OFFERING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY,IS AMEGA-RARE CLASSICBILLY WARDORIGINAL19581STPRESSING "BILLY WARD AND THE DOMINOES" LP INOUTSTANDINGCONDITION! THIS IS THE MEGA-RARE 1st PRESSING THAT GOLDMINE CATALOG VALUES AT $200.00 IN NRMT CONDITION! YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A NICER COPY! THISIS THE ORIGINAL1958VERY RARE1st PRESSING.THIS IS ON THEDECCA BLACK LABEL WITHSILVER PRINT# DL 8621T1 ARE THE LAST 2 DIGITS OF THE MATRIX STAMPED INTO THE DEAD WAX ON BOTH SIDES. CHECK OUT THE SONG LIST BELOW TO SEE THEINCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF ROCKIN' TUNES THAT WILL REALLY GET YOUR FEET TAPPIN AND YOUR HEAD BOPPIN'! VISUALLY,THE53 YEAR OLD THICK VINYL DISCIS INOUTSTANDING CONDITION. I HAVE EXAMINED THIS UNDER BRIGHT LIGHT ANDNOTICED THAT THE PLATTER HAS RETAINEDMUCH OF ITS ORIGINAL DEEP RICH GLOSS. THERE AREA FEWEXTREMELY LIGHT HAIRLINES/SCUFFS(MOSTLY THE SWIRLY VARIETY)NOTHING EVEN CLOSE TO BEING "FEEL-ABLE"CERTAINLY NOTHING THAT WOULD SERIOUSLY EFFECT THEINCREDIBLE LISTENING EXPERIENCE! AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LABEL PICS BELOW THEY APPEAR TO BE UNUSED. BASED ON THE ABOVE IMPERFECTIONSI FEEL THE VINYL GRADESAS NRMT- I HAVE PLAY GRADED THIS MOMENTS AGOAND THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE WAS INCREDIBLE!I GRADE THE LISTENING EXPERIENCEAS NEAR MINT THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE SKIPS, JUMPS, STICKS, ORLOUD POPS, TICKS, CLICKS OR BURPS!! PLEASE NOTE THESE LABEL PICS ARE BLOWN UP TO 2X THE ACTUAL SIZE! ANY IMPERFECTIONS APPEAR TWICE AS BAD AS THEY ACTUALLY ARE!! PLEASE NOTE THESE LABEL PICS ARE BLOWN UP TO 2X THE ACTUAL SIZE! ANY IMPERFECTIONS APPEAR TWICE AS BAD AS THEY ACTUALLY ARE!! THE COVER PRESENTS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL! THEREARE AFEW OF TINY PIECES OF CLEAR TAPE TO WARD OFF A POTENTIAL SLIT TO THE UPPER CORNERS AND MIDDLE OF THE SPINE. VERY NICELY DONE AND I ALMOST DIDN'T NOTICE THEM.THERE ISNO RING WEAR EVIDENT TO EITHER SIDE! THE LINER NOTESON THEREVERSE SIDE WERECLEAN & PERFECTLY READABLE.THEREIS SOME VERY MINOR STAINING NEAR THE MOUTH ON BOTH SIDES AND SOME VERY SLIGHTCORNER DINGS/CREASING AS SHOWN. BASEDON THE ABOVE IMPERFECTIONS I FEEL THAT THE COVER GRADESEX++ OVERALLTHISCLASSIC LP GRADESEX++ TO NRMT- SONG LIST: SIDE 1 1. TO EACH HIS OWN 2. ST. THERESE OF THE ROSES 3. SEPTEMBER SONG 4. ST. LOUIS BLUES 5.WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING 6. 'TIL KINGDOM COME SIDEII 1. EVERMORE 2.I DON'T STAND A GHOST OF A CHANCE WITH YOU 3. AM I BLUE 4.WILL YOU REMEMBER (WHEN YOU ARE FAR-A-WAY) 5.OH, LADY BE GOOD! 6. WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN One of the most popular vocal groups of the early 1950s, Billy Ward & His Dominoes owed their success to three men: Clyde McPhatter, Jackie Wilson and Billy Ward. It was Ward's group - he organized it, masterminded in promotion, wrote the songs and arrangements and dictated every stage move right from the beginning. Billy Ward is a gifted musician, a former child prodigy trained in the classics, voice and composition. Born in Los Angeles on September 19, 1921, to a preacher father and choir-directing mother, Ward moved with his family to Philadelphia in the mid-1920s. He played the organ in church and at the age of 14 won an award from composer Dr. Walter Damrosch for an original piano composition. During World War II, Ward was a commissioned officer and led the Coast Artillery Choir at Ford Eustis in Virginia. After the war he resumed his studies at the Chicago Art Institute and The Juilliard School in New York City. While pursuing a career as a vocal coach and part-time arranger on Broadway, he met talent agent Rose Marks, and they decided to form a vocal group from the ranks of his students; Clyde McPharrer, first tenor; Charlie White, second tenor: William Joseph Lamont, baritone; and Bill Brown, bass. In October 1950 they took first prize on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts television show. The Dominoes caught the ear of Ralph Bass of Federal Records, a new subsidiary of King. After coming up with original R&B material at the request of Bass, The Dominoes signed a contract with him. They laid down four tracks, all written by Ward and Marks, at the New York studio on November 14, 1950. Their first single was on the street in December. "Do Something For Me" broke nationally in February 1951 and marched op the R&B charts to a respectable #6 position. Carried by the emphatic bass vocal of Bill Brown, "Sixty Minute Man" entered the R&B chart at the end of May 1951, rose quickly to #1. The demand for their personal appearances kept the group on the road and out of the studio until January 1952. Both Bill Brown and Charlie White bad been replaced, later to surface in a new group, The Checkers. They were replaced by bass singer David McNeil and second tenor James Van Loan. Two moderate hits, "I Am With You" and "That's What You're Doing To Me" kept the stores busy, and King/Federal owner Syd Nathan added a second shift to his pressing plant. Ward's group clinched their title as she top R&B vocal group with another #1 hit in 1952. "Have Mercy Baby" was a storming rocker led by Clyde McPhatter at his frenzied best. Is was released in April 1952 and held the #1 R&B spot for ten weeks. Ward was depending more and more on McPhatter's unique gospel fervor, both on ballads and jump tunes, but McPhatter himself was virtually unknown to the public. Clyde McPhatter was born in Durham, North Catolina, on November 15, 1932. Like Ward, McPhatter was the son of a preacher father and organist mother. In 1945, the McPhatter family moved to New York City and Clyde was soon singing with the Mount Lebanon Singers, along with Charlie White. Joining The Dominoes as lead tenor was his first big break. In the first week of September 1952, The Dominoes were working at the Michigan State Fair when Ward was approached by a young singer from Detroit named Jack Leroy Wilson. Wilson, born in Detroit on June 9,1934, had boxed under the name of "Sonny" Wilson and had been Golden Gloves Champion at the age of 16. He later sang with the Ever Ready Gospel Singers and an R&B group that included Hank Ballard and other future members of the Midnighters. Ward invited Wilson to join The Dominoes on tour. Working their way back East, the group stopped in Cincinnati on September 17 and did a double session, which turned out to be the last one for Clyde McPhatter. From this session came the hits "I'd Be Satisfied," "Pedal Pushin' Papa," "The Bells," and "These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You." McPhatter decided to leave in April 1953 and was recording for Atlantic with his own group, The Drifters. Jackie W
