Record Collector's Monthly--Feb./March 1993 issue 52 --By Bob Diskin

I guess it’s my Brooklyn upbringing.  I’ve always had a strong affinity for stories about vocal groups that were born in candy stores, pool rooms, bowling alleys, and schoolyards.  The streets of Bensonhurst, mainly inhabited by Italians were fertile ground for formation of vocal groups in the 1950’s and early 1960’s.  I’ve already reported on the Passions and the Montereys from this area, but this time around we’re going to visit with the group who recorded “Hushabye”, one of the biggest doo-wop hit records to come out of 1950s Brooklyn.  Our tale begins in a candy store where we encounter the first threads of the story behind Brooklyn’s Mystics

It was late 1956, in Pops Candy store on 16th Avenue and 77th Street –just across from New Utrecht High School.  That’s when Allie Contrera walked in and asked to buy something.  In the store at the time was a local youth – Tony Amato.  Upon hearing Allie’s deep talking voice, Tony approached him and asked him if he could sing.  Allie replied that he knew nothing about singing, but Tony brushed this answer aside.  He was sure Allie’s voice would have no problem handling bass.  What’s more, Tony was determined to put Allie in a vocal group!  While “You’ll Never Know” by the Platters played on the store’s jukebox, Allie, realizing he had nothing to lose by joining a group, started to sing along 

All this time Armato already had his own vocal group, the Overons, who, in addition to himself, consisted of Joe Strobel, Bob Ferrante, Albie Cracolici, and Paul Campano.  It wasn’t Armato’s intention to put Contrera in the Overons, but place him with another local group trying to get started and in need if a bass voice.  This unnamed group consisted of Jim Hudson, Ralphie Galione, someone remembered as “Conig”, and someone else whose name is not recalled. (Ralph Galione’s brother Albie would later become the founding member of the Passions.)  Allie Contrera joined this group, but despite much practice, they didn’t really know what they were doing.  Meanwhile, the Overons were already pretty polished and beginning to develop original material.  Contrera often hung around and listened as the Overons sang

At some point in 1957 the Overons were asked to sing at the Lowe’s Oriental Movie Theater on 18th Avenue and 86th Street.  The theater management was then showcasing local talent before running the movie.  For some reason, Paul Campano, the Overons’ bass didn’t want to do the show and dropped out of the group.  Tony Armato then approached Allie Contrera and asked him to step in.  Though knowing all the Overons’ material, Contrera had reservations.  He was still committed to sing with the other group, despite their ineptness, to resolve this problem, a meeting was held between the two groups at Mitchells Drive In at 86th Street and 7th Avenue.  Mitchells was a local establishment with a reputation as the “in” place to meet for teens and a slightly older crowd in the 1950s Brooklyn.  Tony Armato describes the scene as much like Arnold’s in the TV show Happy Days except that waitresses delivered food in the parking lot without roller skates.  Mitchells also attracted a lot of motorcycle gangs.  At this meeting it was decided to let Contrera join the Overons as the other group wasn’t going anywhere

Overons:  re-formed; ripped off 

By early 1958 Tony Armato and Joe Strobel had also left the Overons, though all remained close as friends.  (For more details about the early days of the Overons and about Tony Armato forming the Passions, see RCM #50 Jan/Feb 1991.)  The three remaining Overons decided to recruit Albie Cracolici’s brother Phil as their new lead, replacing Joe Strobel, and draft George Galfo (Albie and Phil’s nephew) to replace Tony Armato.  Now the Overons lineup consisted of Phil Cracolici (who had just returned from a stint in the Navy) as lead singer, Bob Ferrante as first tenor, George Galfo as second tenor, Albie Cracolici as baritone and Allie Contreras as bass 

The Overons hung out and sang in the Loews Oriental’s alleyway, Kelly’s Pool Room, and Frankie and Johnnie’s Bowling Alley all on 86th Street.  They would also frequent a park located at Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue as well as nearby Brighton and Manhattan Beach.  One of their more interesting hangouts was a bar called the Bop House located under the boardwalk at Bay 15 on the Coney Island beach. The Bop House attracted groups and teenagers from all over Brooklyn and was a pretty rough place with motorcycle gangs dropping by and fights breaking out all the time,  Groups such as Lonnie/Carollons from the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn would come down to Coney Island to get tattooed and then immediately head for the Bop House. (It’s too bad no one took pictures of the happenings at this place, but as Allie Contrera recalls –“If someone did they probably would’ve gotten the hell beaten out of them.”)
 
