Danny and The Juniors - Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay

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Danny & the Juniors shot straight to the top of the charts in early 1958 with their biggest hit ever, the gold-selling "At the Hop" (penned by the songwriting team of Dave White and John Madara), though they reached the charts again with eight more singles through 1963, notably the Top 40 charters "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay," "Dottie," and "Twistin' U.S.A."

Danny Rapp (lead tenor), Frank Maffei (second tenor), Joe Terranova (baritone/bass), and Dave White Tricker (tenor) (aka Dave White) were four Philadelphia high school friends -- all were born in 1940 or 1941 -- who formed an atypical late-'50s rock & roll dance combo, originally calling themselves the Juvenairs. Rapp -- the group's leader -- choreographed their dance steps and invented the routines that they performed during their sets. After playing after-school gigs and local shows as a foursome for a while, they later added saxophonist Lennie Baker to the lineup.

While still in high school in late 1957, they were working a record hop as the intermission entertainment, when a local businessman named John Madara spotted the band. Madara had an interest in rock & roll promotion and introduced them to a local songwriter and vocal coach named Artie Singer, who also ran his own label, Singular Records.

Singer auditioned the band and liked an original song White had written that captured the energetic spirit of rock & roll. It was called "Do the Bop." However, since the term "bop" was by then already out of fashion, he suggested that the song's title needed to be changed and helped them shape it into the hit we know today: "At the Hop." Singer also shortened the name of the group from the Juvenairs to the Juniors and had them cut a demo of "At the Hop" that he took around to play for local DJs. Working with producer Leon Huff, it took 13 takes in Reco-Art Studios in Philadelphia before Singer felt he had the goods from the group.

Singer played the song for Dick Clark, whose popular music show American Bandstand was broadcast live from their hometown of Philadelphia. Clark didn't have any immediate openings on the show, but as luck would have it, Little Anthony and the Imperials canceled an appearance soon thereafter and Clark asked Danny & the Juniors to fill in as replacements. "At the Hop" proved to be an immediate success. Singular quickly issued the song as the group's first single and it became a regional hit, selling 7,000 copies in onw week in Philadelphia alone. Financially strapped, Singular Records later leased the record for 5,000 dollars to ABC Paramount. "At the Hop" proceeded to climb up the charts in December of 1957, reaching number one, where it remained for seven weeks.

Danny & the Juniors soon followed up with "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay," another White-penned rocker, which also made the Top 20. The group toured with several of Alan Freed's traveling rock & roll shows and put two more songs into the Top 40. In the early '60s the group switched over to the Swan label and after their last song charted in 1963, Danny & the Juniors eventually parted ways.

Madara ended up running his own record store, located at 60th and Market Streets in Philly. He and White also went on to join the Spokesmen, whose minor hit "The Dawn of Correction" was an answer song to Barry McGuire's number one charter, "Eve of Destruction." White also made a solo album for Bell Records, which was released in 1971 under the name David White Tricker. Lead vocalist Danny Rapp committed suicide in 1983. Saxophonist Lennie Baker went on to be a founding member of nostalgia act Sha-Na-Na).

~ Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide

Category:

Education

Tags:

• rock

[byromterry]

i have been rocken since the 50s so i guess ill die a rocken

[John1948ThreeC]

@byromterry I was a rockabilly kid and the rock and roll. Still love it!

[chevelleSS396lover]

magical era!!

[John1948ThreeC]

@chevelleSS396lover My buddy, Denny had a 1969 Chevelle with a 396. He took it to Charlie's Speed and Machine where they blue printed and balanced the engine after souping it. It had between 550 and 600 hp which was almost unheard of in those days. He had a hell of a time keeping rear ends in it. Those were the days!

[richgscott0809]

Your video work is a good as the group's vocal work. Thanks.

[John1948ThreeC]

Thanks rich.

[RockASockaHop]

This is my life's motto! ROCK AND ROLL IS HERE TO STAY!!!!

[TheNigelc8]

Love it just love it

[TheTaylorhale]

I have to sing this for show chior..We have to learn footloose and 1 other 1 i forgot.

[swedisse]

killer dance :)))

[ultramegatrion]

As soon as a time machine is reality I'm going back to the 50's!!!!!...screw todays times and music...

[Nickie0016]

LOVE DANNY AND THE JUNIORS AND ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!!!! ALWAYS!!!!

[MrSenneboy]

i have been listening to rock n roll,rockabbilly since i was born. and i now im gonna die as a rocker. im 13 :)

[54markl]

When I was just a kid, a Rock 'n Roll Band played at our Grammar School. They played things like Hendrix, the Doors. I went "back stage" to congratulate the band. I don't know why, but the vocalist, an older kid, asked me if I loved Rock n Roll. I said:"Do I love the air that I breathe?" He said: "Soon bad people will come to destroy Rock n Roll, we can't save it, only you kids can save it! Will you do it?" I said: "We will destroy them!", and I meant it. I was so angry then, 1967. I meant it!

[54markl]

Rock and Roll is Here to Stay, and WE WILL FIGHT to keep it that way! I believe, I believe in Rock 'n Roll!

[babyimawantyou]

Christine (1983)

[bapstiterian]

I really wish I could of lived during this time. The 1950s was the greatest era of the 20th century.