | "Some Words" | Co & Ce 229 | Re-release | 4 | - |
| 1965 | "Five O'Clock World Five O'Clock World "Five O'Clock World" is the title of a song written by Allen Reynolds and recorded by American vocal group The Vogues. It reached #1 in Canada on the RPM singles chart on 10 January 1966 and peaked at #4 in the U.S... " |
"Nothing To Offer You" | Co & Ce 232 | - | 4 | - |
| 1966 | "Magic Town" | "Humpty Dumpty" | Co & Ce 234 | - | 21 | - |
| 1966 | "The Land Of Milk And Honey" | "True Lovers" | Co & Ce 238 | - | 29 | - |
| 1966 | "Please Mr. Sun" | "Don't Blame The Rain" | Co & Ce 240 | - | 48 | - |
| 1966 | "That's The Tune" | "Midnight Dreams" | Co & Ce 242 | - | 99 | - |
| 1967 | "Summer Afternoon" | "Take A Chance On My Heart" | Co & Ce 244 | - | - | - |
| 1967 | "Lovers Of The World Unite" | "Brighter Days" | Co & Ce 246 | - | - | - |
| 1967 | "Lovers Of The World Unite" | "Brighter Days" | MGM 13813 | Leased by MGM | - | - |
| 1968 | "I've Got You On My Mind" | "Just What I've Been Looking For" | Reprise 0663 | - | - | - |
| 1968 | "Turn Around, Look At Me Turn Around, Look at Me "Turn Around, Look at Me" is the name of a song written by Jerry Capehart.In 1961, Glen Campbell released his version as a single. This was his first song to chart in the United States, hitting #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.-The Lettermen's version:... " |
"Then" | Reprise 0686 | - | 7 | 3 |
| 1968 | "My Special Angel My Special Angel "My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.The song became a crossover hit in 1957 for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent four weeks at number one on the US Country music chart... " |
"I Keep It Hid" | Reprise 0766 | - | 7 | 1 |
| 1968 | "Till Till (song) "Till" is a popular song with music by Charles Danvers and English lyrics by Carl Sigman, released in January 1957 by Percy Faith. It was derived from the French song "Prière Sans Espoir", released in 1956 by Lucien Lupi on the EP L'Amour Viendra with original French lyrics written by Pierre Benoit... " |
"I Will" | Reprise 0788 | - | 27 | 5 |
| 1969 | "Woman Helping Man" | "I'll Know My Love (By The Way She Talks)" | Reprise 0803 | - | - | - |
| 1969 | "Woman Helping Man" | "No, Not Much" | Reprise 0803 | Re-release | 47/34 | 6/6 |
| 1969 | "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" | "P.S. I Love You" | Reprise 0820 | - | 42 | 7 |
| 1969 | "Moments To Remember Moments to Remember "Moments to Remember" is a popular song published in 1955, and recorded by The Four Lads. The song was written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman.-History:... " |
"Once In a While" | Reprise 0831 | - | 47 | 17 |
| 1969 | "Green Fields" | "Easy To Say" | Reprise 0844 | - | 92 | 19 |
| 1969 | "See That Girl" | "We Only Have Love" | Reprise 0856 | - | - | 13 |
| 1970 | "God Only Knows God Only Knows "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the group's 11th studio album, Pet Sounds , and one of their most widely recognized songs. "God Only Knows" was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl... " |
"Moody" | Reprise 0887 | - | 101 | 21 |
| 1970 | "Over The Rainbow" | "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" | Reprise 0909 | - | -/101 | -/18 |
| 1970 | "Theme (The Good Old Songs)" | "Come Into My Arms" | Reprise 0931 | - | - | 27 |
| 1970 | "Since I Don't Have You" | "Know You As A Woman" | Reprise 0969 | - | - | 8 |
| 1971 | "Love Song" | "We're On Our Way" | Bell 991X | - | 118 | 23 |
| 1971 | "Take Time To Tell Her" | "I'll Be With You" | Bell 45,127 | - | - | 38 |
| 1971 | "An American Family" | "Gotta Have You Back" | Bell 45,158 | - | - | - |
| 1973 | "My Prayer" | "I've Got To Learn To Live Without You" | 20th Century 2041 | - | - | 31 |
| 1973 | "Wonderful Summer" | "Guess Who" | 20th Century 2060 | - | - | 47 |
| 1974 | "As Time Goes By" | "Prisoner Of Love" | 20th Century 2085 | - | - | -/37 |