Bermuda Shorts 45 record Delroys

The start of the Delroys goes back to 1956, in Long Island City's Queensbridge Projects. There were several 'hallway' groups that met for vocal 'battles.' One group contained Reggie Walker (bass/baritone), and another contained the Coleman brothers; Ronald (first tenor), and Robert (baritone). When the battle was over, the Colemans had lured Reggie away from his group and into theirs. The fourth member was first tenor and lead John Blount. They were all around 14 or 15 years old at the time.

One night, Ronald Coleman sat in front of his television set watching an acrobatic troupe called the Five Flying Delroys. He immediately decided that this was a great name for his singing group.

The newly-christened Delroys continued practicing in the hallways of the project, never thinking much about a recording career. But one day, they were heard by someone who was impressed enough to introduce them to Ernest Kelly, a manager already handling several acts. Kelly listened to a song that Reggie Walker had written with Milton Holder, a member of his former group. Since the tune, "Bermuda Shorts," was sung in a style reminiscent of Apollo's bass-led novelty group, the Cellos, Kelly took the song to Apollo Records.

But Kelly had other acts to think of, so he made a deal with Apollo to not only take the Delroys, but soloist Milton Sparks too. Sometime in the Spring of 1957 (around May), the Delroys and Milton Sparks showed up to do their half session (only two songs). Thus, the Delroys only got to record "Bermuda Shorts" (led by Reggie) on their own; for a flip side they backed up Sparks on a tune called "Time."

delroys1.jpgdelroys1.jpgReleased in July 1957 "Bermuda Shorts" received a "fair" review on July 15 ("Time" was rated "good")." In August, Apollo's Charlie Merenstein reported that "Bermuda Shorts" was doing well in Detroit and called for DJs across the country to run "Bermuda shorts contests." Mary Dee (of WSID in Baltimore) was a jock who sponsored one. Two winners (the blurb didn't say what, exactly, the contest was about or how winners were chosen) were invited to the WSID studios to pick up copies of the record and gift certificates to a clothing store to get some shorts of their own. By September, Merenstein bragged that the disc was hitting the charts in Baltimore, Washington, San Francisco, and Chicago. On September 2, it was a Tip in Detroit. It was certainly all over the airwaves in New York City. In spite of all the local chart action, however, the tune never made it to the national charts.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bermuda
• Shorts
• 45
• record
• Delroys
• R&B
• 1957
• allycool

[allycool62]

You're welcome. Thank you for the kind comments.

[57Will]

ACtually, "Bermuda Shorts" did make Cash Box' national charts in 1957 (why it didn't make Billboard's charts is a mystery to me.)

[allycool62]

Thank much for the info 57Will. How high did it make on Cash Box?

Ally

[61dodgelancer]

allycool, thanks for the great video of the Delroy's Burmuda Shorts! Love seeing the KOBY survey from 1957!

[allycool62]

Glad you liked the survey from KOBY. 

Fun stuff. Keep the comments a-coming

Ally

[turnpink]

next up, Linda Ronstadt! madamerotten would be proud!!

[jimfromearth]

Thanks for posting. Brings back memories also loved short shorts -royal teens.

[Cleftonefan]

The info on the left is taken from Marv Goldberg's bio on the Delroys.

[srercrcr]

Similar to the Cellos stuff...same label. Hey.... TAMMY..didn't Tab Hunter or somebody like that sing that??? Steve

[thecountofbasie]

Great great doo-wop novelty...dig that original Apollo 45 too...thanks for posting this underrated classic

[gbgoul]

Group was active with most of the original members until the mid 90's. I played bass with them from the early eightys until about 1994. 2 members are singing with another big oldie group - I can't recall what group - they were out of Queens, N.Y. Ron Coleman and Reggie Williams are the two members that still perform. I am Gary Gould residing and playing in Florida.

[hah13]

Trickle, Trickle was always played by Jocko in NY

[agentlumley]

love it have the song in mp3 if you or any one wants it.

[57Will]

I think it got as high as #60 on the Cash Box charts. (Interestingly enough, the Videos' "Trickle Trickle" also didn't chart on Billboard, but did on Cash Box. That peaked at #32, if I remember correctly.)