"Believe Me" the Royal Teens - August, 1959

[Finkanslig]

This nifty (AUG 1959, Capitol 4261) doo wop got to #26; flip side is Little Cricket. Course the group’s big hit was Short Shorts, charted #3 by FEB ’58.

The Royal Teens finally had a true vocalist by late 1958: Joe Francovilla as lead; Francovilla used a shortened name, ‘Joey Villa’. Earlier, Villa sang on Blanche (with The 3 Friends), from 1956. He is great.

Thank you. :I:

[SleepingLionGuy1]

@Finkanslig ...and it was Villa's former 3 Friends associates who provided the background harmonies on this and other Royal Teens offerings, that recently confirmed by Tom Austin, a founding member of the Royal Teens and co-writer of the song. Villa joined the group when they recorded "Harvey's Got A Girlfriend".

[Finkanslig]

@SleepingLionGuy1 Thank you! Terrific info. I've heard that the 3 Friends were involved, but was unable to confirm it. Good to know it's now confirmed.

Tom Austin may well have had a role in the song; the credits, tho, list a 'Mildred' Austin along w/ Bob Conte & Joe Villa. Who is 'Mildred'? :I:

[wmbrown6]

The label seen from 0:00-0:24 was from Keystone Printed Specialties Co., Inc. of Scranton, PA, indicating a pressing from Capitol's East Coast plant in that town; then followed by three successive West Coast pressings with label copy type from Bert-Co Press of Los Angeles; and finally two subsequent Keystone-printed labels. (The West Coast purples then were far darker and more bluish than East Coast purples.)