The re-formed Overons practiced the original tunes that Joe Strobel had written (with the help of the original Overons).  The group knew that they were good and went into Manhattan looking for a record contract.  On their first audition they were offered a contract by George Golden.  After speaking to Golden they went home and ripped up the deal he offered. Feeling that Golden was not the right person for them
 
The Overons would often go into nearby Borough Park to hear the Neon's sing and get advice.  The Neon’s had already achieved success with “Angel Face” in 1956 and were the first white doo–wop group to have a hit record.  Besides giving pointers on singing, the Neon's told the Overons to cut some demo recordings for audition purposes.  Soon a local older fellow who said he had “connections” told the Overons that if they could come with$1000, he would get them into a recording studio and on their way.  The Overons took out a loan and in mid–1958 they went into the Broadway Recording Studio at 1650 Broadway in Manhattan.  They recorded, with musical backing, four original tunes: “The Bells Are Ringing,” “Prayer To An Angel”, “Why Do You Pretend”, and “Big Brown Eyes”.  At the end of the session the Overons realized they were being ripped off because $1000 was way too much to pay for what they had just done.  The entrepreneur with “connections” was soon on his way.  But after seeing what happened, the studio owner tried to console the Overons telling them they were good and offering some free recording time should they decide to come back 

Undaunted by the financial setback, the Overons returned to the studio and cut the same four original tunes, but this time acapella,  In the studio this day was Jim Gribble a friend of the owner.  Gribble was a successful lawyer and talent agent down south until his marriage broke up and he landed in Manhattan, destitute.  It took awhile for Gribble to land on his feet, but when he did, he opened up an office in what is now the Ed Sullivan Building on Broadway and started to manage vocal talent.  Gribble immediately took a liking to the Overons and told them to stop by his office as he would be glad to help them get started as a singing group. 

Overons to Mystics

Gribble liked the Overons’ sound and felt he would have no trouble getting this good-looking group signed to a recording contract.  But the name “Overons” had to go.  To find a new tag, all five members wrote one new name they liked on a slip of paper, and all the papers were put into a hat.  Allie Contrera remembers finding “Mystics” by going through a dictionary.  When his piece if paper was drawn out of the hat, the Overons became the Mystics.
 

In late 1958, Gribble secured a recording contract with Laurie Records for the Mystics using the demo tunes the group had cut.  Upon finding out that they were going to record for Laurie, the group was ecstatic as this label was the home of Dion/Belmont's.  Word spread quickly in Bensonhurst about the Mystics’ good fortune.  It wasn’t long before the local fellow who had ripped off the group was at Jim Gribble’s office contract in hand stating that he was their manager. A closed – door meeting ensued with the Mystics waiting outside nervously.  When the meeting ended, Gribble said he had taken care of the problem and the Mystics were free of the previous contract

The Mystics soon recorded two songs for Laurie, “Adam and  Eve”, and the old Weavers’ tune, “Wimoweh”.  (When members of the original Overons and later the Passions used to hang out at Bay 3 on Brighton Beach, they would sing “Wimoweh”.  This definitely influenced the Tokens who were from Brighton Beach and who were persuaded to record this song as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in 1961 by producer Bob Feldman.  Feldman was also from Brighton Beach.) 

The Mystics first efforts were arranged and produced by Elliot Greenberg.  But Laurie was not happy with the results and commissioned Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman to write an original tune for this group.  Mort Shuman was friends with the Mystics, as he knew them from Bensonhurst where he also lived, Soon the Pomus and Shuman team came up with “A Teenager In Love” for the group, but the Mystics were quickly disappointed.  Laurie decided to give the material to the already successful Dion/Belmonts.  Laurie execs felt that a song more in the style of the Elegants’ “Little Star” would be better suited for the Mystics and told Pomus and Shuman to come up with something else.  The next day, Pomus and Shuman came up with “Hushabye 

Prior to recording “Hushabye”, and up to the time that this record became a huge hit, the Mystics did vocal backup work in several recordings at the request of Laurie Records and Jim Gribble,  The group was very happy doing these backup vocals, figuring that even if they never did anything else, at least their voices were now in records and they were getting paid for it.

For Laurie Records, the Mystics backed up Judy Allen on “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree” b/w/ “Sentimental Me”, Scott Garrett on “Love Story”, b/w “Graduation Souvenirs”, Rusty Lane (real name Karl Zeeb, Jr.) on “Karen” b/w “Comes The Day”, and Don Press on “More Than Ever” b/w/ “Ask The Robin”.  These four Laurie releases came out in 1959 

Connie Francis’ manager worked on the same floor as Jim Gribble and the Mystics wound up doing vocal back up  along with some girls) on one song cut by Connie Francis.  Recorded in 1959 this side, “Tommy,” was released in 1964 on the MGM label,  Also at the bequest of Gribble, the Mystics backed up Rocky Hart on “Come Go With Me” released in 1959 on the Cub label.  (The flip side of this record “Everyday”, features vocal backup by the Passions who were good friends with the Mystics.)  What’s more, the group backed up Rocky Hart on two unreleased tunes that no one now remembers the titles of,  (Rocky Hart’s release of “I Played The Part Of A Fool,” on Glo Records features neither the Passions nor the Mystics.)  But once “Hushabye” took off Gribble would not allow the Mystics to do any more vocal backups.

Hushabye hits big

In May of 1959 Laurie released “Hushabye” b/w/ “Adam and Eve” and within a few weeks the record was a smash.  Peter Tripp on WMGM radio was the first to play it.  Soon Alan Freed started featuring “Hushabye” as the closing tune on his televised Saturday night Big Beat Show. In fact, one night Freed played “Hushabye” four times in a row!  At it’s peak, “Hushabye” was Top Ten in most of the tri-state area, and nationally it climbed to around #20.

The Mystics made an appearance on Clay Cole’s TV show which, at the time, was located in Providence Rhode Island.  This appearance had much significance later on,  The Mystics became very good friends with Clay Cole and they also became close friends with the Tradewinds who also appeared on the Providence show.  The Tradewinds vocal group would soon change their name to the Videls.  The Mystics also appeared in Jim Gallant’s Bandstand in Connecticut, did record hops in Philadelphia, made Palisades Park appearance hosted by Cousin Brucie Morrow, did Ted Steele record hops, appeared on American Bandstand on an Alan Freed stage show at the Brooklyn Fox.  They went on a Cavalcade of Stars tour run by the General Artists Corporation.  This was a follow-up tour to the ill-fated one that claimed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens.  It ran from June 12m 1959 to July 5, 1959,  Beside the Mystics, this tour featured Johnny/Hurricanes, Freddy Cannon, Frankie Ford, Barbara Evans, and Carl Dobkins, Jr

While on the road doing a string of shows on the strength of “Hushabye”, the Mystics started pressuring Laurie Records for studio time to record a follow-up release,  Never interested in recording the four tunes written by the original Overons, Laurie came up with “So Tenderly"  (the supposed “A” side) and “Don’t Take The Stars”. Around this time, the Mystics also wanted to record an album of old standards. Laurie liked this idea, but unfortunately for the Mystics, the project was given to Dion/Belmonts 

In late summer of 1959, Laurie released the Mystics second single with “Don’t Take The Stars” doing very well locally and in the tri- state area.  Nationally, the record made the top 60.  However, at the recording session, the Mystics started getting disillusioned with Elliot Greenberg’s arrangements.  The group made another TV appearance with Clay Cole.  His show was now on Channel 13 in New York.  Around this time, the Mystics recorded “Red Red Robin”, which remains unreleased to this day, and “Paper Moon” which was released in 1980 in the Crystal Ball LP Laurie Records – A Full House.

 Who will sing lead? 

In the fall of 1959, Phil Cracolici exited the Mystics, leaving them with no lead singer,  At Jim Gribble’s suggestion, Paul Simon (aka Jerry Landis), who frequently hung around Gribble’s office, became the Mystics’ new lead.  In January 1960, “All Through The Night” (with five voices singing together with no distinct lead), “I Began To Think Of You”, and “Let Me Steal Your Heart Away” were recorded.  The Mystics were now more upset than ever with Elliot Greenberg’s arrangements, “All Through The Night” b/w “ I Began To Think Of You” received some local air play, but soon Paul Simon left the group to pursue other writing and production projects.  Eventually “Let Me Steal Your Heart Away,” with Paul Simon on lead, was released on the Crystal Ball LP previously mentioned.

A look at the Mystics’ schedule for January, 1960 shows they were a very active group:

01/08/60 – Cotillion Terrace – Brooklyn, NY

01/09/60 – Clay Cole Hop – New Jersey

01/15/60 – Clay Cole Show – Commack Arena – Long Island

01/16/60 – Telethon – Albany, NY

01/18/60 – Rehearsal – Laurie records

01/20/60 – Telethon – Newark, NJ

01/21/60 – Radio Show

01/22/60 – Rehearsal – Laurie Records

01/26/60 – Bell Sound Studios – recording session

01/27/60 – George Tucker TV Show

01/28/60 – Boulevard Show

 

On March 9, 1960,the Mystics appeared in the American Bandstand afternoon show singing “All Through The Night”.  On April 16, 1960, the group began a road trip with Alan Freed's Midwest tour.  The other acts were: Teddy Radisson, Freddy Cannon, Bobby Freeman, the Fireflies, the Singing Belles, Sony Till/Orioles, and Eddie Quinteros.  The tour only lasted a couple of weeks and went bust.  No one got paid.

With Paul Simon gone, the Mystics started looking for a new lead voice and had gone through about 15 auditions when they chose Jay Traynor.  It was very east for the group to audition singers because Jim Gribble and a good reputation as “Manager of the Stars” that attracted vocal talent to his office.  On May 11, 1950, the mystics with Jay Traynor on lead recorded “White Cliffs of Dover”, “Blue Star” and “Over The Rainbow” at RCA studios.  This was the first time that Laurie allowed the group to pick and record a song they liked.  Inspired by the Dell Vikings’ version, they chose “ White Cliffs of Dover”.  (The Mystics sang this song often at live shows long before recording it.)  Backed with “Blue Star”, “White Cliffs of Dover” received (at best) local play.  “Over The Rainbow” remained unreleased until the late 1980s when Ace Records  (England) issued a Mystics album

On June 23, 1960, the Mystics went into Central Park on a photo shoot for an album that Laurie was planning. Unfortunately, the album never came to be and the group never saw the photos.  Jay Traynor was soon disillusioned with his job as lead singer, feeling he was never really part if the Mystics.  He believed the other four members were just putting up with him, hoping their original lead Phil Cracolici would return – and he was right. When Traynor decided to leave the Mystics, he met with Kenny Vance and Sandy Pagoda who were members of another Gribble act, the Harborlites.  Soon Jay, Kenny, Sandy and Howe Kirshenbaum went on to form the original Jay/Americans based in Flatbush 

In 1961 the Mystics, once again needing a lead singer, were introduced to Eddie “Shots” Falcone by Lou Rotunda of the Passions. Eddie has previously sung in Lou Rotunda's unrecorded street group, the Delray's from South Brooklyn.  Laurie felt that “teen tragedy” songs were doing well at this tune, so they recorded the Mystics with Falconer in lead singing “Star Crossed Lovers”, b/w “Goodbye Mister Blues”. Since the Mystics were having no luck with Elliot Greenberg’s arrangements, the label brought in Stan Vincent to produce this session,  Laurie believed that the younger Vincent might be better able to connect with the teenage market.  It was Vincent who gave “Goodbye Mister Blues” to the Mystics.  This song was also recorded by Billy Demarco/Renditions on the Up label – probably before the Mystics’ version,  The Mystics did a few record hops off this release -  but the record didn’t even dent the charts.  Shortly  thereafter, Eddie Falcone was out of the group

The Mystics often hung out and sang at Frankie & Johnnys bowling alley on 86th Street and 16th Avenue.  It was there that the group was approached by a young Ralph Lizano with " Darling I Know Now”, a song he wrote and wanted them to sing.  The Mystics liked it, and asked Ralph to sing lead with them on it.  The group went into the studio and cut “Sunday Kind of Love,” “Darling I Know Now”, and “Again”.  All these songs featured Ralph Lizano on lead.  Laurie released “Sunday Kind Of Love” b/w “Darling I Know Now”, but this disc received absolutely no airplay.  “Again” remained unreleased until the aforementioned Crystal Ball LP.  By mid-1961, Bob Ferrante and Albie Cracolici decided to call it quits and the Mystics stopped recording and performing
 

Doubling UP

Late in 1960, the Mystics were approached by Pete Andreoli and Vinny Poncia whom they had met in Providence, Rhode Island in 1959(Tradewinds) and were asked to record an original tune, “Mr. Lonely”, which Andreoli and Poncia had written for the Mystics.  The Mystics declined, so Andreoli and Poncia recorded it with their own group, now called the Videls.  Of course, the Videls had a big hit with this release on JDS Records.  But by late 1961, the Videls had broken up, so Allie Contrera and George Galfo of the Mystics and Pete Andreoli and Vinny Poncia of the Videls joined forces and performed as both the Mystics and the Videls.  Albie Cracaolici also sang with this group for a short time.  At one point they added a girl named Rosie to help them emulate the sound of the Skyliners. 

To help with personal appearances, Pete and Vinny borrowed brown suits from two of the inactive Mystics, and the group appeared on Clay Cole’s show as the Mystics singing “Darling I Know Now”.  The next week they returned to Cole’s show in the same brown suits as the Videls singing “A Letter From Ann”.  (This Videls’ tune was recorded for Kapp Records with Pete and Vinny overdubbing their voices

In late 1963, Pete Andreoli and Vinny Poncia released “Hand Clappin” Time Part I and Part 2” on Big Top Records.  There was a vocal group on this release made up of Phil, Albie, Allie and George of the Mystics.  Pete and Vinny also recorded some singles under their original name, the Tradewinds, on Red Bird records in 1965 and had a hit with “New York Lonely Town”.  Red Bird also released “The Party Starts At Nine”, a collector favorite.  It’s no wonder that thus us a very collectible record because the group backing up Pete and Vinny up here are the same Mystics members that backed them up on their Big Top release.

Around this same time, the Mystics recorded “In My Faithful Heart” and “Save A Dream”.  The first song remains unreleased to this day, but in 1980 Crystal Ball Records released a Videls album that mistakenly included “Save A Dream”.  This song was in a master tape that came from a box with “Videls” written on it.

 Revival Years

 The Mystics were completely inactive from the mid- 1960s until the rock-and-roll revival hit in 1969-70.  For awhile, the original five members did the revival circuit.  But when George Galfo and Bob Ferrante moved to Florida and Arizona respectively, the group needed new members.  For awhile the replacements were Joe Esposito, Bruce Sudano, and Eddie Hockinson.  They sang and played musical instruments.

 During the early 1970s, Allie Contrera received a call from Andreoli and Poncia who had relocated to California.  They wanted Allie to come out west for a big project they were working on.  Allie declined the invite, but in his place he sent Joe Esposito, soon followed by Bruce Sudano and Eddie Hockinson.  These three were known as “Brooklyn Dreams” and wound up being Donna Summers’ backup group.  Bruce Sudano eventually married Donna Summers.  Kenny Vance used Brooklyn Dreams as the “Planatones” in the movie American Hot Wax and they are still performing as Kenny Vance/Planatones

From the mid 1970s to 1990, the main replacement singers in the Mystics were John Tarangelo, Joey Napoli, and Emil Stuccio. (Emil being the original lead singer of the Classics)  In 1982, the Mystics cut an album called Crazy For You for the Ambient Sound Lable.  For these recordings, the group consisted of Phil Cracolici, Albie Cracolici, Allie  Contrera, John Tarangelo, and also original member Bob Ferrante who happened to be in town when the album was cut.  On this album the Mystics recut three of the Overons original tunes: “Prayer To An Angel”, “Why Do You Pretend” and “The Bells Are Ringing

In 1989 an album that yours truly and Ed Engel produced entitled They Sang in Brooklyn was released. This album featured all unreleased sides from the 1950s and early 1960s by dome of the old Brooklyn groups.  The Overons’ 1958 acappella version of “The Bells Are Ringing” is the lead song in this LP.  This cut, in this writer’s opinion, epitomized what a white Brooklyn streetcorner group should have sounded like in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s.  In 1992 I released three They Sang In Brooklyn EPS (Volumes 1, 2, and 3). The Overons’ acappella version of “Big Brown Eyes” can be found on Volume 2.

 After many years in the revival circuit, the Mystics decided to become inactive around 1990.  Emil Stucco along with Allie Contrera then put the Classics back together,  But as of this writing (November 1992) Phil Cracolici is re-forming the Mystics.  Also Phil and George recently did some recordings with the Bowery Boys down in Florida that should be released soon.  And at my suggestion there is the remote possibility that, with advance word, Bob Ferrante and George Galfo could arrange to be in New York so that there could be a reunion performance of the five original members.  The Mystics career has touched five different decades and Brooklyn would be proud to hear them sing again